Same As It Ever Was

This past Tuesday, 9 February, here in Columbia, South Carolina, I was able to attend with my wife, sister and brother-in-law a lecture by Zvi Bielski. It was interesting, informative and entertaining and filled in some holes for me concerning the recent movie "Defiance."

For those who have not seen the movie, I would recommend it. It is a compelling retelling of the anti-Nazi partisan saga of the Jewish Bielski brothers in what is today Belarus during the height of Hitler's power in World War II. According to Zvi, the son of one of those brothers, Zus, it is "very accurate," though Hollywood did a few minor "re-writes."

If you have not seen the movie, there is also a book by Peter Duffy, "The Bielski Brothers," on which the movie is based. It is not my intent to retell the story, but I will say a few interesting points that may whet your appetite to see the movie or read the book (I've done both):
-The Bielskis saved the lives of over 1200 Jews from Nazi extermination.
-They killed over 400 German soldiers and their Nazi collaborators.
-During their time eluding and fighting the Nazis they lost a grand total of
FIVE people, two of which the brothers killed themselves. I will not judge
them, I'll leave that to you and God.
-The brothers also saved dozens of gentiles.

The presentation by Zvi Bielski included video excerpts from various news outlets and some clips from the movie. One of the clips dovetailed EXACTLY with a question I had for him during his presentation, much to my delight and surprise. He solicited questions throughout his presentation and his comments were insightful and defiant. He made the comment that his father, uncles and he do not consider themselves "victims" of the Nazis, but rather victors, citing the numbers saved and the enemy killed.

I stated to Zvi that my sister and I were of German-Jewish extraction (our paternal grandmother) and that in researching our family tree I came upon at least one great-great aunt who had died in Germany in 1940 during the first year of the war, and the seventh of Nazi persecution. Then I posed the question, "It has always made me curious as to why so many European Jews went to their deaths so docilely. Why were your brothers (sic - I meant his father and uncles - Zvi did correct me) so different?"

His answer was a gem.

"My family was from the country. They grew up in the woods. Most Jews in Europe lived in the cities." I think I offended Zvi when I said, "So, in other words they were Russian Rednecks." It was not my intent, of course. My point was to quantify their placement in what would be America today.

Zvi Bielski made an important point about the vast majority of Europe's Jewry - they were intellectuals. They were likely Liberal and Progressive in their world view. They believed that they could convince the Nazis of their usefulness - that is borne out in so many examples from the era. And it is understandable. The Nazis were a product of early-20th Century Progressive thought and a great deal of their policies were Progressive and Liberal - freezing and controlling executive pay, universal healthcare, eugenics to ensure healthcare and social costs, state guidance of health and food issues, support of agriculture through subsidies, alternative fuels research, expansion of government, use of unions and media to control public opinion, and gun control to ensure the safety of the populace. On the face of it, the Nazis were kind and benevolent. Just like other European intellectuals of the day.

What set the Bielskis aside, beside the realpolitik of their lives and world, was that they had hidden their one illegal gun from the Germans, Russians, Poles and Soviets over the years. The Bielski Otriad (Russian for detachment), and the lives of 1200 people, grew from a rifle and two bullets. And the fact that they were country boys, what we in America today would refer to as rednecks. And it was this redneck attitude, and guns, that saved them.

Eventually the Bielskis would move to Israel and then America, where they and their children live today. Why did they move? They were heroes. They had killed Nazis alongside other Soviet soldiers and partisans during “The Great Patriotic War.” Despite this, at the end of the war they were declared traitors by the great Soviet leader Josef Stalin. They ran and survived.

Zvi Bielski is justifiably proud of his father and family. His family’s story rings a warning for us today:

Strong, powerful, large governments are dangerous.