Remembering Michael Smuss: A Molotov Cocktail Fighter

Michael Smuss, a courageous participant in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising who utilized Molotov cocktails against Nazi soldiers, has passed away at the age of 99. His death was confirmed by his wife in Israel, occurring on October 21, with his funeral scheduled at Yad Vashem. Born in 1926 in Danzig, Poland, Smuss was imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto, which housed hundreds of thousands of Jews under dire conditions. He joined the resistance, gathering materials to create Molotov cocktails, which he and others used during the uprising when Nazis attempted to destroy the ghetto on April 19, 1943. Smuss fought bravely from rooftops, becoming one of the few survivors of the month-long conflict. After being captured and nearly sent to Treblinka, he survived various camps and a death march in 1945. Following the war, he moved to the United States and later to Israel, where he began painting to cope with his trauma, demonstrating resilience and a remarkable sense of humor throughout his life.