That night, with the help of a militiaman who was kind （some were, Renia recognized）， Renia brought Hershel to the kibbutz. He would have to move into the bunker permanently to avoid the Gestapo. People were incredulous. Their father had returned from the dead. Life would somehow turn out okay.
They knew, however, that their joy was temporary. The Judenrat had begun to notice the kibbutz’s activities and became suspicious. The Kamionka ghetto was by now filled with the empty apartments of the murdered, so the Freedom group split into three. Each ten-member unit took up residence in a different part of the ghetto. They still, however, maintained communal life. “We are all one family”—the mantra that guided them, always.
Chapter 19
Freedom in the Forests—The Partisans
Renia, Faye, Vitka, Ruzka, and Zelda
JUNE 1943
It was late spring 1943 when blond-haired, blue-eyed Marek Folman returned to B?dzin from Warsaw, energized by the recent uprising and his own success. A few months earlier, Marek and his brother, disguised as Poles, had joined a partisan group in central Poland. They attacked German barracks, planted mines under military trains, and burnt down government buildings. Tragically, Marek’s brother had been killed in an altercation; but he was killed as a fighter. Renia listened to his stories, each word a miracle.
Now Marek had a plan. His group refused to accept any Jews, but he’d been in touch with a Polish officer named Socha who was willing to help Zaglembie’s Jews connect with local units that would include them. Socha lived with his family in B?dzin.
The entire kibbutz was excited. At first, their philosophy had been to fight as Jews in the ghetto. But as the liquidations raged on and the chances of an effective uprising decreased, the comrades had few choices. Joining the partisans was a way to action, a golden opportunity. They’d tried to contact detachments, but never with success.
Who was this Polish man willing to help Jews? Marek and Zvi Brandes needed to assess the situation. They went to Socha’s simple apartment. Babies crying for food, a typical peasant wife, a working-class family. Socha left a positive impression on the boys.
Yes, they said. We will go with you.
The ZOB decided to send a few members from each movement. All were boys; several got pistols. They were to escape the ghetto, remove their Jewish stars, meet Socha at an agreed-upon spot, then follow him into the forest. They were asked to write home when they arrived.
A long week later, the comrades heard that Socha had returned to town. The kibbutz hadn’t wanted to give him their address, so Marek went anxiously to his apartment.
Socha had good news: the comrades had arrived safely and were accepted with open arms. They went out to fight the Germans that very day. Socha apologized—they were so excited, they forgot to write.
At last, revenge! Elated, the ZOB prepared to send out a second group. With the general expulsion imminent, everyone begged to be included. Renia pleaded, itching to do, to take action, to fight.
They read the list. From The Young Guard: Chajka Klinger’s boyfriend, leader David Kozlowski as well as Hela Kacengold, whom Chajka described as a symbol of the new wartime girl: “In high boots and jodhpurs, with a gun, it was difficult to tell that she was a woman.” From Freedom: Tziporah Marder, five men, and one Atid orphan boy. Again, those leaving were asked to write home and tell them how to prepare the next group. The remaining comrades, envious but hopeful, watched as the new group packed matchboxes with bullets; they all drank vodka in celebration.
Renia, however, was devastated when her name wasn’t called. Frumka and Hershel explained that the ZOB needed her to make several trips to Warsaw for guns, especially now that the fighters going to the forest had taken all the weapons with them. Only when those trips were completed would Renia be allowed to join the partisans.
Renia sighed. She understood. But, oh, how she had wished, how she had hoped, to join the fight!