The article is both a reexamination of the history of the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto as well as a novel attempt at the reinterpretation of its meaning. While the role of the Jewish Fighting Organization and of the Jewish Military Union (as well as the political movements which stood behind them) is a matter of well-established record, the essential participation of the civilian population has been underreported. The article provides also an extensive overview of the political situation inside the ghetto prior to the Uprising and the nature of contacts between the Jewish underground and the Polish resistance leadership on the ‘Aryan’ side of the city. Finally, the article looks at various ways in which the historical legacy of the Uprising has been used and abused, both in Poland and Israel.