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It is a difficult task to write about the events of a remote community that was situated among vast bogs stretching for hundreds of kilometers, a community that is far from important centers, without paved roads, and without secure means of communication. It was a community that did not leave behind any markers regarding its communal life. Its history left no firm traces fitting for special attention. It produced no famous people of renown. It was a poor, impoverished community whose means of existence did not deviate from the ways of life known during that period – the period of Polish rule followed by Russian rule. It was like other communities in the Pale of Settlement.

From an administrative perspective, David-Horodok was incorporated in the country of Poland (region of Brest Litovsk, district of Pinsk). Its official name in Polish was Dawid Grodek. It had a population of 408 in 1766, six years before the Russian conquest.

The term “kehila” [community] implies independent governance recognized by the authorities, and given complete authority over issues of religion and education, which could be arranged in its own spirit and in accordance with its own will. Such a governing structure was not a new phenomenon in Jewish communal life. Throughout all their years of exile, the Jews had a certain degree of independent authority over matters of religion, education, and the like, even though this independence did not always have that same meaning, and was not always founded upon such principles. In Poland, the communities had the special attention of the Polish kings, who granted them broad rights through special proclamations, serving as a broad foundation for their development. The community represented the people before the central government, and had the rights to impose taxes, to set up courts of law and justice, which all granted power to the authorities. These protocols of governance imparted their stamp upon the population, and forged the manner of societal life.

Elections to the communal council took place annually on the third day of Passover, and received the approval of the government. The electoral process was democratic: every taxpayer had the right to vote and be elected. They were especially careful that relatives not be elected. The elected people were called parnassim [communal administrators]. Every parnas would direct communal affairs for a month, in accordance with a rotation. From there came the term “Parnas of the Month”.

The villages and settlements in which the Jewish population was too small to establish an independent community were affiliated with nearby communities. In this manner the residents of nearby villages were affiliated with David-Horodok. It in turn was subordinate to the central council of communities, which represented the communities before the central Polish authorities.

There were the fundamental principles upon which David-Horodok was based, until a radical change in its history began.

In 1772, the eastern regions were cut off from Poland and annexed to Russia. Their Jewish residents became Jewish citizens of Czarist Russia.

David-Horodok was annexed to the region of Minsk, district of Mozyr. According to the census conducted in Russia in 1847, the number of its residents, along with the residents of the nearby villages, reached 1,572.

The Russians maintained the status of the communal structure, but only as an apparatus for tax collection. The communities were to

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collect from every Jew “registered” in the community one ruble for the benefit of the Russian treasury. Anyone who did not pay would not receive a “passport”, which was a certificate without which it was impossible to move from one place to another or even to leave the city. The community collected taxes for the high institution and oversaw the movement of the population. Everything else was neglected.

The democratic regime in the communities turned into a despotic authority. The communal officials took advantage of their positions to the detriment of the residents. They hardened their hearts toward the poor, and raised the tax burden. Various strongmen ruled over everything. The suffering especially increased from the year 1827 and onward. By edict of Czar Nikolai I from that year, the communities were obligated in military service. Every community was obligated to send a specific number of soldiers. People of means and influence utilized all means, both proper and improper, to evade service. With the help of the communal structure, lovers of profit were hired to snatch people, especially from the poor, and give them over to the army to fulfil the quota imposed upon the community. The “snatchers” instilled fear and trepidation throughout the entire Pale of Settlement. No small number of old-time residents of David-Horodok recall one of the “snatchers”, a native of the town, who was called “Shlomo Der Yoven” – that is Shlomo the Soldier. He was snatched during his childhood. The name of the son of one of the strongmen of the community was connected to him, and he was sent to the army in his place. He suffered many torments in the army, and was afflicted with all sorts of suffering. They even attempted to force him to change his religion. However, he maintained his stand, and remained a Jew who was faithful to his religion and his people. After a service of 25 years, he returned to his native city already married. The family name Yudovitz remained with him all his life, and was even transmitted to his children and grandchildren. He died in 1906. Several of his grandchildren are living in Israel.

An anti-Semitic Russian writer who traveled through the Pale of Settlement in those days wrote a report to the central government regarding the suffering caused to the population by the communal strongmen:

“The administrators rule over the community with unbounded obstinacy. The community collects sums of money by imposing taxes. The administrators do not give over an accounting of the income and expenditures of the community. The citizens of the Pale of Settlement are very poor and indigent. Their physical appearance evokes feelings of disgust. On the other hand, the administrators are very wealthy. They live lives of wealth and plenty. They have double authority: over religion and taxes. Through those two aspects, they rein in the masses from revolting against them.” Yalag^[1] raised a bitter outcry over this.

The Revolution of February 1917 instilled hope into the hearts of the Jews of Russia. The yoke of the Czars who oppressed for 145 years was cast off. A life of freedom appeared on the horizon.

The leaders of Russian Jewry attempted to organize the communities on democratic foundations in the spirit of the times. The center of political life was in Petrograd. From there a call went forth to all the residents of the Pale of Settlement to form elected councils. They received directives from there, and emissaries were sent. An emissary from Minsk named Pinchuk reached David-Horodok. An electoral committee was set up through his initiative, consisting of representatives of the parties and leaders of the synagogues. Bezalel Yudovitz was elected as chairman, and Shalom Kvetny as secretary. The secretariat of the council compiled a detailed list of all those with voting rights. The voting took place in the Great Synagogue headed by Bezalel Yudovitz. There were three lists, Zionists, Poalei Tzion [Workers of Zion], and non-partisans headed by Yosef Berkovitz, son of Rabbi David Berkovitz. Stormy debates regarding the character of the community preceded the elections. The General Zionists promised to concern themselves with all the communal needs, both secular and religious. On the other hand, Poalei Zion claimed that religious affairs must be separated from communal affairs, and the community should not be responsible for maintaining the clergy, synagogues, etc. through the money of the taxpayers – everything in accordance with the winds of the times that were storming during those days. Two of the eight administrators chosen were General Zionists and six were from Poalei Zion. The non-partisans suffered a downfall. The following were elected from the Zionists: Bezalel

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Yudovitz and Moshe Yehuda Lifshitz. From Poalei Zion: Yekutiel Shkliozier, Papish Zipin the father and his son, Yosef Burshtein, and one other whose name has been forgotten from the memory of the writer of these lines.

However, the communal council did not last long. Before it managed to convene its opening meeting, the Bolsheviks seized the government in Petrograd. Tribulations came one following the other. Changes took place from one day to the next. The council was invalidated in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution even before it began its activities. Nevertheless, a short article about the elections in David-Horodok and the number of those elected was written in one of the issues of the “Rasvit”, published in Petrograd.

According to the census of 1897, the population of David-Horodok was 7,815, of whom 3,087 were Jews. In 1917 their number reached 4,500, and in 1941, the year of the Holocaust, the Nazis slaughtered 7,000 Jews. Apparently, this number included Jews who were residents of the nearby villages as well as refugees who came to live there from various places in 1939.

Translator's footnote

1. Y. L. Gordon, known by the acronym of his initials, was a prominent Hebrew Enlightenment poet and author who advocated for religious and social reforms. Return

The first sports organization, called “Kraft”, was founded in David-Horodok in 1928. After a brief time, the members Zeev Shafer of blessed memory and, may he live, Shlomo Kolozny approached the principal of the Tarbut School at that time, Reuven Mishalov, with a request to take upon himself the directorship of the sporting group. After several meetings conducted in the Hebrew language, a unified opinion was not formed, due to minor differences of opinion. However, in 1930, an agreement was forged in the merit of several members – Dov the son of Mordechai Rimar, Shlomo Kolozny, and others – and the Maccabi sports organization began to be organized.

All of the Zionist organizations and the leadership of the Tarbut School were invited to the founding meeting that took place in the school building. Hundreds of residents of David-Horodok participated in that event. The atmosphere was festive and full of enthusiasm. Th result was a public declaration regarding the founding of Maccabi in David-Horodok. The following were elected as members of the leadership: Avraham Olshansky of blessed memory, principal of the school; Chaim Branchuk of blessed memory, teacher at the school; Dov Rimar of blessed memory and, may they live, Chaim Treshansky, Chaya Farber, and Shlomo Kolozny. To our great dismay, no practical activity took place, and all the festive proclamations remained on paper alone. No Zionist organization in the city displayed the understanding and the will toward sporting matters of the Jewish youth, with the exception of Beitar, which extended its full assistance to Maccabi.

During the few winter months, the writer of these lines approached the members Dov Rimar and Shlomo Kolozny to serve as heads of a soccer team. He said to them that if they wish to maintain Maccabi, they must not rely on others, and they should begin activities through their own efforts. The approach was not for naught, and as a result, a small-scale meeting of sports enthusiasts took place in the Beitar hall. A committee was chosen, headed by Dov Rimar. Shlomo Kolozny was placed as head of the sporting branches, Yitzchak Lansky as secretary, Nachman Yonush as treasurer, and Yaakov Kolozny as convenor.

With the assistance of the Beitar movement in David-Horodok that placed itself at the disposal of Maccabi, the committee succeeded within four months in raising the necessary means to purchase sports equipment. Money was collected through fundraising campaigns, membership dues, flower days, and dance parties.

The teachers of the Tarbut School – Motzny, Blumenkof, and Oltz – ran various sporting practices three times a week in the stadium of the Polish army. The captains of the Polish army in the city extended their help to us beyond the call of duty, in a proper and pleasant fashion. All the sporting equipment, uniforms, shoes, and other items were given to us in an honorable fashion, and, above all – the military field was placed at our disposal.

On May 1, 1929, a sports competition between the sporting teams of the city and those outside of it took place at the military field. The best of their members competed. The Maccabi members Shlomo Kolozny, Yosef Olpiner, and Asher Baruchin excelled and won medals. They added honor to Jewish sports activities.

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In 1930, a regional competition took place in the city of Stolin. The sports committee affiliated with the regional captain also invited the Maccabi of David-Horodok. We sent the best of our people. Shlomo Kolozny won three gold medals, and Yosef Olpiner won two silver medals. These competitions also added honor and praise to the Maccabi organization.

At that time, sporting competitions of the entire region were organized in the city of Brisk. We sent district representatives. Shlomo Kolozny and Yosef Olpiner, among others, represented the district of Stolin. Through their merit, the district won second place – 105 points as opposed to the 105 ½ points earned by the Briskers.

In 1931, a competition of light athletics and various sports was arranged in David-Horodok between Maccabi and the Christian sports organization of the city. The Christians were ordered to take first place and defeat the Maccabi team, but after a strong, stubborn battle, the brothers Shlomo and Yaakov Kolozny won first place. They were given medals and diplomas.

The representatives of soccer in David-Horodok in 1937, composed of Maccabi players as well as players from the Polish army who were camped in David-Horodok (Right to left): 1. Nachman (Chona) Yonush, 3. Yeshayahu Magidovitz, 5. Yitzchak (Idel) Friedman, 8. Shlomo Kolozny, 10. Feivel Finkelstein, 11. Yaakov Kolozny

One of the successful activities of the Maccabi of David-Horodok was the receipt of ten places to travel to the Land of Israel to participate in the second Maccabiah in 1935. Ten residents of David-Horodok then succeeded in making aliya to the Land. Had it not been for that opportunity, their fate might possibly have been the same as that of the rest of the residents of David-Horodok.

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The composition and sources of livelihood of the Jewish population was largely similar to that of other towns in the district of Polesye. As usual, the majority of the Jewish population worked as merchants, shopkeepers, and peddlers who purchased agricultural goods from the farmers of the villages in the area. It should be noted that a considerable proportion of the Jews earned their livelihoods from productive work. These included builders, experts in building wooden or brick houses, sawmill workers (filchikes in the vernacular), carpenters, dyers, locksmiths, tailors, shoemakers, smiths, and others. Christian residents of the town also worked in the two latter trades. The products of these tradespeople not only supplied the local markets, but also supplied the businesses in nearby Pinsk as well as other cities in Poland.

The economic situation of the various small-scale shopkeepers and tradespeople was generally meager. However, there were several families whose income allowed them a higher standard of living. The lumber merchants, flour mill owners, tanners, and lessees of estates and fishing ponds, hide and flax merchants, some of the textile shop and shoe shop owners, and others, were among those.

The flour mill of the Baruchin family of David-Horodok

Flour, sugar and salt were imported from the region of Volhyn. Textile products, agricultural equipment and shoes were imported primarily from Warsaw.

Two organizations were set up in our town, a union of tradespeople and a union of merchants. Through their efforts, two cooperative banks were set up: the Merchants' Bank by Chaim Diatlovitzky and Mordechai Kvetny, and the People's Bank by the writer of these lines. These banks were located in fine dwellings in the center of town. The Merchants' Bank was in Kaplinsky's house, and the People's Bank on the first floor of Moche Rimar's house, in large rooms that had previously served as the courthouse hall.

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Almost all the heads of families of the Jewish community of the town, as well as of the Jewish settlements of the area, were members of the two banks.

Our town had a tradition of cooperative activity in this area as well. Decades previously, there existed two cooperative funds in town called “Lending and Credit” (or some similar name). One was directed by Pinchas Sheinboim, and the second by Shlomo Rozman.

The activities of these two banks encompassed all areas of economic life in the town. They maintained connections with the economic institutions and private and government central banks. The relationship of the Jewish community to those institutions was vibrant and proper. The number of participants in general meetings always reached a very high percentage.

The Zionist organization was also alert to what was transpiring in the economic institutions. A recognizable number of its active members were among the directors.

It should be noted that the Merchants' Bank, in its time, helped build the new school building via a special loan. During difficult times, especially at the end of the school year and before a new school year, the two banks assisted the school leadership to avoid a crisis.

There was a difficult economic crisis of Polish Jewry in the years 1933-1935, and the cooperative banks were also affected. The Merchants' Bank, which underwrote the merchandise shippers to a larger degree than customary, was forced to interrupt its regular activities. The People's Bank, the majority of whose members were small-scale merchants and tradespeople, did not engage in underwriting large quantities of merchandise, and also conducted its activities with caution, fulfilled its obligations even during the years of crisis, and continued its activities until the conquest of Poland.

The following were among the council members and directors of the People's Bank: Pesach Pilchik, Meir Milman, Mendel Reznik, Yehuda Shnur, Chaikel Freiman, Aharon Eisenberg and his brother Moshe Yitzchak, Yaakov Volpin, Moshe Katzman, Moshe Veisblum, Meir Morel, Avraham Zeev Lutzky, Litman Kolozny, Nissan Leib Treister, Chaim Branchuk, Yosef Friedman and others. The bank workers during its period of existence included Shmuel Papish director, Meir Rappaport, Yaakov Olpiner, Asher Milman and Yonah Baruchin.

The directors and working committee of the People's Bank in David-Horodok (Right to left): Sitting (right to left): 1. Yoshke Friedman, 2. Meir Milman, 3. Chaim Branchuk, 4. Pesach Pilchik, 5. Shmuel Papish, 6. Litman Kolozny, 7. Chaikel Freiman, 8. Nissan Leib Treister. Standing: 1. Yisrael Moravchik, 2. Yosef Baruchin

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The following were among the members of the council and directors of the Merchants' Bank: Shlomo Finkelstein, Tzvi Mester, Aharon Shostakovsky, Moshe Aharon Mishalov, Yaakov Beilin, Yosef Yudovitz, Reuven Mishalov, David Rimar, Zeev Moravchik and others. The following were among the workers of the building during its period of existence: Chaim Diatlovitzky and Mordechai Kvetny. The directors were Yisrael Moravchik, Chaim Lansky and Zelig Neiman.

The “Kupat Gemilat Chasadim” [Benevolent Fund] engaged in constructive activity. Loans were given in small sums, with bi-weekly or monthly payments. Those who turned to them and benefited were people of meager means who were unable to receive credit from the banks. This was not a charitable fund in the usual sense among Jews. Its basis was communal and societal, and those who received loans did not regard this as an act of benevolence or charity. The money of the fund came primarily from the Joint [American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee]. With all this, it was based on the principle of membership. Even those who received loans were counted among the members. From a membership perspective, it was a form of mutual aid. The leadership would authorize the requests for loans and the recipients were meticulous with their payments. The fund operated for many years, until the conquest of the town. It assisted many families of meager means in no small fashion. It was a modest institution that complemented the credit activity of the two cooperative institutions.

The life of the Jewish community was gray and difficult. The Zionist movement, with all its streams, was the sole anchor of salvation for us. The activities for the funds, for the upbuilding of the Land, Hebrew culture, the schools and the gathering of the youth around it, and above all the desire and hope for aliya – all these were rays of light for us in the darkness that enveloped us in our town in the bogs of the remote district of Polesye.

The founding of the organization was in 1904. Its founders were Zeev Yudovitz, his son Bezalel, Mordechai (Moche) Rimar, Nissan Gurevitz and Liba Friedman. The gentile founders included Captain Chereisky and Petroskovitz. The many fires that took place moved the founders toward that step. The first donation was given by Zeev Yudovitz, who gave over his private well and two barrels. The residents of the town, both Jewish and gentile, all gave their donations. The insurance society of Minsk, which took great interest in the minimization of fires, also donated funds to purchase equipment.

Captain Chereisky was chosen as the first commander of the organization, and Petroskovitz as secretary. Chereisky's assistants were Bezalel Yudovitz and Nissan Gurevitz. During 1911-1912, when Chereisky was sent to the front, Mocha Rimer accepted the role of commander, assisted by Bezalel Yudovitz and Nissan Gurevitz. In 1919, Bezalel was murdered, and Nissan became ill. Yosef Yudovitz and Simcha Mishalov were appointed in their stead. Petroskovitz continued his role as secretary until 1920, and then Aharon Moravchik took his place.

In 1935, when Moche Rimar was getting old, his role was transferred to Simcha Mishalov, assisted by Yosef Yudovitz and Yaakov Matosvitz. Two years later, in 1937, Yosef Kozak replaced Simcha, assisted by: Yosef Yudovitz, Simcha Mishalov and Yaakov Matosvitz. They continued until the entry of the Red Army.

The president of the communal committee for firefighters was Zagernkorn. Members of the committee were Yosef Yudovitz, Simcha Mishalov, Yaakov Matosvitz and Aharon Moravchik.

Five extinguishing pumps and eighteen barrels were in the hands of the organization until the Poles entered (in 1920), over and above other vital equipment needed by firefighters. During the Polish period, two benzene motors were added, which transported kilometer-long rubber hoses. At first, a small building was erected for the needs of the organization. During the Polish period, the area of the building was increased. The second half housed the theater, the proceeds of which were dedicated to the needs of the firefighters. In 1937, a 25-meter tower with a siren on top was set up next to the building. If a fire broke out, the siren would sound and 35

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wagon drivers would be summoned to the site, riding on their horses and prepared to do anything asked of them. There were 63 volunteer firefighters of whom 10 were Poles.

In 1938, a brick theater (the first theater was constructed of wood) was set up with the money of the organization. Its entire income was dedicated to its expenses, which continually increased.

The fame of the organization spread afar, and more than once, the firefighters went out to extinguish fires in the villages in the area.

The large fire of 1936 in David-Horodok

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