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Jews,
Prepare for Armed Resistance!
The
German and Lithuanian hangmen have reached the gates of the
ghetto. They will murder us all. They will take us, group by
group, through the gates.
That
is how they took them in their hundreds on the Day of
Atonement.
That
is how they took them at the time of the White, the Yellow and
the Pink papers.**
That
is how they took our brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, our
children.
That
is how they took tens of thousands away to their death.
But
we will not go!
We
will not let them take us like animals to slaughter.
Jews,
prepare for armed resistance!
Do
not believe the false assurances of the murderers, do not
believe the words of the traitors. Whoever is taken through
the gate of the ghetto has only one road ahead -- Ponary. And
Ponary is death.
Jews,
we have nothing to lose.
Death
is certain. Who can still believe that he will survive when
the murderers kill systematically? The hand of the hangman
will reach out to each of us. Neither hiding nor cowardice
will save lives.
Only
armed resistance can save our lives and honor.
Brothers,
it is better to fall in battle in the ghetto than to be led
like sheep to Ponary.
Know
that in the ghetto there is an organized Jewish force which
will rise up with arms in its hands.
Rise
up for the armed resistance!
Don't
hide in the malines. You will fall there like mice in
the hands of the murderers.
Jewish
masses
Out
into the streets!
Those
who have no arms get hold of an axe.
Those
who haven't an axe take hold of an iron bar or a cudgel!
--
For our murdered children,
--
For our parents,
--
For Ponary.
Strike
the murderers!
In
every street, in every yard, in every room, within the ghetto
and outside the ghetto.
Strike
the dogs!
Jews,
we have nothing to lose. We
can save our lives only if we kill the murderers.
Long
live liberty! Long live armed resistance!
Death
to the murderers!
Command
Staff
United
Partisans Organization F.P.O. (Fareinikte
Partizaner Organizatsie)
Vilna
Ghetto
September
1, 1943
Moreshet
Archives, D. 1.382.
*
See Document 197.
**
Documents of various types that were distributed in the
ghetto. |
