Sunshine Connections: Grandson of ‘Defiance’ hero Tuvia Bielski, in Tampa
I recently conducted an interview in Tampa with Brendon Rennert, the proud grandson of Tuvia Bielski, the commander of the Bielski Brigade that eluded and fought off the Nazis in the dense Naliboki forest of western Belarus while protecting, and saving the lives of over 1,200 Jews for three years during the Holocaust.
My interview with Mr. Rennert was not intended to recount the incredible WWII exploits of his grandfather and two great uncles known as the Bielski Brothers, which is well documented in film, books, articles, videos, and memoirs, but as much to learn about Rennert and his family’s connection to Brooklyn.
Mr. Rennert’s now famous grandfather and several of his great uncles immigrated to Brooklyn before and after WWII. Rennet’s grandfather Tuvia immigrated to Brooklyn in 1955 and lived the rest of his life quietly in the Maywood section of Brooklyn until his death at 81 in 1987. Mr. Rennet’s direct memories of his now famous grandfather all come from Brooklyn.