Translation from Russian, of brochure published in Byelorussia
WORDS OF REMEMBRANCE
FOR VICTIMS OF ZEMBIN GHETTO
Zembin... This ancient settlement, located 28 kilometers northwest of city of Borisov has been multinational from the beginning of its existence. An Eastern Orthodox church, a Catholic church and a synagogue have resided peacefully next to each other and have not bothered anybody. The Bolsheviks with their martial atheism closed up the temples, but that did not change the relations between the people.
However, in July of 1941, Zembin was taken over by Hitler's aggressors and that resulted in almost immediate persecution of Jewish population, which represented about half of the settlement's population. All Jews were ordered to where yellow symbols on their ches! and back. They were not allowed to communicate with other people of Zembin. In order to step up persecutions, the Raboche-Krestyanskaya Street next to the Jewish cemetery was turned into a ghetto, where Jews were forcefully relocated to. However, this wicked camp lasted only one month.
In the middle of August, for several days 18 Jews were ordered to dig a huge pit in the ground on the outskirts of Zembin, which supposedly was needed to bury damaged and unnecessary army equipment, left on fields. The pit was dug, but steps made out of soil could not but raise alarming suspicions.
Everything became clear early morning on Monday, August 18, 1941, when policemen Gnot and Golub went around the ghetto and declared the order of German authorities for all the Jews without exception to gather at the market place for checking of documents.
When everyone had gathered, it became apparent that there was no way back. Armed repressors pushed the crowd towards the pit and made them stand on knees. But then they were allowed to sit on the ground, in order to "rest" while awaiting their turn.
First of all, about 20 of the stronger men were taken into the forest, where the pit was located. Soon after that shots were heard, which turned sitting on the ground, doomed to death people into hysteria. But tears and throat tearing screams only caused fascists to furiously beat people.
Including children, women and elderly, the doomed were sent with kicks and punches, in groups of 15-20 persons to their death. (Only two young children of Hasya Hodasevich, born from a mixed marriage, were spared.)
At three o'clock everything was over, and the pit, where lied 927 Jews covered in blood, was covered with soil. This horrific, not having any rational, action was carried out by the occupants under supervision of the chief of Borisov security force gauptshturfurer Shonem, with participation of Gestapo officers Berg and Valter, commandant of Borisov Sharer, commandant of Zembin Eleka, as well as translator Lutzke, who were helped by fascist sympathizers from among the local population: Vasili Haritonovich, David Agof, Philip Kabakov and others.
After the war, the grave of the genocide victims was framed by a fence with a memorial board by relatives. The grave was entered into the Catalog of historical monuments and culture and, later, received the status of protected by the government location. However, this place has been several times vandalized by "gold diggers" and other vandals. In 1992 the marble memorial board was completely destroyed, which forced the Jews from the society "Light of Menorah" to search for sources to erect a new memorial symbol. (new board was placed in March of 1993)
In the rural areas of Borisov district, the grave of Zembin Jews remains to be the largest mass burial of the wartime. However, only in 1993 did the local government decide to erect a monument their, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of freeing Belorussia from fascist occupants, which turned out to be empty promise.
Who lies in this grave? The interest in this question was not raised by the authorities for very long and could cause political difficulties (for example, the accusation in nationalism). That is why, fifty years later only a small number of names were remembered.
Abergaus, Fala
Abergaus, Girsh
Abergaus, Leib
Abergaus, Nehama
Aksel, Basya
Aksel, Haim
Aksel, Sonia
Akselson, Ary
Akselson, Shmerl
Belkin, Basya
Belkin, David
Belkin, David
Belkin, Manya
Benenson, Grisha
Benenson, Dveyra
Benenson,Zyama
Benenson, Kusha
Benenson, Leib
Benenson, Liba
Benenson, Mendl
Benenson, Mera
Benenson, Nehama
Benenson, Riva
Benenson, Roha
Benenson, Shaya
Benenson, Aron
Benenson, Sofa
Benenson, Hanah
Benenson, Haya-Belyka
Benenson, Sosha
Benenson, Tamara
Benenson,Tova
Benenson, Velya-Gilya
Benenson, Baylya-Zipa
Benenson, Gilya
Benenson,Max
Benenson, Malka
Benenson, Meir
Bershakovskay, Liba
Elkind, Hava
Elkind, Hana
Elkind, Hassya
Elkind, Haya
Elkind, Zina
Faytelson, Nihama
Faytelson, Velvy
Faytelson, Riva
Fine, Ben
Fine, Genya
Fine, Gershin
Fine, Eva
Fine, Israil
Fine, Rahil
Fine, Raya
Fine, Roha-Leya
Fine, Yankel
Finkelshteyn, Nota
Fridman, Hava
Futerman; Mota
Fridman, Manya
Fridman, Mera
Fridman, Faya
Gershman, Manya
Ginsburg, Goda
Ginsburg, Faina
Gitlitz, Aba
Gitlitz, Gene
Gitlitz, Hanah
Gitlitz, Haya
Gliayhengaus, Eal
Gliayhengaus, Sima
Gordon, Israel
Gordon, Meyer
Gorner, Emma
Gorner, Liza
Gorner, Rita
Gorner, Yana
Gurevich, Yoha
Gutmanovich, Peysha
Gutmanovich, Girsh
Gutmanovich, Haya
Gutmanovich, Leyb
Gutmanovich, Roha
Gutmanovich, Sara
Gutmanovich, Yosif
Gutmanovich, Yuda
Hafetz, Bunya
Hafetz, David
Hafetz, Ester
Hafetz, Hasya
Hafetz, Mera
Hafetz, Sonya
Hafetz, VuIf
Harick, Doba
Harick, Fanya
Harick, Mendek
Harick, Mota
Harick, Roza
Harick, Ruva
Harick, Shmerl
Harick, Shulya
Harick, Zalman
Hodasevich, Hasya
Kantor, Beyla
kantor, Girsh
Kantor, Haya-Freyda
Kantor, Mendl
kantor, Shmul-Ber
Katz, Haya
Katz, Meer
Klionsckaya, Basya
klionsckaya, Hasya
Klionsckaya, Haya
Klionsckaya, Nana
Klionsckaya, Sima
Klionsckiy, David
Klionsckiy, Elya
Klionsckiy, Labe
Klionsckiy, Shafel
Klionsckiy, Yuda
Klionskaya, Zlata
KugI, Reshitke
Levin, Haya
Levin, Itzka
Levin, Leya
Levin, Meyshe-Girsh
Levin, Mota
Levin, Motel
Leykind, Mota
Lyahovitzky, Nesha
Lyahovitzky, Shloyma-Haim
Mihaylover, Leya
Mihaylover, Shmulem
Minkov, Boruh
Minkov, Labe
Minkov, Moysha
Namen, Alta
Namen, Masha
Namen, Sara
Nehamkin, Aron
Podnos, Avroom
Podnos, Broha
Podnos, David
Podnos, Dora
Podnos, Eysaf
Podnos, Filya
Podnos, Gendl
Podnos, Hana
Podnos, Haya
Podnos, Labe
Podnos, Liza
Podnos, Mendl
Podnos, Roza
Podnos, Shima
Podnos, Yakov
Podnos, Zyama
Podnos,Alta
Polyakov, Mera
Raskin, David
Raskin, Lasar
Raskina, Belyka
Raskina, Sofa
Ratner (Minkov) Raska
Ratner, Grisha
Ratner, Kaylya
Ratner, Moisey
Ratner, Polya
Ratner, Yosel
Rihilson, Basya
Rihilson, Basya
Rines, Avroom
Rines, Fanya
Rines, Genya
Rines, Mera
Rines, Mosha
Rines, Roha-Leya
Rines, Tanya
Rines, Roza
Rivkind, Malka
Rivkind, Polya
Shapiro, Hinda
Shifrin, Abroham
Shifrin, Hana
Shifrin, Kussel
Shifrin, Rohe-Leya
Shifrin, Sima
Shifrin, Zelda
Shifrin, Rahil
Shimanovich (Sisman), Hyena
Shimanovich, Haya-Sora
Shimanovich, Mihl-Itzhick
Shvartzberg, Hana
Simeglor, Haya
Simelgor, Yakov
Simelgor,Abroham
Slavin, Basya
Slavin Haya
Slavin, Naim
Sverdlov, Elya
Sverdlov, Yosel
Tavger, David
Tavger, Gnessia
Tavger, Misha
Tavger, Relya
Tavger, Yasha
Tzimkovskaya, Bella
Tzimkovskaya, Haya
V ilenskiy (Shimanovich), Matlya
Valozkin, Lifsa
Vishnev, Eva
Zak, Girsh
Zak, Gissya
Zak, Lazar
Zarhina, Ester
Zelkind, Nohim
Zarhina, Nana
Zavolner, Girsh
Zavolner, Dvosy
Zavolner, Sima
Zelkind, Ida
At this point the memorial list ends. About 700 names were left unremembered. The archives did not help either. The official list of victims in Zembin, made by the local committee in August of 1944, that is immediately after overthrough of German occupation, contained only five Jewish names. It is a sad fact, though you could explain it in the following way: the totalitarian regime did not try to preserve the memory of victims of war equally, but did it on a selective basis, even though, it proclaimed everywhere that no one and nothing was forgotten.