[Page 32]

Published by "Hakibutz Haartzi"

         In order to fulfil her new task, Lisa needed safe documents. The authorities in the town began issuing new identity cards; the documents in Lisa's possession were valid no longer. Therefore she decided to acquire a new identity card which would enable her to move freely and to carry out her activity. She went to the police-station for that purpose but was arrested there; it may be guessed that she was denounced by an informer. She was taken to Lukishki prison and, after savage tortures and interrogations, sent to the Ponar extermination camp. All the attempts of the Organization to free her were unsuccessful.

         A few days before her execution, arrived the last message from her: "Dear father. It is clear to me what my situation and chances are, but it is hard for me to get used to the idea that I'll be taken to Ponar. I am quiet, I know what I'm giving my life for. It is clear to me that every- thing is being done to free me, but all is lost now. I am thinking and worrying about Adek (Bielostock. Ed. note). Convey my greetings to all the friends. I shake your hands. Be strong and of good courage. Your Lisa."

         Thirty days after her death, Baruch Goldstein filched a machine-gun from a German bunker and smuggled it into the Ghetto. The automatic weapon was named Lisa.

         Members of "Hashomer Hatzair" collected eighteen thousand roubles to buy arms to honor her name.

         In the Organization's Regulations, published a few days later, appeared the following sentence: The mobilization order of the United Partisan Organization is the code signal "Lisa is Calling". Upon hearing this password each Organization member must appear in the destined place and be ready for struggle and self-defense.

In the Vilna Region

         In little towns adjacent to Vilna, there were still Jews in ghettoes. All of them had passed through "extermination actions" and massacres, but then quiet and tranquility reigned in them for a while. Policemen, officials and experts arrived from Vilna, to organize the smaller ghettoes according to the example of the Central Ghetto and to establish in them similar laws, procedures and order.

         The Jews of Vilna Ghetto were satisfied with their status; they felt more secure. Indeed, the Ghetto continued to develop, there were no unemployed, its economic value increased daily. Gens and Dessler were on excellent terms with the authorities. The Jews believed that those two could achieve everything. The Jewish Police which left for the provincial ghettoes received permission from the Germans to wear uniforms - a sign of appreciation on their part and of satisfaction with the Ghetto in general, and the activities of the police in particular.

         The Police arrived also in Oshmana, together with the Ghetto Administration and the Labor Department, to establish a forced labor system. According to rumors which spread in Vilna, the Gestapo Chief, Weiss, said that there were too many unemployed in that Ghetto, which numbered four thousand inhabitants. An agreement was reached between Weiss and Dessier, the Jewish Police Chief, to remove four hundred, mostly older people, from the Ghetto. The Jewish Police from Vilna carried out the action with their own hands. Police Officer, Natan Ring, "distinguished" himself with cruel behaviour, but many policemen were convinced that they succeeded in saving the Ghetto. It may be added that Lisa Magon, which had been mentioned earlier, was in Oshmana during this "action".

         The Vilna Ghetto learned about the "action" only after the policemen had returned; then Gens convoked a special meeting, to which he invited well known public figures in addition to the representatives of the police and the administration. His concluding words at the gathering were: "As I had said, I take upon myself the entire responsibility for the things that were done. I do not want any arguments. Nobody has the right to argue about my actions in the past and in the future. I called you together in order to explain to you why a Jew dips his hands in blood. And in the future, when we, the policemen, will have to go - we shall go! "

         Soon afterwards, at the beginning of April 1943, a deportation order was issued in the Vilna Ghetto; it concerned the remaining Jews from the neighbouring towns who fled to Vilna Ghetto after the liquidation of the ghettoes. in their towns. Those people did not have, throughout their stay in the Ghetto, equal rights with those of the "legal" inhabitants; their identity cards were also different.

         The Jews from Michatishki, Svir, Oshmana, from labor- camps in the vicinity of Vilna, and others were told to move to the Ghetto of Kovno (Kaunas) where a shortage of man- power was felt. There were people in the Ghetto, among them former residents of Kovno, who registered voluntarily for the trip, out of the hope that the conditions in Kovno would be considerably better from those in Vilna. In the train were herded thousands of Jews; the majority were inhabitants of the Ghetto of Swienciany. On the railway cars hung signs: "To Kovno".

         A few days earlier, a group of Jewish policemen from Vilna arrived at Swienciany. Immediately upon their arrival they announced that the Swienciany Ghetto would be liquidated and its inhabitants transfered to Kovno. They showed the travel documents on which Kovno was marked as the end-station of the trip. Each policeman had such a document and they tried to convince and to promise the people that this was indeed the destination of he train - not an extermination camp; they added that no harm would be done to them. The policemen turned particularly to the youth and persuaded them not to leave for the forests and not to endanger the safety of the whole community; they were aware of the existence on the spot of an active, under- ground organization.

         This propaganda campaign lasted for a few days. Words of persuasion and inducement were repeated over and over again. Finally arrived Gens himself and vouched personally for the safety of the Jews. The people began to believe, packed their belongings, loaded them on carts and went to the railway-station at New Swienciany. However, a certain number of armed young people succeeded in leaving for the forest. A goods-train with signs "To Kovno" on the cars was waiting at the railway station. The Jews boarded the train. The Jewish Police kept the order and aided the older people. The windows were barred by barbed wire. When the cars were filled they were closed on the outside with iron wire and sealed with a leaden seal. The train remained on the spot until midnight.

         Shlomo Yechilehick from Vidz, who traveled on this train, related his story and the story of the trip which lasted for him only one night. "I was standing in the station, watching people enter the train; suddenly I decided not to enter together with them but to wait. When I saw how the railway cars were being locked, doubts arose in my mind and I began to be afraid of what was going to happen. My friend, Tuvya Bilk, was standing next to me. We decided to enter last. Since we had both been working in this railway station, we knew the place well. We hid ourselves and waited. At dusk we left the hiding place, crawled to the train, and began knocking on the cars and called on the people to get out. We told them that they were shut up. Their reply was: 'We'll go to Kovno, and then we'll see'. The police noticed us. We managed to evade them, then returned to the train and banged on the outside of the railway-cars. We called our names, for we had many acquaintances among the people in the train. After we had cut the wire in one of the windows, several people got out. They were the Figit brothers from Vidz and their parents, Baruch Ulman from Braslav and Israel Wolfson from Swienciany. The rest did not move deciding to stay. We knew that there were many young people in the train, and succeeded in opening another window, and one man got outside. Suddenly policemen ap- peared on the spot. They caught the people who had escaped from the train and arrested them. Bilk and I succeeded to escape. We looked out after the arrested men and saw how the policemen took them into an empty railway car. A short while later we approached that car and opened its door. At the same moment policemen surrounded us. We escaped once again. They shot in our direction. We decided to get aboard. There was no other alternative. We had no arms and it was impossible to go to the woods without weapons, especially after we had received information on the bad situation of the partisans after the big hunt carried out against them. As the train moved, we were clutching the car-chimney.

         The last four cars were going to Vilna. Those who traveled in them had relatives there, but in reality the majority were wealthier people who thanks to the bribe given to the policemen, were put into those four cars. We knew that when the train arrived in Vilna those cars would be left there, and we intended to make use of it. However, the tiredness, the anxiety and the lack of sleep, were strong enough to make us fall asleep during the journey.

         When I opened my eyes, a Polish railway worker with a look of surprise in his eyes, was standing next to me. He asked us who we were and what we were doing there. We replied that we, were Jews traveling from Swienciany. The man said that the train would be leaving soon for the Ponar Extermination camp. We jumped down and started to crawl underneath the cars. We knocked on them and passed to the people inside the information we had received from the Pole. We heard weeping and crying.

         The train was standing in the Vilna railway station. I knew well the place and also its vicinity. We decided to escape from there and to find out what was going on in the Ghetto.

         We had hardly made a few steps when we bumped into a Jewish policeman. He shouted and threatened us. We learned from him, however, that those who were released were being transfered to the Vilna Ghetto. He led us to the police-car. Gens, surrounded by Jewish policemen, was sitting at a table. When he noticed us he burst out shouting how dared we to travel on the outside of the locked car. We requested him to take us to Vilna. We told him that we knew every- thing. At this moment he looked confused and very depressed, an old broken man. Next to him stood Dessler, quiet and indifferent. Gens ordered the policeman Davidovsky to escort us to the Ghetto. When we were on the bridge stretching over the railway tracks, we still had time to see the Jewish policemen hurriedly leaving the train in the direction of the ramp, and S,.S. men, armed to their teeth, replacing them. The train moved and we remained the only witnesses of the last journey of the Jews from Swienciany, Vidz, Braslav, Svir, Michalishki, Oshmana and other localities - the survivors of earlier massacres."

         One of the policemen, who escorted the victims out of the Ghetto, Itshack Tubin, recounts: On the day of the "action" I was ordered to assemble the people in a room where the registration took place. Those were mostly old people, considered by the Germans as "unfit for living". Afterwards arrived carts, and the people were put on them by our policemen. Then I entered the Beth-Hamidrash and told those who were assembled there that it had been very hard for us to carry out this task, but it would have been worse had it been done by the Lithuanians.

         At four o'clock I went with the carts. A woman, who was traveling with me, said: "I am 57 years old and this is the end of my life. It is not so terrible. We, the Jews living in the shadow of the Germans are all doomed. I have already lived the years of my life, but some go sooner and others go later".

pp. 29-32

p. 58

The Stalingrad Massacre

         . The fighters dispersed among various Russian units and distinguished themselves. Jacob Grinstein was active as a saboteur along the railway-lines Lida-Molodechno and Oshmana-Smorgon, and later appointed commander of a demolition squad. In Ponomarenko's unit and in other Russian squads were a number of Jewish fighters.

[Page 36]

Sonia Druzgenitsky (Hedera)

         In 1943 the children were murdered. While the mothers were at work, the children were taken to "Eroda" camp. There they were kept in cellars in cold and hunger. After a few weeks they were taken away and disappeared forever.

         When I was told that the children were at Eroda Camp I requested to be allowed to stay with them. When I finally got there I met my oldest boy. Then we were sent to Stutthof concentration camp. The hunger was so great that I used to mix a bit of clover with water for myself and my child. When we arrived at Stutthof we were immediately sent to the delousing chamber and all our belongings were taken away from us. I was separated from my child and for weeks I did not see him. One day walking near the barbed wire I saw Leybele Lapidus, a boy who was together with my son. I asked him if he saw my David. He replied: "If you send me my ma I'll send you your Dudek". I ran as fast as I could to find her. It was not easy to find Leybele's mother among thousands of women, but I succeeded at last and brought her with me to the barbed wire. When I got close to the wire I saw two boys standing - but none of them looked like my David. It turned out that their clothes had been exchanged, and the children looked worn out and emaciated. When I told Leybele that I could not see my David, my child spoke: Mame, that's me, your Dudek. A Russian Kapo who noticed us as we were talking lifted up her stick to hit me. I began to cry and begged her to let me exchange a few words with my child whom I had not seen for two weeks. My crying and begging must have softened her callous heart and she allowed me to talk to him for a while. I told him to try and get from the kitchen a potato or a carrot to quiet the hunger. He answered-. "I won't go there, mother, I'm afraid."

         I told him to come to the barbed wire on the following day, so I could give him my bread-ration. In the morning I ran to the barbed wire and saw him attending a roll-call. I called him but he made a sign with his little head that he could not come. Nevertheless I threw him the piece of bread across the wire-fence. The child ran towards the bread, got hold of it and returned to his place. From the distance he sent me kisses with his little hand as a sign of gratitude.

         That was the last time I saw my child. On the following night they were all taken away - forever.

[Page 37]

Aaron Borowsky (New York)

         The envelope contained a list of 296 Oshmaner, who by the grace of God survived the Nazi massacre and who, at that time, were scattered throughout Europe. The same envelope contained a letter written by the Olei Oshrnana Organization in Eretz Israel and was signed by the following members of the board: Dov lzkowich, Hosea Soltz, Reuben Soloducho and Luba Chodosh. These signers turned to me asking that I take the initiative in organizing a campaign for funds. An emergency existed, it required immediate attention - there was no time to waste.

         I read the list of survivors and found many familiar names. The thought struck my mind, "1, too, could have been one of them."

         After having made several contacts, I learned that the "Oshmaner Brothers", a society of Oshmaner "landsleit" formed some fifty years earlier had, during the First World War, organized a branch known as the "United Oshmaner Relief", but because of the prevailing conditions in the intervening years, had become inactive. I then persuaded several of the members to call an emergency meeting and as a result the group was reorganized and revitalized. Plans were formulated and within a short time the rescue campaign became a reality.

         At later date some of the Oshmaner women met at the home of Harry and Sonia Lerner and they formed their own organization under the name of "The Oshmaner Sisters." Selma Borowsky was elected President, Sarah Kupansky, Treasurer and Masa Kramer, Secretary. With the passage of time they assumed a very active part and became part and parcel of the melting pot called "Oshmaner Landsleit."

         The rest of the story now belongs to history.

         Over $20,000 was raised between these two groups. To the "Oshmaner Sisters" fell the task of supplying survivors in the Camps with the necessities of life: parcels of clothing, drugs, tobacco, parcels of food, and much, much, more. They corresponded with many of them informing them that we, the Oshmaner in America, had not forgotten them, that they were not to fear the present, nor were they to worry about the future.

         In addition, we transmitted a substantial sum of money to the Israel Committee, so that they could lend assistance to the "Oshmaner Aliyah" the so called illegal immigration to Palestine.

         Most of the Oshmaner in America have performed their duties with pride, with dignity, with devotion. They have fulfilled an obligation to their fellow brothers and sisters across the sea and, equally important, have discharged an obligation to themselves, with honorable deeds.

         Yes, "I, Too, Could Have Been One of Them."

[Page 38]

Sumulevich (New York)

         Until the outbreak of the Second World War, Oshmana had close economic and cultural ties with Vilna. The whole area belonged to Poland. Now, Oshmana is in the Soviet Union, in the Republic of Byelorusya (White Russia); the capital of White Russia is Minsk.

         Already in 1960, Murray Becker flew to Moscow where he tried to receive permission to visit Oshmana, his home town. But the authorities refused. He tried again in 1961, but met with no success. After his return to New York somebody advised him to fly again to Moscow and from there to Vilna. In Vilna, which is only 50 miles away from Oshmana, he would surely get permission to visit his home town. The Jew from New York flew in 1962 to Moscow and from there to Vilna; but in Vilna he was once more refused the permission. Thus he was unable to fulfil the promise he had given to his mother. In the meantime his mother Hava, and his father Velvel, passed away.

         In 1965 Murray Becker went on a business trip to Israel, where he is a frequent visitor. There someone gave him an advise to fly from Moscow to Minsk where he could perhaps obtain the desired permit.

         "I followed the advice," recounts Mr. Becker, "When I got to Minsk I was told that when I came there the next time I would be given every possibility to visit my native town."

         Recently Mr. Becker visited Oshmana which he had left as a young boy in 1923. He owes it in a large measure to Anatol Lisovsky, General Manager of the "Intourist" (Soviet Travel and Tourist Agency) branch in Minsk. Lisov- sky received the Jew from New York friendly and warmly. I-le asked him why so few American Jews come to Minsk and the neighbouring towns. We shall enable them to visit their old home-towns, to meet their relatives and friends. Let them come, said Lisovsky.

         After a lapse of 44 years Moshe Becker returned to Oshmana. The 3-hour trip by car from Minsk seemed to him long like eternity. By the way, he was the first Jew from America and the whole free world to visit Oshmana.

         On the way, told Mr. Becker, I saw the same fields and forests, the same peasant huts and trees as in the distant past when I was a little child. I felt as if I were dreaming. I was thinking about my old friends and what would Oshmana's streets look like. When the car entered the town, my heart was pounding so fast that I was afraid it would burst. Murray Becker walked in the streets and lanes of his hometown and recognized almost everything from the past. Among the same old trees, he saw the house where he was born; now it is a girls' school.

         And there was the house where Harry (Henoch) Susskind, the well known New York caterer, was born. And the house of the Golub family, and the hill where the kids went sleigh riding.

         While walking in the streets, Moshe was reminded on every step of the people who had once lived there, of Elhanan, the teacher, Kalman the locksmith, and others. So many Jews had once populated the Vilna Street, the Olshan Street. The same old wooden houses remained - but the Jews are there no longer. And there is the river winding itself through the town, where Moshe used to go bathing with other Jewish boys. He met one of them, Vule Lerner, who works as a driver in Oshmana. And when he stopped near the market place to buy ice-cream, he recognised the saleswoman. She had once been the pretty Sonka Miasnyk. Oshmana, Mr. Becker carried on, was once an almost purely Jewish town. Now there are only 25 Jewish families among the 25 thousand inhabitants, and most of the Jews are not natives of the town. They all have work. A few are pensioners.

         There is no trace of a Jewish life, however. A big bakery is located in the old synagogue building; but the Orthodox and the Catholic church are ruined too. All the stores which were once Jewish are now used as living quarters or state stores. The old Jewish bathhouse is intact and serves all the inhabitants.

         The Jews know one another and get together after working hours. They evoke the past and talk a lot about the years of the Hitlerite occupation.

         A story was told about a certain Dr. Leger, a German who lived in Oshmana before the war. When the Germans came, he gave them the lists of local Jews who were soon arrested and shot near the slaughter house. Other Jews were deported to Vilna and other places - and put to death.

         The only remnant of old Jewish Oshmana is the ancient cemetery. The majority of tombstones caved in, however. On many of them it is difficult to decipher the names, obliterated by rains, winds and the sun. Some of the tombs are quite well preserved, particularly that of the well-known wealthy Yehuda Leyb Strugach who died in 1908.

         His son, Abraham Strugach, was shot by the Nazis in the same cemetery. The murderers dragged him there, barefooted in the winter frost.

         Mr. Becker discovered also a new tombstone with Hebrew letters. it was erected over the grave of Moshe Bar Tuvya Shatzman, who was born in 1898 and died in 1960.

         It seems that the Jews are allowed to erect tombstones in the old cemetery. Mr. Becker also found the graves and tombstones of his two sisters who died a long time ago. Thus he was able to fulfil the promise he had given to his mother to visit the graves and to photograph them.

         In Murray Becker's view, the townsmen of Oshmana, should help preserving the Jewish cemetery in their old home-town. A proper fence should be erected and the tomb- stones kept in order. "Let there at least be a Jewish cemetery in our town", he said at the end of our conversation.

         Nothing else is left. Let the cemetery remain as a memorial to the once existing Jewish Community.

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