[Page 93]

R' Shmuel-Joseph Itzkowitz

The Itzkowitz Family

The Three Itzkowitz Brothers: Zalman, Eliezer & Zerakh, and their cousin Leib'l Shaftinsky (second from the left)

Eliezer Itzkowitz

Pictures of Boys and Girls from Belica before the Holocaust

He married a woman from Slonim, Mrs. Gitt'l Alpert, in the year 1910, and after they married, they raised their family in Belica. Mrs. Gitt'l was a vary intelligent woman, active, and a gentle soul. She was allied with, loyal to and dedicated to all of the widely branched community endeavors to which her husband dedicated himself.

My father, Shmuel-Joseph established a flour mill in Belica, which was originally steam-driven, but later was driven by a motor generator. This mill introduced life into the town, and contributed a great deal to its economic development, and provided its owner with the status of one of the few well-to-do people in the town.

My father was a very busy man, the mill and attendant business occupied him day and night, but despite this, he found time of individual study of a page of the Gemara on a daily basis, and even gave lessons at the Shas study group of the synagogue. In the same way, he dedicated himself with all his might and energy to the issues of education, and to the establishment of the community institutions of the town, and nothing was done in the town without his concurrence and advice. Every dispute and difference was brought to him, and in his great insight, he would find a compromise between the sides to their mutual satisfaction.

He was a progressive man, and he knew how to bridge the conservative tradition with the spirit of the times, and he gave his children both a religious and secular education, and even send them to study at secondary schools. When the children grew up and matured, their house was transformed into a meeting place for the youth of the town, who would come to this house thanks to its pleasant atmosphere with which its residents suffused it.

[Page 94]

All the residents of Belica were imbued with the Zionist spirit, and the aspiration of many of its sons was to make aliyah to the Land of Israel. My father, Shmuel-Joseph was alert to the issues of these, and it was also his will to make aliyah and to live in the Land of Israel.

Many tribulations stalked him during the time of The First World War, at which time the mill was confiscated by the conquering regime, and he was forced to find [other] sources of livelihood to support the family, and also to offer help to the needy that were left without anything. Much later, two consecutive fires burned down the mill, and he was forced to build everything from scratch. Because of his boundless energy, my father Shmuel-Joseph managed to overcome all of these difficulties.

During The Second World War, his family was torn away from his family, and went off into Russia, and in this way, he lost his wife, daughter and two sons in the Holocaust.

In the year 1947, he reached the Holy Land, driven and sick, with the desire of his soul to live in the Holy Land finally realized, but not for very long. While he was here, the hope continued to flicker in his heart that, his firstborn son, Eliezer was still alive, and the news of his death hit him very hard, and had a profound impact on his already deteriorated state of health.

He resided in Hadera where he derived much nachas from his son and daughter who raised families there. The announcement of the independence of the State of Israel brought him additional happiness. In the short time that he was in Hadera, many came to know him, he was respected and loved, and he was elected to the religious council of that locality.

He passed away in March 1954.

May his memory remain preserved with us, together with the memory of all our townsfolk who were martyred innocents, from the community of Belica, among whom he raised his family, and spent the best years of his life – with dedication and esteem.

And I would like to add an additional item about my brother Eliezer ז”ל, because he was not only a brother to me, but also a soul mate.

He was just a year older than I, but we studied together at the local school in Belica, and also in the secondary school outside the house.

He was accomplished, knowing how to express himself in writing and in speech. He was an ardent Zionist, and the desire of his soul was The Holy Land, and his love for that Land could be read in his essays and many writings that were published in newspapers. He was saved from the talons of the Nazis, but death caught up with him in Russia, in the field of battle with the Japanese.

[Page 95]

His death hit me hard, as well as my sister and father, who loved him fiercely, and invested him with all their pride. His death was a loss to the nation, because there were not many among the young like him, who by nature possessed that special fundamental spark of nationalism. I am certain, that had my brother Eliezer been granted the privilege of continuing his life in the Land of Israel, he would most certainly have made visible the fire in his soul for the Zionist cause, and the love that he had for, and was rooted in the land of his forefathers, just as he had shown this with such national pride, while he was still a youth in our town of Belica.

May the memory of my brother Eliezer also be guarded, and bound up as one, with the sacred memory of the youth of Belica who dreamt of the Jewish State of Israel, but were not privileged to live in it.

Ziss'l Kalmanowicz's Windmill

From whence doe the name ‘Belica’ come? This matter is not clear to this day. No historical sources remain [at our disposal] that would shed light on the origin of the name. With this, I do recall one lesson that I had in the history of the shtetl, in the Polish school, and the principal told us that the name is – of a Lithuanian noblewoman, Belica, who founded the shtetl hundreds of years ago, during the time that the Lithuanian nobles ruled this area, during the days of the ruler Gedymin. There were other theories as well, and as a result there were differences of opinion among the historians.

Belica sits on the banks of the great Neman River, whose clear waters have been flowing for thousands of years. This river is magnificent, and its banks are wondrous in their physical beauty. The rich growth, the rows of grass for the entire length of its extensive banks, and the living world, hidden in its stand of massive pine trees, the green fields – all of this turns the place into a paradise on earth.

During the hot summer days, the banks would attract swimmers and other people who would come to enjoy the beauty of the ambience, and the wondrous nature.

The shtetl itself was at a distance of about two kilometers from the Neman, and the suspicion was that this

[Page 96]

was the reason for its establishment, since the river was a source of income to the residents, and also served as a communication link to the villages of the area.

Just like all the small towns in this area, the houses of Belica were constructed of wood, and its roofs were thatched from straw. There were very few stone houses in the town. The center of the town was the market street, and the stores, as was the street on which the synagogue stood.

Both commercial and life and entertainment centered about the market street, while cultural life – on the synagogue street (Schulhof Gasse). The central streets were populated by Jews. while the outlying streets were occupied by the resident Christians (mieszczany).

The nature of things was, that the occupations of the Jews were: commerce or crafts. The Christians, by contrast, engaged in agriculture, fishing, and other occupations.

The market street was wider than the others. On both of its sides, were stores and restaurants, and places of manufacture. There was also a place to tie up wagons for the villagers, who would arrive on Wednesday of each week, in order to sell their agricultural produce, in order to purchase their necessities, in the Jewish-run stores. The market streets would attract large crowds of villagers that would give it its external appearance. The farmers would arrive in their distinct garments, and on their loaded wagons could be found their agricultural produce. The relationship between the Christian farmers and the Jews was adequately normal.

The majority of the cultural institutions of the Jews were found on the synagogue street. There, was the location of the Old Synagogue, the Hebrew School ‘Khorev’, the Library, the Jewish Bank, the offices of Gemilut Hesed, the station of the Fire-Fighters that also served as the place where local theater productions were put on. On the second side of the street could be found: The Polish Public School, the Catholic Church, with the priest's manse at its side; the police station, and in the same location – the city council (Gmina). There was also a Polish Hose, a Farmer's Bank a General Store, and Post Office.

In Belica, there was also a complex of working small businesses and most of it belonged to Jews: an automated flour mill that stood at the service of the surrounding farmers, a windmill, a factory for combing of sheep's wool, a wool dyeing operation, carpenter shops, small shops, and others. The livelihood of the Jewish populace was not profuse, but each family was able to support itself without support from the outside. Understandably, there were families whose economic circumstances were very bad, and the community concerned itself with helping them in all manner of ways.

Community life was organized by the local community council. The community would preserve the services in support of the lives of the Jewish populace. Under its aegis were: the synagogue, the Hebrew School, the Rabbinate, Ritual Slaughter, the Gemilut Hesed Bank, and the [ordinary] bank.

The synagogue building was one of the oldest in the area.

[Page 97]

Its architectural style was unique, and followed an ancient style. Its furniture – simple and spare. The Holy Ark, and the Bima – ancient. In the synagogue there was a Hanukkah Menorah that was ancient, about 200 years old. A large assembly would gather for prayer during the holidays, festivals and Sabbaths. The Rabbi, R' Shabtai Fein יצ”ל had a wondrous appearance, he was a scholar and a brilliant speaker. His sermons would have a strong influence on the entire assembly of his listeners.

During the High Holy Days, the elderly R' Sheft'eh Kaufman would lead services, whose voice was sweet and his intricate melodies would bring the worshipers to an high degree of faithfulness.

The elderly R' Nachman was a righteous Jew. He was also a very capable scholar. The man was retiring, and miraculous stories circulated in the shtetl about his righteousness, and also about his knowledge of foreign languages. In his final years he was left living alone and bereaved. It was considered an honor to be in his presence.

On the east side of the synagogue, beside the Rabbi, was the row of the prominent people of the shtetl. Their presence during the holidays, and on the Sabbaths, would imbue everyone with a air of elevated spirits, and this spirit had a special influence on the young boys.

On a holiday, or the Sabbath, a very pleasant and heartfelt mood permeated the shtetl. everyone would appear in synagogue with their children to attend prayer, while being attired in their holiday best. Family visits, and Saturday strolls to the estate of the noble, beside the Neman, constituted a very special experience.

On the eve of Simchat Torah, a large crowd would come to pay homage to the Rabbi of the shtetl, and escort him on a traditional walk, with dance and song, from his house to the synagogue. The traditional Hakafot in the shtetl were a sight that brought pride to the eye.

Purim, as well, was a very festive day in the shtetl. The children would run all over the streets with ‘Purim gifts,’ and the Purim-shpielers, knocking on the doors of the residents, in order to collect money for some worthy cause.

On the evenings of Purim and Hanukkah, by and large, there were parties, and plays, whose incomes were dedicated to one institution or another or – for charitable purposes.

The cultural life of the shtetl developed extensively in the years prior to The Second World War. The demand on the resources of the cultural institutions was great.

Young people were thirsty for knowledge, and the desire to learn was instilled in them. Dram circles were organized, as well as sports. Zionist youth groups developed, and a library was opened. These activities engendered an atmosphere of culture and community among the townsfolk.

[Page 98]

Belica was blessed with a very talented group of young people, of pleasant disposition. I harbor no doubt in my heart, that had no terrifying Holocaust descended upon us, distinguished sons of our people would have grown out of them, loyal to their people, who were cut down by one third.

May the memory of all those who were good among our townsfolk be forever preserved.

Etta & Chaim Grodinsky (In the center is the tombstone of Etta in the Belica cemetery)

(L to R): R' Yaakov Meckel, R' Mordechai Kaufman

For a boy o eleven years of age, the impression it made was great: the conscription of an army of draftees, the scenes of leave-taking from parents, wives, children, brothers and sisters. To this day I remember the tragic parting of Moshe ben Yaakov Meckel and his wife, as if he sensed that he would never see them again. She clutched the wagon with her fingernails, as it began to move from its place, and it was impossible to get her to let go of the wagon. And, indeed, her husband was among the first of the casualties that fell in that war.

After this, I remember lining up beside the post office, at evening time, for the distribution of letters that had arrived from the front. Even people who didn't have anyone in the army, would gather, including those who were not even waiting for a letter from anyone. Similarly, every Monday and Thursday, the wives and mothers of those who had been drafted into the army came and walked together to the cemetery, crying bitterly, and prostrating themselves on the graves to ask for compassion on behalf of their husbands and sons.

The German conquest began in 1915. During three years (1915-1918) everyone suffered from a lack of food, shoes and clothing. We would eat a very austere form of bread, wear shoes carved from wood, and put on trousers made of tarpaulin, and jackets made from sacks.

In 1917, the fear of murderous banditry fell upon us, who organized themselves in the forests and villages. Despite the presence of German guards, and a gendarmerie in the town, these murderers were audacious

[Page 99]

enough to attack one of the ho9uses at the center of the town, at night, and murdered Yehoshua Jasinowsky ז”ל, one of the prominent people in town, and then plundered the homes of the Abraham-Isaac Baranchik. and Eliyahu Meckel.

On the Wednesday after the German left the area, and before we had the chance to organize our own self-defense (we had a total of four pistols), about 200 well-armed people (each one had a modern rifle with plenty of bullets, a pistol and 1-2 hand grenades), assaulted the town. There was a Christian in the town at that time by the name of Ludowicki, who was a sort of ally in our security system, but he also served the murderers, giving them information about our arms (that there was no machine gun in the town, but just a few pistols) and also pointed out to them, the homes of the wealthy.

The murdering bandits came into our house before three o'clock in the afternoon. First of all, they demanded 200,000 golden rubles, and when all the money in the house was given to them, they began to rain down murderous blows on everyone present (there were 13 people in the house). They hit my father ז”ל with their rifle butts, and with a spiked whip that had a lead ball on its end. They broke all of the fingers on his hands, and they beat him all over his body, until one of them shot him in the back, and killed him on the spot.

My mother was not in the House. At that particular hour, my sister was with her teacher, Aharon Dykhowsky, and hen the shooting started, she ran home, but on the way, she went into a stable of a neighbor, and hid herself there. The murderers searched this stable several times, but they did not notice her. My oldest brother Aryeh was beaten by one of the murderers who came from the village of Zachepichi, and when he recognized him, he called him by name and begged for mercy. But the murderer knocked him to the ground, and began to garotte him, and it was only when my brother feigned death from the choking, that the murderer left him.

The murderers took off my new boots that I was wearing, and ordered me to walk barefoot with them (it was an intense cold and deep snow), to show them the homes of the wealthy. In the end, they took me into the house of Joseph Sokolowsky, where everyone had already been beaten to the point of blood running, by a different group that had gotten to this house earlier. In the bloodbath of this assault, there were four victims killed: My father, R' Chaim Grodinsky, R' Mordechai Kaufman, R' Yaakov Meckel, and R' Leib Radominer. The wounded were: My brother Aryeh, and Tuvia Meckel (today Zlocowsky), when a bullet went through her cheek.

Pogroms and tribulation were also our portion in the year 1919, during the Polish-Russian War, when the Bolsheviks got to the outskirts of Grodno. From Belica to Lida, the way was open, without any military rule, but Lida itself was surrounded by Poles and there was a shortage of meat, fish, eggs, and the like. The situation was such that my brother agreed with David-Zvi Meckel and Israel Meiram Kremen, to buy a number of horses and wagons in partnership, and they loaded them up with a variety of products (they even

[Page 100]

tied a live cow to a wagon), and they set out on the road from Belica to Lida. But even before they managed to reach the village of Drozdowa, they were surrounded by scouts from Polish cavalry, who arrested them on the complaint that they were communist spies. They were brought to the village of Netech', where they were sentenced to death by firing squad by a military tribunal.

When this matter became known in Belica, my mother ran immediately to the priest, and began to plead with him to rescue the sole breadwinner of the family, because it was known to the priest that there were no communists in Belica. Accordingly, the priest saved them, when he appeared before the Poles and said that the prisoners were well-known to him, and he addressed the issue from his perspective. However, from the beating that he received while under arrest, my brother only lived for another year and half, and in the end, fell in from cerebral meningitis and died. Another victim of this trip was Leah'keh Wolkowysky, who because of excessive weeping and emotional stress brought on by the sentence of the Poles, a blood vessel was torn internally, and she bled constantly from the throat until she expired.

Much later, when the Poles inflicted a defeat on the Bolsheviks beside Warsaw (1921), and pursued them as far as Minsk, R' Zerakh Kremen ז”ל was murdered by bandits, on his way from Lida to the fields that he leased near Zhaludok. At the same time, the brother of Pesach Novogrudsky was found murdered (on his way from the village of Lozany) – Fyv'eh, and the same with a young Jewish girl from the village of Ruda.

Another murder took place in 1922. At night, the murderers entered one of the older houses in the town, the house of Shmuel-Nahum the Smith, and in the same place killed him, his wife Lieb'eh and their young daughter Leah.

Before The First World War, there was a sort of library in Belica, and when the war broke out, the books were dispersed among the readership. After the war, a number of young men and women organized themselves, in order to gather the books as a start towards the establishment of a library that would be worthy of such a name. Also, they searched for the means to do this. These individuals were: Dov Kaufman, Ziss'l Kalmanowicz, Baranchik, Cherna-Baylah Zwick (Shimonowicz), Shlomo Zwick, Malka and Shlomo Jasinowsky, Eliyahu Yankelewsky, Shmuel Kaplan. The also decided to establish a Drama Circle, and succeeded in putting on productions, whose income was dedicated to the creation of the library.

I was studying in Lida at that time, at the Yeshiva of R' Aharon, and after the death of my brother, I was compelled to return home, in order to help support the family. When I returned home, I decided to take books from the library and read them. The activists added me as a member of the library committee, and also appointed me to act as a deputy to the librarian Dov Kaufman. It was in this way, that I was admitted to the ‘Holy of Holies,’ the Drama Circle, first as a prompter, and then as a player.

Out of my involvement with the library, I was afterwards thrown into activity with a different area – the fire-

[Page 101]

fighters. Up until that time, there were no fire-fighters in Belica, and the Christians not once took any interest in this matter, and the Jews were poorly equipped to create this sort of capability. Yet, suddenly, “fanatics” were revealed: Dov Kaufman, Yekhezkiel Grodinsky, Noah-Abba Gapanowicz, Meir Zwick, Chaim Wiszniewsky, and the writer of these lines. The beginning was: old-fashioned bucket brigade, which was done manually, along with three barrels of water conveyed on wooden wheels that were crooked and broken. Once again, questions of money arose, and we decided that for a while, we would stop buying books for the library, and invest the income from the drama circle in acquiring the necessary equipment for putting out fires. From the productions that we put on in the barn of Pela Tsitowsky, we allocated all of the money to fire-fighting, and when this proved to be insufficient, we decided to explain the importance of the matter to the people of the town. However, not one was prepared to make a voluntary donation, and for this reason we joined up with our first leader, Chaim Lejzorowicz, and levied a tax on every house according to the capacity of the ability of the resident balebatim.

The desire to build up the fire-fighters gave us no rest, and the only way to get there was by way of the drama circle. I was nominated as the director, for the preparation of a production and I was extremely zealous in my role here. In the evenings, we would get together in the house of Ber'l Radominer, and on Sabbaths we would go out in the fields, and there we carried out rehearsals of the plays. We learned and practiced each part, every hand or foot movement. I took the principal role for myself, and the I left the comic role to Chaim Baranchik, who was naturally a comic fellow. I was afraid that he would not agree to this, and accordingly, I did not tell him about the production until six weeks of rehearsal were completed. I persuaded him that he should come and listen, and if it becomes clear that this was a mistake, we would stop, but the reaction of the young men and women influenced him to agree, and he joined us to carry on.

After two months of strenuous rehearsals, we had the temerity to present our first serious production on the stage, ‘The Yeshiva Bokher,’ by A. Zlotrowsky (the success was beyond good fortune, and after a short time, we put on the same play again). The following took part in the play: Shlomit Kamenetzky, Lieb'ehchkeh Zwick, Bayl'keh Radominer (Baran), Ethel Gapanowicz, Ziss'l Kalmanowicz, Mendl Kaplan, Dov Grodinsky, and Chaim Baranchik.

We put on productions several times a year, and it was in this way that we were able to build up the fire-fighters (from time-to-time, we would allocate some of the funds to fill out the book collection in the library). When we finally had adequate fire-fighting equipment, we turned to the forest product merchants, and they gave us blocks of wood and boards to erect a building for the fire-fighters. We built the building with our own hands, and within it, we constructed a stage for play productions, and in the process, we co-opted the young people to come after us, in order that they not be drawn into idleness.

The Fire-fighters' Orchestra (The conductor: Dov Grodinsky, third from the right)

[Page 102]

with the Chairman, Abraham Kremen, and we decided that all of us would contribute the first payment towards the establishment of an orchestra in the sum of 50 zlotys (we were shore 100 zlotys for the purchase of the instruments, and at that point I. Zlocowsky admitted his two brothers, and paid the sum on their behalf). At that time, we bought the instruments (in the year 1927) but we did not have the money to engage a conductor, so here is what we did: we began to organize dance parties for Saturday nights, with admission by ticket, and from this income, we covered the salary of the conductor.

After thirteen months, the conductor took me out of the orchestra and gave me personal lessons, so that I would be able to assume the position of conductor, and after a short while, I became the conductor of the orchestra. In the meantime, a number of the original players were drafted into the army, and I added new pupils in their place, among them, Leib'eleh ben Yehoshua-Peretz Halperin, who was a skilled and outstanding player.

Here is the list of the orchestra members, who were there at the beginning, and who donated their own money for the purchase of instruments (a total of 14 people): Chaim Wiszniewsky, Zvi Baran, Shlomo Mayewsky, Eliyahu Milikowsky, Asher Gurwicz, Yitzhak Kamenetzky, Yaakov Galinsky, Joseph Zlocowsky, Yehuda Zlocowsky, Joseph Fleischer, Sholom Garnicki, Sholom Mayewsky, Moshe Wiszniewsky, Dov Grodinsky. Afterwards the following were added (a total of seven people): Shlomo Kaplan, Nathan-Moshe Szeszko, Aryeh Halperin, Baruch Wysmanowsky, Jonah Odzhikhowsky, Joseph Mayewsky.

In many cases, the fire-fighters prevented serious losses of property, especially that of the Jews. The heads of the government related with deference to the ‘President’ of the Fire-fighters, and even reduced taxes in concert with their requests, and they helped out the town in a variety of ways.

During the Hol HaMoed period of Passover, the orchestra would take up residence in the middle of the town, beside the stores, and play. On Lag B'Omer, the school children would go out into the forest accompanied by the orchestra. On the Third of May, the orchestra would assemble beside the home of its ‘President’ in order to receive the flag. All of this made a strong impression on the Jewish residents who took pride in the Fire-Fighters' orchestra. The Christians looked on with envy on the one hand, and with pride on the other, that a good orchestra was to be found in their town.

The passing of the ‘President’ Abraham Kremen (in 1933) was a severe blow to the Fire-fighters, and a heavy loss to the town as a whole. He was very committed both to the town and the Fire-Fighters, and did not stint in giving his time to help with all his might. After he passed away, the position of ‘President’ went to a Christian named Jozef Radowicz (Poldybnik) and as his secretary, an anti-Semite was appointed by the name of Antak Balabanski, who afterwards became the head of the city under the Nazi occupation. Upon entering the town (in 1941), the Germans burned the Fire-Fighters' building along with all of its equipment, although they confiscated all of the musical instruments for the use of their own army.

[Page 103]

Chaim Lejzorowicz and his family

The Fire-Fighter's Orchestra (in the Thirties)

In 1924, we built the ‘Serai,’ a large wooden enclosure, the place where the Fire-Fighters were located in town. At the same time, I traveled to Warsaw to work, and Israel Zlocowsky was appointed as the officer in charge of the Fire-Fighters.

Afterwards, the orchestra of Fire-Fighters was organized, and the conductor was the brother of Yaakov Beksht from Iwje. After he departed, Dov Grodinsky was appointed as the conductor of the orchestra, and after a short time – Yitzhak Kamenetzky. the members of the orchestra were: Eliyahu Milikowsky, Baruch Wysmanowsky, Joseph Zlocowsky, Chaim Lejzorowicz, Jonah Odzhikhowsky. Chaim Stotsky, Ber'eleh Odzhikhowsky, Chaim Wiszniewsky, Sholom Mayewsky, Leib'eh Halperin, Nathan-Moshe Szeszko. The orchestra injected a spirit of life and joy into the hearts of the residents.

Even before this, in the year 1918, with the conclusion of The First World War, I participated in self-defense for the protection of Jewish possessions and Jewish lives, against the bands of predatory thieves and robbers. Through the exertion of Rabbi Sorokin^[1] זצ”ל, a ‘Jewish Haganah’ was organized in Zhetl^[2] that numbered approximately 80 men.

Once, on a Wednesday, the market day in Belica, Bandits fell upon the town, sealed off the entrances into town, and began to murder Jews. Running on foot, the news was communicated to Zhetl and help was requested. Immediately 40 men left Zhetl, but when they arrived to the Neman River, they found out that the robbers had already fled with their spoils.

About two weeks later, we were notified that, a branch of the group that committed murder in Belica was located in the village of Gezgaly. We surrounded the village, and after a short battle, five of the murderers surrendered, and we took them into custody. We began to look for the loot they had taken from Belica, and we found many things, among them the white horse of Joseph Yosselewicz. We notified the people of Belica about this, who came to retrieve their possessions.

Translator's footnotes:

1. Also given as Sorotzkin. Return
2. Called Zdzieciol in Polish, subsequently re-named Dzjatlava; approximately 12 miles from Belica. Return

  Belitsa, Belarus     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 12 Aug 2022 by JH