Suffocation, silent rebels, survivors in the burnt remains: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, 80 years on

It was the spring of 1943. In the confines of the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland, whispers of impending deportation spread like wildfire. Members of the underground resistance movement went on high alert. The moment they had expected with a mix of anxiety and turmoil was almost here.

Others, to maintain a semblance of normalcy, began to prepare for Passover – the cherished Jewish holiday commemorating the exodus of Jews from Egypt. Amid the uncertainty, the scent of freshly baked matzo permeated the air. Wine was carefully procured, and food items were koshered. On the eve of Passover on April 19, just a day before Adolf Hitler’s birthday, families gathered around tables for their traditional seder meal. Underlying the bonhomie was a palpable fear.

There were knocks on people’s homes. “Get ready to hide,” young Jewish people told their neighbours in urgent, muffled tones, “they will be here anytime.” As the evening drew to a close, the German army enclosed the Warsaw Ghetto. The rebellion that erupted in the following weeks would etch a sombre but indomitable chapter in human history.

“Rumblings of gunshots close by didn’t make us interrupt our meal. All we did was to move the table to the middle room where we couldn’t...

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