The oldest brother, Tuvia, was the group's commander. Tuvia had served in the Polish Army from 1927 to 1929, rising to the rank of corporal. He had been interested in the Zionist youth movement. He sent people to sneak into the ghettos in the area, recruiting new members to join the group in the Naliboki Forest. Hundreds of men, women and children eventually found their way to the Bielski camp. At its largest, 1,236 people belonged to the group. Seven out of every ten members were women, children, or elderly. No one was turned away. About 150 group members used weapons to fight the Nazis and the people who cooperated with them.