Woman of Valor: A Story of Resistance, Leadership & Courage

Woman of Valor is a remarkable and true story of bravery, compassion, and rescue during the Holocaust. Eta Chait, a young Jewish woman, lived with her parents and siblings in Lukow, Poland. In 1939, the country was invaded by Nazi Germany, marking the start of World War Two. Under the Nazis' brutal occupation, the Jews of Poland were rounded up, and segregated into ghettos. At first, they were able to work outside of these areas, but within a short time, their movements were severely restricted and their food supplies limited. As Eta and her family found themselves crowded into one of these ghettos, they watched as their Jewish neighbors were pulled out of their homes, imprisoned, or summarily executed in the streets. Facing this oncoming brutality, Eta joined a resistance group within the ghetto to escape. After fleeing, she returned to help free the rest of her family with unexpected consequences. From there, Eta and her remaining family made their way into the Polish woods for safety.

From that moment, Eta's mission was clear--she would do everything she could to defeat the Nazis and save as many Jews as possible. The dense Polish forest served as a relatively safe haven for Poles fleeing from the Germans. It also served as the base of operations for the organized resistance. Eta quickly joined an all-Jewish armed resistance unit which was part of the Polish partisan fighters made up of both Jews and non-Jews. Through her cunning and bravery, she rose to become one of the leaders of a Jewish unit. Led by Eta and others, this unit went on missions outside the forest. Armed and ready to engage in combat and defense activities against the Nazis and their collaborators, these groups were highly successful and became a top target of the Nazis.

From being a daughter to becoming a young soldier is no easy transition; however, it is the heart of Eta Chait's story.Woman of Valor follows her journey from the horrors of the ghetto into the hardships of survival in the woods under the most extreme conditions. And then, through her eyes as a fighter, we witness the struggles and fears of those who were trapped by the Holocaust. This is the moving story of a young woman who refused to give up--who chose to put her own life on the line in order to save others from certain death. Amidst the many tragic stories of the Holocaust, Eta's tale serves to remind us of the good in people.