The Jewish Combat Organization
Created on July 28, 1942, this organization is led by Mordochée Anielewicz and is driven by Zionist leftist resistance fighters. With the aim of repelling the German army by the same means as this one, the members of the Jewish Combat Organization obtain weapons through the walls of the ghetto, helped by other Polish resistance fighters from outside. They get pistols, a few rifles and a single machine gun. They also receive some grenades. The first burst of resistance took place on January 18, 1943 and lasted four days. Four days after which the SS are forced to withdraw without having been able to arrest and deport the Jews who remained in the ghetto. Their method was to destroy one by one the houses in order to raze the ghetto.
Revolt
The revolt lasted almost a month, from April 19 to May 16, 1943. While Himmler had ordered the destruction of the ghetto, the SS were stopped by "violent fire with throwing grenades" when they tried to enter it. The resistance fighters take advantage of recovering the German weapons, but the invaders return to the attack on May 8 and the Jews have to hide in cellars and other refuges. The ghetto is destroyed by German fires and explosives. Mordecai Anielewicz dies in his bunker.
On May 16, the synagogue was demolished; this is the end of the uprising. But Marek Edelman, who succeeded Anielewicz, escaped the burning of the ghetto by passing through the sewers, and he took part in the Warsaw uprising the following year.