Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the story of the Jewish resistance fighter group Jewish Military Union (JMU) otherwise known as the Etzi, who fought during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising will be integrated into Israel's matriculation curriculum.
Many are aware of the heroic story of the Jewish resistance led by Mordechai Anielewicz, in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, but few are aware of an additional group of fighters: the JMU group led by Pavel Frankiel affiliated with the Beitar movement.
The decision to integrate the story of the JMU Jewish resistance fighters into Israel's national history curriculum was made this week, after a request made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Education Minister Rafi Peretz.
Though many are aware of the story of Mordechai Anielewicz who led the Jewish uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto, "most people aren't aware that there was an additional group of fighters: those that were led by Pavel Frankiel, of the Beitar fighters, who fought shoulder to shoulder and died in that battle," said Netanyahu.
"Few survived, and those that did came to this country. No one really ever understood their part in the story never told," he said, adding that the problem was brought to attention by former defense minister Moshe Arens, who wrote a book correcting the "injustice and lack of awareness."
Following Peretz's decision to integrate their story into the curriculum, the movie "VeNizkor Et Kulam," (Will We Remember Everyone?) will be introduced into the national curriculum next year. The movie elaborates on battles fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and specifically highlights the role of the JMU.
"I saw a movie a few days ago about Ziuta Hartman, who was the last fighter in the Jewish Military Union, led by Paveł Frenkiel, to die. She barley got even the most minimal of recognition (during her lifetime) concerning her and her fellow-fighters immense sacrifice, said Netanyahu.
Peretz compared awareness of the JMU group, which is barely recognized and "who's silence was left at the ghetto walls", to that of the store of Mordechai Anielewicz, "which has dozens of movies and books written about it." He added that the integration of the movie into the curriculum is a step towards making things right. Netanyahu said that the lack of awareness is the reason for adding to the story of the JMU into Israel's curriculum.
The Jewish military Union consisted of several hundred Jewish fighters according to Peretz, who said that "this group was responsible for some of the largest battles in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising."
Further elaborating on their story he added that "at the height of the battle the JMU fighters flew a blue and white flag in the ghetto, and the Germans weren't able to remove it for four days." According to Arnes' book the next to the blue and white flag the Jewish fighters also placed a red and white flag of the Polish.