We Are More Afraid Than Ever of Gun Violence, But the Truth Is the Murder Rate Is at a 50-Year Low

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48. The wisdom of Tuvia

"Don’t rush to fight and die. So few of us are left, we need to save lives. It is more important to save Jews than to kill Germans."

"We cannot simply hide ourselves. We must do something for our people. We cannot sit in the bushes and wait until the wolf comes for us. We must send people to the ghettos to save Jews."

&quot Tuvia said that he...)would rather save one old Jewish woman, than kill ten German soldiers."

Protecting the camp from intruders, defending themselves against Germans and the local police was equally important. For this purpose camp members were set up as guards. All adults were required to do guard duty, except for the sick, the handicapped and the elderly. Other small squads were sent out on dangerous missions to rescue Jews from the ghettos. In order to protect the camp and rescue Jews the members of the Bielski group needed to acquire weapons. Other partisan groups or friendly peasants provided them with arms; many were also obtained through attacks against German outposts and troops.
http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/education/newsletter/28/bielski_brothers.asp

"Our revenge is to live. We may be hunted like animals but we will not become animals. We have all chosen this - to live free, like human beings, for as long as we can. Each day of freedom is a victory. And if we die trying to live, at least we die like human beings." - Tuvia Bielski
http://www.azquotes.com/author/36235-Tuvia_Bielski

Tuvia's first objective was to see to it that the group survived. The primary purpose of their arms was for protection.