Moshe Gildenman

Moshe Gildenman (Yiddish: משה גילדענמאן; Russian: Моше Гильденман; 13 May 1898 – 10 August 1957), known as "Uncle Misha", was a Jewish partisan commander in Ukraine during World War II.

Early life Gildenman was born in Korets, in the Volhynia Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine). After attending a religious primary school, a secular secondary school, and a polytechnic institute, he became a construction engineer and the owner of a concrete factory. During an Aktion in Korets on May 21, 1942, the Nazis killed approximately 2,300 Jews, The group operated in the Zhytomyr Oblast, and is credited with destroying bridges over the Teteriv River and near Olevsk, blowing up a German movie theatre in Narowlya, and executing the German district commissar in Chopovychi. One of the members of Uncle Misha's Jewish Group was Mordechai Schlein, who is credited with blowing up a German restaurant in Ovruch.

After the Zhytomyr Oblast was liberated by the Red Army in October 1943, Kliment Voroshilov offered Gildenman a civilian engineering job, but Gildenman refused, explaining that he wanted to remain in the fight until victory. He completed officers training in Pavlovsk and served as a captain in the engineer corps until the end of the war. He was awarded several medals, including the Soviet Order of the Red Star and the Polish Order of the Cross of Grunwald.

After the Holocaust After the war, Gildenman settled in Poland, where he was active in the party of the progressive Zionists. He later relocated to Paris for several years before immigrating to Israel in 1951. He died of cancer in Ness Ziona.

Gildenman chronicled his adventures during the war in articles in Dos naye lebn [The new life], Iḥud [Unity], Al hamishmar [On guard], and Mosty [Bridges] in Łódź, Naye prese [New press] and Der veg [The way] in Paris. He also wrote for Di letste nayes [Latest news] in Israel and the Yidishe tsaytung [Jewish newspaper] in Buenos Aires. He published four books about his experiences as a partisan.

Published work

Ḥurbn Ḳorets. Paris: O.fg., 1949. Moṭele: der yunger parṭizaner. Paris: O.fg., 1950. Oyfn ṿeg tsum zig. Paris: Aroysgegebn durkh der organizatsye fun di Poylishe Yidn in Franḳraykh in [Paris], 1949. Yidishe ṭekhṭer. Paris, 1950.