Michael Smuss, a 99-year-old survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, passed away in Israel. Smuss participated in the 1943 uprising as a teenager, contributing to the resistance by making petrol bombs. After being captured, he endured time in concentration camps and survived a death march, eventually making it through World War II.
Following the war, Smuss became an artist and a Holocaust educator. He was recognized by the embassies of Germany and Poland in Israel for his efforts in Holocaust education and his personal experiences. The German embassy noted his repeated acts of bravery during the Holocaust, while the Polish embassy highlighted his work in sharing the history of Polish Jews with younger generations through art and lectures.
In recent years, Smuss received accolades for his contributions, including the German Federal Cross of Merit awarded by Germany’s ambassador to Israel last month. The Polish embassy, along with the Holocaust Educational Trust, referred to him as the last surviving fighter of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a claim that contrasts with earlier assertions regarding another survivor, Simcha Rotem.
Born in 1926 in the Free City of Danzig, Smuss was later deported to the Warsaw Ghetto. There, he witnessed extreme conditions and joined the Jewish resistance. He described the uprising against the Nazis as one of his most significant experiences during the war, enduring harsh conditions and violence.
After the war, Smuss briefly returned to Poland, before relocating to the United States, where he built a family. He moved to Israel in 1979 to seek mental health support and became dedicated to Holocaust education. He is survived by his wife.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgkzg5zmmp8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss