Mordechai (Motale) Schlein

Mordechai Schlein (1930 – 1944), also known as Motele, is a figure recounted in Jewish-Belarussian partisan history and literature, as a young violinist and partisan fighter during World War II. Born in Karmanovka, Byelorussia, he displayed musical talent from a young age, leading to his training with a local Jewish family.

Much of the narrative of Motele's life comes from Moshe Gildenman's memoir Motele der yunger partisan and other retellings, which were novelized. According to Gildenman, after his family was killed during the Nazi invasion of Byelorussia, Motele escaped and joined a group of Jewish partisans led by Gildenman. Utilizing his musical skills as a cover, he gathered intelligence on German troop movements and executed a sabotage mission against Nazi forces.

He is said to have been killed in a German bombardment or shot dead in 1944, at the age of 14. His restored violin has been preserved and showcased in various commemorations and exhibitions, and the 2024 short film depicts his life.

Biography According to Moshe Gildenman's memoir Motele der yunger partisan and subsequent retellings, which were novelized, Mordechai Schlein was a Jewish-Belarussian partisan and violinist born in 1930 in the rural locality of Karmanovka, Byelorussia. He belonged to one of only two Jewish families in the area. The Schleins were millers who lived in modest circumstances, while their neighbors, the Gernstein family, traded beet and sugar and were relatively well-off. Recognizing Motele's musical talent, the Gernsteins took him in at the age of eight to learn the violin from one of their sons.

Gildenman writes that when Nazi forces invaded Byelorussia local residents disclosed the Schleins' and Gernsteins' locations to the occupiers. Motele's parents and younger sister, The story of Motele has been retold in several works of literature, including 's Uncle Misha's Partisans (1973) and Gertrude Samuels' Mottele: A Partisan Odyssey (1976).

In 2008, the violin was restored by Amnon Weinstein. In 2014, the Israel Postal Company issued the Violins of Hope stamp series to commemorate the legacy of Jewish musicians during the Holocaust, including a tribute to Mordechai Schlein. Additionally, the German Historical Museum hosted an exhibition dedicated to the Holocaust, featuring Motele's violin. In September 2023, a violinist, David Strongin, performed with Motele's violin during a concert at the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, concluding the event with the violinist Itzhak Perlman on Hatikvah. Strongin played the violin again during the opening ceremonies for Yad Vashem's commemoration of Yom HaShoah on April 20, 2024.

In 2024, the short film directed by Ilya Chaiken, was released portraying the story of Mordechai Schlein. NAKAM was nominated to and received several accolades, including a nomination to Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, Best Short Film at the 2024 Jerusalem Film Festival and the Audience Award at the 2024 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.