Yesterday was the ceremony of the unveiling of a new gravestone marker at his burial site which is also the symbolic grave of all the soldiers of the Jewish Military Union, members of Betar and the Revisionist Movement who were not allowed to join the rest of the left-wing figthing groups. It took place at the Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw at Okopowa Street yesterday. Prominent on the new marker is the name of Pawel Frenkel, the ZZW commander.
Pictures I received via Moshe Arens and Wojciech Pluciński, the latter of the Komitet Hadar there in Poland:
Stefan's importance is that on May 17, 1942, disguised as an Aryan, he crossed over from the ghetto and sent a telegram to Hillel Tzur, an Irgun emissary to the Irgun cells organizing in Poland, who had returned to Netanya in Mandate Palestine only in September 1939. It was hoped that the telegram would, however innocuously worded it was because of the Nazi censor, would alert Jews outside as to the terrible reality.
The telegram indeed was sent from the Red Cross offices although part of it indeed was crossed out on May 17, 1942. It actually reachyed Tzur on August 31, 1942 but its cryptic message was not understood.
On February 4, 1943, Stefan was again outside the ghetto attempting to purchase weapons for the ZZW.
Upon finishing his task, he began his return but was accosted by German soldiers.
He pulled out his own pistol and engaged the Nazis in battle, killing two before being killed.
His comrades recovered his body and buried him in the Jewish cemetery. The original tombstone noting his ZZW membership and his nom de gurre, Nesher (Eagle):
Please read Moshe Arens' "Flags Over the Ghetto".
^
Posts
1 comment:
Beautiful post. Thanks for sharing.
Post a Comment