Jews from Ukraine: Yura Lifshits. How a Kiev resident stopped a train heading to Auschwitz with just one pistol and saved more than a hundred prisoners

In our section “Jews from Ukraine,” we will tell the story of the heroic act of Yuri Lifshits, a Kyiv native who stopped the “death train” heading to Auschwitz and saved over 100 Jews. His story is an example of heroism and courage that continues to inspire people to fight against injustice.
On April 19, 1943, an event took place in the Belgian Resistance that became a true act of heroism and a symbol of resistance to the Nazi regime.
It was the day when Yuri Lifshits, along with two companions — Robert Mestriaux and Jean Francklemont — attacked a train carrying over 1600 Jews from the transit camp Mechelen to Auschwitz. Using minimal resources — one pistol and breaking tools — they managed to stop the train and free the prisoners. This heroic act became the first and only case of a mass escape from the “death train” during World War II.
Details of the operation: "Attack on the 20th convoy"
On April 19, 1943, Yuri Lifshits, armed with only a pistol, organized the attack on the 20th convoy that was transporting prisoners to Auschwitz. Lifshits and his two companions — Robert Mestriaux and Jean Francklemont — managed to stop the train with the help of their tools and pistol. Despite the lack of weapons and the numerical superiority of the enemy, they acted decisively.
"The 20th convoy", also known as “Train No. XX” (fr. Vingtième convoi), was a train that transported deportees from Belgium, occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II.
The reason for the operation was the testimony of William Herskovitz, an Auschwitz prisoner who managed to escape from the camp and, after reaching Antwerp, contacted the Belgian Resistance. Herskovitz’s account is one of the earliest testimonies of Auschwitz’s atrocities.
On April 19, 1943, The 20th convoy left the transit camp Mechelen, carrying 1631 Jews, including men, women, and children. For this transport, not regular passenger cars were used, but freight cars with windows covered in barbed wire. Additionally, there was a special car (Sonderwagen) in the convoy, carrying 19 people — 18 men and one woman. These people were members of the Resistance and escapees from previous transports. To ensure their immediate destruction upon arrival at Auschwitz, their clothing was marked with a red cross. However, three of these prisoners managed to escape, and the fourth was shot on the spot.
At the same time, a group of young people from the Belgian Resistance, including Yuri Lifshits, a Jewish doctor from Kyiv, and his friends — Robert Mestriaux and Jean Francklemont — armed with one pistol and an improvised red lantern, managed to stop the train between the municipalities of Bortmeerbeek and Haacht on the Mechelen — Leuven route. Despite the presence of one officer and fifteen soldiers from the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo-SD), they managed to open one of the wagons and free 17 people.
Some other prisoners escaped without the help of the Resistance. The train driver, Albert Dumon, assisted the escapees by trying to move as slowly as possible between Tienen and Tongeren, stopping whenever possible, allowing people to jump off the train and avoid fatal consequences.
As a result, 233 people escaped from the train. However, 89 were caught and sent on later trains, 26 people were killed or died while falling from the train. Only 118 survived, hiding in Belgian families until the end of the war. The youngest of the escapees was just 11 years old — Simon Gronowski. Also among those saved was Regina Krochmal, an 18-year-old Resistance nurse who cut the wooden bars before the train’s air vent and jumped out of the train.
On April 22, 1943, the train arrived at Auschwitz, where the selection took place. Of the 521 people left for work, only 150 survived to the end of the war. The remaining 874 prisoners were immediately killed in gas chambers. Among the women, 70% were killed immediately, and the others were used for medical experiments.
Due to the escape from the train, many prisoners died upon arrival at the camp, which became one of the most tragic consequences of this operation.
Yuri Lifshits: The Resistance Hero Who Saved Hundreds of Lives
Yuri Solomоновich Lifshits (September 30, 1917, Kyiv, Ukraine — February 17, 1944, Schaerbeek, Belgium) was a Jewish doctor, a fighter in the Belgian Resistance, who became famous for his heroic act that saved the lives of over 100 Jews and went down in history as one of the heroes of the fight against the Nazi regime.
Yuri Lifshits was born in Kyiv in a Jewish family. His father was a military doctor serving in the Russian army, and his mother came from a wealthy family of Kishinev Jews. She received an education at Sorbonne and worked as a teacher. The Lifshits family often moved, giving Yuri the opportunity to experience different cultures and languages. In 1928, the family moved to Munich, and later — to Kyiv.
When Yuri was 11, his parents divorced, and his mother, with two sons, moved to Belgium, to the city of Charleroi. Yuri continued his education in Belgium, enrolling in the medical university of Brussels, where he became a student of the medical faculty.
Yuri Lifshits continued his education in Brussels, where he successfully graduated from the medical faculty. In 1940, after the capitulation of Belgium to Nazi Germany, the country began a harsh occupation. The Nazi authorities introduced numerous anti-Semitic laws, including a ban on Jews working in medical institutions. However, despite these restrictions, Yuri did not stop his work in the medical field.
After the occupation, Yuri Lifshits began working at the Saint-Pierre Hospital in Brussels, where he saved many people despite the threat of arrest. In the same year, Yuri joined the Belgian Resistance, realizing that the Nazis were preparing the "final solution to the Jewish question."
In 1942, when the Nazis began to deport Jews to concentration camps, Yuri Lifshits realized that to save Jews in Belgium, decisive action was needed. He joined the anti-fascist Resistance group, preparing actions to save Jews. Yuri understood that time was running out, and every action could be decisive for the fate of many people.
His knowledge of medicine, courage, and determination led him to participate in one of the most famous operations of the Belgian Resistance.
Arrest and Execution of Yuri Lifshits
After a successful operation, Yuri Lifshits was arrested by the Gestapo on May 14, 1943, but managed to escape using trickery. However, two months later, on June 26, 1943, he was caught again. Yuri was subjected to brutal torture and, despite everything, refused to wear a blindfold before execution.
On February 17, 1944, Yuri Lifshits was executed by firing squad in Schaerbeek, near Brussels.
Memorial to Yuri Lifshits
The memory of Yuri Lifshits and his comrades' heroic act was immortalized in Belgium. In 1993, a monument was erected in Brussels, dedicated to his heroic act and the memory of all Holocaust victims. In 2023, a Holocaust memorial was also opened in Brussels, where the names of Resistance heroes, including Lifshits, are commemorated.
Why is Yuri Lifshits' Heroic Act So Important?
The heroic act of Yuri Lifshits became an example of courage and resistance to Nazism. His actions saved over 116 lives, and his example inspires the fight against injustice. His act reminds us that even a small group of people acting at a decisive moment can change the course of history and save many lives. It is important to remember such acts of heroism so that they are never forgotten.
Yuri Lifshits and His Role in the History of Ukraine and Israel
The heroic act of Yuri Lifshits became significant not only for Belgium and the Jewish community, but also for Ukraine and Israel. This Kyiv native became a symbol of the fight for freedom and justice, and his act became an important part of the historical memory of two peoples — Ukrainian and Jewish.
On the platform of NAnews - Israel and Ukraine news, we continue to highlight such important events and remind about the heroism of people who fought for a bright future despite enormous threats.
In our section «Jews from Ukraine», we remember not only the heroic act of Yuri Lifshits, but also his key role in history, reminding us of the significance of each act of resistance in the fight against Nazism. His heroism will remain in the memory of those who fought for life and freedom, despite all obstacles. https://nikk.agency/en/yura-lifshit/