[Page 92]

Rabbis and Torah greats among the residents of David-Horodok: Rabbi Yosef Reizin, Moreh Tzedek^[1] (later moved to Slonim), Rabbi Pesach, Rabbi Yaakov Yeshayahu Rosenblum, known as the Slonimer, Rabbi David Berkovitz, Rabbi Baruchl, as well as the rabbis and Rebbes of the Ginzburg family. The following is the family dynasty from Rabbi Wolf, the elderly Tzadik: Rabbi Wolf, his son Rabbi David, his son Rabbi Yosef, his sons Rabbi Velvele and Rabbi Alterke, Rabbi Velvele's sons Rabbi Yaakov David and Rabbi Moshele (the former served as the rabbi in Luninets, and the latter as the shochet [ritual slaughterer] in David-Horodok). Rabbi Moshele, the last of the sons, was murdered at the hands of the Nazis, Rabbi Yitzchak (Itzikel) the son of Rabbi Alterke (his son Rabbi Velvele currently serves as a rabbi in the United States).

Ritual slaughterers and rabbinical judges include Reb Shalom the son of Reb Yosef Lachovsky of blessed memory, the dayan [rabbinical judge] from Minsk.

There were five synagogues in the town: The large Beis Midrash built by Zeev Yudovitz; the Great Synagogue, built with the assistance and dedication of Pinchas Novak the glassmaker; the Beis Midrash of the Rabbi (of the Ginzburg family); the Synagogue of the Hassidim of Stolin (built of brick in the latter years); and the Synagogue of the Nagidim. There was also a synagogue in the house of Reb Itzikel, in which his Hassidim worshipped.

There were many known prayer leaders in David-Horodok. The following were the main ones known from the large Beis Midrash: Yonah Rimar, Moshe Lachovsky, Yosef Mekler (the butcher), Leibele the cantor, Shlomo Novak (the Torah reader), Meir the son of David (David's)^[2]. In the Great Synagogue: Noach Zager the blacksmith, Reb Shmaryahu Lansky the cantor with his choir of singers. In the Synagogue of the Rabbi: Wolf the Aleinik, Lipman Dreizin, Noach the son of Pinchas Dobrushin. In the Synagogue of the Hassidim: Avraham Moshe the Melamed, Yosef Chasha-Bashe's (Shatzki), Izel Kolozny, Moshe Kolozny, Yosef Kolozny, Yudel Shatzki, Asher Margolin, Yaakov Begun (for Sabbath Mincha), Yaakov Milman the blacksmith, Mordechai Begun. In the Synagogue of the Nagidim: Reb Yehuda the son of Rabbi David Berkovitz. Many came to hear his prayers (at times, Reb Dovidl would invite him to the Great Synagogue, where he worshipped). Avraham Horvitz, Shachna Moravchik, and Yisrael Meir Lachovsky.

They would study between Mincha and Maariv in several synagogues. Reb Berl the shamash was the main teacher in the large Beis Midrash. After him, Rabbi David Berkovitz and Avraham Velvel Lutzky would give a class. Reb Shimon Ronkin would give a class in Mishnah and Ein Yaakov between Mincha and Maariv in the Great Synagogue. Yaakov Rabinovitz, a merchant of manufactured items, gave a class in the Synagogue of the Hassidim. He moved to Nesvizh after the First World War and served in the rabbinate there.

The Jews of David-Horodok were observers of tradition in general, but they did not forego the Haskalah [Enlightenment]. In 1900, the teacher Y. Sh. Y. Adler set up a modern school. Zionism was also strong in David-Horodok. The heads of the Zionists were: Yisrael Friedman, Moshe Yehuda Lifshitz, Eliezer Pinchuk, Aharon Kagan, Aharon Yonah Shafer, Moshe and Noach Grushkin, Yisrael Meir Lachovsky, Tzimrinsky, Aharon Dobrin, Shimon Leichtman, Shlomo Rozman, Shlomo Zagorodski, Asher Zager, Moshe Aharon Mishalov, Mosheke the son-in-law of Yerachmiel Shifman, Shmuel Lifshitz, Shimon Opingandin, and Yitzchak Katz, who later moved to Luninets.

The Jews of David-Horodok formed the majority of the population in the center of the town, including its business center. Many of them were wealthy, including forests merchants, owners of transport ships, and cattle and fish merchants. The Jewish merchants of Horodok marketed their merchandise as far as Warsaw and other large cities. Some also had fishing rights in the ponds of the region.

David-Horodok was surrounded by forests, and there were lumber merchants there. The largest of them was Yaakov Friedman, who moved to Kiev in 1906, but did not stop supporting the rabbis and the needy of the city. He would send his generous donation twice a year before the festivals. He established the endowment^[3], which later became the locale of various communal institutions: the Zionist council, the library, etc. Mordechai (Moche) Rimar was the owner of a shipyard that built

[Page 93]

transport ships. He employed many workers, both Jews and Christians. He also owned a sawmill. There were three flourmills in town, one owned by Asher Zager, one by Avraham Baruchin, and one by Yehuda Berkovitz (who also owned an oil mill), and A. Z. Lutzky. There were also tannery owners, including the hide factory of Shlomo Finkelstein, who was one of the philanthropists who responded generously and willingly to every request. He also set up a charitable fund for all those in need.

Yaakov Friedman

Most of the houses of the city were made of wood, but there were also a few two-story stone houses. One of them was the house of Zeev Yudovitz, which served as a first-class hotel. From 1909, that house served as the government public school for all the townsfolk. There were shops on the first floor. Meir Eliyahu Kushnir, Aharon Gorin, and Alter Friedman also had restaurants. David-Horodok and its environs received their provisions for winter, including salt, flour, and salted fish, from ships that returned from Kiev and Yekaterinoslav after they brought them firewood in the spring.

David-Horodok was also not lacking in common folk, poor people, widows, and orphans, who needed support and assistance. There were people of action and emissaries for mitzvos who would make the rounds to the wealthy people and people of means on Sabbath eves to collect challahs, cakes, and cooked meat and fish to distribute to the needy. The women of the house, for the most part, would prepare the portions and donate them generously. One of those occupied in this mitzva was Shimon Leib Katzman. When he got older, he began his mission on Thursday afternoon so that he would be able to finish it on time. There were families, especially of the neediest, who were supported on all the days of the week, and were given double portions for the Sabbath.

Yaakov the son of Shimon Leib and Malka Katzman

[Page 94]

When Reb Shimon-Leib died, his son Reb Yaakov followed his path and continued the Matan Beseter [giving donations discreetly]. He would collect money and distribute it among the needy. It once happened that someone knocked on his window close to midnight. Reb Yaakov went out and arranged what he could. When he returned home, his wife Malka asked him: “Who and for what?” Reb Yaakov responded, “If the person would have wanted you too to know who he was, he would certainly not have come at midnight.” She did not ask further.

Several of the householders supported those who fell upon hard times with significant donations in the form of loans that were never paid back.

Like most Jewish towns, the town was quiet with its traditionalism until the First World War. During the wartime, many refugees passed through the city and were generously supported by the Jews of the town. One of them, Rabbi Rabinsky, even served there in the rabbinate. After the war, during the Ukrainian times, there were also Germans in town, and they felled one of its first victims: Zeev Zager (Velvel the Smith). Early in the morning, when he went out to worship, the soldiers of the guard shouted at him, “Halt!” He did not understand their language, and they stabbed him to death. During the time of the Bolsheviks, Bezalel Yudovitz was murdered (1919?). At the end of that year, Leibel Krapivka was murdered by the Poles. The number of victims in David-Horodok during the Balachowicz times was relatively smaller than in other towns, but there were victims.

The Balachowiczes entered David-Horodok on Shemini Atzeret. Baruch Dubrovitsky (Baruch Pesha Kreina's) went to hide in the synagogue on the advice of his wife. There were four or five other Jews there, including Reb Dovidl, who was standing in prayer. When morning came, Reb Dovidl was surprised that nobody had come to worship. Baruch told him what had taken place in the city and added that they should not wait for a minyan [prayer quorum]. At this point, three soldiers entered the synagogue and demanded money. Only Baruch had three hundred rubles in his pocket. The soldiers took the money and did not harm them. When Reb Dovidl asked him how he dared to have money with him on the festival, Baruch replied, “I prepared a ransom for my life.” When Reb Dovidl returned to his home enwrapped in his tallis, the Balachowiczes captured him on the street and commanded him to dance before them if he wished to keep his tallis. Reb Dovidl acceded to them, devoting himself to the honor of Simchas Torah^[4]. During the time of the Balachowiczes, the following people were murdered: Shmaryahu Shirmuk, Chana the wife of Yosef Broder, and the young girl Roshka the daughter of Dov Moravchik. There were many more victims in the villages, where there were also instances of rape. In Chorsk [Chorovsk in the text] they hanged Yosef on the doorpost with a towel. Similar incidents took place in Malishev and most of the villages of the area.

Many Jews (Lipa Finkelstein, Shmuel Matzulsky and others) were saved from hanging by Asher Berman, who knew one of the Balachowicz captains.

Translator's footnotes

1. A term for a rabbi who was not necessarily the primary rabbi of the city. It literally means “a teacher or guide of righteousness”. Return
2. In the text, the name is spelled daled vav gimel. However I believe this is a typo, and David was intended. Return
3. The term can also refer to the poorhouse – i.e., the place for housing indigents. Return
4. When it is customary to dance. Return

After fifty years, it is very difficult to sail back to the distant past, to one's far-off childhood, and dredge up memories and impressions. Many things were forgotten. Many impressions have been pushed aside and erased from the memory. That which was good and nice, or the opposite – now appears in a very different light. I will attempt to tell something about the way of life during those days. I will begin with the closest – our street.

Our street was no different than the other streets in the town in its external appearance. It did have extra holiness because all the synagogues were centered there. This gave it its nickname, the Shulhof (neighborhood of the synagogues). Our street was constantly bustling with Jews coming to worship, especially on Sabbaths and festivals, and even more so on the High Holidays, Bein Kese Le'esor^[1], on the days about which Grandmother said, “The fish tremble in the water” (i.e. the fish in the water are overcome by fear and trembling out of fear of the Day of Judgment…). There was another thing that added taste and grace to our street – the Yeshiva lads whose singsong echoed from morning until evening as they were studying their lessons: “Oh, the rabbis taught – if one gathers sheep into a pen…” etc. etc.

Every stratum and group had its own synagogue. I can see the Great Synagogue before my eyes. There,

[Page 95]

the common folk worshipped: tradespeople, builders, tailors – simple Jews, upright Jews, “Jews from the entire year” as they were called by the people.

The Beis Midrash, “Yudovitz' Beis Midrash” stood opposite our house. It was named for one of the wealthy people of our town, named Yudovitz. Most of the worshippers there were Jews whose fortunes had declined somewhat, but who still maintained their external appearances, ensuring that their clothes would not have any stain, as a final remnant of their former status. The Nagidisher Beis Midrash stood in another corner. Its worshippers were in accordance with its name^[2]: most of its worshippers were the wealthy people of the town. It was also noted for its appearance and cleanliness. In addition to all this, there was the Hassidic Synagogue [der Chassidishe Shtibel], in which the Hassidim of Stolin worshipped. There were several more houses of worship on the street.

Most of the clergy desired to live on our street: three shochtim [ritual slaughterers] including my father of blessed memory, and three rabbis. They were not actually rabbis, but rather Rebbes, scions of dynasties of Admorim for generations. Each of them had their own congregation of Hassidim. Hunger was their lot as well as that of their Hassidim who supported them. When I grew up and began to understand the qualities of the houses of the Rebbes, I especially held Rebbe Velvele of blessed memory in esteem. He was a proper, upright Jew, who did not get involved in politics, and was beloved by his fellows. His congregation of Hassidim was also larger than the others. His wife, Liba-Reizele was a woman of great energy. Grandmother related that Liba-Reizele was very beautiful in her youth, and when they brought her from afar to our town after her marriage, people camped at the door of her house to witness her beauty. During my childhood, I too saw the remnants of the beauty in her face. Apparently, the life of poverty and suffering left their mark upon her. They had three sons and an only daughter, my friend Tziporale. All were of fine appearance and fine spirit. It can be said in truth: there were many girls in our town, and people set their eyes upon the daughter of the clergy. More than once I heard mothers and grandmothers whispering: the shidduch [match] is fine and proper, but “two dead people do not go out to dance together…” Indeed, poverty pervaded in the houses of these members of the clergy.

There was a pond of turbid water (called koloza in the vernacular) on our street, between the Great Synagogue and the Beis Midrash. This pond never dried up, even during the hot days of Tammuz, and never froze during the cold days of Shvat. It always remained with its filth. A sort of green shell always covered it. Frogs croaked there on pleasant summer evenings. The pigs of the gentiles of the town wallowed there to their pleasure and warmed up in the sun, spraying water or mud upon the passers-by. When the mothers caught us in our “disgrace” – bad and bitter was our fate. Nevertheless, we always returned to our place…

It was told in the town that a young physician once came to settle. When he saw the wonderful pond with its slimy water, he became disgusted. He stood up, gathered the Jews of the city, and told them, “Jews, pack your bags and escape from here!” He described for them in full color the danger that was lurking, as he had just studied in medical theory, and what the puddle might bring upon them: the black plague, cholera, and other such diseases. I do not know if anyone listened to him and left the town. The one who did so was the physician himself. The day after the gathering, he packed his bags and disappeared. For many years, the Jews told the story about that strange physician and his black prophecies. As they told this, they burst out in laughter, and the puddle with its filthy water remained in its place as always. The frogs continued to sing their croaking song. Their song blended in with the glorious song of the Yeshiva lads.

A legend spread among the Jews that every Saturday night exactly at midnight, the dead rise from their graves and came to worship in the Great Synagogue. Anyone passing by the synagogue at that time would be called by the dead

[Page 96]

to receive an aliya [Torah honor] – and this would be a sign that his time has come. The Jews were careful to avoid passing by the Great Synagogue at that time. The youth knew that our neighbor, Saneh the butcher, was about to return very late on Saturday night from the home of Rebbe Velvele of blessed memory. What did the pranksters do? They hid in the women's section of the Great Synagogue, and as Saneh the butcher approached his house, which stood exactly opposite that synagogue – they began to recite prayers with great devotion and with a coarse voice, like the voice of the dead from their graves. They called out, “Reb Saneh the son of Reb so-and-so, come up to the Torah!” The Jew became agitated and petrified. He opened the door of his house with difficulty, and in a weeping voice, told his wife Sara-Leah about the disaster that had taken place to him. He went about perplexed and downtrodden, not himself, for a few days. He stopped working and awaited the verdict. Who knows what his end would have been, had my grandmother Dvosha-Necha not told him the truth. Of course, she did not tell him that “children of good families” were involved in this, including one of her family members…

Years passed. The children grew up and became lads, and the lads became adults. Slowly, they began to leave the town, some for Torah, and some for livelihood. When they returned, they brought back with them the song of freedom. Revolutionary songs began to echo through the air:

Brothers and sisters, take yourselves by the hand,
Let us go to the prisons, and tear down the walls, etc.

Or a mocking song such as this:

Nikolai is our Czar
He is a large dog!
Hail Czar, Hail Czar,
Nosh Roseiski Gosudar!^[3]

The New Cemetery in David-Horodok

[Page 97]

against Czar Nikolai. Illegal books were distributed, and people began to look into them. They were not just rebelling against the rule of the Czar, but against tradition. On Sabbaths and festivals, one could encounter in the church alleyway boys and girls wearing embroidered black shirts and shiny black boots, walking arm in arm, with cigarettes in their mouths. They were called “brothers and sisters” and they imposed their fear upon all the townsfolk. One Saturday night, these boys and girls gathered in the large Beis Midrash, delivered lectures, and spoke about “God and his Messiah”. At the end of the speeches, they shot a shot into the air. Grandmother whispered into the ear of my mother, “These are the brothers and sisters.” The next day, the city was in turmoil. It was said that the police came and arrested them all. One bright day, the door opened, and someone shouted to my mother loudly, “Menuchale, Nikolai is now an ex-Czar!” With a powerful voice, he began to sing the rest of the song, with the echo responding, “Nikolai is now an ex-Czar…”

Translator's footnotes

1. A term for the period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Return
2. Nagid is a term for a wealthy person. Return
3. I left this phrase in the original. Nosh means to snack. Roseiski means Russian. Gosudar is a Lord or sire. Together it may mean “snack on the Russian sire!” Return

Rabbi Moshe Ginzburg of David-Horodok in the company of New Yorkers

[Page 98]

If you just exited the marketplace, the Great Synagogue would be before you, surrounded by a spacious yard, into which couples would be led to the wedding canopy accompanied by the musicians. The Beis Midrash, rising on the other side of this yard (it was built through the initiative and generosity of the wealthy Yudovitz, and was called Yudovitz' Beis Midrash in his name), and the small Beis Midrash next to it, served as the places of worship for the Misnagdim [non-Hassidic people] of the town.

The family of Rabbi Moshele, may the memory of the righteous be a blessing

This district served as a sort of spiritual center for the Jews of the town. Primarily on Sabbaths and festivals, the street was filled with Jews in festive garb, hastening to services or coming back from services.

Chapters of Psalms and the melody of Gemara and prayer burst forth from all corners. I especially recall the nights of Elul, when the Jews walked to Selichos at midnight, with flashlights lighting their way.

The Jews of the town were upright and straightforward. Most of them were tradespeople or merchants, pure in their ways and straightforward in their comportment. In their opinion, a thief or a drunk could not be found among the Jews, for there was only a commandment to drink on Purim and Simchas Torah. Indeed, it was joyous with us on Purim. The “ensemble” of the Hassidim of Stolin would arrive, along with Avraham-Moshe the matchmaker, an enthusiastic Hassid and expert scholar. He would be wearing a cylinder hat on his head. We knew that he had partaken of several drinks. The “ensemble” would drink Lechayim with us, and the people would entertain us with melody, song, and dance until the conclusion of the feast.

That was David-Horodok, from which images of my dear family members rise and soar. I do not recall my grandfather, peace be upon him, Rabbi Yisrael-Yosef, may the memory of the righteous be blessed. However, he was talked about in our home. He had great talent. He had already received rabbinic ordination at the age of thirteen. He served as a rabbi in town, and the Rebbe of the Hassidim of David-Horodok. Many people would come to be near to him, especially on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when he would serve as the prayer leader.

Father Rabbi Velvele, may the memory of the righteous be blessed, was very upright, and an unequalled fearer of Heaven. He ascended the seat of the Admor after the passing of Grandfather. He dedicated all his time to prayer and Torah. He donned two pairs of tefillin, and kept them on until after the Mincha service. He recited all his prayers with great intention, dedication, and feeling.

We always lived in a meager situation, with a restricted livelihood. Nevertheless, Father was happy with his lot, and did not complain. I never saw him get angry. He died the death of a kiss^[1] on 3 Adar I, 5781 [1921]. He rose to worship, as was his custom, then suddenly removed his tallis and tefillin, went outside, fell down, and died.

[Page 99]

The Rebbetzin Liba Reizele Ginzburg

My sister Chayale died in her prime.

My eldest brother, Rabbi Ahrele of blessed memory, served in the rabbinate in Luninets. He was a Torah scholar and a fearer of Heaven, with a splendid countenance. He was happy with his lot, despite his difficult life. He would serve as a prayer leader on the High Holy Days. He was murdered with his son Shamai and daughter Miriam by the Nazis, may G-d avenge their blood. His wife (a descendent of the Baal Shem Tov and Rabbi Aharon Karliner, may the memory of the righteous be blessed) died in Pinsk.

My second brother, Rabbi Yaakov-David of blessed memory, was a shochet [ritual slaughterer] in David-Horodok. He was a fearer of Heaven, with a generous heart, wholesome in all his traits. His wife Henia was the daughter of one of the Hassidim of Stolin. They, along with their daughters Miriam, Rachel and Sara, fell at the hands of the murderers in David-Horodok, may G-d avenge their blood.

My third brother, Rabbi Moshe-Yehoshua, may the memory of the righteous be blessed, inherited the rabbinical seat of Horodok from Father, may the memory of the righteous be blessed. He was a great scholar, a fearer of Heaven, and a preacher of renown. He was a graduate of the Volozhin Yeshiva. His wife was the daughter of the rabbi of Ostra. They were murdered in David-Horodok along with their three children: Chanale, Feigele, and Velvele.

I recall them all – and my soul aspires to revenge.

Translator's footnote

1. Referring to a sudden, peaceful, painless death. According to tradition, Moses and Aaron both died through a kiss from G-d. Return

David-Horodok was not on a main road. The wartime fronts (1914-1917) were far from it, and the echoes of the battles only reached us from the pages of the newspaper.

Entire large Jewish communities were destroyed by order of the high command of the Russian army. Many communities in the border areas close to the fronts received sudden deportation edicts, to leave their places within 24 hours. The cruelty of the Czar and his uncle Nikolai Nikolaevich, the chief commander, was known for a long time before the outbreak of the war (through expulsions from the villages, the Beilis blood libel^[1], etc.), so these things did not surprise us. We knew that this was their nature and their manner throughout all times.

One ray of light shone for us in the darkness. This great thing was the feeling of Jewish brotherhood that was shown at that time during the times of the expulsions. We knew from the newspapers that many communities extended to the refugees (bezhentsy in the vernacular) faithful and timely brotherly aid. We were encouraged by the fact that there, in the capital city, a central committee of mighty and powerful Jews arose, and acted with exemplary dedication in aiding the refugees. (It was called YEKOPO – Yevreiski Komitet Pomoschi – the Jewish Aid Committee). Emissaries of the central committee accompanied

[Page 100]

myriads of refugees. They enlisted local Jews at every station and did their best to extend urgent aid to the refugees.

When we read about these benevolent deeds in the newspaper, we did not imagine that we too, the residents of a remote town, would be called into the aid activity and would stand up to it with wholesomeness and honor. One Friday close to candle lighting time, a steamship – the Parachad – brought a caravan of over a hundred refugees from Minsk to David-Horodok all at once.

Later, the secret became known that a young native of our town, Yehuda Kashtan of blessed memory, went to the district committee in Pinsk and recommended that they send a number of refugees for us to take care of, while everyone thought that they came by surprise.

Through a high command, we, the youth, girded ourselves to take care of those who came. We housed them in the synagogue of the Hassidim of Stolin, who agreed to worship in the Great Synagogue on that Sabbath. The aforementioned Yehuda Kashtan was the head and chief doer of all this effort. He organized, he arranged things, and everyone listened to him. Within a few days, a shelter and roof above the heads of all the refugees was already arranged in the houses of the town. They were received with good relations and a warm heart in every home. We immediately went out to collect the first dishes and food provisions, and a civic committee was set up to provide constant care for these brethren. This committee was comprised of prominent householders, such as Reb Yaakov Rabinovitz as well as the youth. The Rabbi, Reb Baruchl, stood at the head of the committee.

The living sprit of the committee, the instigator, who found new ways daily to collect money and to help the refugees, was once again that Yehuda Kashtan of blessed memory. He negotiated with Cantor Shmerl Lansky to arrange a festive service with a choir on one of the Sabbaths. Notices were posted, and a large congregation filled the synagogue. Aliyot [Torah honors] and Mi Sheberach blessings for donors were sold. Thus, a significant sum was collected for the refugee funds.

The cantor of the city, Shmaryahu Lansky and his group of singers

[Page 101]

The sense of communal consciousness arose and knitted itself into communal activity. It found its first arena to display its strength through the work on behalf of the refugees. The arena grew and broadened after some time with the liberation from the Czarist rule and the beginning of Zionist activity in David-Horodok.

Translator's footnote

1. In 1913, the Russian government conspired to accuse an innocent Jew, Menahem Mendel Beilis, of the ritual murder of a 12-year-old boy. Return

It was 1920. The Balachowicz brigades came through the towns of Polesye like thieves. They robbed, extorted, raped, and murdered in every place they went.

They arrived in David-Horodok on the eve of Simchas Torah. When the news of their arrival spread, and the bearers of feathers appeared in the city – a great fear fell upon the Jews, and everyone sought refuge in the houses of the gentiles or some other secret place. All the property was left wanton, if only to save their lives. The Polish priest who hid tens of Jews in his house, in the church, in front of the organ and in other secret places, should be remembered positively. He did not permit the destructive forces to come inside.

However, the salvation of the Jews of David-Horodok during those difficult days came primarily through Reb Asher the son of Reb Yitzchak Berman of blessed memory. Reb Asher was a supply contractor. He supplied the infantry brigade of Czar Nikolai, and he had many acquaintances among the high command of the brigade in Brest Litovsk.

Several of the captains of that brigade joined the camp of the enemy Balachowicz, may his name be blotted out. One of them, the captain of the unit, who knew Reb Asher, came to his house when he arrived in town. He extended his hand in greeting, even kissed him, and said, “Berman, Berman! Do not worry. Everything will be good! I know about the attitude of our troops to the Jews, but – do not fear! I will ensure that everything will be proper.” A notice was immediately posted on the house that the commander desired to stay there, and Reb Asher was given a document of free passage to wherever he wanted.

When the situation grew worse and the hooligans began to act destructively, Reb Asher went to the commander, described the situation to him, and demanded assistance. The commander promised to place guards on the streets of the city, but the killing did not stop on the side alleyways. Reb Asher's family urged him to remain in his house, but he did not listen to them, and continued to wander through the city in the company of the soldiers given over to him, so as to save anyone that he was able to.

“Shall I sit hidden in my house if I am able to save Jews from death? And what am I if I fall victim in exchange for all the city?” The gentiles were greatly astounded at his great brazenness to wander outside at the time when the Jews were hidden in their hiding places, but he mocked them.

Many Jews found refuge in the attic of his house. Among them were Rabbi Rabinsky and Reb Yosef Kolozny. The members of the household brought food to those in hiding and provided for their needs. This hiding place was also hidden from the eyes of the commander. Its existence depended on boundless energy and strength, and constant vigilance.

Then a day came when there was an alarm call issued from the house of Reb Lipa Finkelstein: the rioters were about to hang him. Reb Asher did not deliberate for long. Like an arrow from a bow, he hastened with his troops to the home of the tormented one. He cut the rope of the gallows and saved Reb Lipa just in time. The rioters were brought to the captain, who determined their punishment and warned them not to repeat such deeds. In this manner, Reb Asher also saved his brother-in-law Shmuel Matzulsky from hanging.

They summoned him to the home of Aharon Dvorin: the rioters were threatening to cut off Reb Aharon's ears. Reb Asher hurried and saved him. He had just returned from there when he was called by his father himself, Reb Yitzchak of Choromsk: they had killed his son and a lad from Rubel. They must be brought to a Jewish burial, and the survivors must be helped. Within a few hours

[Page 102]

Reb Asher hastened with soldiers, weapons, and wagons that the commander left in his charge, and he brought the Jews of Choromsk to a secure place, and the slaughtered people to burial.

The winds calmed somewhat in David-Horodok itself. However, there was fear in the villages and on the roads. A “save us” call came from Turov. In the words of Baruch Lutzky: “We are dying of hunger!” Reb Asher immediately loaded a wagon full of grain, brought it in peace to Turov, and saved its Jews from the disgrace of hunger. News reached him that they were plotting against him. He hid for several days until the danger passed. When he returned to his home, he did not tell anyone what had happened.

During the final days of the rule of the rioters in the city, a report reached their high command that there were Communists hiding in the home of Asher Berman. Two captains were sent to conduct a search. There was a dark room in Reb Asher's home where Jews were hiding. The captains turned their attention there. Reb Asher opened the door for them. They room was dark. He lit one match and then a second one before the eyes of the captains. The light blinded their eyes, and they did not see anything. They left from there saying: “Pravda nikova nyet” (Indeed, there is nobody there).

After the wrath passed and Polish rule took hold in the city, Reb Asher became known to them. He received an order from them to provide meat for their army in Luninets. During those days, it was difficult to obtain wagons. Reb Asher approached the Balachowicz overseer and asked for vehicles to travel to Kozhan-Horodok. The commander gave him his vehicle and its rider. Reb Asher set out on the journey but never returned. The rioters ambushed him on the route and murdered him.

This was during the days of Chanukah, 33 years ago. The man suddenly disappeared and was no more. Those who searched for him came up with nothing. On Purim, a notice was received from the police of Luninets that a hunter who passed by during the time of the melting of the snow not far from the cemetery of their town found a murdered corpse, which was identified as Reb Asher Berman, may G-d avenge his blood.

Thus did the saviour of Israel fall. Fortunate are you, David-Horodok, that you had such sons. Shed tears, mourn, O survivors of David-Horodok, for this pure martyr who perished.

The home of our parents Sara and Zalman Fishman “der Drebsker” [the person from Drebsk] stood next to the river as well as the bridge. It was a large, long house with many rooms. It served as the first meeting place and library for the General Zionist youth in the town. The Mizrachi [religious Zionist movement] organization of the town also had its headquarters in our parents' house. It also became a house for tending to guests, and served as the center of life in the town.

We were four boys and five girls. Only two of us survived the great murder. The survivors, some of them living in Israel, tell about the many deeds of rescue by our eldest brother Moshe. He lived in Lakhva, and earned his livelihood from the boat that sailed in the river. Many Jews were saved through our brother's boat, but he himself did not merit such.

  Davyd-Haradok, Belarus     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 3 Mar 2024 by LA