The inspiring, previously untold tale of survival, defiance, heroism, and an unlikely hero – the Jewish civil engineer and musician who led the extraordinarily successful guerilla war to liberate Ukraine from Nazi occupation during World War II. Written by the National Jewish Book Award-winning author of Violins of Hope, this is a riveting window into a little-known aspect of WWII for history buffs, fans of the movie Defiance starring Daniel Craig, and readers of The Violinist of Auschwitz, Rebecca Frankel’s Into the Forest and The Light of Days by Judy Batalion.
Prior to the Holocaust, Moshe Gildenman lived a simple life as a cultural leader in his hometown of Korets, Ukraine. When the Nazis murdered 2,200 Jews in his peaceful community, including his wife and daughter, Moshe responded not with prayer and grieving but with a cry for revenge. If Moshe was going to die, he was going to take as many Nazis with him as possible.
Bearing only a revolver, five bullets, and a Yiddish songbook, Moshe escaped to the forest with his son, a nephew, and nine other Jews. Fighting under the alias Uncle Misha, the engineer devised a number of intricate missions for the small but fearless brigade that became known as Uncle Misha’s Jewish Group.
Operating in northern Ukraine under the leadership of their venerable and unlikely guerilla commander, this undaunted band of brothers and sisters is credited with carrying out more than 150 combat operations, blowing up bridges and other strategic targets. Even after the Nazis were driven out of Ukraine, Uncle Misha insisted on staying in the fight all the way to Berlin, until the last German was defeated.
The enthralling and profoundly moving story of Uncle Misha’s extraordinary paramilitary success resounds powerfully with the enduring camaraderie he forged around forest campfires and his unyielding dedication to avenging the murders of his loved ones, liberating his homeland, and keeping his people’s legacy alive.
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