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On Both Sides of the Wall: A Resistance Fighter's Firsthand Account of the Warsaw Ghetto
The essential new edition of one of the earliest eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, On Both Sides of the Wall, which recounts one woman’s harrowing experiences as a courier for the Jewish underground, is a testament to the ordinary men and women who mustered the courage to resist—despite the odds—in defense of human freedom and dignity.
With exclusive new photographs and material.
Introduction by Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, author, and Nobel laureate
Foreword by Samuel D. Kassow, Holocaust historian and author of Who Will Write Our History?
Afterword by Judy Batalion, New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Days
Vladka Meed, born Feigele Peltel, was just a teenager when the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. Increasingly devastated by the deportation and murder of 300,000 Jews—including her mother, brother, and sister—who were sent from Warsaw to the death camp of Treblinka, she heeded the call for armed resistance, joining the Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB), established in Warsaw in July 1942.
With her typically “Aryan” looks and fluency in Polish, Vladka could pose as a Gentile, so the ZOB asked her to live on the Aryan side of the wall and serve as a courier. In this role, she smuggled weapons across the wall, helped Jewish children escape from the Ghetto, assisted Jews hiding in the city, and established contact with both Jews in the labor camps and the partisans in the forest.
First published in Yiddish by the Educational Committee of the Workmen’s Circle in New York in 1948, On Both Sides of the Wall was based on a series of 27 articles Vladka wrote in the Yiddish-language Jewish Daily Forward (Forverts) in 1946–47. In this revised translation, which includes exclusive, new material and photographs, Vladka’s son, Dr. Steven D. Meed, captures the vibrancy and passion of his mother’s original Yiddish text, preserving the testimony and memory of this valiant woman for a new generation of readers.
With exclusive new photographs and material.
Introduction by Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, author, and Nobel laureate
Foreword by Samuel D. Kassow, Holocaust historian and author of Who Will Write Our History?
Afterword by Judy Batalion, New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Days
Vladka Meed, born Feigele Peltel, was just a teenager when the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. Increasingly devastated by the deportation and murder of 300,000 Jews—including her mother, brother, and sister—who were sent from Warsaw to the death camp of Treblinka, she heeded the call for armed resistance, joining the Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB), established in Warsaw in July 1942.
With her typically “Aryan” looks and fluency in Polish, Vladka could pose as a Gentile, so the ZOB asked her to live on the Aryan side of the wall and serve as a courier. In this role, she smuggled weapons across the wall, helped Jewish children escape from the Ghetto, assisted Jews hiding in the city, and established contact with both Jews in the labor camps and the partisans in the forest.
First published in Yiddish by the Educational Committee of the Workmen’s Circle in New York in 1948, On Both Sides of the Wall was based on a series of 27 articles Vladka wrote in the Yiddish-language Jewish Daily Forward (Forverts) in 1946–47. In this revised translation, which includes exclusive, new material and photographs, Vladka’s son, Dr. Steven D. Meed, captures the vibrancy and passion of his mother’s original Yiddish text, preserving the testimony and memory of this valiant woman for a new generation of readers.
- GenresHistoryNonfictionWar
448 pages, Hardcover
Published February 24, 2026
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2928 people want to read
About the author
Vladka Meed
2 books15 followersVladka Meed is the pen name for Feigele Peltel Miedzyrzecki.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 22, 2026
Look for my review tomorrow. I had to take a minute to get my emotions together.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
On Both Sides of the Wall is a compilation of the harrowing true stories of the Holocaust experienced by Vladka Meet translated from Yiddish into English decades ago and now re-translated by her son, Steven D. Meed. Vladka was a Polish Jew living in Warsaw. When she was only twenty one in 1942, at great personal risk she left the Warsaw Ghetto and became a courier for the Aryan side, literally the other side of the wall where people enjoyed parks and ignored the gunshots meters away. Vladka was desperate to help her fellow Jews and was incredulous that no one on earth was coming to their aid. Fellow Poles were feared as much as the Germans and gladly betrayed and even killed them for a price. Experiencing many, many close calls, she smuggled important documents in her shoes and money to those in hiding in milenas (the story of the precious people in hiding in a shed beneath wood is excruciating). She even smuggled metal files and anything else she and those working with her could possibly manage.
The Warsaw Uprising where Jews ironically became scapegoats, the dangerous ordeal of obtaining work permits, labor camps, painful wisdom of children, and physical and emotional torture are vividly detailed as well. But some Christians/Gentiles put their lives on the line for Jews which gave them tiny slivers of hope. The betrayal by so many enemies especially crushed my heart. Vladka witnessed unspeakable horrors and lived in fear every second. After moving to the United States with her husband in 1948, she recounted her experiences in speeches and begged people not to forget.
I am extremely grateful to have had the honour of reading her powerful memoirs and am aghast at the capacity of both cruelty and kindness of fellow human beings during this desperate time. I have read many, many books on the Holocaust and this one is a standout. Vladka’s personal true stories moved me to tears and are imprinted in my mind. She suffered incomprehensibly yet there is not one iota of self pity in her tone and words. Though she carefully made it clear she was not a heroine, I strongly disagree…she is one of the most heroic and courageous people I have ever read about.
This book is absolutely unmissable and should be required reading everywhere. I could not possibly recommend it more highly!
The Warsaw Uprising where Jews ironically became scapegoats, the dangerous ordeal of obtaining work permits, labor camps, painful wisdom of children, and physical and emotional torture are vividly detailed as well. But some Christians/Gentiles put their lives on the line for Jews which gave them tiny slivers of hope. The betrayal by so many enemies especially crushed my heart. Vladka witnessed unspeakable horrors and lived in fear every second. After moving to the United States with her husband in 1948, she recounted her experiences in speeches and begged people not to forget.
I am extremely grateful to have had the honour of reading her powerful memoirs and am aghast at the capacity of both cruelty and kindness of fellow human beings during this desperate time. I have read many, many books on the Holocaust and this one is a standout. Vladka’s personal true stories moved me to tears and are imprinted in my mind. She suffered incomprehensibly yet there is not one iota of self pity in her tone and words. Though she carefully made it clear she was not a heroine, I strongly disagree…she is one of the most heroic and courageous people I have ever read about.
This book is absolutely unmissable and should be required reading everywhere. I could not possibly recommend it more highly!
February 17, 2026
First published in Yiddish in 1948, On Both Sides of the Wall: A Resistance Fighter's Firsthand Account of the Warsaw Ghetto has been newly revised with additional notes from Vladka Meed's son Steven D. Meed. It recounts Vladka Meed's (b. Feigele Peltel) survival in Warsaw, Poland during World War II.
The narrative now begins with a background of Vladka Meed's life pre-war and the precarious situation of her family, she developed a hard working style and how to present herself as Polish, skills that would later save her life and make her a successful courier of both messages and money. The earlier versions of the text begins with the July 22, 1942 round up of Jews from the ghetto prison and the public posting that all Jews save those with employment in the workshops are to be deported. Vladka marks this as the beginning. A beginning of both the end of the ghetto and the focus on resistance.
From this starting point the narrative continues in short episodic chapters with Meed trying to secure work and a place for her family. As a witness and survivor we journey with her through the deep grief and marvel at her drive and commitment to resistance. Knowing the Warsaw Ghetto was on limited time, Vladka escapes from the ghetto with the aid of an underground network and with fake ids sets herself up in Warsaw.
Despite being saved from the risks of the ghetto, life on the other side of the walls has its own unique challenges. Most of the Poles of Warsaw are hostile to Jews or anyone who appears Jewish. Swift to report strangers to the German authorities or to first blackmail all the money they can from Jews and then still report them. Food is a constant concern as is securing a place to sleep.
When a Jew in hiding becomes ill the risks are that much higher as getting medicine or treatment is that much harder.
Meed's narrative is exemplary for many reasons, especially as one of the early written and released accounts of the Holocausts deadly systematic structure. Vladka also counters the narrative of sheep going to the slaughter instead, showing many ways Jews resisted both passively and where possible armed with weapons.
Steven Meed has a light touch, for the most part letting his mother's words flow easily with only occasional editorial comments typically to explain a term. Vladka also takes some moments when speaking of different people to say whether or not they survived, offering brief resolutions on her work.
Recommended to readers of World War II, Underground networks or Holocaust primary sources.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
The narrative now begins with a background of Vladka Meed's life pre-war and the precarious situation of her family, she developed a hard working style and how to present herself as Polish, skills that would later save her life and make her a successful courier of both messages and money. The earlier versions of the text begins with the July 22, 1942 round up of Jews from the ghetto prison and the public posting that all Jews save those with employment in the workshops are to be deported. Vladka marks this as the beginning. A beginning of both the end of the ghetto and the focus on resistance.
From this starting point the narrative continues in short episodic chapters with Meed trying to secure work and a place for her family. As a witness and survivor we journey with her through the deep grief and marvel at her drive and commitment to resistance. Knowing the Warsaw Ghetto was on limited time, Vladka escapes from the ghetto with the aid of an underground network and with fake ids sets herself up in Warsaw.
Despite being saved from the risks of the ghetto, life on the other side of the walls has its own unique challenges. Most of the Poles of Warsaw are hostile to Jews or anyone who appears Jewish. Swift to report strangers to the German authorities or to first blackmail all the money they can from Jews and then still report them. Food is a constant concern as is securing a place to sleep.
When a Jew in hiding becomes ill the risks are that much higher as getting medicine or treatment is that much harder.
Meed's narrative is exemplary for many reasons, especially as one of the early written and released accounts of the Holocausts deadly systematic structure. Vladka also counters the narrative of sheep going to the slaughter instead, showing many ways Jews resisted both passively and where possible armed with weapons.
Steven Meed has a light touch, for the most part letting his mother's words flow easily with only occasional editorial comments typically to explain a term. Vladka also takes some moments when speaking of different people to say whether or not they survived, offering brief resolutions on her work.
Recommended to readers of World War II, Underground networks or Holocaust primary sources.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It feels superfluous the review this amazing book with a rating, but surely the only rating it warrants is the highest 5 star since that's the most permitted. Vladka's story of life in the Warsaw ghetto, her work as a courier, her witnessing of the Ghetto Uprising, and her work providing financial and other means of support to the many Polish Jews in hiding, living in forests, and even in slave labor camps is nothing less than heroic and astounding. Her book memoir is generous in spirit as she continues to praise those who worked alongside, both those who survived and those who were murdered.
It is such a tribute to her life and work that her son has created this new translation of her original memoir published during her lifetime with short essays of praise from many, including Elie Weisel.
This book is long but it is so worth reading from beginning to end.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.
It is such a tribute to her life and work that her son has created this new translation of her original memoir published during her lifetime with short essays of praise from many, including Elie Weisel.
This book is long but it is so worth reading from beginning to end.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.
March 8, 2026
A master class! The rare 10 stars out of 5. A riveting eyewitness account on both sides of the wall of the Warsaw Ghetto. Vladka Meed and her comrades are true heroes saving countless lives with risk to their own. Some survived to tell the horrific truth of the loss of their families and community. The pictures in the book humanizes the experience as the author gives the lives of those affected meaning.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing Corp and the author's family for helping to keep the story alive. A good read.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing Corp and the author's family for helping to keep the story alive. A good read.
March 16, 2026
On Both Sides of the Wall by Vladka Meed is widely lauded as a crucial, gripping memoir of the Holocaust, offering a rare, firsthand account of life inside the Warsaw Ghetto and as a Jewish resistance courier on the "Aryan" side. Critics and readers describe it as an emotionally resonant, suspenseful, and detailed testimony, highlighting her courageous efforts in smuggling weapons and rescuing children. Highly recommend.
March 19, 2026
This book is a tough read but definitely worthwhile. It offers a riveting first-hand account of the life in the Warsaw Ghetto, facing constant raids and risks of deportation and death, as well the risks involved in living on the outside working for the Jewish underground. Vladka recounts her experiences so vividly that this book will stay with you well after you finish. I could, for example, picture Vladka's time with the fighters who had fled the Ghetto and resettled in a forest, or the spaces that people were hiding in when Vladka went to visit them with supplies and encouragement.
March 2, 2026
I received a copy of this book through a giveaway however opinions stated are mine.
I thought this was an eye opening look of the Warsaw Ghetto. It shows both the best and worst parts of humanity and should be required reading in school. I was an honor to read Vladka's story.
I thought this was an eye opening look of the Warsaw Ghetto. It shows both the best and worst parts of humanity and should be required reading in school. I was an honor to read Vladka's story.
March 8, 2026
Everyone should read this book. Most detailed book I ever read on the holocaust.
December 31, 2025
Vladka Meed is an absolutely amazing woman! She went through a great deal to help her friends and other Jewish people. She risked her life to help anyone in need and never thought twice about it. How she was able to find the courage and strength during such a dark time, I can't even imagine. Reading about her life during WWII in Poland gives a clear look into the truth of that time. Vladka's story is one that needs to be told repeatedly! There is still a lot of relevance in today's world. Vladka's story will stay with me for a very long time.
Thank you Netgalley, Vladka Meed, Steven Meed, and Kensington Publishing for the advanced reader copy!
Thank you Netgalley, Vladka Meed, Steven Meed, and Kensington Publishing for the advanced reader copy!
January 18, 2026
Vladka Meed was an ordinary person that did extraordinary things and saved hundreds of lives. With her Aryan features, she could have used her advantage to leave the Polish Ghetto and run for safety. Instead, she risked her life by joining the Resistance, and smuggled people and supplies in and out of the Warsaw Ghetto, and throughout a vast Resistance network. The load she carried—emotionally and logistically—was substantial, but she is the perfect example of how important it is to not lose one’s humanity. I have read a lot of accounts from the Holocaust, but Vladka’s unique voice sets her apart. Her determination and bravery are and were astonishing, and while the personal toll is noted, her focus is always on helping others. In this time, with the current political scape being what it is, this book should be a must-read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews