F. Our ties with Bialystok.

    My mom was still in the hospital in Bialystok, the first young lady that risked her life and went from Zabludow to the Bialystok ghetto was Sarah Coplinski. Other people tried their luck and went after her; they entered the ghetto with groups of Jewish forced laborers, or by jumping over the fences. In the ghetto it was still possible to get necessary supplies like soap, we especially needed soap because we lived in close quarters in the factories, and it was very dirty.
    My sister got very sick, she lost her appetite because of fear. One day Vinchick, the Christian that I lived with drove to Bialystok, I didn’t think twice, I took off the yellow badge and joined him, that’s how I got to the Bialystok ghetto, and immediately went to the hospital to see my mom, when she saw me she burst into tears, she asked me to take her out of the hospital because she lay in the hallway because the hospital was full of sick people, and there were no beds. I asked my sister, but she lived in very close quarters too, because in the ghetto they gave only one room to a whole family. I went back to Zabludow and with the help of the Christian, Chashick, who worked with the Nazi officer, I got permission to move my mom to Zabludow, I brought her to ‘our home’, the factory.
   Somehow in the ghetto they solved the food problem, the Jewish forced laborers took with them to work suits and all kind of valuable things, sold them to the Christians, and bought food with that money. Sometimes we had ‘a good week’ when we succeeded to bring home a lot of food. Also the Christians from Zabludow sold us food, and later on we smuggled it to the Bialystok ghetto. And by the way, I’d like to mention that the Christians in Zabludow bought the houses of the Jews that weren’t burnt very cheaply. They helped each other with the house business, mostly so that they could control the Jews possessions.
    Meanwhile, an order came out that all the Jews must live in one place. Until now we were scattered in different houses in the burnt city, they forced us to gather in the leather factories that belonged to Bialistozki, Hertzke and Yidleman. However the Nazi murderers didn’t let us live even those hard lives – life of sorrow and suffering. New winds started to blow and black clouds appeared above the Bialystok ghetto and the near by towns. The Germans took out a lot of Jews from the ghetto ad transferred them to Proshna, among them were Jews from Zabludow. Avraham Dralis and Herschel Bazruk, with their families were spotted in the wagons; also the Jews from Narba were taken to Proshna. The expulsion policy of the Nazis reduced the population of the ghetto. They also tightened the security in order to prevent any escapes from the ghetto. One day Herschel Bazruk and Avraham Dralis came by foot from Proshna to Zabludow asking us to help Rabbi Jochanan Mirsky and Yaakov Zesler. In spite of the fact that we were in horrible condition we collected some money and gave it to them. Many survivors from Proshna are probably able to tell about many Zabludow Jews who lived in their houses.
    Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were approaching, I got sad news about my family, my uncle, Daniel Korovski, died exactly on Rosh Hashanah, my brothers-in-law, Melech Ztirolnick and Yona Eder had also died. My sister, Chanche Porosovski’s wife, hurt her finger while trying to climb the ghetto’s fence, she got blood poisoning and it was impossible to save her life.
We, as forced laborers, had a chance to be in the palace near Dobreneovca village on Yom Kippur, where we were cutting trees for firewood. We used the opportunity and secretly had a minyan. We prayed carefully, so that the Nazis would not suspect us.
    Zabludow’s Jewish women went to the Christian’s field to get some potatoes for the winter. They couldn’t imagine that their end was so close… this way the days of awe passed with suffering and torture.

G. The expulsion from Zabludow.

    I think the expulsion happened on November first, 1942, a week after Sukkoth. Some people that stayed in the Bialystok ghetto, among them Yosef Introligator said that there is a very tight security guard in the Bialystok ghetto, and they don’t go out to work anymore. From the Christian we learned that the Germans ordered many wagons, in order to expel all Zabludow’s Jews that next morning. They told that they were going to transfer them to Proshna, others said that they were going to be transferred to other towns, to where? No one knew exactly. I asked Velosovich, my employer, if he had heard anything, he said he didn’t know anything; but when his son-in-law, Chesheck, will return from work at the Nazi officer’s, then we’ll know everything.
    Meanwhile it got dark, I went and told my parents that tomorrow Zabludow Jews would be expelled, we were wondering what to do. My parents offered that I should hide; they wouldn’t be able to join, it would be hard for them to hide, and who knows how long it would take. I couldn’t even help my sister that had, by then, gotten very weak, I asked my brother-in-law, at least to give me the kids, maybe I’ll be able to hide them, I said, he refused and said that the kids would stay with them, wherever they’ll be. We parted quickly; I went to Shimon Weissotzky and asked him if anyone would like to hide with me, he responded that it’s not possible. First of all, he is the head of the ‘Judenrat’, secondly he has a wife and a child, that’s why he must stay, but he asked me to take his brother-in-law, Yosef Introligator. His wife is in Bialystok; maybe he’ll be able to see her.
    We hid in Vinchick Velosoviches barn, deep in the hay near the wall facing the leather factories and workshops where we were able to see what was going on outside.
We saw that near the barn, across from the factories stood a Gestapo guard, whose job was to prevent escapes. We were lying down in the hay, our teeth were chattering with fear; Velosovich entered secretly and told us that his son-in-law confirmed the rumor about the expulsion. He advised me to join the expelled… later it will be too late…If the Germans found that he was hiding Jews they would shoot him. I begged him to let me stay, at least until I had the opportunity to escape. He had no idea that Yosef Introligator was hiding in the barn too. That night we couldn’t sleep, we listened to the Nazi guard’s steps and conversations.
In the morning the villagers’ wagons started to arrive, the expulsion occurred on Monday, November second, 1942. Panicked voices of anxious people were coming out from the factories. Some were running to the Christians to get their children that worked there as shepherds, we were looking through the barn’s holes, we saw everything from our hiding place.
    Here they are throwing bundles on the wagons, hearing screams and cries; the Nazis hurried them, "quickly, quickly!" Around everyone there was a ring of Gestapo people, this was the last time I saw everybody. Here is my mom coming out; she cant climb onto the wagon; she is being helped… they are taking out my weak sister and supporting her arms… they are carrying Tilka Rogovski, that just gave birth… The wagons are leaving. I see my father walking near the wagon, leaning on his cane, and under his armpits a tallis and tfillin. Looking back one last time at the barn where I was hiding…
    The wagons were going to Bialystok, I don’t understand where they are taking them, firs they said to Proshna, and now they are heading towards Bialystok. We lied there quietly and were bothered by the thought of where they were being taken. Vinchick entered the barn and told me to stay quiet, the Nazi guard was still there, they are searching the factories, thinking that maybe someone was hiding there. Vinchick brought me food, but who can swallow food at a time like this? Just now they took from me people who are dearest to me… I’m asking him to find out where they are taking the Jews, he only knew that they were heading to Bialystok, in the evening we heard non-stop shootings, we found out that Yitzhak Herschel, Meir Vaniavski’s son, hid in Plovoski’s factory, and in the evening he went out of the building for a moment, and immediately was shot. Also Avrahamel Finemen was caught and shot on the spot. Those were all the news that the Christians brought me. After a while he brought me information from the wagon owners that drove the Jews, they took the Jews to Oranian a camp where the tenth cavalry force stayed in the past, and we don’t know what happened to them there.

H. My escape from Zabludow and my wanderings.

    We laid in the barn- me and Yosef Introligator, thinking about our situation, we didn’t know what to do. Information was coming that the Nazis were about to kill all the Jews. They were saying that they were taking them out from Warsaw and bringing them to gas chambers… expelling the Jews from the small towns to the Bialystok ghetto, and the ghetto is closed. The helpful Christian’s wife came to the barn begging me to leave "there were whispers in the city that you were not seen among the people in the wagons, saying that you are probably hiding" she asked that I pity her, because if I would be caught her family will be held responsible, and they will be punished severely. I was able to convince her to let me stay until Sunday, I assumed that on Sunday it would be easier for me to escape, she had no idea that Yosef Introligator was hiding in the barn with me. In the middle of the night we looked around to make sure that we didn’t hear any people’s steps, we parted and Yosef went out secretly from the town. I listened tensely, to see if I heard any gunshots…
I stayed in the barn by myself and waited until Sunday, and in the night slipped away from the burnt and destroyed Zabludow that had no more Jews. I passed through gardens; I wanted to get to the cemetery, I stayed there for a good hour, and I wept bitterly. Then I turned sideways to the nearest village.
    I came to Novosad village, I knew a good Christian there. My appearance scared him, and immediately he told me about the order that they have to bring any Jews without delay to the Nazi headquarter, "I have to be very careful" he said. He gave me some food and took me to a place behind the barn where I could escape. When evening came I arrived at a new village; I had a friend there who I had known since the time we were imprisoned. He too took me in courteously and brought me food, but refused to let me stay. Fearfully he gave me food quickly and begged me to leave.
    I continued with my wandering, and I sneaked in to some farmer’s barn that I didn’t even know. I hid deeply under a pile of hay, it happened that the farmer entered the barn and coincidentally stood on that pile. I lay there without moving, and I was very tense… later on I had the opportunity to find shelter in an agriculture farm of Christian people I knew. I left the place when they told me that the Germans were hunting the area and were planning to sleep in their house. I wandered all night through fields and forests until I got to ‘Baranke’ village, where my father used to live. A farmer, a good acquaintance that we knew from the past took me in nicely. I shaved and bathed; they even provided me with clean clothes. I hid in the side section of the house where no one lived. Suddenly I heard wagon wheels, I looked through the window, I saw Germans in the wagon. The Christian ran to me and told me the ‘dear’ news, that they are going to the head of the village and asked me to stay quiet. I thought they wouldn’t come here, but I was mistaken. The farmer’s son came panicking and told me to run away quickly, the Germans are approaching the house. It was impossible to get out through the door; the only escape was the window. I opened the window and escaped, holding my boots that I hadn’t had time to put on. I ran barefoot in the snowy fields until I got to the forest. It was freezing outside, my toes froze. I stayed in the forest until the evening, and then I came back to the Christians, the Germans were not in the village anymore, but the farmer didn’t let me stay and take the risk. I wandered again, and soon I got to another agriculture farm and stayed there a couple of days. The farmer didn’t allow for me to stay with him; he was afraid that the children might talk and risk giving him away.
From there I moved to a farm near Araje, I found there David Orlianski’s son-in-law. His wife and son didn’t know about the expulsion of the Jews from Zabludow, and they went to that town. In Baranke village the Germans caught his wife and son. The wife asked for mercy, and was able to save her life and her children’s life. The Germans took her to the Bialystok ghetto, also, Moulia Bloch tied to get to Bialystok, but he was arrested by the Germans and shot. The farms owners gave me shelter, I knew his son from the old days when we were both captured by the Germans. For a while I was able to rest, when the Christians holiday came I took part in the ceremonies, and I acted like them. I hoped that I could stay in the farm until things got better, but my hope didn’t come true.
    In the forests there were a lot of Russian Partisans that once in a while entered the villages to get food. It looked as if there were spies in the village that reported to the Germans about the Russian soldiers movements, and that is why the Nazi’s frequently used to ambush the partisans and punish the farmers who were suspicious of aiding the. When I realized that the Nazis raided around the farm where I was staying I decided to escape. I didn’t know where to go, in my wandering I got to a big village by the name of Zavick. I slipped away secretly to the barn and laid there until the morning. The barn’s owner found me, but he was a good man who was ready to help. He took me to his house, fed me, and helped me hide. It was a secret basement under the dining room, it was impossible to find the entrance to the basement, the area was covered and a bed stood on it, to my misfortune the Nazis searched the village and came to the farmer’s house. I heard their steps above my head. I was saved, but in the morning the farmer came to me and told me about the Nazis visit. They were looking for Jews and partisans. That night the Brineski Jews that left their hiding place in the forest got caught and most of them were murdered. They wanted to go to the Bialystok ghetto, because it was hard to stay in the forests for a long time with children.
    Meanwhile I stayed in the basement under the protection of the good farmer. I’m thinking how will it all end? I stayed in the hiding place for a few days, I was asked to leave by his wife who had started to cry, saying that I was putting her family in danger "I’m a mother of six children" she said "if they’ll find out that I am hiding you they will kill us, I’ll give you food and drink and be on your way, have pity on us, and save your soul." I promised her that I would leave that night.
    I parted with them at night, I went in the fields and my legs sunk into the deep snow until I got to the previous farm from which I had escaped. The frightened Christian told me that the night I escaped the Nazis searched the house and even looked in the ovens and in the barn. They stuck spears in the hay; I was lucky that I was warned ahead of time.
    It was dangerous to stay in the village, where to go? I decided to go toward Bialystok, on the way I stopped at different villages. I tried to get some information about Zabludow’s people that were taken to the tenth cavalry camp. I’ve been told that trains took them, to where? Nobody knew. They said that it was quiet at Bialystok, the Jews leave for work, cleaning the streets from snow.
    The Christian that told me the news was ready to leave the next morning with his wagon to bring food to Bialystok, I asked him to take me with him in his wagon. His wife gave me bread and fat. We left early in the morning so that nobody would see us. We passed by the tenth cavalry camp. Germans are coming. I tried to stay calm; I greeted them and looked at the camp where the people of Zabludow stayed. I saw too many new graves. Who knows? Maybe our dear ones who were murdered by the murderer Germans are buried there.

I. The way I entered the Bialystok ghetto.

    When we approached Bialystok the farmer got scared and asked me to get off the wagon. I got off, raised my collar and continued by foot until I got to Sosnova. Jews with the yellow patch were sweeping the snow. I asked them while I walked how I could get into the ghetto. They told me to go to the Camartova, over there worked a brigade of Jews, and that I should join them when they went back to the ghetto. I went according to their advice. I found people from Zabludow in the brigade, Gitel Fishbein and Zalman Miller. I heard from them that the people who were expelled from Zabludow were kept for one week at the tenth cavalry camp and then they were taken to Treblinka, and almost all of them got killed. Coincidentally some succeeded in escaping: Issaschar Bobra, Shneor Mendreck, and Motel from Michilova, they came to Bialystok and told everything, how they were pushed into large showers, and how they were killed by gas… no one believed them, they wanted to throw them into the ghetto’s prison…
    I arrived in Bialystok the same day that the train cars arrived from Treblinka, those cars had the possessions of the victims, in the notebooks and in the little Siddurim it was written, "you must revenge our blood". We were shocked; we stood speechless and dumbfounded.
    Issaschar Bobra also told that in Oranian, in the tenth cavalry camp they gathered also the Jews from the nearest towns, and were all taken to Treblinka. He met there my father, may he rest in peace, he was very skinny, and he didn’t want to eat any traif food. The Nazis killed Zalman Rogovski and Gershon Slotski died. The Jews from Zabludow arrived at Treblinka on Tuesday, on the new month of Kislev, taf, shin, gimmel (the tenth of November 1942), and on that day they were all killed, except those who died in the Bialystok ghetto. In "Acstiot" in February 1943 and in Proshna part of them got killed in January 1943.
    I put on a few yellow patches on the fur coat and I joined the brigade that was heading towards the ghetto. Usually they entered the ghetto through "Chista" gate. We saw that somehow the brigade was going to Vashilcuba Street, to Ostrofski’s courtyard, where the Gestapo’s headquarter and its leader, Friedel, may his name and memory be erased, was. They took in to the headquarter groups of five people; they checked to see if people were hiding any things or food; we heard, outside, screams of beaten people. I was petrified, I was still holding a Russian passport, and I also had some money, bread, and fat. "If they catch me I will not come out alive." Suddenly an idea of running away sparked. I asked Zalman Miller, who stood behind me to take from my back the yellow patch. I took off the patch that was on the front of my jacket, and in one certain moment, when the Gestapo men turned, I snuck away from the brigade. I crossed the gate of the headquarters courtyard and I started to walk on the sidewalk. I saw from far away a big brigade, I went over to it, and mixed in with the people. It had started to get dark, this brigade was not stopped to be checked, and by miracle I survived and also succeeded in entering the ghetto.
    I sighed with relief, and I hurried to my brother-in-law. They welcomed me with emotion and hugs, all the family members and cousins were with him, but my sister; Chanche was not alive anymore. If she were alive, my family members that were taken to Oranian, the tenth cavalry camp, would have been, without a doubt, rescued. Many were taken out from there; Shimon Weissotsky was saved by Barash- the head of the "Judenrat" in Bialystok. Osnat Goldshtein and her children were also released. In a coincidental way Eitsche Coplinski rescued himself from captivity and stayed alive, (now he lives in Israel). Also Nisel Baker, a leather manufacturer in the past, got out from there and also people that I don’t remember their names.
    When they took the people from Zabludow to the tenth cavalry camp, Isar Zerolnick influenced his son to try escaping. He succeeded in escaping, and was able to enter the Bialystok ghetto. Esther, the youngest daughter of Paltiel, the barley maker, and Chava, Mordechai Mendel’s daughter, and Leizer Norsizts daughter had worse luck. They got stuck, coincidentally in Michilova at the time that the Jews were expelled from the village, they escaped to Zabludow, and on the way they were told that the Jews were taken out of the town. After much annoying delays they came Bialystok. They wandered around the ghetto, but were not able to enter because of the tight guard. They went to the tenth cavalry camp, from there they were taken, with all the Jews, to Treblinka, Zalman Voiles, and his son, arrived at the ghetto after a successful escape. In spite of that Channah Levine and his family that hid in haystacks got caught and murdered. David Levine hid with a Christian farmer who, after the end of the war helped him cross a river and the pushed him into the water and caused his death.
    To other people who had found good shelters had more luck. Among them Yosele Levine, living now in Australia, Shmuelle Gerbe and Shimon Levine, living now in Israel. Many didn’t hide because they didn’t want desert their families. Yitzchak Gerber, for example, could not think about escaping, because he had to take care of his little girl after his wife’s death. Nata Vuoniovski, who had the obligation of caring for his brother-in-law’s wife who had died and left his small children. Nata Vuoniovski who took care of his brother-in-law’s wife and children had the same situation Yitzchak Gerber. But, there were Christians who received money for hiding Jews and then killed them, the daughter of Menucha, my sister-in-law, was hidden with a Christian from Bialystok, when he heard that the Jews were expelled from Bialystok he cut the girls throat…

J.The events in Bialystok during the Actions Days.

    Issaschar Bobrow came and told me that the situation in the Ghetto is worsening. There is news that the Germans are about to take two thousand men from the Ghetto: "We, Zabludow’s people will probably be the first of the expelled. We have to save ourselves". I answered him; "It’s impossible to hide in the villages. We have to run to the forests and join the Partisans". And indeed, we started to think of the escape plan. We spoke with Khrinker and with some fellows from Treistin that agreed to escape with us. We needed rifles that could be purchased.
    In the Ghetto, the situation worsened. I was in the brigade that worked in the oil factory. We used to take some black seeds secretly. One day the Nazis decided to search and they found a few seeds in two workers’ pockets. They hung them in the Ghetto in front of the all the Jews. One of the victims was Leefa, the oats merchant. Because of the tough situation, it was necessary to leave the Ghetto quickly. I offered my brother-in-law to accompany us and he said that they [the family] have papers in proper order. They are working and there is no fear that they will be transferred from Bialystok.
    We needed a vehicle yet it was hard to get. From outside the Ghetto the weapons were ready. One evening, Issaschar Bobrow and some other fellows got out of the Ghetto and tried to locate a vehicle. But they could not return because at night there were guards posted in anticipation of the Actions that they would execute on the 5th of February 1943. The Nazis started the preparation for the first Actions by demanding from the "Judenrat" two thousand people for expulsions. But since the "Judenrat" refused this demand, the Nazis began to hunt down the Jews. Many Jews hid in various places. However, the Nazis had Jewish police officers and with their help they were able to round up most of the Jews to bring them to the trains. Whoever refused to get out of the bunkers was shot instantly. When the Nazis saw children, they didn’t want to waste a bullet. They would simply throw the children from the upper floors or tore them to pieces. There were Jews who ‘ratted’ on their own people and showed their hiding places because they were promised not to be expelled.
    On the day of the hunt, there was a case of resistance that resulted in many victims. The Nazis entered a courtyard in 29 Kopitzka Street to search for Jews. Very young and brave men, Yitzhak Malmed decided on revenge. He drew an acid bottle and threw it on one of the Nazi’s that was coming after him. The Nazi beast was blinded; in spite of the serious wound the Nazi tried to shoot Malmed but Yitzhak ran and the bullet killed another Nazi that participated in the hunt. The cruel Nazi officer in charge reacted wildly. As revenge he decided to execute 100 Jews; men, women and children from that courtyard. They were taken out from the courtyard and were brought to "Prague’s Garden" and there they were shot to death at the in the wall the Beit Midrash. The victims were thrown into one large pit; for a long time the earth covering the bodies quivered because not all had died immediately. Among the victims were Motke Zabludovski and his family, the baker and his sister, the honorable lady Beila Zesler and her two daughters, Lilly and Sollie. May they rest in peace? This great tragedy occurred on Shevat 30 Taf Shin Gimmel (5 February 1943). To this day I see in front of my eyes the sight of the victims sprawled on the ground.
    When Yitzhak Malmed saw that because of him, thousands of Jews are in jeopardy, he went to Nazi headquarters and turned himself in. He was tortured cruelly and was hung in Kopitzka Street. His body remained hung for one week. Friedel the murderer was caught at the end of the war, was tried in Bialystok and was executed at the gallows.
    The Action continued from Monday to Friday. Day by day, from morning till evening they searched the houses and took their victims. The hidden ones sneaked out at night from their hiding places to see who in their families were taken away. You can imagine the horrible scenes when they couldn’t find their dear ones any more. I too, experienced this horrible shock. Quickly I arrived at my aunt’s house but no one was there. In the evening, the sons and the daughter arrived secretly. The daughter who escaped from the train and came back to the ghetto was caught with one of her brothers in one of the last Actions. Another brother, who hid in the forest, entered the ghetto to save people but was killed during the uprising in the Bialystok ghetto.
In the first Action, the Nazis trapped almost all of the citizens of Zabludow. Only the pharmacist Gaber and Asher Slotski survived. I hid in a "hiding place" with Moshele, Shmeryl Binder and Motel from Michalev. With us were Zalman Wallace and a young doctor and his wife who lived in Zabludow. The "hiding place" was in 44 Fabrichna Street at Eisenstadt’s horse stable not far from the Ghetto’s fence. We thought we might be able to sneak out. In the "hiding place" we lay down pressed into each other. I suffered from lack of air and I was afraid my coughing would reveal all of us. I climbed to the stable attic and found among a pile of furniture a closet where I hid. And then I heard the murderers enter the stable and coming up the attic. My heart stopped pounding. To my luck the stairs were broken. The Germans sent the Jewish policemen and shouted to open the closet…and I was lying there. The policeman sees me. I give him a sign with my hand. He slams the door, as if after checking, and says: "No one is here."… I stayed in the attic till it was quiet. When I descended to the stable, the others greeted me with joy and we all hugged. They thought the Germans took me.
    Meanwhile there were rumors that Jews who had work certificates should not be worried. They would be able to work in the Ghetto. In contrast, those without papers were in bad straits. Also, according to the certificate a man could take his wife to work and vice versa. But those who were saved, thanks to the "hiding place", could not go out to work and believed that they would not be found. In the last day of the Action, the Nazis uncovered the "hiding place" and caught everybody. And I was saved because one lady took me to work in the factory. I wanted to escape but could not find people willing to join me. I don’t know what happened to Issaschar Bobrow who went to the forest. I’m afraid they were killed in the war between the Nazis and the partisans.
    And what happened to those who found shelters in Christian homes around Bialystok. Moshele Flicker, Pella Lafta, Itshke Koplinsky survived. Pella Lafta had no luck after the war. He fell in love with a Christian girl. They decided to get married and move to an agricultural farm. A large celebration was organized for them. This news arrived to the anti-Semitic Polish organization AK (Army of the State). Members of the organization set the house on fire during the celebration. They killed the girl and wounded Pella and his friends. In the same attack, Moshe Flicker was killed. This is how the anti-Semitic organization avenged the Jewish survivors. Their goal was to destroy any survivors.
    In the Bialystok ghetto, Jews were seeking new ways to be rescued. Very few succeeded. Shimon Weissotsky tried to run the ghetto fence and was shot to death. Shimon Introligator and his family were taken to the death train. There were those who committed suicide rather than be taken by the murderous Nazis. Moshe Velvel Miller from Zabludow hung himself.
    The ghetto was tightly guarded. It was impossible to escape. After the Action there were bodies strewn everywhere. We gathered them and buried them in a mass grave in Zhavia Street. I found children whose parents choked them because they were afraid that their sounds would reveal them to the Nazi hunters.
    Whoever survived the Action was assigned to a job. I asked Subotnik, the Zabludow Rabbi’s son, who filled an important role in the Ghetto to send me to a work in the Unit 42 camp. I believed it would be easier from there to escape to the forest. And indeed, he placed me on the Unit 42 list. However, I couldn’t find anyone else who was willing to risk with me an escape to the forest. I became friendly with a man that was a relative of the "Judenrat" leader Barash. He told me that meanwhile there were no plans to take Jews out of Bialystok, but if the situation worsens, he will notify me.
    We continued with our work. When we returned we tried always to smuggle some food to the ghetto. We took risks. Sometimes there were inspections at the ghetto gate. They would take all and hit mercilessly. I too was caught and was beaten murderously from the hangman Friedel. In spite of this we ignored the risks and didn’t stop smuggling food.
    In one incident I was confronted with a life-threatening situation. One that day they wiped out Grodno ghetto, and their Nazi officer, Stravlov came to Bialystok, he himself stood at the gate, and pity the man who they found with food. I was equipped with a lot of food that I put around my body, I tied food to my boots and I had some hot dogs in my pants. Seeing the danger, I decided to sneak away from the line, I entered one of the courtyards and got rid of the food. The Jew officer from Grodno who was brought to the Bialystok ghetto noticed me, he said "if Stravlov had caught you, he would have shot you on the spot."

K. The expulsion from Bialystok.

    One day the Nazis came to check the ghetto’s fence, there were rumors that they were about to take Jews out from the ghetto. I spoke with some people about escaping from the work brigade on Monday and going to the forest, but on Sunday the ghetto was surrounded by guards, we were trapped. On Sunday night we walked around the fence with the hopes of finding an opening in the fence, but it was for nothing. The next morning we didn’t go out to work, we were ordered to go to the square with the threat that whoever wont come, and will be found, will be shot immediately. They announced that all the Jews would be transferred to work in Lovline. I decided, with my escape partner, that we will take tools and break the train car and we’ll jump off while it’s still moving. Meanwhile the murderers entered the ghetto and started to remove the Jews from their houses. This time they encountered resistance, a rebellion erupted in which many Nazis were killed. I was wounded; a bullet hit my left arm and entered my back. I was forced to retreat. My cousin was killed while holding a machine gun; the Nazis suppressed the uprising. The fighters who got caught were executed.
    Finally they brought us to Petrasha’s field, a big group of Ukrainian hooligans forced us to run to a field, they tortured us, and beat us mercilessly… took off boots from the dead people. They pierced the women with spears; many choked from the oppressive and dense condition. If one person fell then the entire group collapsed on the person, and artillery surrounded us. It was impossible to escape. All that night we were together in the field, my brother-in-law, his children, my cousins and their children, and all those who succeeded in hiding in the first action days. The next day the murderous Nazis gathered all the small children in one spot, and whoever ran back to their parents was caught by his neck with a hooked pole and thrown to the ground… the screams of the children and their mothers still echo in my mind. They ran the children like a flock of sheep back to the ghetto, and kept them there for two weeks. With them were the "Rabiner" Dr. Rosenman and the head of the ghetto, Barash. Then they took blood from the children and used it to transfuse blood to the wounded German soldiers. Dr. Rosenman and Barash were taken to Auschwitz. They have told "you were good Jews, therefor we are not going to send you to the gas chamber, but we’ll shoot you" that was the end of the Jewish Bialystok, the city became "Judenrein" (pure from Jews).

L. The journey to Majdanek- the suffering in the camp.

    From the field where we were gathered they used to send big groups to the extermination camps. I stayed with the last group. When they locked us in the train I understood that they were taking us to a place of no return. The train was going toward Treblinka, my friends opened the doors during transit and tried to escape, but the murderers were on top of the cars and shot nonstop from their machine guns. My friend from Valcovsk and was immediately shot. The Nazi’s shot, also, inside the train, and some of my friends were murdered. I gave up on the escape plan. I squeezed into a corner, so that I wouldn’t be shot, and then we arrived to Treblinka. We saw a big sign: "work camp". The cars with the women were separated. They were taken off the train in Treblinka, and we continued in our journey. Once in a while the train stopped, we asked for water, because the heavy heat bothered us, I was hot, also, because of the bullet that was stuck in my back. The situation was unbearable, I begged the murderer Ukrainians to give me a drop of water, I was unbearably thirsty, they asked for money. We indeed gave them the little money that we had, but we didn’t get any water. At night we got to Lublin, they kept us in the closed cars until early morning. Then, the doors opened and we were ordered to get out and take the dead bodies out of the cars. Then they lined us up and the S.S. people made us run to Majdanek extermination camp.
    I dragged my tired feet and I barely got to the camp. Pursued and beaten we were put in an area surrounded by barbed wire. We saw smoked chimneys and the air was filled with the smell of burnt human flesh. The heat was unbearable, and the suffering was horrible we screamed endlessly: "water!" they brought a bowl filled with hot coffee, everyone thrust themselves toward the coffee, but in the panic of pushing the coffee spilled onto the ground, some got burned, the murderers looked and laughed. We gathered with our handkerchief’s pieces of the ground that was soaked in coffee and we squeezed it into our mouths. We had to wet our lips with any kind of liquid, because it’s been days since we drank anything. I was feverish and wounded. I prayed to G-d not to let me suffer any longer, and to put an end to my anguish…
    A big group of Jews were brought by beatings and curses to one of the bunks. They were ordered to undress near trunks full of gold, silver, and watches, and to throw inside every valuable thing. I threw into the trunk the rest of my money, I kept only a diamond earring that my mother, may she rest in piece, kept for a long time, and gave me when we were separated. "Maybe" she said "it will help you, maybe it will save your life", I tied the earring to my belt. They took from us everything, we had to hold our belts between our fingers and stand with our mouths open, in that position we entered the bunk where they cut our hair. The barber asked me if I hid anything under the bandage that covered my wound. I could leave it with him, and he’d give it back to me when I came back from the bathhouse.
    In the narrow entrance to the bathhouse stood two tall Gestapo people, they looked at each one of us and decided our fate, right- to life, left- to death. I told the barber that I had nothing, and asked him to take off the bandage, he said it was impossible, because the Gestapo saw me, and I have to pass by them, and indeed the minute I passed they stopped me. One pointed to the bandage and asked, "what’s this?" I answered "a bullet wounded me", he asked if I could raise my hand, I raised my hand, even though it caused great pain. Now he asked what my profession and my age was. I answered "I am a carpenter, and I’m 26 years old". The Nazi wanted to let me pass, but suddenly his friend yelled "left!" Nothing helped, I asked him to let me drink some water, they agreed to let me, I drank so much water that they burst in laughter. It probably looked strange that I was drinking so much water before my death.
    They handed me short pants and directed me to the bathhouse, through the hallway that leads to the oven where they burnt the victims. When I entered the hallway I was stunned, I saw all the wounded, old people and those who were burnt from the hot coffee, and now I’m among them. They pushed me from behind… wanting me to walk faster, I asked "Don’t push me, I have a bullet in my back, let me stand near the door." While I was standing near the door I opened it a bit and turned to the Jewish ‘capo ’ that stood there "please, save me, I’m so young" he asked, "do you have anything valuable?" I showed him the earring "take the bandage off, fast" said the ‘capo ’ When the ‘capo ’ noticed that the Gestapo people weren’t paying attention he quickly took the earring and let me into the real bathhouse, I washed my hands that had dried blood on them. I got some underwear, wooden shoes, and a round hat. I ran to the courtyard as fast as I could where I saw about fifty people that were ready to go and I mixed in with them. I was feeling feverish and emotional that I had managed to escape from the oven, it was a real miracle. It cant be believed only if it’s told.
    We walked to the bunks. The head of the block was there to meet us, he was a porter Jew from Warsaw that held, in his hand, a stick and used it for every little fault that we did. The beds were one on top of the other times three, and each bed was meant for two people. I couldn’t sleep with someone else in a single bed because of the pain in my back, and I asked the ‘capo ’ to let me sleep in a bed by myself. He asked if I had "swallowed something, gold or diamonds" he said that he would take care of it if I had, I answered that I had nothing but a gold crown on my teeth, I’m willing to take them out. The ‘capo ’ agreed, and gave me the upper bed.
    In the morning came the block register and announced that every sick person must sign and go to the doctor. Some people did sign, I sneaked away, but the ‘capo ’ forced me to sign and yelled "If you have a bullet in your back, you must go."
    I noticed that they signed the sick people in the doctors room, the Ukrainian doctor sent me to the other doctor who was Jewish. I got closer to him, then I noticed that he blinked to me with his eyes, I got the hint and walked slowly to the door. I went back to the bunk, the ‘capo ’ asked, "what did the doctor say?" I answered "to his opinion the bullet is not harmful, I only have to be careful of being hit." I was in bunk 29. In bunk 30 were my cousins from Voshilcov and some other relatives. Over there, there was also a doctor, Cleimantovski, doctor Rottenberg’s helper from Bialystok. I asked him about the bullet, he said that it’s possible to take it out with a simple knife, because it wasn’t deep, but no one has a knife, everything was taken from us, even a spoon to eat the didn’t give us. We ate with our hands from the bowl. Doctor Cleimantovski advised me to talk to the doctor that saved me, I didn’t rest all day, I looked for him until I found him. I went to him, and he told me in Polish "sir, you are smart, you got the hint, if you didn’t you wouldn’t be here talking to me now. Smell the smoke, all those who signed are currently in the oven."
I asked him to take the bullet out from my back, "it’s easy to do" he said "but I am forbidden to do anything, if someone will find out we will both go to the ovens." He calmed me "you have to get used to the situation and be careful of any hits, and if they’ll ask any people to work, be amongst the first to arrive. Those who do not go to work stand all day on their feet without food and drop like flies. The workers, at least, get some food. The Christians are also selling food, the Jews steal things from the warehouses, and meanwhile continue to live." The doctor was from Warsaw, he also didn’t survive. I listened to him, everyday that they asked people to work I was there immediately. We stood there a whole day and took orders "put on your hat and take off your hat." Standing in the terrible heat had weakened us. Some people fainted and fell. One day, when we stood in the wide field in Majdanek the ‘biggest’ murderer Hoffman arrived on his white horse. We were not allowed to move, if G-d forbid he realized that someone moved he went over to him and started beating him with his lead whip until he fell dead. Hoffman, may his name be erased, was caught after the war and hung in Lovlin.

M. In Belishin camp

    Hoffman came one time to an inspection and yelled "Tailors- raise your hands!" I didn’t think much, I raised my hand, relatives from Bialystok asked, "are you a tailor?" I said, "In the army I used to sew the nice buttons or the ranks on my sleeves." Those who raised their hands were separated from the workers. Among them were tailors, carpenters, and other craftsmen. They pushed about 60 people to train cars, threw a few loafs of bread and some coffee bottles, and they were ordered to take them to Radom. We passed Radom, we are still traveling… it’s getting dark, finally, in the evening, and we arrived to the new camp. SS people and Ukraine murderers were waiting for us. We were in "Belishin" where many Russian prisoners of war were murdered.
    They turned "Belishin" into a work camp. Tailors, shoemakers, carpenters and so on worked there. I was put in a shoemaker’s bunk. Jews from Peotracov, Kils, and Radom were there. A shoemaker from Peotracov made me his helper. I used to hand him the raw material and I took the product to the warehouses. On Sunday they had inspection. They checked if anyone was missing, in "Belishin"the capo Jew was in charge. The Nazi’s came at night to inspect and to lock the bunks. Counting of the people was done in a special way. Everyone passed through a narrow door; those who stood behind him were pushed in line because they wanted to get to the place where the daily soup was distributed. One day when I stood in line the capo beat me with a stick. I fainted from the pain, when I regained consciousness and the capo learned that I had a bullet in my back he immediately brought me to the doctor. The doctor looked at my wound told me to lie down an put me to sleep. When I opened my eyes he showed me the bullet. It was forbidden to lie in the hospital for a long time, I quickly returned to work.
    Near the warehoused where I used to bring the products there was a fence where Christians used to bring their food and secretly the prisoners traded stuff from the warehouses. Near the warehouses it was possible to find potatoes or beet that I used to hide for the swollen, starved workers. One day I came to the warehouses, suddenly I heard shots from across the fence, I looked and saw a young girl running and the Nazis after her, and she was falling. The girl came from Bialystok dressed as a "shicksa" along with other young men to organize the smuggling of Jews from the camp. To her misfortune the Polish people recognized her and started yelling and pointing at her "she’s Jewish." The young girl ran, but the murderer’s bullets got her… three people from Peotracov that were in my bunk escaped from the camp. The Polish got them and handed them over to the Nazis. They were tortured cruelly and were shot in front of our eyes. In spite of that three young men from Bialystok succeeded in escaping.

N. In the Radom camp

    When I was loading rocks I had an accident, a rock fell on my leg and I was wounded, when I returned from work I saw people standing in the inspection field and selecting. I sneaked from that place so that they wouldn’t see me, but the capo saw that my leg was wounded and told me to get out of the line, I begged, "let me stay, I’m better" my words had no effect on him. I had to leave, I was brought to an empty bunk and they locked the door. After an hour came the Nazi officer and his followers, and according to the Nazi officers order they took from us our good clothes and instead we got rags. We thought that it was a bad sign, they are probably going to shoot us. We started to beg for our lives. The Nazis are calming us; nothing bad is going to happen to us. They said that they are going to transfer us to another camp, no one was able to sleep all night, out of fear. We had the feeling that our end was near. In the morning an SS officer from Radom came, he ordered us to run like horses in a fair in order to see if the "merchandise" is good. Later we were put in cars and taken to Radom. I was saved again. The bad plot of the capo is cancelled. In Radom they first brought the people to a bathhouse. We got better clothes and were sent to an ammunition factory.
    I worked in a group of ten prisoners that built a shelter for the "main massacre"; there was no ghetto in the city. The Jews were sent away to extermination camps. The survivors were gathered in bunks. We got more food. All together the situation was relatively "not bad".
    In those days there was news that the Germans were absorbing casualties on the Russian border. People who came to Radom told that the Soviet army was rapidly approaching. A spark of hope flickered in our hearts, maybe; after all we will survive.
    All of a sudden there were guards around the fence, no one could leave. There were rumors that the Russians were standing in the entrance of Warsaw and that the prisoners will be taken to another place. We could hear the thunder of the cannons. It looked as if the salvation is nearing, meanwhile there was an order to go out for marching. Many wanted to hide in the bunks, but we found out that they would be burnt before the evacuation. In one bunk that was used as a hospital there was a woman from Bialystok, her name was Venacor, the Nazis murdered her and buried her quickly.

O. The big march to Germany

    When we left Radom many of us thought about running, one man tried to hide in the wheat field, he was caught and shot to death. The Nazis hurried us so that we would walk faster. Some got very weak and couldn’t continue. The doctor pretended to care and with his good heart kind of gave them permission to ride the wagons that rode behind us. They had a bitter end. The wagons that were filled with the weak people were taken to the forest and they were shot. We passed by different towns and at night we stopped in the fields. My legs swelled from the tiring walk. Coincidentally I had a cover from fabric, I took the opportunity and tore stripes from the fabric and after I dipped it in water I made myself bandages around my legs.
    We continued to walk until Tomashov, in that city they closed us in a silk factory. The crowdedness was awful, it was impossible to move, closed, choked… even our bodily needs we took care of right there…we thought that our end was nearing. But the suffering continued, somehow they got train cars and pushed everyone in them. The train took us to the well-known death camp, Auschwitz. When we saw the big chimneys we were certain that our fate was sealed, they’ll burn us. They stood us by the cars and the selection started, who was to live, and who was to die. They took out of the line the old people and the small children. They were killed in the gas and were burnt. Parents were devastated, they saved their children from so many death camps, and now, after so many troubles and tortures they were unable to save them. Among the victims there was a child of an acquaintance that I knew well, Friedman, that was exhausted during the long walk and I helped him to carry his son.
    Some people were lucky, the officer from Radom was their advocate, he recommended us as good workers. Wearing striped clothes we stayed in Auschwitz for a whole day. Our food consisted of a slice of bread spread with margarine.
    From Auschwitz we were taken by train to Germany, to work. The train wobbled for two days and nights until we got to a station near Stuttgart. From there they took the prisoners to hiding bunks in the mountains. They were hidden from the American bombers. We were divided into two work groups. One group installed cables, and the other carried rocks. My job was to fill the train cars with iron and cables. The food was poor: a little bit of water and kohlrabi. I saw many fruits in the fields that had fallen from the trees, but it was forbidden to touch them. Once one of the workers climbed the tree secretly and tried to pick a fruit, he was shot immediately by a Nazi sniper.
    Where we worked there were Russian prisoners, we heard from them that the Russians conquered Warsaw already, and we are so far from her. American planes are flying above our planes day after day and bombing German cities. When the planes appeared we ran to the fields. It’s impossible to describe our happiness when we heard the news that Stuttgart was bombed. We had a strange feeling "if it is our fate to die- it’s better to die by the Americans than by the Germans."
    All of a sudden they gathered a large amount of Jews and transferred them to another camp in the high mountains. Every day we had to walk six kilometers to work, and then return to the camp. The Germans built factories in the mountains, our mission was to put dynamite to bomb the big rocks and to remove the earth by train cars. It was a hard job. They didn’t let us rest at night. As we put our heads down the murderers came immediately and ordered us to organize the bunk, and whoever didn’t get up was beaten cruelly.
One day Polish prisoners who took part in the rebellion at the time of the siege on Warsaw arrived. They told us about the ghetto Warsaw rebellion and about the elimination of the ghetto. The Polish prisoners were not used to the work and the nonstop sadistic treatment broke them. They dropped like flies. Those who tried to escape were shot immediately. Most of them were associated with the intellectual circles. We were more immune, we ate whatever we came across, we used to gather potato peels in the kitchen. Just in order to survive.
    The winter is approaching and still there is a little hope for being saved. The Americans are progressing at a slow rate, and we are suffering in the deep mountain mines. One morning they announced that a group of prisoners would be transferred to a new camp, they started to select the candidates. I had an idea to hide in the bunk’s attic. In my hiding place I heard the capo’s Jews screaming, "where did the Leechvat disappear?" In order to fill the quota they took another man instead of me. Most of the Bialystok people were sent. When I came out from my hiding place the person in charge of the block said "so, it will be, for now you are saved."
The capo’s wanted to turn him in to the Gestapo; a Bialystok lad saved me. He was a messenger boy for the Nazi’s, and they liked him. He pleaded with them to leave me alone, and because of him I was saved. Almost all the people that were transferred to the other camp were killed, "well, it was determined that I had to be tortured for some more time."
    There were rumors that the bombs on German cities increased. In our camp we had to stop working once in a while, after the bombing of the big train station in Ludvigsborg they sent us to clean the ruins. There were cars full of good things, it didn’t occur to us to take anything, we were looking for only food, and when we discovered food a fight broke out among us. People were grabbing food from each other; we turned into animals, each one thought that that was the way to save themselves. It took us a long time to get to Ludvigsborg walking there and back was hard and very tiring, and whoever couldn’t make it was shot by the Nazi’s.
    One night there was a terrifying atmosphere in the camp, they woke us up and ordered us to get up immediately. We found out that they were sending the prisoners to another camp, there was the last camp, Kanandorf, Germans, accompanied by dogs greeted us, and immediately they made us run to the bunk and ordered us to get undressed. The clothes were taken, as if they were to be cleaned, but first they were checked to see if there was anything there, and they took whatever was. We stood naked for a whole day, they brought a metal heater, and everyone pushed to get closer to get warm. Someone pushed me from behind to the burning heater, and I was burned badly on both hands and my knee. There was no medical help. At night we got our clothes back, they moved us to another bunk for the night, I couldn’t close my eyes because of the pain. The next morning they sent us to work building railroad tracks. Of course, those who got burnt were not able to work. This time we got better treatment, they bandaged the wounds, and that freed me from a few days of work.
    I stayed in the bunk, but the capo ordered us nonstop. We had to clean the bunk, inside and out nonstop under the supervision of the anti-Semitic capo that beat me cruelly. I preferred to get back to work. At work we were sometimes able to steal beets- a thing that, in the camp could bring a disaster upon us.
    There were moments of rest at the time of the American bombings. Sometimes the American planes fell not far from us, and their pieces scattered all over. We are looking for redemption, but we couldn’t see it. Escaping was out of the question, we were in the heart of Germany, and we wore striped clothes…
    One day we came to work and we found out that we do not have to work. Again we are on the way, to where? Different rumors. Someone said that we were going to the Switzerland border, they are going to transfer us to the red cross, others said that the new destination is the death camp, Dachau.
    Again we drag our tired feet. And the food- one slice of bread. The murderers are pushing us and yelling for us to walk faster. There were no trains, and on the way there were German pedestrians that left their houses, fearing the Russians. When the airplanes appeared above our heads we scattered and ducked in side roads.
    The escaping Germans were loaded with bundles; the Nazis are forcing us to carry those heavy bundles. They loaded me with one package, but I couldn’t carry it, my feet hurt, I squirmed with from pain, and I felt as if I was about to collapse. My pleadings to the Germans didn’t help me. "Have mercy on me, I cant carry it anymore"… the German is yelling "Chatter Jew" and he pulls his rifle, in order to hit me with the gun. Instinctively I raised me left hand to take the beating. The gun hit my hand and broke my hand. I started screaming from pain; a few Germans came to me, looked at my hand apathetically. To my good fortune there was, among them, a French doctor, and he bandaged my hand with a wet bandage and tied it tightly. The bandage hardened and it eased on me.
    There is no end to the hardships… We heard on the way that Americans entered the last camp that we had emptied. Once in a while the planes flew above us, but did not bomb when they saw our striped clothes. They took us to a forest; we stayed there for three days with no food. The spring was approaching, so we found some rotten nuts in the forest that brought our lives back. After three days, at night they brought from the village some containers with soup and cooked potatoes, there were fights on the potatoes, we were starved. On the next evening again they made us run to the train station, and in the morning the train moved. As we drove for a few kilometers the American ‘birds’ appeared and started to bomb, the train car got squished, and many of us were killed or wounded. When they recognized our striped clothes they left. It was impossible to continue with the train, we had to walk. Behind us were the Nazi animals that beat those that couldn’t walk, and whoever sat a little bit to rest did not get up anymore, he was shot immediately. We passed through different villages; occasionally we got an uncooked potato with some beatings on the head with clubs. It was a tortured walk, and that’s how we were dragged ‘til Agusbourd in Bavaria.

P. The long walk from Agusbourd to the release.

    We entered at night to Agusbourd, the city that was bombed is lighted with fire flames with blazing fire. We dragged ourselves with our last strength to the train; we drove all night, lying crowded in the cars, pushed and squished to each other. In the morning I opened my eyes and saw; around me were lying a lot of dead people, among them the fellow from Minsk that I helped the whole way. Where are we going? No one knows. In the morning the airplane appeared, and started shooting the train. We prepared striped fabrics, and we wanted to wave them, as a hint that the train has camp prisoners, but the train stopped because the locomotive was badly damaged. They opened the car doors and let us scatter in the field, we attacked the flower buds and picked and ate the green leaves.
    We need to walk again. I made a few steps and felt that I was about to faint. Two people from Radum, a father and his son, supported me under my arms. They entreated me to make an effort to stay conscious. I didn’t have any strength. I needed and there was none. Suddenly, as if a miracle, I saw at a short distance a river. I ran with my remaining strength to the river. I bent down to get water with my hat, but from fatigue I fell into the river. When they took me out, I was a different person. My strength returned to me. In my anguish, I need to say that the beginning of the march from Koennedorf camp we were about 2000 people. When we arrived at the Alach camp near Dachau, we were no more than 200 people. From those only 80 survived.
    In the new camp we had a feeling the end of the war was near. But what kind of value does that event hold for me? I’m very sick…my hand is broken…and though they don’t take any more people to work, we see that the Germans are confused. Not far, a few kilometers from the camp, was Dacha – the death factory. The fear is great…We want after all to live…We know the most close and dear people are no longer alive. Despite all this I want to live and see the revenge on Amalek – let their name and memory be erased. I lay as if paralyzed without being able to move a limb. Many people walked around in the bunks and searched for friends and relatives. I too found a relative – Yosef Zabludovsky.
    But I was very sick. They took me to the hospital and gave me a bath. They opened my bandage. The doctors determined that my arm bones had wrongly reconnected. They connected it again and cast my arm. The Nazis that still controlled the camp left me in the hospital. For the "healthy" ones, there was still no rest. They continued to march them, this time to the Swiss border. To our luck, some Jewish doctors were left in the hospital that took care of the sick. They were told that the Americans were very close…and the redemption was near…
    On Saturday April 28, 1945 – a day that I’ll never forget – we lay in bunk beds one on top of another. The Americans had attacked the camp and the German soldiers continued to show resistance. The American artillery hit the hospital. Many patients were killed a few hours before the liberation. I fell from the bed on the floor and lay there till morning. The bunk was dark. The patients were crying. I comforted them with my father’s words. "Yeshuat Adonai k’heref ayiin" --- God’s redemption in a twinkling of an eye.
    In the morning, Sunday April 29, 1945, the American army entered the camp victoriously. The soldiers saw us and stood in shock…Our situation was very bad…and we cried from joy…finally the torture and suffering came to an end. We are free. Many prisoners charged the food, got sick immediately and it was impossible to save them…I was very weak and skinny. One leg was thin as a stick, the other one swollen. I was a skeleton. I was transferred by ambulance to the hospital in Dachau. They gave me small portions of food. They gave me blood transfusion. And slowly I recuperated. Dachau, of terrible notoriety still had a sign: "Arbeit macht das leben zies" (Work sweetens life). There Hitler (may his name and memory be erased) murdered hundreds of thousands of Jews. I saw piles of bodies that they did not have time to burn.
    I lay in the Dachau hospital for a few weeks. Those who recovered were free and were able to leave, and even to go home…I was not able to stand on my feet. That’s why I was transferred to St. Autlian hospital near Landsberg. I stayed another full year in the hospital. They fed me like a small child until I could get back to myself. I met there by coincidence Itschke Koplinsky who was ill with jaundice. He was transferred later to Vildheim and from there would visit me. From Vildheim others from Zabludow who survived came to see me: Gedaliah Lynn and his bride, Meir Ruppa, Chaim Bazruk, Eliyahu Zesler and Nechamia Gladstein.
    From the hospital I moved to Vildheim and there I participated in Meir Ruppa’s wedding. In Paldaping camp I met with other survivors: Bamolia Bernstein, Avrahamel Baker, Velvel the son of the Hassid and Moshe Wallace’s daughter. These were the few, like me, who were lucky enough to live and by a miracle were saved.
    Some traveled to different countries: Israel, America, Argentina. Other survivors traveled to Warsaw in the hope of selling their possessions in the town…I didn’t go…I had nothing I possessed…Zabludow was burned to the ground. She was erased by the murderous Nazis may their names and memory be erased! There were no survivors from those who were most loved…
Some ask the survivor: "How did you survive? How did you save your soul?" My story is witness and answer to the question. That’s why I wanted to write in the Yizkor book all the suffering and hardships that happened to me and all my experiences so that they will be remembered to eternity. All the suffering and hell that the survivors experienced are very similar. People survived due to miracles.
    In Vildheim, I met my wife. Later we immigrated to the United States to build our lives anew. The golden chain should not be severed, but I remained a broken soul, ill the rest of my life. Our children should know and remember the order: "Remember what Amalek did to you". Remember what Hitler’s Germany did to us!

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