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Translation of
Yad le-Yedinits; sefer zikaron le-yehudei Yedinits-Bessarabia

Edited by: Mordehkai Reicher and Yosel Magen-Shitz

Published by: Yedinitz Society in Tel Aviv, 1973

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Eric Schwartzman

This is a translation from: Yad le-Yedinits; sefer zikaron le-yehudei Yedinits-Bessarabia:
Yad l'Yedinitz; memorial book for the Jewish community of Yedintzi, Bessarabia,
ed. by Mordehkai Reicher and Yosel Magen-Shitz, Yedinitz Society, Tel Aviv, 1973 (H, Y)

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Table of Contents

(H) = Hebrew; (Y) = Yiddish

SECTION ONE: YEDINITZ - A CUT OFF SHTETL or alternatively THE DESTRUCTION OF A SHTETL (H, Y) Founding and History Between the Two World Wars The Shimshon Bronstein Affair	33
YEDINITZ – A DESTROYED COMMUNITY	35
The Joy of Our Town and of its Jewish Community (H) by Yosef Magen-Shitz	35
Landscape and People in Town (H) by Pinchas Mann-Meidelmann
–    What are memories for?	43
–    The town's landscape: Fragrance of Gardens, spirit of synagogues, and frightening bells	45
–    The Gendarme Regime
–    Concern of the youth about their future	46
–    Zionist Youth	48
Jews and Christians: The Relationship Between Neighbors (H) by Mordechai Reicher	49
The History of Yedinitz until World War II (H) by Chaim Horvitz	53
–    The Beginning of the Food Oil Industry	54
–    Government leaders and the Jewish Representatives
–    Social Groupings	57
–    Synagogues and Charity Institutions	58
–    World War I	59
–    The Arrival of the Romanians	59
–    Civilian Government and Administrative Structure	61
–    The Anti-Semitic Kuza-Goga Party Comes to Power	64
Jewish Community Leaders [Text of Insert Box] (H, Y) by Chaim Horowitz	62
World War I, Revolution and Pogroms (H) by Eliyahu Naor-Bitchutsky	67
–   The Pogrom	68
–   Under the Romanian Government	71
Riots and More Riots (H) by David Vinitsky	73
–   The end of the Russian regime, and the beginning of the Romanian regime after World War I
–   The start of the Romanian conquest
–   The Seventh Day of Passover, 1918	77
Where Are You, Jews of Yedinitz? How Were We Bereave? (H) by Aryeh Barad	81
Yedinitz in the Encyclopedia Judaica, Jerusalem 1972 (H,Y, English)	85
Yedinitz in Yizkor Books (Y)	87
The Joy of Our Town and of its Jewish Community (Y) by Yosef Magen-Shitz [Yiddish Version of Article at Page 35]	89–90
–   Statistics	91–96
Landscape and People in Town (Y) by Pinchas Mann-Meidelmann [Yiddish Version of Article at Page 46 with some additions]	97–104
Poem by Shimshon Meltzer (H, Y)	97
Picture of Gathering Point of Ukraine Refugees 1920-21	103
Jews and Christians: The Relationship Between Neighbors (Y) by Mordechai Reicher [Yiddish version of article at Page 49]	105
On the Brink of Events (Y) by Yosy Lande	109
World War I, Revolution and Pogroms (Y) by Eliyahu Naor-Bitchutsky [Yiddish Version of article at Page 67]	115
–   Self Defense [Sub-heading using Russian word not provided in Hebrew Version)	118
Three Coffins - The Bloody Events of the Seventh day of Passover 1918 (Y) by Moshe Kofit [Yiddish Version of Hebrew Article on Page 77]	121
A. The Execution of the Forty (Y) by Golda Gutman-Krimer	126
B. Martyrdom (Sanctification of G-d's Name) at the River (Y) by Golda Gutman-Krimer	127
Memoirs and Episodes (Y) by Yosef Helfgott-Azariah	129
–   Time doesn't stand still	129
–   The Pogrom	136
–   The Romanian Occupation	137
Boxed Article Inset: A word from a Yedinitz Émigré in Brazil (Y)	131
Boxed Article Inset: Once Upon a Time in Yedintz…(Y) by Gedaliah Grozman	133
A Life That Will Never Return…(Y) by Moshe Shuster	139
–   In Brief	141
Boxed Inset Article (Y)	141
–   My Hometown Belz
–   Assistance Bank [Bank Ezra]
–   Yedinitz Helped	142
I Knew No Other Town (Y) by Sender Harrari-Hochberg	143
Once Upon A Time There Was a Town…(Y) by Yosef Magan-Shitz [Different article than that presented on Page 133]	145
–   Reports of Riots against Jews in 1887 (Y, H)	147
–   Stories of Long Ago	147
–   Religious Schools	150
–   World War I	153
–   Revolution and Pogroms	155
–   The Romanians Arrived	160
–   Jewish Life	162
The Shimshon Bronstein Affair (H)	165
Shimshon: The Man and the Activist (H) by Yosef Magen-Shitz	165
Shimshon Bronstein -Biographical Details (H)	167
Inquisitorial Oppression (H) by David Vinitsky	175
–   Sources on the Shimshon Bronstein Affair	180
Who Shimshon Was (H) by Ephraim Shvartsman-Sharon	177
The Shimshon Bronstein Affair (Y) [Yiddish Version of Article on Page 165)	181
Terror Against the Poalei Zion [Workers of Zion] Movement in Romania (Y)	183

SECTION FOUR: IDEOLOGICAL CURRENTS (H, Y) Zionism Political Parties and the Youth The Left and the Communists In the Eyes of Visitors

469

ZIONISM
Illustrative Numbers by David Vinitsky	471
–   Nationalist Appeals
Zionism in Yedinitz	473
–   Zionist Youth in Yedinitz
–   Zionist Groups in Yedinitz at the End of the 19th Century	476
The Zionist Movement in Yedinitz (Organizations, Events and Activists) by Mordechai Reicher	477
–   Sha'arei Zion and Youth of Zion [Tse'irei Zion] by Moshe Forman	480
–   After World War I	483
–   Women, Youth, Elections to Congress	489
–   Tidbits from the Election	490
Yedinitz in the Newspapers	491
Zionist Women's Movement in Yedinitz	493
The 1931 Dunam Project	495
Ze'irei Zion in Yedinitz by Yitzchak Bar-Zion –Borochin	499
Poalei Zion in Yedinitz by Moshe Magen-Shitz	501
Before World War I (Boxed Insert)	504
Arrivals from Yedinitz in Argentina (Boxed Article)	507
Reorganization of the Poalei Zion (Signed by Shimshon Bronstein)	508
The Halutz Movement and the First Pioneers from Yedinitz by Mordechai Reicher	509
Meetings With Pioneers by Mordechai Reicher	517
ZIONIST YOUTH GROUPS
Early Youth Organizations by Eliyahu Naor-Bitchutsky	523
Fifteen Year-Old Delegates at the Kishinev Conference (Episodes of the Hagibor [The Hero] Youth Organization) by Mordechai Reicher	525
–   Maintaining the Clubhouse - A “Newspaper” with just two copies - A Fence as a Contribution to the Jewish National Fund - A Delegation to Kishinev
The Hatechiya Youth Organization by Ephraim Schwartzman-Sharon	529
Attempts to Establish a Branch of Hashomer Hatsa'ir by Eliezer Ro'i-Reich	533
Hachaver - Beginnings of Gordonia by Dov Dori-Dondushansky	539
Gordonia – Activities, Activits and Trifles by Reuven Gertzman	543
Ten Years of Gordonia by Pinchas Mann	549
AN OBLIGATION FULFILLED
Poalei Zion and Dror Youth by Yosef Magen-Shitz	553
THE LEFT AND THE COMMUNISTS IN YEDINITZ
The Illegal Progressive Workers' Groups by Moshe Shuster	561
Revolutionary Poems in Old Yedinitz	569
–   The Railroads Build Me	569
–   Woe to You, Romania	569
Emigres from Yedinitz in Paris by Moshe Shuster	571
AS SEEN BY VISITORS
A Visit to Yedinitz – An Unforgettable Experience by Rabbi Dov Burstein	575
Yedinitz – An Unforgettable Town by Dr. Michael Landau	577
Reports of the 1929 riots in Palestine.	579
A Town Permeated with Judaism and Zionism by Meir Zeit	581

SECTION FIVE: IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN (H, Y) Israel's War Dead The Fortunate Who Got to the Land of Israel Personalities, Images, and Stories

585

SECTION SIX: THE SHOAH OR HOLOCAUST (H, Y) The Martyrology of the Yedintz Jews Death, Forced Marches, and Survival Yedinitz after the Shoah

725

The Martyrology of the Yedinitz Jews: A General Overview According to Witnesses - Compiled By Mordecai Reicher	749
–   The Russians Arrive	749
–   Gatherings….Gatherings…	753
–   New Economical Conditions	754
–   The Bitter Situation of the Zionists	755
The Outbreak of War	755
–   "The Fascists Won't Put a Foot In"	758
–   The Rumanians Return	758
–   The First Days	759
Robbery, Murder & Atrocities	761
–   The Goyim of the Place Participated in the Pogrom	763
–   Four Gallows in Yedinitz	763
–   The Rumanian Ruler Returns	767
–   Heroic Deeds	768
The Expulsion	771
–   Those Who Ran Away To Securan	773
–   A Drop of Menshlechkeit	776
–   The Jews from the Surrounding Villages	777
The Road of Tribulation	777
–   Tragic Stations	780
–   In the Clothes of a Woman	781
–   Those Driven Out of Chernowitz	781
–   In Kaseuz Forest	782
–   In the Lager Camp of Vertuzn	783
–   Yom Kipur in the Forest Lager	785
–   In Kaseuz Forest	786
–   The Arrival at Otek	788
Crossing the Dniester	790
–   Back in Otek	791
–   Water… Water …	793
–   Exceptional Cases of "Menshlechkeyt"	794
–   The Fur Coat	795
–   The First Stop in Transnistria	796
–   The Station Molochneh	797
–   Conscience Or Galoshes?	797
–   "A Lengthy Boredom"	799
–   The "New Wind"	801
–   In the Ghetto of Securan	802
In The Ghettos of Transnistria	803
–   Apathy and Resignation	804
–   Bershad	805
–   A Search for Lice	806
–   The Typhus Epidemic	807
–   The Tragedy With the Children of Salvadore	808
–   This is How Yenkl Fradis Perished	809
Mohilov (Mogilov)	809
–   Exceptional Cases	814
–   The Death Circle Around the Family of Advocate David Lerner	815
–   "You Still Think You're Something"	816
–   The Burial in the Moonshine	816
–   Women Guard Their Honor	817
–   In God's Image	818
–   The Shattered Pot	818
–   Bread Arrived	819
How Did The Remnants Survive	819
–   A Home	821
–   Traders, Partisans, Goyim	821
–   Back in Yedinitz	823
Editorial Comment	825
The Years Following the Shoah:
Discussions with New Arrivals in Israel - What is Life Like in Yedintz Now?	827-834
Yiddishkeit in Yedinitz under the Soviets	835-846
Yedinitz Community Workers and Personalities in South America	847-868

SECTION SEVEN: MEMORIAL PAGES Relatives Memorialize their Dead

869