In 1941, three brothers witnessed their parents and two other siblingsbeing led away to their eventual murders. It was a grim scene that would, of course, be repeated endlessly throughout the war. Instead of running orgiving in to despair, these brothers - Tuvia, Zus, and Asael Bielski - foughtback, waging a guerrilla war of wits against the Nazis. By using their intimate knowledge of the dense forests surrounding theBelarusan towns of Novogrudek and Lida, the Bielskis evaded the Nazis andestablished a hidden base camp, then set about convincing other Jews to jointheir ranks. As more and more Jews arrived each day, a robust communitybegan to emerge, a "Jerusalem in the woods."After two and a half years in the woods, in July 1944, the Bielskis learnedthat the Germans, overrun by the Red Army, were retreating back towardBerlin. More than one thousand Bielski Jews emerged - alive - on that final, triumphant exit from the woods. | The Bielski Brothers by Peter Duffy, Paperback | Indigo Chapters