Asael bielski biography of martin

Jewish partisan (–)

Asael Bielski (AH-soyl; – February ) was the second-in-command of the Bielski partisans during World War II.

Early life

Asael was the fifth son of David and Beila Bielski, who had a total of twelve children: ten boys and two girls.

He was two years younger than his brother Tuvia, who later commanded the Bielski Otriad. The Bielskis were the only Jewish family of Stankiewicze, a small village in pre-war Poland, currently Western Belarus. It was located between Lida and Navahrudak (called Nowogródek in Polish), both of which later housed Jewish ghettos during World War II.^[1] He was quieter and more reserved than his brothers, and was content to stay on the farm and around those he knew well.^[2]

With his older brothers leaving home and his father's health deteriorating, Asael became the new head of the household.

As the male leader of the family, he had to arrange the marriage of his sister Tajba to an upper-class man