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[Page 725]

List of Events

Translated by Esther Synder

 

1939
 
1 September 17 Elul 5699 Outbreak of War
5 "   Bombing of the city by German artillery and airforce
6 "   Continuation of bombing and a direct hit on the large basement in the home of R' Yaakov Rosenberg z”l, that killed 72 Jews
7 "   Funerals of those killed
9 "   The city taken over by the Germans
    25 Elul 5699, After the Sabbath - Motzei Shabbat  
10 "   Gathering of all the Jews in the market place Imprisonment of all the men - other than small children - in the Great Synagogue
      Stores are broken into and Jewish property robbed.
13 "   Release of males under the age 15 and over 45
      Brutality and torture of men remaining in the synagogue
15 "   The first expulsion of all the men in the synagogue aged 16 - 45 - almost 500 people. Forced to walk to Poltosk. Many murdered on the way.
    Friday, second day of Rosh Hashana, 5700  
16 "   Continuation of expulsion on foot from Poltosk toward Tzichnov. Murders on the way.
17 "   Running all day toward train station in Tzichnov and a full day traveling in closed freight cars to an unknown destination.
18 "   Depressed, hungry, wounded and tortured the exiles reached Risenberg, East
  "   Prussia. Housed in abandoned army camp.
19 - 30 "   In Risenberg camp. Hard work and brutality. At the end of the month a sudden release : some return somehow to Serock, the majority go to Bialystock, occupied Russian territory. Jewish property stolen and imposition of a collective monetary punishment.

[Page 726]

  October   Some of those expelled return from the Russian side, some try to sneak across the borders and reach Bialystock. A few families manage to enter Warsaw in secret.
 
  November Kislev - 5700 Hunger, children dying, destruction of life, burning of the synagogue and desecration of the cemetery
      Daring escapes
  December Kislev - 5700 A second collective monetary punishment. Forced labor. Brutality.
3 "   Third collective monetary punishment. Rumors of expulsion. Liquidation of the community and the second and final expulsion of all the Jews to Nashelsk, a distance of 21 km from Serock, arriving in the evening. Murders on route.
5 " 23 Kislev - 5700 Imprisonment of the Jews - more than 1000 persons - in the Great Synagogue of the community of Nashelsk. Brutality. Murder nearby.
6 - 7 "   “Walk of Blood” to the train station in Nashelsk, a distance of several kilometers, confinement in freight cars of two trains.
      Confusing travel of the train back and forth.
8 " Second day of Hanukkah, 5700 End of train trip. The Jews dispersed among the communities of Biale Podlesek (the majority), Lukov and Lomaz. A few settled in Mazritz, Radzin and Shdaltz.
 
1940 - 5700
 
      The last of the deported are dispersed in the Jewish communities of Biale Podlesek, Lukov and Lomaz.
      Hunger, forced labor and persecution
      Tens of the families secretly leave these communities in order to reach Bialystock, in captured Russian territory.
      Some men from Serock sent to forced labor in Beltz.

[Page 727]

1941 - 5701
 
In the beginning of the year   Transfer of the elderly and unemployed to Opola, a village near Rusos.
      Prohibition to leave residences and to use private or public transportation.
At the end of the year   An order to hand over all furs to the Germans. A few Jews found hiding places with Polish families in the villages and began living as Christians.
      A number of babies were given by their parents to Polish families in order to save their lives.
 
1942 - 5702
 
  March   Prohibition of Jews living in Biale to work in stores or factories dealing with food
 
    After Passover 1942 Execution of tens of Jews including some from our city
10 - 11 June   The first transfer of Jews from Biale to Moritch, and setting up the ghetto
17 August 4 Elul Execution of all the Jews of Lomaz in the forest near the city
      The second transfer of Jews from Biale to Moritch
26 August   Heroic death of Zisha Goldberg z”l in the central square of Biale Podlask, due to his resistance to the terrible Nazis
5 October   The first transfer of Jews from Lukov and concentrating them in Moritch.
 
1943 - 5703
 
2 May   The last transfer of Jews from Lukov and concentrating them in Moritch.
17 - 18 July 14-15 Tammuz The annihilation of the Jews in Moritch, where in the past year were concentrated all the survivors of the communities: Biale Podlask, Lukov, etc.
      The survivors of our city were dispersed over the whole area of occupied Poland.
      Some took part in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Some connected with the partisans and tens of others live as Aryans.

[Page 728]

1944 - 5704
 
The first part of the year   Annihilation
      In the forests, camps and various hiding places. We move from one place to another waiting for the waiting for the fall of the enemy
End of the year   Defeat of the Nazi enemy on the Eastern front and the beginning of hope
 
1945 - 5705
 
The first part of the year   Defeat of the Nazi enemy and their full surrender in the month of May.
      The few survivors gather together in the city of Lodz
 
The second half of the year   Beginning of the repatriation from Russia to Poland
      Return of several families from Serock. The beginning of a small group in Warsaw.
      Flow of Jewish refugees toward the refugee camps of the Jewish Brigade in Italy and among them the first remnants from Serock.
 
1946 - 5706
 
The first part of the year   Large repatriation from Russia
      Groups of Serockites in Warsaw, Lodz, and Lower Silesia
 
The second half of the year   Pogroms against the Jews in Kielcz
      The survivors from Poland flee to refugee camps all over occupied Germany and strive to go to Eretz Yisrael.
      Contact is established with the survivors in Poland and in the camps in Germany, Austria and Italy.

[Page 729]

1947-1948 - 5707-5708
 
      Almost all of our survivors left Poland and the refugee camps in Germany and Austria.
      Embark on the ships of the “Ma'apilim” (illegal immigration to Palestine under British Mandate)
      Arrested and put in detention camps in Cyprus
      Some emigrate to the United States, France and Argentina.
      The great majority of our survivors find refuge in the State of Israel.

(This list was prepared by Hanoch Vardi)


[Page 730]

I am Leaving You, Serock, my Town

Translated by Ruth Kilner

Thirty five years have passed since I left my town, the domain of my childhood and my youth. On the day I left, on my way to Israel, I was accompanied by my family, and the adolescents that I was near and far from in opinion – everyone.

In my heart, I harbored a fear for their fortunes, and at the last minute, I turned to them and cried my fearful warning, “Come with me! Follow me!”

In my mind's eye, I can still see the town – and I will remember it forever – and all its forms: gloomy from the outside, but full of life and vibrancy from within.

And here it is: my parents, my family, and my friends; the anxious traders and storekeepers; our diligent mothers; the chorus of the Beit Rabban babes in the kheders, the schools, in the streets and in the houses; the weary and sweaty tradesmen ; the street porters and the village salesmen; the vibrant youngsters tortured with a yearning for perfection and liberation; the politicians who were silent about their status quo and the activists wanting change ; the Jewish imprint of the city's hill and valley with the river Narew, from within the echoing of whose waves Yiddish could be heard; the hidden places in the surrounding meadows and the hills.

A full world, whole worlds.

And my heart is languishing, and my entire being cries out from the ruin, the destruction, the devastation, the doom.

I hear the moan of the tortured, which accompanies me with every step and every stride. From the few who stood and fell at the hands of the accursed German Nazis before the whole world. The leaders of the free world knew of the annihilation of my people, and felt it, but did not help to the full extent of their aid.

Darkness covers the land.
Still and secretly floats the question:
Am I – are we innocent of all sin and transgression?
Did I do – did we do everything here for them there?
Here, life flows as normal, there, time flows silently to the land! ...
Is there to be no atonement for this sin?
The violin of wonders shatters and stops.

[Page 731]

I walk amongst your ruins, my town, I look for life yet there is none.
For you, my town, for the burned and plundered Serock, I weep, and ask about the fate of your remnants.
I part from you in awe and love – goodbye to your dust, a curse on your plunderers, and good hope to your descendants in the homeland and at all ends of the world.
Yisgadal v'yiskadash (May he be exalted and glorified) …

Your son,
Yechiel Meir Vardimon
Son of Friedel and David Varshevski (may their blood be avenged)

 

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