Jewish Council in Poland Sends Appeal to Jews of America; Describes Warsaw Fight

An appeal to the Jews in the United States from the Jews of Poland, asking for effective action to save the remnants of Polish Jewry and describing in detail the heroic resistance of the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto was made public here today by Dr. Stephen S. Wise, President of the American Jewish congress and Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman of the World Jewish Congress.

The appeal, which comes from the Jewish National Council of Poland and the Jewish Workers Committee there, reached London yesterday and was recabled to New York. Dated April 28, the appeal reads: “In the names of the millions of already murdered Jews, in the names of the burned and massacred, in the name of those fighting heroically, in the names of all of us who are condemned to death, we appeal to the world for help.”

“For nine days the Warsaw Ghetto has been heroically fighting the SS troops and the Wehrmacht who have besieged us. The bombardment continues. The Ghetto is in flames, Women and children are perishing alive. Jewish fighters are inflicting heavy casualties on the enemies and burning German factories and munition stores. The enemy has lost 1,000 wounded and dead. The heroic resistance of the Warsaw Ghetto continues with a few strongholds holding out.

“The Jewish fighting organization shows great ingenuity and courage. Klepfisch, an engineer, was one of the pillars of the determined resistance. He died like a here. The German cruelties are gruesome. Many are burned alive while thousands are shot or taken to camps. The president of the Jewish Council was shot. A few thousand remain underground and in the store houses of the Ghetto. The store house defenses are being overcome after stiff resistance. The same is true of the shelters. The Germans shelled and set on fire one block of houses after another. Explosions and fires are everywhere. The Ghettos are surrounded by police who block the drain pipes. Those who flee are caught and shot. The epic heroism is near its end. Remnants of Jewish centers in the provinces are being completely wiped out.”