Stories from the series
"Words and pictures about my little town - Tshon",
by Yechiel Mechel Ukrainik
Submitted by Arthur Nitikman
Yechiel Mechel Ukrainik (real name Mitchell Nitikman), was
born in Tshon (Teofipol) in 1905 and resided there until 1921. He left Tshon when life
became unbearable for the Jewish residents. At that time he, and his brother David,
escaped to Poland and subsequently immigrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Although
their grandfather and great grandfather had the surname "Nitikman", their
father, Azriel was given the fictitious surname "Ukrainik" to avoid conscription
into the Russian Army. At the time of his birth, the firstborn son was reprieved from
military service, but any subsequent sons were eligible to become cannon fodder. By the
time Mitchell and David were born, the risks had dropped enough that they both carried the
same surname as their father. Upon reaching Canada, they both reverted to the Nitikman
surname. Mitchell wanted to honor his father's name, so he wrote under the name
"Ukrainik" and, prior to his death, had requested that the surname Ukrainik
appear on his gravestone along with Nitikman.
Mitchell wrote many articles and editorials for the
Israelite Press (Der Yiddish Vort), which was published in Winnipeg. In the 1940s he wrote
a series of articles which were entitled "Fuhn Mein Shtetl - Tshon". They were
subsequently reprinted in the US in the Yiddish Forverts, which is archived in the Yale
University Library as well as other archives throughout the US. These stories dealt with
his memories of life in Tshon during the early 1900s and represent a wonderful legacy for
all to enjoy.
-- Arthur Nitikman
Table of Contents
- SRULI MECHELES.
- SHIKAH.
- THE THREE EZRIALKES.
SRULI MECHELES By Yechiel Mechel
Ukrainik (Nom de plume for Mitchell Nitikman) (from the series "Words and pictures
about my little town - Tshon) Translated into English by Sonia Diamond in February, 1997
Sruli (Yisrael) Mecheles had become such a very old Jew
that perhaps only some of the oldest members of the communities would still remember him
when he had walked without a cane. However, the young people just remember him going
around with a knotted, shiny, red cinnamon colored cane, which he would jab at all of the
young trouble making rabble rousers, hitting them on their noses.
As old as Sruli Mecheles was, that is how actively involved
he was in everything that happened in the shtetl. Whether there were elections for a new
Mayor or a new Gabbai, or upon the arrival of a Maggid, or Matif, or Zionist speaker, or a
Cantor with a choir, Sruli Mecheles was always the first one to arrive and take a front
row seat. Afterwards he would relate his opinions, whether in the Trisker study hall
during the first Minyon or Friday afternoon, where he was one of the first ones to arrive
at the Mikvah, the ritual bath house.
He lived on the same street as the Synagogue around the
Austrover Synagogue in a very small house, passed on through generations. The house was so
old that it was already half way settled into the ground. His livelihood consisted of
going throughout the town all day Thursday and on Friday morning with a large book under
his arm, collecting money for Bikur Cholem, the sick fund, which was located next to the
Jewish hospital.
He was a very good-hearted man, never getting angry. He
always enjoyed relating events of past years in the little town. For instance, they had
built the distillery where you could buy a bucket of Orkevet whiskey for two kopecks, but
nobody could afford the two kopecks.
One time, Sruli related that the manager of Grof Petovsky's
estate in Antonion came into this little town to buy merchandise in the store. He paid
with a half Imperial, worth seven and a half rubles. The merchant went all over the town
to get change but no one, including the rich people of the town, had enough money to make
change.
He also used to tell how the gristmill was built, how the
footbridge and waterwheel were made, the new great synagogue, and other projects.
He also related that in his younger days he was very strong
and worked as a barrel maker. He could make barrels better and quicker than anyone else.
But mostly he would like to talk about his longevity. He
said that he hoped and waited for the opportunity of living a full 120 years. He would
tell the following story:
One time, when he was still a very young child, the
Saddener Rebbe arrived in town for the Sabbath. Sruli had the privilege of holding the
Shammas candle, which was used at the end of the Sabbath, when the Rebbe would make
Havdalah. After the Havdalah, the Rebbe patted him on his little head and asked his name.
The Rebbe's followers among the Chassidim immediately told him that the child's name is
Yisrael, named after Yisrultze Rushiner, the Saddener Rebbe's father. The Rebbe, then,
blessed the child with long life and years.
One Shabbos morning, during the Torah reading, Sruli
Mecheles had Zanvel, the town Shammas, announce in all of the Synagogues, Study halls and
gathering places, that on Tuesday morning, with G-D's will, he is inviting all the Jews to
the first Minyon in the main synagogue for cake and whiskey in honor of his second Bar
Mitzvah at the age of 113 years. Understand that a half of the little town's Jews came to
the first Minyon, along with the Chassidim and others, viewing this as a very special
occasion, a unique Bar Mitzvah. The place was packed more than when people came on Yom
Kippur for closing Neilah service.
Immediately after this, the First World War started,
followed by the Civil War. The town was captured by Austria, followed by a takeover by the
Bolsheviks. The Government kept changing from Bolchevik to Petlurofs, then to the Poles
and then reverted back to the Bolsheviks. The little town was robbed many times and lived
through a major pogrom in which about 150 people were murdered. Over half of the houses
were shot up or burned from the bombardments and the pogroms. Sruli Mecheles, with his
little house, lived through all of this.
One fall morning, when the Jews of the town woke up early
to recite the morning prayers, the 13 principles of faith, a neighbor went by Sruli's
little house. When she looked through the window, she nearly fainted and screamed from
fright. This raised a tumult. From all sides the Jews started to run, both men and women.
Upon entering the house, they found Sruli Mecheles
stretched out on the floor on bundles of straw, dressed in his shrouds, with candles
burning at his head.
The whole town attended his funeral which was arranged the
same day. Religious Jews declared that he must have been one of the 36 righteous people
(it is thought that in any generation there are 36 hidden righteous people); since not
only did he live"a long life and years", but he was also given the knowledge,
"from above", as to his date of death.
SHIKAH By Yechiel Mechel
Ukrainik (Nom de plume for Mitchell Nitikman) (from the series "Words and pictures
about my little town - Tshon) Translated into English by David Nitikman in March, 1997
Shikah was raised by a widowed mother. His father, Bentsi,
died when Shikah was still a young child. His widowed mother, Bentsicha, began to sell
fruit in a stall at the market place. Being busy all day, making a living, she couldn't
watch over her son, so he grew up like a free bird - hardly knowing anything about Cheder
(religious school). At the beginning, Bentsicha, tried to keep him in Cheder. Shikah,
however, was not interested, and as money was scarce to pay the teacher, that was the end
of Cheder.
Each summer, with the help of one of the important
towns-people, Bentsicha would rent a large orchard and can both fruits and preserves. She
sold these directly to the towns people and, whatever was left, through her market stall.
It was Shikah's task to guard the orchard from thieves and
rowdies who came to steal the fruit. As a result of being out in the fresh air, most of
the time, and eating as much fruit as he wanted, Shikah grew to be a strong, handsome
young man. He was tall, broad shouldered, with a full head of hair and a rosy complexion
that looked like it would start bleeding with the smallest prick of a needle.
You should understand, that by growing up under these
circumstances, Shikah could not read or write, not even in Hebrew. He knew nothing of
Jewishness other than when it was Sabbath or a Holiday. Sabbath and Holidays were observed
by the whole village. When a Jewish holiday came on the Thursday, which was market day,
even the people from smaller, outlying villages knew there would be no market on that day.
Because he knew nothing of Jewishness, the towns people called him "Shikah Goy".
This embittered Shikah and estranged him from the Jews and Jewishness.
Besides the large shul in our town, there were several
small shuls for various working groups. There was one for blacksmiths, one for tailors,
one for shoemakers and one for musicians. One time, on Simchas Torah, when Shikah was
seventeen or eighteen, he went by the musicians shul. One of the musicians, who was
standing outside, called out to him. "Shikah, what will you donate if you are called
up to the Torah for a special prayer?" Shikah answered that he would donate a duck
worth two guilders The musician went into the shul and told them to call Shikah up to the
Torah for a blessing, for which he would donate a duck worth two guilders.
Next morning the whole town was buzzing with what had
occurred. Shikah's mother, Bentsicha, uttered deadly curses. For a long time thereafter,
the musicians avoided running into Shikah in a secluded street. On the second Sabbath, the
Rabbi went to the musicians shul and said a prayer to turn the curses into blessings.
After this episode, Shikah gave up all contact with the
Jews and Jewishness. He moved in with a gentile family and began hauling eggs to Warsaw.
He began eating non-kosher food and smoking on the Sabbath. He even severed his
relationship with his mother.
That's how Shikah lived until he was twenty one years old
and had to register for the army. As he was a strong, physical person, he was inducted
into the army and hardly any of the Jewish residents grieved for him, except perhaps his
mother - still a mother.
In the army, Shikah was not to happy until he finished his
basic training and began to enjoy his new life. He liked horses and was put into the
Cavalry. He also learned to speak the Russian language by living with Christians. This is
how Shikah served the Czar for three and a half years. Just as he was about to be
discharged, the first world war broke out.
Shikah's regiment was among the first to see action and he
threw himself into the fray with all his heart and soul. There was no mission for which
Shikah didn't volunteer. Having grown up in an orchard, which he guarded at night, he was
used to the darkness and always distinguished himself in his service.
For his bravery, Shikah was awarded four medals and four
crosses. They promoted him to a higher rank in the Cavalry, which very few others had
achieved. He was even honored by a General. Shikah received twenty one wounds, mostly
light ones.
Any of the Czars soldiers with such a record would be
promoted and, even though he couldn't read or write, he was sent to military schools to
learn a trade.
One time, Shikah was called into an office. When Shikah
entered the large room, he was greeted by an officer who saluted him and escorted him to
the Chief Officer. The Chief shook hands with Shikah, returned his salute and offered him
a seat to become acquainted. He complimented Shikah with warm words of praise. For a while
the Chief busied himself with some papers and took out a couple of printed sheets. He then
told Shikah how lucky he was to be the top candidate for the higher military school.
"The Czar will pay off your debts and also your
mother's and she will receive a nice income. You will become an officer with a steady
income in the military, with a pension when you are old. All these good things would be
yours as a Cavalry officer. However, as a Jew, you are only entitled to a salute, nothing
more. My advice to you is that you should convert to Christianity as a smart, brave young
man. I hope you will take my advice. What do you say?"
"Absolutely not", was Shikah's quick reply to the
Chief. And that is how it ended. Shikah did not become an officer because he would not
convert.
When the town heard of this, it was the talk of the town.
The town philosophers shook their heads and said, "A Jewish soul cannot be
valued". Shikah would not give up his Judaism.
THE THREE EZRIALKES By
Yechiel Mechel Ukrainik (Nom de plume for Mitchell Nitikman) (from the series "Words
and pictures about my little town - Tshon) Translated into English by Sonia Diamond in
March 1997
In our town there were three men named Ezrialke: Ezrialke
the butcher, Ezrialke the hardware man and Ezrialke the watchmaker. (Note 1)
The eldest among them was Ezrialke the butcher. He was a
Jew about sixty years of age, medium height, broad shoulders, with a very heavy, quick
step. In spite of his sixty years, he could still lift up a heavy side of meat by himself.
Ezrialke's butcher shop was the first one in a row of seven
butcher shops in town. He was a very angry person. If a woman came in and complained that
a piece of meat that he sold her was not to her liking, he would curse her roundly. Even
so, the knowledgeable housewives still would come to Ezrialke to buy their meat. The Jews
and non-Jews that would come to the villages knew that if they had a fine cow or other
high quality livestock, that he would buy it for his shop. If one would think that by
going to another shop he would make a better deal, after going to all the other shops, he
would return to Ezrialke's.
This is the reason that all the housewives knew that if
they would need to buy a really good piece of meat, or first-cut of breast, or a pancreas
that would melt in your mouth, that they would have to come to Ezrialke's establishment.
This, in spite of the fact that many of them swore ten times that they would not set foot
in his place.
The second Ezrialke, a hardware merchant, was a
businessman. A young man about thirty-five years old, whose business went very well for
him and was well on his way to becoming a rich Jew. His ambition was to become a leader of
the town and therefore he never missed a meeting and always made himself heard. He bought
himself the best seat in the Trisker Bais Midrash, where the elections and meetings were
held. He used to invite all the young people to his store and discussed politics with
them. For instance, he would arrange debates between the Rabbi and Yonah the Shochet. The
one who was losing was roundly criticized be Ezrialke, adding salt to the wounds.
Therefore the townspeople had given him the name, Ezrialke the Shaigetz (roughneck).
The third Ezrialke, the watchmaker, was tall, and about the
same age as Ezrialke the hardware merchant. In fact the two of them in their youth went to
class together. However, he was a gentle and quiet person. He was the Mayor's aide, as
well as the Gabbai of the Ruzhiner shull. But he would always be reluctant to tell the
town how to run its business.
Once, on a Saturday night, Mr. Wolfe, the mayor called the
leaders to his office for a meeting in order to arrange funding to clean up the
marketplace. When Rachel, the watchmaker's wife, asked why he wasn't attending the meeting
he responded that he thought that there would be a lot of quarreling, with each one
wanting the other to give a higher amount while they would want to give only a small
amount themselves. Therefore, he would be better off paying the amount that the group
assessed, so long as he wouldn't have to argue with them. That was the reason that he
didn't attend the meeting.
The meeting was, in fact, a rather noisy one and lasted
well into the night. Of all the people there, Ezrialke the Shaigetz was the loudest. He
truly had the opportunity to have himself seen and heard. He told everyone that they
should pay a higher amount.
When it came the turn for Ezrialke the butcher, who also
didn't attend, Ezrialke the hardware man announced that he should pay 25 Kerblechs for the
following reason: The butcher would have no problem to pay it. Furthermore, a whole year
he skins us, so now we have a chance to get even.
At this meeting, some of the other butchers were in
attendance. They immediately brought this news to Ezrialke the butcher, including what the
other Ezrialke had said about him. They were sure that he would understand that it was
Ezrialke, the Shaigetz, since no one else would express himself that way.
The butcher understood it otherwise. Knowing that the
meeting was called by Wolfe, the Mayor, he was sure that the Mayor's aide, Ezrialke the
watchmaker was playing first fiddle (running the meeting). So when his friends told him
what had occurred there, he took it for granted that Ezrialke the watchmaker had put him
on the list to pay the money. He was burning mad.
Monday morning, Rachel the watchmaker's wife came into the
butcher shop to purchase a piece of meat. She had barely stepped over the threshold of the
store when Ezrialke the butcher, with a knife in his hand threw himself at her with wild
curses. This would certainly have resulted in a great tragedy were it not for other people
mixing in and holding him back.
The tumult brought the other butchers running to the store.
They realized that it was all a misunderstanding by the butcher and straightened him out.
When the watchmaker's wife came home the poor thing opened
up her bitter heart to her husband. For a long after this episode, he avoided taking any
kind of position in the town.
___________________________________________________________________
Note 1: Ezrialke the watchmaker was Mitchell Nitikman's father, who died in Tshon during
the 1918 worldwide flu epidemic.
Copyright ©1997 Arthur Nitikman. All Rights Reserved.
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