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From right to left
- Dovid, Khaya, Aryeh, and sister Dvoire Veber
- Eidel, Nekhe, Moishe, Yisroel, Mashe, and two grandchildren
- Khane, mother Rifka, Velvel Fuks
- Malke and Zelig
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[Page 392]
Translated by Pamela Russ
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From right to left
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The three families, Yafa, Veber, Fuks, of blessed memory, are made up of Rifka Yafa and her sister Masha Veber – their son–on–law Fuks, and their grandchildren.
The two grandchildren of Rifka Yafa were killed by the Nazi murderers in France. Leyb and his sister Dvoire, Rifka Yafa and the children – were evacuated with the entire community to Izhbica, and from there to Sobibor. Velvel Fuks was murdered by the Gestapo in the middle of the street in Turobin.
The family Yafa was a multi–branched family, renowned in the town – as modest, honest, and good people. The majority of the families sustained themselves through manual labor, so that the basis of their existence flowed together with other fine qualities such as honesty, and
[Page 393]
righteousness. These dear and fine people were murdered by Hitler's people. May the names of these fine people be perpetuated.
The two grandchildren, Dovid and Yakov, survived and live in Argentina today.
In eternal memory – my father Moishe Leikhter, my brother Avrohom, my brother Oizer, my sister Khame–Mikhel, my uncle and his wife and their children, and the entire family – who are represented in the photo that was taken on May 5, 1941.
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| Family Leikhter |
All of you, my dear parents, brothers and sisters, stand before my eyes, and if I stand and think about the tragic manner in which you all died, I shudder, and I lose my speech. But I can utter only one judgement:
The murderous, bestial hands – that cut off innocent young lives, should be cursed!
My dear, holy souls! When I look at your picture, I feel guilty in front of you, because I did not place a tombstone for you. But one God in Heaven knows that I am clean of sin.
[Page 394]
The murderers spilled your blood and spread out your bodies in desecration – in a brutal way. And I am the rescued spark.
The one thing that I could have done for you, I did: I placed a tombstone for the community of Turobin on Har Tzion, and the Yizkor book. With these two tombstones, you will be remembered forever, amen!
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| The first line, from right to left: Yehudis, Rifka, Soroh The second line: Tzvi ben Tuvia Kofenboim The third line from right to left: Moishe Leybish |
For a shining memory, my father, brothers and sisters. I will remember you forever, both in sadness and in joy, how good you were to me and to all the people who were around you. Your refined faces come to me
[Page 395]
often in my mind, and when I remember, then I ask why they spilled your blood so needlessly? But there is no one to give an answer.
You innocent, dear souls, I want to give you one comfort – I will always remember you for the good. The eternal light – the Yizkor Book of the Turobin community – will be the living testimony and your eternal tombstone.
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| Shimshon ben Beirekh Geier, of blessed memory |
I will never forget my dear father Shimshon ben Beirekh Geier, my dear mother Lieba nee Beker, may their memories be blessed, who died tragically through the Hitlerist murderers, may their names be erased.
I will remember you forever, and you will always be engraved in my memory.
Reb Avrohom Zweken, may his blood be avenged
He was born in Izhbice, came from a fine chassidic family, he was a chassidic young man, married a girl from Turobin, Reb Zindel Rentner's daughter. He hated going around idly. He was also filled with a love for life, with a healthy sense of humor, and always added a good joke to any situation, and was thus loved by the community, and many craved his closeness.
[Page 396]
He was a Trisker chassid, prayed in a Trisker shtiebel [informal, small synagogue], and would go to Reb Nakhum'tche Trisker in Warsaw, and would relate stories respectfully of the old Trisker Maggid. He was tied to Trisk with his whole heart. He was a member of the city council for one year.
He also was very involved in social [community] issues. He was a member of the Agudas Israel and loyally served its interests for the town's community. He devoted himself to the community's needs, he particularly enjoyed a friendship with the simple Jews, used their expressions, and many considered him one of “theirs.” He was the secretary and director of the Cooperative Bank and managed all of its matters. His assistant in the bank was Reb Yisroel Janover, a person with excellent traits. At the same time, he managed the Gemilas Chesed [non–profit] fund, together with Yisroel Janover and Berl Zontag, and distributed loans without interest. The capital from the Gemilas Chesed fund was taken from membership monies from their friends, with the support of Joint [American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee], and they made all kinds of combinations in order to increase the capital of the fund in order to be able to meet the needs of the friends for loans. In particular, the fund felt the salvation
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| Family Freiberg From right to left: Male, Perel, Aharon the father, his wife, his youngest son, and Avrohom |
[Page 397]
that it provided to the friends against the anti–Semitic politics of the Polish officials.
Reb Avrohom had three talented daughters. Sadly, the entire family was murdered by the Nazis and local Poles, and only the one daughter Yita survived, who started a family again in Jerusalem. She felt it necessary to write about her tragedy during Hitler's war, [material] which is published in the Turobin Yizkor Book.
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From the top: Shloime Kofenboim; Second line, Golde and Shaindel Kofenboim; all children of Khaim ben Tuviah Kofenboim, Golde survived and lives in France |
Hopen Itamar – Editorial Committee
Transcribed by Genia Hollander
This book is the collective creation of a number of emigrants from the Turobin community now living in Israel. Many of them are not professional writers, therefore, imprecisions, ambiguities and repetitions will be met within this book.
Herein is the history of an ancient small town in the Lublin area – a town of great students of the Torah, Rabbis and Jewish philosophers who lit up Turobin and other communities with their moral learning. And always, this community was represented at the “Four State league”.
In addition to history, this book contains reminiscences, folklore and presentation of personalities; a list of martyrs, pictures and an important chapter on the Holocaust – all of which is intended to inspire the reader to thought.
For almost three years, one of the editorial committee devoted himself to collecting and sorting the material, editing and preparing it for the first printing as well as updating the martyr list. Undoubtedly, we have not succeeded in collecting all the material because of the lack of cooperation of some of the community members and the limited time within which the committee was obliged to publish the book. Under these circumstances, it was impossible to give a complete picture of the life of the town. It is important to note that all our applications and requests to the State of Poland went unanswered.
In spite of all these difficulties as well as fiscal and other problems (which need not be detailed here), we have succeeded in reflecting an important part of the community life.
This book will serve as a leading light to our present generation and those to come. Let them know who our parents were and what atrocities Hitler had brought about. May his name be blotted out.
Our special thanks are extended to all those who have helped in bringing about the publication of this book.
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