Tilhas Tizig Gesheften
Encyclopedia
Tilhas Teezee Gesheften was the name of a group of Jewish Brigade
members formed immediately following World War II
. Under the guise of British military activity, this group engaged in the assassination of Nazis and SS conspirators, facilitated the illegal emigration of Holocaust survivors to Israel, and smuggled weaponry for the Haganah
.
["gesheften"] combined to form a modern Hebrew slang expression, meaning "lick on my ass business.". It has been more colloquially translated as "up your ass" .
and before the establishment of the State of Israel, the majority of Jews in Europe were living without clarification of their legal and national statuses. The majority of them were classified as displaced persons
, though where they were displaced from and where they ought to be relocated to were points of contention. The official position of the Haganah
, as defined by David Ben-Gurion
and the Jewish Agency
, was that European Jewry had been treated so differently that its members needed to continue to be differently treated. Therefore, in opposition to the policies of quota immigration
imposed by the British White Paper
, they sought to permit and facilitate unlimited Jewish immigration of Holocaust
survivors to Palestine.
, who was an officer of the Jewish Brigade
while concurrently acting as a senior representative of the then-underground Haganah
. Carmi was initially engaged in revenge
operations against those believed to have been responsible, at least in part, for the Shoah
. Along with certain of his fellow soldiers in the Jewish Brigade, he was responsible for executing
hundreds of Germans, Austrians, and Italians. Most of these were identified by Carmi and his men as having been active members of the SS
or otherwise as having assisted in the deportation or extermination of Jews within the Nazi sphere of influence.
The TTG Brigade came into existence with Carmi falsely identifying himself at a checkpoint, to confuse a sentry and allow him and his companions to have unhindered passage. It led to the creation of fictional paperwork, seals, passes, orders, requisition forms, and even unit uniforms and insignia.
The function of the TTG was first and foremost to provide the illusion of officiality to the occupying Allied forces. This allowed the "members" of the "Brigade" to engage in rescue activities without undue interruption or objection from the occupying powers. Purporting to act as if they were under orders as part of the TTG Brigade allowed its "members" to pass through roadblocks, military checkpoints, and international borders, often with large numbers of "displaced" Jews in their care.
The second function of the group, which developed over time, was to extract from the Allied forces the greatest quantity of material and personnel assistance for the rescue efforts of the Brigade's "members". This included the fictional group's requisition and use of civilian and military vehicles, gasoline, rations, medical supplies etc. The Brigade was also involved, with the assistance of false TTG paperwork, in the acquisition of large quantities of small arms and other martial equipment for use by the Haganah in Palestine.
. As more and more allied forces withdrew from Europe, fewer resources were available for acquisition by the members of TTG. Likewise, as war between Israel and her neighbors loomed, the military skills they had accumulated encouraged withdrawal of most of them to serve as officers in the newly-formed Israeli Defense Forces.
Most of the Jews who were "rescued" in this manner made aliyah to Israel, where they settled in the cities or else became kibbutz
niks. Many of these actively supported the war effort during the Israeli War of Independence. The arms and materials stolen by the TTG contributed to the Israeli war effort and warmaking capacity. Most of the "members" of the TTG Brigade entered service in the Haganah and fought as part of the IDF during the war.
Jewish Brigade
The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group was a military formation of the British Army that served in Europe during the Second World War. The brigade was formed in late 1944, and its personnel fought the Germans in Italy...
members formed immediately following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Under the guise of British military activity, this group engaged in the assassination of Nazis and SS conspirators, facilitated the illegal emigration of Holocaust survivors to Israel, and smuggled weaponry for the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
.
Philology
The three words that make up the phrase are Arabic ["tilhas tizi"] and YiddishYiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
["gesheften"] combined to form a modern Hebrew slang expression, meaning "lick on my ass business.". It has been more colloquially translated as "up your ass" .
Background
Following the collapse of the Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and before the establishment of the State of Israel, the majority of Jews in Europe were living without clarification of their legal and national statuses. The majority of them were classified as displaced persons
Displaced person
A displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
, though where they were displaced from and where they ought to be relocated to were points of contention. The official position of the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
, as defined by David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
and the Jewish Agency
Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel , also known as the Sochnut or JAFI, served as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into the state of Israel.-History:...
, was that European Jewry had been treated so differently that its members needed to continue to be differently treated. Therefore, in opposition to the policies of quota immigration
Immigration policy
An immigration policy is any policy of a state that deals with the transit of persons across its borders into the country, but especially those that intend to work and to remain in the country. Immigration policies can range from allowing no migration at all to allowing most types of migration,...
imposed by the British White Paper
White Paper of 1939
The White Paper of 1939, also known as the MacDonald White Paper after Malcolm MacDonald, the British Colonial Secretary who presided over it, was a policy paper issued by the British government under Neville Chamberlain in which the idea of partitioning the Mandate for Palestine, as recommended in...
, they sought to permit and facilitate unlimited Jewish immigration of Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
survivors to Palestine.
Origins
The TTG Brigade was created by Israel CarmiIsrael Carmi
Israel Carmi , born 1917 , was the founder of the Tilhas Tizig Gesheften .-Life:...
, who was an officer of the Jewish Brigade
Jewish Brigade
The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group was a military formation of the British Army that served in Europe during the Second World War. The brigade was formed in late 1944, and its personnel fought the Germans in Italy...
while concurrently acting as a senior representative of the then-underground Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
. Carmi was initially engaged in revenge
Revenge
Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
operations against those believed to have been responsible, at least in part, for the Shoah
Shoah
Shoah may refer to:*The Holocaust*Shoah , documentary directed by Claude Lanzmann * A Shoah Foundation...
. Along with certain of his fellow soldiers in the Jewish Brigade, he was responsible for executing
Summary execution
A summary execution is a variety of execution in which a person is killed on the spot without trial or after a show trial. Summary executions have been practiced by the police, military, and paramilitary organizations and are associated with guerrilla warfare, counter-insurgency, terrorism, and...
hundreds of Germans, Austrians, and Italians. Most of these were identified by Carmi and his men as having been active members of the SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
or otherwise as having assisted in the deportation or extermination of Jews within the Nazi sphere of influence.
The TTG Brigade came into existence with Carmi falsely identifying himself at a checkpoint, to confuse a sentry and allow him and his companions to have unhindered passage. It led to the creation of fictional paperwork, seals, passes, orders, requisition forms, and even unit uniforms and insignia.
Evolution
As Carmi's goals shifted from revenge to rescue, so too did the TTG Brigade become more and more an instrument for the liberation of displaced persons and their eventual gaining of passage to Palestine.The function of the TTG was first and foremost to provide the illusion of officiality to the occupying Allied forces. This allowed the "members" of the "Brigade" to engage in rescue activities without undue interruption or objection from the occupying powers. Purporting to act as if they were under orders as part of the TTG Brigade allowed its "members" to pass through roadblocks, military checkpoints, and international borders, often with large numbers of "displaced" Jews in their care.
The second function of the group, which developed over time, was to extract from the Allied forces the greatest quantity of material and personnel assistance for the rescue efforts of the Brigade's "members". This included the fictional group's requisition and use of civilian and military vehicles, gasoline, rations, medical supplies etc. The Brigade was also involved, with the assistance of false TTG paperwork, in the acquisition of large quantities of small arms and other martial equipment for use by the Haganah in Palestine.
Dissolution
The first goal of the group, illegal emigration, became less important as military control of civilian movement became less strict. The group's Zionist goals, centering on illegal immigration to Palestine ("ha-apalah"), became obsolete with the acceptance of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine and the establishment of Israel as a recognized stateDiplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
. As more and more allied forces withdrew from Europe, fewer resources were available for acquisition by the members of TTG. Likewise, as war between Israel and her neighbors loomed, the military skills they had accumulated encouraged withdrawal of most of them to serve as officers in the newly-formed Israeli Defense Forces.
Most of the Jews who were "rescued" in this manner made aliyah to Israel, where they settled in the cities or else became kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
niks. Many of these actively supported the war effort during the Israeli War of Independence. The arms and materials stolen by the TTG contributed to the Israeli war effort and warmaking capacity. Most of the "members" of the TTG Brigade entered service in the Haganah and fought as part of the IDF during the war.
See also
- Displaced persons campDisplaced persons campA displaced persons camp or DP camp is a temporary facility for displaced persons coerced into forced migration. The term is mainly used for camps established after World War II in West Germany and in Austria, as well as in the United Kingdom, primarily for refugees from Eastern Europe and for the...
- Jewish LegionJewish LegionThe Jewish Legion was the name for five battalions of Jewish volunteers established as the British Army's 38th through 42nd Battalions of the Royal Fusiliers...
- Jewish BrigadeJewish BrigadeThe Jewish Infantry Brigade Group was a military formation of the British Army that served in Europe during the Second World War. The brigade was formed in late 1944, and its personnel fought the Germans in Italy...
- BerihahBerihahBricha was the underground organized effort that helped Jewish Holocaust survivors escape post-World War II Europe to the British Mandate for Palestine in violation of the White Paper of 1939...
- HaganahHaganahHaganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...