Vladka Meed (born Feigele Peltel, December 29, 1921 – November 21, 2012) was a member of Jewish resistance in Poland who famously smuggled dynamite into the Warsaw Ghetto, and also helped children escape out of the Ghetto.[1][2]
Meed was born in Praga, a district of Warsaw, Poland to Hanna Peltel (née Antosiewicz) and Shlomo Peltel. Her mother ran a haberdashery store, and her father worked in a leather factory.[3] Meed was the oldest child; she had two siblings, sister Henia and brother Chaim.
At 14, she joined Jewish Labor Bund and in 1942 the Jewish Combat Organization. Vladka's father's died before and then her mother, brother, and sister died in Treblinka extermination camp. She was spared when they were taken because she worked in a German factory and had papers to show the Nazis when they raided her town.[4] Vladka and her future husband Benjamin Meed pretended to be Aryans and helped organize the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. After the final destruction of the Warsaw ghetto, Meed was active in the Jewish underground movement (the Jewish Coordinating Committee) which supported Jews survive in Warsaw and its surroundings. Using a false identity, she traveled with forged permits to bring financial and emotional aid to hiding Jews, deliver fake documents, etc. Meed and Benjamin married in 1945 and survived both the Holocaust and World War II. They arrived in the US in 1946 with $8 between them.
Careeredit
In 1963, Vladka and her husband founded the Warsaw Ghetto Resistance Organization (WAGRO).[5]
In 1981, she helped to organize the World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors in Jerusalem.[5]
Vladka Meed's book "On Both Sides of the Wall" was originally published in Yiddish in 1948 with a first hand account of her wartime experiences. The book was translated into English in 1972 (with a foreword by Elie Wiesel), and later into German, Polish and Japanese.[6] She also published in The Forward newspaper.
For nearly 20 years she organized a number of summer trips for teachers, educating them on the Holocaust, and the Jewish history of Warsaw. According to The New York Times obituary, she was a central source of the 2001 television film Uprising.[7]
Meed received a 1973 award of the Warsaw Ghetto Resistance Organization, the 1989 Morim Award of the Jewish Teachers' Association, the 1993 Hadassah Henrietta Szold Award, and the 1995 Elie Wiesel Remembrance Award. She received an honorary degree from Hebrew Union College and Bar Ilan University.[8]
Personal lifeedit
The couple married shortly after the war, and in May 1946 they immigrated on the second boat, the Marine Flasher,[9] that carried survivors to the United States.[6] Meed's husband worked in the import-export business. They had two children, Steven and Anna, both of whom became physicians.
Miedzyrzecki, Feigele Peltel. Fun Beyde Zaytn Geto-Moyer. New York: Farlag Workmen's Circle of the Educational Committee of the Workmen's Circle, 1948. (Yiddish original)
Miedzyrzecki, Feigele Peltel. Fun beyde zaytn geto-moyer. Amherst: National Yiddish Book Center, 1999. OCLC 145734989 (Yiddish version, digitized)
Miedzyrzecki, Feigele Peltel. On Both Sides of the Wall: Memoirs from the Warsaw Ghetto ; Introduction by Elie Wiesel ; [Translated by Moshe Spiegel and Steven Meed]. Lohame Ha-Getaot: Ghetto Fighters' House, 1977. ISBN978-0-896-04012-0OCLC 5723402 (English translation)
Referencesedit
^Oster, Marcy (26 November 2012). "Jewish Resistance fighter Vladka Meed dies at 90". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
^Berenbaum, Michael (22 November 2012). "Vladka Meed, Warsaw Uprising Leader, Dies at 90". The Forward. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
^"Portrait of Benjamin and Vladka Miedzyrzecki in Lodz soon after the war. - Collections Search - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum". collections.ushmm.org. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
^Dana, Visit the USC; Letters, David College of; Arts; Sciences. "Full-length Testimonies". USC Shoah Foundation. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
^ ab"SS Totenkopf (Death's head) ring taken from an SS officer by a liberator and later given to a Holocaust survivor - Collections Search - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum". collections.ushmm.org. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
^ abBernstein, Adam (22 November 2012). "Vladka Meed, courier for the Jewish resistance during WWII, dies at 90". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
^Berger, Joseph (24 November 2012). "Vladka Meed, Who Infiltrated Warsaw Ghetto, Dies at 90". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
^Saidel, Rochelle G. (20 March 2009). "Vladka Meed, 1921-2012". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
^Green, David B. (29 December 2014). "This Day in Jewish History / A woman who smuggled guns in and children out of Warsaw Ghetto is born". Haaretz. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
Further readingedit
Kurzman, Dan. The Bravest Battle: The Twenty-Eight Days of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. New York: Putnam, 1976. ISBN978-0-399-11692-6OCLC 2020785
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vladka Meed.
vladka, meed, born, feigele, peltel, december, 1921, november, 2012, member, jewish, resistance, poland, famously, smuggled, dynamite, into, warsaw, ghetto, also, helped, children, escape, ghetto, 2005bornfeigele, peltel, 1921, december, 1921warsaw, polanddied. Vladka Meed born Feigele Peltel December 29 1921 November 21 2012 was a member of Jewish resistance in Poland who famously smuggled dynamite into the Warsaw Ghetto and also helped children escape out of the Ghetto 1 2 Vladka MeedVladka Meed in 2005BornFeigele Peltel 1921 12 29 December 29 1921Warsaw PolandDiedNovember 21 2012 2012 11 21 aged 90 Paradise Valley Arizona U S Other namesFeigele Peltel MiedzyrzeckiSpouseBenjamin MeedChildren2 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Works and publication 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksEarly life editMeed was born in Praga a district of Warsaw Poland to Hanna Peltel nee Antosiewicz and Shlomo Peltel Her mother ran a haberdashery store and her father worked in a leather factory 3 Meed was the oldest child she had two siblings sister Henia and brother Chaim At 14 she joined Jewish Labor Bund and in 1942 the Jewish Combat Organization Vladka s father s died before and then her mother brother and sister died in Treblinka extermination camp She was spared when they were taken because she worked in a German factory and had papers to show the Nazis when they raided her town 4 Vladka and her future husband Benjamin Meed pretended to be Aryans and helped organize the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising After the final destruction of the Warsaw ghetto Meed was active in the Jewish underground movement the Jewish Coordinating Committee which supported Jews survive in Warsaw and its surroundings Using a false identity she traveled with forged permits to bring financial and emotional aid to hiding Jews deliver fake documents etc Meed and Benjamin married in 1945 and survived both the Holocaust and World War II They arrived in the US in 1946 with 8 between them Career editIn 1963 Vladka and her husband founded the Warsaw Ghetto Resistance Organization WAGRO 5 In 1981 she helped to organize the World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors in Jerusalem 5 In 1983 the Meeds founded the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors Vladka Meed s book On Both Sides of the Wall was originally published in Yiddish in 1948 with a first hand account of her wartime experiences The book was translated into English in 1972 with a foreword by Elie Wiesel and later into German Polish and Japanese 6 She also published in The Forward newspaper For nearly 20 years she organized a number of summer trips for teachers educating them on the Holocaust and the Jewish history of Warsaw According to The New York Times obituary she was a central source of the 2001 television film Uprising 7 Meed received a 1973 award of the Warsaw Ghetto Resistance Organization the 1989 Morim Award of the Jewish Teachers Association the 1993 Hadassah Henrietta Szold Award and the 1995 Elie Wiesel Remembrance Award She received an honorary degree from Hebrew Union College and Bar Ilan University 8 Personal life editThe couple married shortly after the war and in May 1946 they immigrated on the second boat the Marine Flasher 9 that carried survivors to the United States 6 Meed s husband worked in the import export business They had two children Steven and Anna both of whom became physicians Meed died from Alzheimer s disease at her daughter s home in Paradise Valley Arizona on November 21 2012 at the age of 90 Works and publication editMiedzyrzecki Feigele Peltel Fun Beyde Zaytn Geto Moyer New York Farlag Workmen s Circle of the Educational Committee of the Workmen s Circle 1948 Yiddish original Miedzyrzecki Feigele Peltel Fun beyde zaytn geto moyer Amherst National Yiddish Book Center 1999 OCLC 145734989 Yiddish version digitized Miedzyrzecki Feigele Peltel On Both Sides of the Wall Memoirs from the Warsaw Ghetto Introduction by Elie Wiesel Translated by Moshe Spiegel and Steven Meed Lohame Ha Getaot Ghetto Fighters House 1977 ISBN 978 0 896 04012 0 OCLC 5723402 English translation References edit Oster Marcy 26 November 2012 Jewish Resistance fighter Vladka Meed dies at 90 Jewish Telegraphic Agency Retrieved 16 May 2015 Berenbaum Michael 22 November 2012 Vladka Meed Warsaw Uprising Leader Dies at 90 The Forward Retrieved 16 May 2015 Portrait of Benjamin and Vladka Miedzyrzecki in Lodz soon after the war Collections Search United States Holocaust Memorial Museum collections ushmm org Retrieved 2019 11 25 Dana Visit the USC Letters David College of Arts Sciences Full length Testimonies USC Shoah Foundation Retrieved 2019 11 25 a b SS Totenkopf Death s head ring taken from an SS officer by a liberator and later given to a Holocaust survivor Collections Search United States Holocaust Memorial Museum collections ushmm org Retrieved 2019 11 25 a b Bernstein Adam 22 November 2012 Vladka Meed courier for the Jewish resistance during WWII dies at 90 The Washington Post Retrieved 16 May 2015 Berger Joseph 24 November 2012 Vladka Meed Who Infiltrated Warsaw Ghetto Dies at 90 The New York Times Retrieved 16 May 2015 Saidel Rochelle G 20 March 2009 Vladka Meed 1921 2012 Jewish Women s Archive Retrieved 16 May 2015 Green David B 29 December 2014 This Day in Jewish History A woman who smuggled guns in and children out of Warsaw Ghetto is born Haaretz Retrieved 17 May 2015 Further reading editKurzman Dan The Bravest Battle The Twenty Eight Days of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising New York Putnam 1976 ISBN 978 0 399 11692 6 OCLC 2020785External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vladka Meed Vladka Meed testimony and biography at USC Shoah Foundation Institute Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Vladka Fagele Peltel Meed at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vladka Meed amp oldid 1166240605, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
