A history of the Jews in three northeastern regions of prewar Poland - Vilna, Nowogrodek, and Polesia (roughly corresponds to Western Belorussia) - from the annexation of these areas by the USSR in September 1939 until 1944. Describes extermination methods used by the Nazis in the "waves" of mass executions in 1941-42. Surveys the history of the establishment and liquidation of the ghettos in this area. Focuses on the Jewish resistance, which was very active, involving spontaneous acts during mass executions, well-organized revolts (such as those in Nesvizh and Lakhva), and formation of Jewish partisan units. The backbone of the Jewish underground in the ghettos were the youth movements (e.g. Hashomer Hatzair, Hehalutz, Betar). Dwells on the problems which they confronted, noting that the Judenräte often opposed the underground movements. Contends that the attitude of Belorussians toward Jews was better than that of Ukrainians and Lithuanians; however, very few of them rescued Jews.