Russian and Polish regimes. But noth-
ing was like the annihilation the
Germans brought when they occupied
the area in 1941.
While the Nazis executed
thousands, including their
parents, Tuvia, Asael and Zus
Bielski slipped into the dense
forest with some of their sib-
lings. •
Over the next 2 1/2 years,
they kept one step ahead of
the Nazis, building semi-per-
manent settlements and mov-
ing them deeper into the for-
est when enemy danger
loomed.
Their villages, which even included
a makeshift synagogue and theater,
harbored up to 1,200 Jews, who also
fled the Nazis from nearby towns. The
inhabitants went on with life as best
they could in this "Jerusalem in the
Woods," learning trades, marrying and
having children.
The Bielski group allied with Soviet
partisans to often sabotage the Nazis.
At some points, the Bielski camp was
just a few kilometers away from the
Germans, but excellent protection and
evacuation systems prevented them
from being detected. Also, the Nazis
were mainly occupied fighting the
Russian army.
Duffy writes: "It's difficult to calcu-
late how many people are alive today
because of the actions of the Bielski
brothers. Many of the 1,200 people
who walked out of the forest in 1944
have since died. But their children
have borne children, who themselves
have borne children.

"Thousands of people in the United
States, Israel, Great Britain, France,
Germany, Austria and Russia owe their
existence to the brothers decision ... to
shelter every Jew who arrived
at the forest encampment."
To document the story,
Duffy talked to more than 50
survivors of the community,
including Aron, a younger
brother, and the widows of
Tuvia, Asael and Zus.
"I mined every available
document, memoir and pho-
tograph," he said, "and I even
found a long manuscript,
written by Tuvia, which had remained
unknown to the family." Duffy was
embraced as an honorary member of
the Bielski family.
Asael Bielski was killed in action in
1945 after being conscripted into the
Red Army. Tuvia and Zus eventually
moved to the United States, where
they both died in recent years.
"They received some recognition for
their efforts in later years, including
glowing speeches and a standing ova-
tion at a testimonial dinner in New
York, but not as much as they
deserved," Duffy points out. "That's
what I hoped to accomplish with the
book." El_

Peter Duffy speaks 7 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Jewish
Community Center in West
Bloomfield; free. (248) 432-

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