Jewish Partisan Community

A place for families of Jewish partisans from World War II to connect and share their stories.

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Helen with her mother Esther before the war.

Helen (bottom right) with two of her cousins from Lida before the war. Her cousins did not survive.

Helen and Esther in Bad Gastein DP camp.

4. Helen with a few friends in a DP camp

3. Helen with friends in one of the DP camps.

First photo taken in this country-Helen, Esther and Helen’s step father, Joe. Esther met him in the DP camp. This is in Passaic, NJ in front of their apartment

Helen and her husband, Harry before they were married.

Helen and Harry’s wedding photo - November 27, 1955

A family photo of Helen and Harry with their children, Rita and Mark

Helen and Esther in front of the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach, Florida.

Helen and Harry’s 60th wedding anniversary

Helen’s presentation of her story to a rehabilitation facility in Freehold, NJ

Helen’s granddaughter, Jacqueline’s wedding to Cedric Dana- November 16, 2016

Poland Partisan

Helen Terris

Helen Terris (née Elinka Cyderowicz) was born in Lida, Poland on September 8, 1935, the only child to mother Esther Thurston Cyderowicz (née Esia Thurston), a homemaker, and father Aaron Cyderowicz, a businessman. Before the war, Helen and her family lived a comfortable and privileged life. Her father went...

Community Stories

USSR Partisan

Sonya Oshman (Gorodinsky)

Born in 1922, in Novogrudok, Poland, Sonya Gorodynski, was the oldest of five children born to Abraham and Tamara Gorodynski. Her father...

Yugoslavia Partisan

David Elazar

David Elazar was born on September 16, 1919, in Kosovska Mitrovica, then part of Yugoslavia. David had eight siblings, Moshe, Nissim, Yaakov,...

USSR Partisan

Betzalel (Tzalke) Ginsburg

Tzalke Ginsburg and his brother Motke escaped from Ivie to the village of Dokodova where they joined the Iskra Otriad. Together the...

Lithuania Partisan

Leib Solc

Leib Solc was born in Vilna, Lithuania. His mother was a widow, and Leib was one of eleven children. At a young...

Poland Partisan

Sonia Lazowski Lombrowski

Sonia Lombrowski (nee Lazowski) was born on October 25, 1917, to a wealthy family in Dvoretz, Poland. She lived with her parents,...

Poland Partisan

Yechiel (Chil) Grynszpan

Yechiel (Chil) Grynszpan was born on July 6, 1916, in Sosnowica, Poland, to Sura Bajla and Moszko Grynszpan. He grew up with...

The biographies on this site are compiled from testimonies, recollections, transcripts, memoirs, and biographies of Jewish partisans, their children and their grandchildren.

A place for families of Jewish partisans from World War II to connect and share their stories.

Approximately 30,000 Jews fought back during the Holocaust as Jewish partisans. They fought in organized, armed resistance groups throughout Europe, saving thousands and striking back at their oppressors in countless ways.

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