Memorial Wall at the Museum of Jewish Resistance dedicated to 227 tunnel escapees
it was financed by the Charles and Seryl Kushner Family Foundation
Though British actor Daniel Craig popularized the story of the Bielski partisans in the 2008 film “Defiance,” preserving the history of their heroics in the region where they operated has long been the passion of Belarussian historian Tamara Vershitskaya
She carried out her mission as the head of the Museum of Jewish Resistance
which she founded in 2007 in the Western Belarusian city of Novogrudok
not far from the Bielski partisans’ forest base
But the Belarusian Ministry of Culture fired Vershitskaya and her assistant at the start of this month. The terminations, she said, are clearly retribution for her own association with acts of resistance against the ruler of a country some call the last dictatorship in Europe
6,000 Jews — representing more than half the population — lived in the city of Novogrudok
the Novogrudok Ghetto saw one of the largest ghetto breakouts during the Holocaust
More than 100 of the 227 escapees joined the Bielski partisans
and became one of the most well-known resistance movements against the Nazis
Among the escapees who joined the Bielskis was Rae Kushner
who would become the grandmother of Jared Kushner
Vershitskaya knew little of that history until the fall of the Soviet Union
when survivors of the partisan units and their descendants began returning to the area
The historian was drawn to their stories and committed to sharing them with others in Belarus and beyond
She placed the Museum of Jewish Resistance where a tunnel had allowed the ghetto’s prisoners to escape
The museum tells the story of Novogrudok’s Jews and the Bielski partisans as part of the area’s local resistance against the Nazis
Now Vershitskaya fears for the museum’s future
Her termination and her assistant’s in early March have left the museum a single staffer – a recently hired researcher
Vershitskaya believes her firing was retribution for her association with anti-government protests
For months, Belarusians have been protesting against the government of President Alexander Lukashenko. The protests began after Belarus’s opposition leader contested the results of Lukashenko’s August election to a sixth term, an election widely condemned as fraudulent
As the police clamped down and street protests subsided
they turned to the Museum of Jewish Resistance
“They chose to order regular tours every Sunday,” Vershitskaya told the Forward
Tours were a regular service offered by the museum
which would have been quickly disrupted by police
the weekly tours gave the protestors a pretense to gather
but merely listened as Vershitskaya took them around the old ghetto and taught about the region’s history of resistance to tyranny
They knew their presence made it clear to government officials that they were not afraid to gather in public
“Two or three officers would follow us each time,” she said
when police interrupted the tour and detained Vershitskaya and several of the group members
One tour member, was sentenced to ten days in prison
on charges of engaging in a solitary unauthorized picket
nobody told me that I had done something wrong
but a week later my colleague and I were suddenly informed that our contracts wouldn’t be extended.”
Despite the fact that the region was home to many Jews in pre-war Europe
Holocaust memory is preserved in smaller museums like the Museum of Jewish Resistance or as part of larger local Jewish and history museums
Museum of Jewish Resistance exhibition in the former ghetto barracks
Though the Museum of Jewish Resistance is largely funded by donations
it operates under the umbrella of the Belarus’s Ministry of Culture
With the ousting of Vershitskaya and her assistant
only a young researcher remains at the museum
Vershitskaya is hopeful but unsure that it may be able to take on new employees when a new batch of students graduates from university in the fall
The fact that the museum may have to close is especially distressing to descendants of Jewish partisan groups such as the Bielskis and researchers worldwide
for whom the museum is an important source of history
They’ve raised their voices to bring attention to the situation
Jerry Gotel (London Jewish Cultural Center) and Tamara Vershitskaya speak during a ceremony at the Museum of Jewish Resistance in Novogrudok in 2017
who founded and curates the Museum of Jewish Resistance
threatens Holocaust memory in Belarus by entangling the history of Jewish suffering with present-day politics,” read a statement signed by a group of Holocaust Studies scholars
“It is deeply troubling that the unique narrative of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust in Belarus might be subject to unfounded government intervention.”
“I knew that I could lose my job.” she said
“It didn’t bother me then and it doesn’t bother me now
I strongly believe that the museum is out of politics
and that it must demonstrate this position.”
she is dedicated to preserving its mission
She has long wanted to build a memorial to the Bielski partisans by preserving the remains of their camp in the Naliboki forest
With her newly found free time Vershitskaya has begun working with artists from around the world to make that dream a reality
But my life goes on and I am continuing to do what I can in this new situation,” Vershitskaya said
David Ian Klein covers breaking news and international Jewish communities for the Forward. You can reach him at [email protected] and on Twitter @davidianklein
I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward
American Jews need independent news they can trust
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back
the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S
rising antisemitism and polarized discourse
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on
See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs
subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up
Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association
The sight of a perigee moon happens when the moon is full and makes its closest approach to Earth
The next supermoons will be on 28 September and 27 October
Photograph: Impact Press Group/NurPhoto/Corbis
'#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0
location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1
'?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash;history.replaceState(null
"\/digging-history-documentary-details-holocaust-escape-unearths-buried-tunnel\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=.vy_7nIduY22xyVyLaNnQFeXgZmfRDtazp57I6HIuOY-1746519719-1.0.1.1-QISdMfbr3_JYW6lH7KxYhqQIsaxV68Vs6lyP8qYd2VQ" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null
ogU);}}document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cpo);}());
View the discussion thread.
Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker
Routes
Author: Nasta Eroha
It’s a pleasant and surprisingly lively town in Grodno region that is actually closer to Lithuania and Poland rather than to Minsk
Almost 40% of the 100,000 population are Polish
Lida has been named the best place for doing business in Belarus several times
But for most of the travelers it will be more interesting to see the local number one attraction –14th century Lida Castle
the first stone castle on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania built in 1330
and at the end of 19th century city authorities allowed to take it to pieces to rebuild the city damaged by fire
The castle was restored in the worst belarusian traditions in 2010
Today there’s a museum and opportunity to master your archery skills
touristic agencies offer animated excursions
and in summer you can even take part in a real knight tournament
Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (2
Sovetskaya Str.) is situated next to the castle
It is the only survived religious building of late Baroque style of 18th century
Inside of the church you’ll find the 15th century Icon of the Mother of God
and just by the building – a massive stone in honour of foundation of Lida
If you want to plunge into the Belarusian culture and learn how to sculpt pots on a potter’s wheel, drop in at the center of crafts and traditional culture Spadchyna (12
Here are the museum and the traditional belarusian puppet theater Batleika
Take a stroll to the Mound on Lenina Street; it looks very cool
it’s the pyramid and slanting trunks of guns
a picturesque river and a park dotted with lovely benches
We recommend visiting the famous Lidskae beer plant (32
where the guide will show the entire process of brewing
explain the difference between porter and pilsner and even teach you how to taste it right
The main local abandoned byilding is the Izotron plant
and there even happened illegal raves several times
Coffee Way (6
Leninskaya Str.) is a coffee point that offers burgers and hot dogs with freshly brewed coffee (latte – € 0,9
Pizza Panda (29
Sovietskaya St) is the perfect place to have lunch for its huge portions and fast service
In the evening you can go to Lida beer (32, Mickiewicza Str.). The place looks like a cozy European pub with fresh beer from the factory and an impressive menu (you should try the fore shank
Better book a table in advance as this place is very popular
Gastro bar Chekhov (1/3
Grunwaldskaya St) is suitable for those looking for more exquisite menu and fancy interiors
On Thursday nights there are always discos
A cheaper place is Equator Hotel (54b
there is a SPA center in the same building for you to recover
By the way, there is a hostel called Perekrestok (Radzyuka St)
but the price is ridiculous – € 14 for a double
There is a great deal of options like buses (€ 3) and trains (the trip takes 3-4 hours)
In 1865 in Turau there was found an 11th century Bible
the most ancient book created on our territories
Back then Turau was called ‘the second Jerusalem’ for its 45-70 (there’re various opinions) ortodox churches. Actually, all of them were tiny wooden buildings that didn’t make it through a few fires. The only church that survived in big fire of 1834 is blue Orthodox church of All Saints (99
Inside you’ll find two stone crosses; according to the legend
they came from Kiev by the river Pripyat and are able to cure
Another cool place to see is the ancient castle with ruins of wooden houses and foundation of a 11-12th century church
Don’t forget that Turau has perfect location. Bird lovers should visit Turauski Lug, an ornithological territory of international level, fishing and hiking amateurs can head for Pripyat National Park
The local dairy factory produces delicious ricotta and mozarella under the brand Bonfesto (you must have seen them at any supermarket)
There is a café with the same name at the factory (154
The menu is much more various that just dairy products
as you don’t usually expect such a high level so far from Minsk
and the staff is really nice and professional
unhasting staff and European cuisine sprinkled with draniki and home made sausages are waiting for you at the Turov Hotel restaurant (10a
Almost the only good option is to drop a bag in the brand new Turovskie Legendy Guest House with simple clean room designs
internet and orthopedic beds for € 20 per double room
By the way, there is a pleasant belarusian café Budzmo
For cheaper options, check out Turov Hotel (10a
Or just step by to buy pretty nice souvenirs
If not by car, go by minibus
It’s also possible to reach Zhytkavichy by train (with a transfer in Baranavichy or Luninets)
This ancient Belarusian town was the first capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Like Constantinopole and Rome, Navahrudak stands on seven hills. Right here the great prince and the only Grand Duchy of Lithuania king Mindaugas was crowned, and Adam Mickiewicz
Of course, the main point of attraction in town is the ruins of the 12th Navahrudak Castle
It was destroyed by the Swedes in the 18th century almost to the current state; there are only two crumbling walls remaining now
Today it is a nice place to walk and have picnic with a great view of the town from the Castle Hill
Among other attractions there is a perfectly preserved Transfiguration Church built in 1714 in the Sarmatian Baroque style. The second important building in Navahrudak is 18th centurt St. Michael Archangel Church
founded at the monastery that hadn’t survived
If you are not touched by catholic churches, then visit Orthodox church of St. Barys And St. Hlieb
The poet Adam Mickiewicz was born and lived in Navahrudak before entering the Vilnius University, and therefore you should visit his house-museum (1
the concentration of monuments devoted to Mickiewicz in Navahrudak is huge
the Mound of Immortality constructed in his honor which obviously offers a great view of the surroundings
The best location in terms of price and quality is café-bar Rome (9
hot meals are cheap and the service is fast
Should your soul ask for more elegant interios and sophisticated meals
you are welcome at the restaurant Valeria (6
If you want to bring a souvenir from Navahrudak
buy a bottle of rice kvas in Navahrudak winery shop (6
Hotel Crocus (57/1
recently renewed place that has orthopedic beds
A triple room costs € 22 with breakfast included
As usual, the best way to get to Navahrudak from Minsk by minibus (€ 2)
An ideal option of a one-day trip from Minsk is Zaslauje. Some 40 minutes by a high-speed train – and here you are in another town, founded in 10th century. The legend says that the Kiev prince Vladzimir gave Zaslauje to Rogneda of Polatsk and her son Izyaslav (in whose honor the place was named) as a gift
There is also another version of what happened back then
Vladzimir exiled Rogneda and her son to Zaslauje after a failed assasination attempt
the town is very ancient and very interesting
If you go to Zaslauje with children, they will definitely like Children’s Museum of Myths and Forests (4
Wanna see how creatures from ancient legends looked like
walk to the Dehnovka area and climb the hill – it offers the best views of Zaslauje and Minsk
Our favorite place is café Shinok (Savetskaya Str.)
ask about a table in advance as Minsk companies really like to throw their corporate parties here
An ordinary back-to-ussr-style café with tasty food and coffee to go
There are not so many places for an overnight stay in Zaslauje – just the hotel Avenue (100A
An alternative is the agriturismo Rabbit Hole (€ 35)
it is easer to find a place to sleep in Minsk
The simpliest way to get there is by any train heading for Maladziechna
you need to get off at the station called Belarus
It will be really cool if you travel by the train Minsk – Belarus
You can also get to Zaslauje by minibus and by bus
Gora Komunarov) which is not actually a caslte
but just a fantasy on the topic of defensive constructions
it’s nice to get a cup of coffee and go for a walk there to contemplate the city view even in winter
Then go down to the river Pripyat to count lazy barges flowing back and forth and if you’re lucky enough
even to catch the motor ship Mazyr – Turau
At the city center you won’t be able to miss Lenina Street, which is the only in town where there are still buildings of the end of 19th century. The building of the the Melezh drama theater stands out of the whole ensemble
but with any luck you can see an evening performance (ticket cost begins from € 3)
A beautiful complex of red brick industrial buildings is Mazyr brewery (180
It provided Nicholas II with beer back then
and now it produces only local sbiten and mead
Another must-do in Mazyr is a tram ride. Besides Mazyr, trams run only in Minsk, Vitsebsk and Navapolatsk. The tram has only 7 stops in the town
and then it goes right to the oil refinery
Just do not attract much attention while taking photos: the watchmen here have their own concept of security and spying
There’s a ski resort that functions during winter season.
Have a decent cup of coffee at Smachna Kawa
Savetskaya Str.) welcomes you for lunch; it’s a whole house in the city center with a huge terrace
but actually they offer a good choice of meat and fish steaks at honest prices
You should try it at the special place called Kimborovka (108
It’s a bar at the brewery that has been working since Stalin times
ginger sbiten taste even better in sovietic green interiors
You can take all this beauty away for € 1,5 per liter
Yorkpub guarantees an excellent dinner
a huge menu and loud parties on Friday nights
Euro Mini Hotel (101
Internatsionalnaya Str.) is a cute hotel at the center
The interiors are probably even worth taking a selfie: a room for two with its own kitchen
There is also a cheaper option, a guest house with an obvious name – The Guest House Hotel (38
For € 10 you can get a cheerful double room with a TV-set and internet connection
There are billiards and sauna at the guest house
in 15 minutes you’ll arrive to the city center
Text by Nasta Eroha, translation by Alexandra Murashko, Belarusfeed
From tourist classics to secluded spots for the locals – we’re exploring Minsk together with VETLIVA
Worthy reasons for travel all over the country
From former palaces and manors to chapels with tombs – a starting guide for path-breakers
We’re diving into Minsk for the locals who are young at heart
nature venues and holiday camps in the most famous resort region of Belarus
‘A village should have everything that a city has
The city that has experienced a lot of disturbance throughout its long history
Exploring secrets and legends of one of the largest cities in Belarus
We’re traveling to the ancient capital of Palessie
A new episode of our audioseries is about Turaŭ
A trip to the ancient capital of the Grand Dutchy
The rock capital of Belarus has a lot of stories to tell
E-mail: 34travelby@gmail.com
The reference to source is obligatory if you use materials of the site
34travel.me does not bear responsibility for the advertisements
Tunnel of Hope: Escape from the Novogrudok Forced Labor Camp by Betty Brodsky Cohen; Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House; © 2024; ISBN 9789657-801291; 655 pages including appendices; $33.39
son-in-law of President Donald Trump and one of the architects of the Abraham Accords
may not have ever existed were it not for the daring escape by his grandmother Raya in September 1943 from a forced labor camp run by the Nazis in Novogrudok in today’s Belarus
Author Betty Brodsky Cohen researched the fate of 227 prisoners who participated in a mass escape through a surreptitiously built tunnel
was among 133 who survived raking machine gun fire and made their way to the Bielski Brothers’ partisan encampment in the Naliboki Forests
So was his great-grandfather Zeidel Kushner
There were four previous massacres of the Jews of Novogrudok
a city located about 90 miles southwest of Minsk
when between 4,000 and 5,100 Jews were rounded up and executed in the Novogrudok marketplace by the Nazi occupiers in what was then Poland
Among the victims in Skirdlevo was Raya’s eldest sister
Her family watched her being dragged to her death
which was created after the first massacre
and children were transported to the nearby village of Litovka
where they were executed and buried in a mass grave
when nearly 500 Jews in the Pereseka ghetto were shot and thrown into a pre-dug ditch
when 250 prisoners at the Novogrudok work camp
including Raya’s mother (Jared Kushner’s great-grandmother)
were led away to their murders about a half mile from the ghetto
and father Zeidel joined the cause of the tunnel diggers led by Berl Yoselevich
The women’s jobs were to smuggle dirt from the tunnel in bags hidden under their coats and spilled into attics and empty rooms
which grew to a distance of slightly more than 682 feet
Although all Novogrudok inmates suffered on starvation diets
they nevertheless shared their rations with the tunnelers who dug at night after their regular work shifts
stormy night in which an electrician among the prisoners cut the power to the camp’s searchlights
the prisoners lined up according to an assigned order and crept to the tunnel’s entrance
Joseph Berkowitz and Raya were among 20 couples who later were married in a group ceremony in Budapest
had fled the Jewish ghetto in the town of Korelich and dug a pit in the woods in which he hid along with his sisters and brother
with Joseph scavenging at night for their food
Joseph and Raya secured visas to the United States
where they lived in Brooklyn and later in Elizabeth
born in a European displaced person’s camp; Murray
the last two of whom were named for Raya’s slain siblings
followed his father Joseph into the real estate business
who served a two-year sentence in a federal prison camp following his conviction in 2005 on charges of illegal campaign contributions
whose daughter Ivanka is married to Charles’ son Jared
pardoned Charles in 2020 and nominated him as ambassador to France in 2025
Said Jared: “In being a Holocaust survivor
you are always compassionate to those who suffer misfortunes.”
Raya (who shortened her given name to Rae)
She commented: “We never dreamed that out of the ashes and rubble
we would survive to lead normal lives and see and build the next generation.”
The Kushners were just four Novogrudok escapees of the 227 whose biographies are set down in Betty Brodsky Cohen’s landmark work
some of which are extensive and others just a couple of paragraphs because information was unavailable
Cohen includes an analysis of why the escape from Novogrudok was relatively successful and offers a tribute to the Righteous Gentiles who aided the escapees
She also deals with the Bielski Partisans
whose story was dramatized in 2008 in the Edward Zwick movie Defiance starring Daniel Craig
PLEASE CLICK ON ANY AD BELOW TO VISIT THE ADVERTISER'S WEBSITE
Get the latest stories from San Diego Jewish World delivered daily to your inbox for FREE
Please help us continue publishing quality content with your non-tax-deductible donation