Ghetto Girls

While not receiving much credit for their work, women played a crucial role in Jewish resistance efforts. 

Ghetto Girls

With the ability to appear innocent and unsuspecting, women became one of the most vital components in supporting Jewish resistance movements during the Holocaust. After all, who would expect a teenage girl to be carrying a bomb under their shirt? From the ages 16 to 25, thousands of women, dubbed "ghetto girls," took part in attacks and smuggling contraband into ghettos. 

Food items, such as potatoes or bread, were commonly smuggled due to high rates of starvation and malnutrition within ghettos. Many residents relied on ghetto girls for their next meal. Many weapons used during ghetto uprisings were snuck in by women. Whether it was hiding revolvers in teddy bears or explosives in their underwear, ghetto girls came up with creative ideas to smuggle contraband past Nazi security. However, some of the most useful items smuggled weren't tangible. Since ghettos were so isolated, it was important that ghetto girls reported on information about the outside world, especially to Jewish resistance fighters. These women were also on the front lines, bombing German supply trains and throwing Molotov cocktails, often losing their lives in the process.