[Page 37]

The Jews of Uhnow had a lot of potential among them. From this potential, they could have produced great men in many fields had they the means to assist them.
For instance:

Levi Cartner – studied by himself, after which he travelled to Vienna where he enrolled in a technical school. Later on he worked in the Patents Department. After that he traveled to the United States.

Shmuel Rotberger: (his father, Der Royter Volke) sent his son to Vienna to study at the university where he studied philosophy. At the same time he studied at Rabbi Professor Hyot's seminar. Back in Uhnow with his Doctor's decree he could not even find a job at the elementary school. He finally went to work as a Hebrew teacher at a Hebrew school in Fiask near Lublin.

Elazar Adler was a young man. Although a builder's assistant, he excelled in chess and could not be led astray. He was able to calculate his moves even blindfolded. Once a well-known chess-player by the name of Grossman came to town. When he asked who could compete with him, Elazar Adler was brought forth and lost. Later on he maintained he could have won but refrained from doing so (he even showed onlookers where he could have won). His excuse was that Grossman was a well-known player and he was only his guide. He even remembered moves he made a few days later.

Shaul Zucker (Jehoshua Shohat's son) settled in Lemberg after finding work. He was a public servant and a representative for Agudath Israel in

[Page 38]

Vienna. He finished public school and graduated from high school after one and a half years of studies. Even before he did so, he put this forth as his goal. He was a smart student and a brilliant speaker.

Moshe Hirsch Abarbanel was a merchant in Velouta.

His son died tragically in an accident at an oil-producing factory in Petah Tiqva. In Uhnow he was always seen going to the Beit Hamidrash at three o'clock in the morning with a flashlight in his pocket.

Shmuel David Handelsman was head of the community. He was a dedicated Jew and a pleasant person. Once the governor ordered the mikve closed. But he opened it up by saying that the Jews needed a mikve.

Charitable People

Every Friday the women would go from house to house collecting bread and cakes and divided them amongst the needy. This was done all the time in all kinds of weather.

Before Pesach they collected all the wheat.

Wolf Yudenberg was a great entertainer. He was upset if he did not have a guest for the Sabbath. He used to say:

“Whoever comes to me will eat meat and other delicacies and sit by me.”

The Reis family, a big family and farm owners in Danisk and Carib, were looked upon as rulers. Every Pesach they allotted many sacks of wheat and potatoes in order to be distributed amongst the towns' poor people. Throughout the year, when a large donation was needed, people found a generously-opened hand. When travelers would pass by, there was

[Page 39]

always food ready for them. The head of the family said that it as a blessing for a country Jew to be able to provide for passers-by. After the Holocaust I saw one of the survivors of this family selling cigarettes.

Mr. Mattal, a farmer in Uhnow was a righteous man. His brother, Dr. Mattal – a lawyer and an enlightened man –lived in the German side of Uhnow (before the First World War). When he wanted to enter Uhnow itself, the Russians demanded passport and he refused to show it. This refusal brought him exile to Siberia. Rabbi A. I. Rokach hid him in his house, dressed him in Russian clothes and took a cart that rode him to Lemberg. On the way he caught pneumonia and died. His wife was forced to sell his belongings in order to buy food.

The town had a high standard of rabbinical knowledge.

Most Jews knew how to study Gmara with its supplements. Whoever knew it and knew how to study, sat and studied between Minhah and Maariv.

Many rose early in the morning and studied several hours before prayers. There were those who studied during the day as well as at night. So there were always people in the temple.

Leibish Hanner was called Leibisch Tamm. He was a bright pupil, had a knowledge of everything and was always studying.

Horoshowsky, the Fatalischer Melamed, taught the highest grade (16-17 year old pupils). He was not an ordinary melamed, but taught everything. Everyone respected him. Whoever studied with him learned a lot. Israel Gartel, one of his pupils, who left Uhnow in 1920, remembers to this very day things that this melamed taught him.

The first place that the halutzim went to for agricultural training was Rabbi Shmelke Rokah's farm in the town of Ratshican. We were a group from Uhnow, from Belz, from Mosta Vilka and one halutz from Lashdov. I remember the fine conduct of the manager, Mr. Mattal. He would come to us every evening after work and talk to us about different problems. Generally, every member of the Mattal family was intelligent. We remember Nathan Mattal. Dr. Mattal, who had an agricultural farm in the

[Page 40]

village of Uhnow. All these good people were destroyed together with the people of Uhnow and the surrounding area.

Rabbi Yossef Lassar moved to Uhnow after marrying Miriam Liberman. He was a big and smart pupil. He later headed a yeshiva in Krakow.

Rabbi Hirschpong of Montreal says that never has there been a wise pupil like him.

While in Uhnow he used to give Chomesh lessons on Saturday to all who came to him.

Rabbi Baruch Zukerman, who was a son-in-law of Rabbi Meir Arick, lived his last days in Uhnow and was killed in the Holocaust. He was an expert in everything.

The bad state of the Uhnow Jews was well-put in Dr. Lekivitz's saying: “The Uhnow Jew eats an orange when either one of them is rotting.”

Because the Jews of Uhnow were particularly heavily taxed, they had difficulty making a living. For example, a small store-owner would be called a big merchant for tax evaluations. A small minority were part of the middle class, although most were less than that. There were also a few wealthy people living in the town.

Rabbi Aharon Genzer, who was poor and had a large family, made his living raising and selling geese. He also gave excellent explanations. After morning and evening services, while studying at the Beit Hamidrash, there was always a long line of students waiting to hear his explanations. At night he was something different. Whilst during the day he worried constantly about making a living, at night he looked like a king while studying. There were many more examples like him in town.

On Saturday there was the spiritual feeling of the Sabbath, when all worries and miseries were forgotten. On the Sabbath nobody knew who was a car-driver or anything else, because everyone walked wearing a “bakasha” and a “Shtreimel”.

Rabbi Yaakov Adler was a baker. Sometimes he was seen, with a package on his back, making his way through the town always in the middle of the night. Those who followed him saw him knocking on one of

[Page 41]

the apartment doors, and when this was opened, he brought in a bundle of heating wood and a sack with food.

The man knew that these tenants were poor and they did not have the means to warm the apartment in the bitter Galician winters.

On Thursday evenings he used to collect money from the local residents to divide amongst the needy for the Sabbath, despite the fact that he would work all night and all the next day in the bakery in order to bake the chales and prepare the chulent.

His wife, Breindel is worth noting. Despite her physical weakness, she would stay in the bakery by herself so that her husband could carry out his good deeds.

On Friday evenings the poor would go to the different homes to collect a bit of food for the Sabbath. Chava, Meir Yudenberg's wife, didn't serve to her table unless she knew she had given to one of these families first. Then she would partake of her husband's chala.

The winter of 1935 was very difficult in Galicia. The economy was very severely hit and the Jews who lived there were very irritated. When it became clear that many Jews in Uhnow were unable to heat their homes or to buy food, some of the local Jews met in order to decide what to do. These were: Abraham Engelberg, Hirsch Cartner, Leibish Ziegel, and Feible Ortner. After a short session everybody decided to act as quickly as possible. Feible, who was taught a butcher's son – asked his pupil to bring from his father a horse and carriage. This way they went from house to house asking for donations – heating wood, in order to enable the needy to heat their houses. In a short while, they filled the carriage with wood and divided it amongst the needy.

This public response encouraged them to widen their activities. They put up a public kitchen where all who wanted could eat, for a few pennies. Again they went from house to house and asked for food for this purpose. When the kitchen doors opened and the needy came pouring in, they realized that the number of needy families was far greater than they had realized. Which meant that what they had would not be enough and it would be necessary to cook for this needy people. On the first day, Feibel's

[Page 42]

fiancée offered to cook. After that other women cooked by turn. The men gathered all the food and the women cooked it.

The way a man wants to go – he goes. The people who did this were very successful, especially from unexpected directions. Suddenly there was this Jew whose daughter went to Lviv because she was having difficulty having children. He gave these people one hundred zloties and said that if his daughter had a baby he would give them another hundred. Even a rich Jew, an estate owner, who was apart from his brothers and did not support them, turned to these people and said: “What do you want – wood, potatoes, wheat? From me you will get everything.”

This continued until Passover Eve, all the needy receiving one-quarter bread and sometimes even meat.

These were the Jews of Uhnow. Whenever they were asked to give, they gave, even though they themselves had barely enough to live on.

During World War One, many became sick with the plague. Some of the town's Jews (Rabbi Aahron Kleinshpiz, Rabbi Abish Kleinshpiz, Rabbi Yaakov Adler, Rabbi Wolf Perlmjuter – who was nicknamed the clockmaker and Rabbi Akiva Rittal) went to visit them often and took care of them loyally. Even though it was a contagious disease, they were not afraid for themselves or their families, and indeed they were not affected.

Rabbi Ahron Kleinshpiz would wait to be among the last to leave the Beit Hamidrash in order to invite a guest to his house. When his son once told him that he was tired from a whole week's work, he would answer that he would maybe find a rich visitor like David Poylisher Katzbach, because he would have more food. I have not got cognac or any other things that I cannot afford to buy. But when I see a visitor that a rich man did not invite, I do so because I too, have food. He won't leave my house hungry.

[Page 43]

The concern for the Jews of Uhnow did not stop with the local people. According to the Halachah, charity was to be given to the Jews of one's town, but one has to concern himself to the poor people of other towns as well. It is said that charity has to be provided to a poor person who passes through the town all the while that he stays: food, drink and a place to sleep. The Jews of Uhnow carried out this law ways above and beyond their means. There were needy Jews from outside who were used to roaming from town to town begging. On the way they would enter Uhnow and stay the Sabbath or a few days during the week. Many opened their houses to entertain them. A number of houses were well-known for feeding such people was it necessary.

Taking care of these matters was the work of “Linat Zedek”, which was managed by two brothers: Rabbi Israel and Rabbi Levi.

Working as builders, they didn't work for more than half a year since the winter weather prevented them from working. In order to make a living for their families during the second half of the year was a problem. But this did not prevent them from worrying about the poor from outside their town, who came to Uhnow. These came almost every day and slept at Israel's place, whatever their number may be. When there were not enough beds, either mattresses or straw beds were placed on the floor so that no man would be without a proper bed. In the morning no one left without coffee or something light to eat.

On Friday nights they saw to it that such a visitor would eat in one of the local Jewish houses.

On Friday night one prayed in the Beit Hamidrash and one in the Hassidic kloiz. They didn't leave the prayer house until they made sure that

[Page 44]

no one was left without a guest for the Sabbath meal. When they finished praying they asked those who were there to take a visitor home for the Sabbath meal. When they saw visitors left behind, they would take them to their homes.

Whilst on the Sabbath the gabai would put up the visitors with people who were ready to do so, on week days, two young men would do so. It was obvious that the center of these actions was the Beit Hamidrash that was the center of activity for the town's Jews.

Rivka, Gerson Katzavs (Lichter) wife would always give a pot of food whenever asked to contribute to the needy, even at night.

Mrs. Leible Tepper and Rabbi Joshua Shohat also received food for passers-by whenever needed. Whatever these men gave was from their food. Rabbi Wolf Yudenberg was also among those whose house was always open to visitors on the Sabbath. He gave his visitors so much food that for this reason they were afraid to come to him. He used to say about his guests that if they were able to get up and go to the hostel by themselves, it meant they were still hungry.

The sick people was one of the town's worst problems. Needless to say there was no government or local medical facilities in the town. There wasn't even “Kupat holim” of our days. Families with low incomes who had even one member sick were in an especially difficult position. Medicine cost money which they did not have. The patient needed treatment and constant attention which relatives could not give. People who worked hard for a living gave under in such conditions. How could they stay awake at

[Page 45]

night near the patient's bed and leave early in the morning for work in order to bring food and support the family?

But the Jews, who always worried about others and took from their bread and gave to others, came together to try and find a solution to these problems with the slim means they had at their disposal. They did everything they could to support the needy.

For this purpose they founded “Bikur Holim”, whose name testifies as to what it did. The manager, secretary, gabai and main activist in this organization was Rabbi Azriel Optak. He did most of the worrying. He would teach small children, and like all teachers in those days, he was a poor man.

In spite of his worrying for his family's living he spent every free moment treating the sick and taking care of their needs.

Here, too, he was very modest.

When he heard of a sick person, he would send a doctor over to his house. If it was in a family that could not pay the doctor's bill or for the medicine, he would take care of the payments. He would also purchase any apparatus that the sick would need. The money for this cause came from the member fees that he himself collected from the local Jews. He would also ask young boys to stay over at the sick people's houses in order to make things easier for the healthy members, who came under with fatigue from the treatment and their work as well. Every such boy agreed to do so, so that no sick person was left unattended because he had no money. On more than one occasion was he to be seen going from house to house trying to get all sorts of things for the sick people. Rabbi Azriel would also supply goat's milk to sick people who needed it.

There were also families who volunteered to prepare meals consisting of meat for the needy, which the boys from the Beit Hamidrash would bring to the sick that Rabbi Azriel had given their addresses. This action was done by one man, without any publicity or noise.

Rabbi Yehezkiel Zeif, a wise and learned Jew, who was a teacher knew a lot about medicine and would go to sick people and help take care of them.

[Page 46]

Hinda, the Doctor's daughter, who also had a wide knowledge of medicine would go and help the sick.

Rabbi Shmuel Katz (the late) had told that his mother – although married and with children – would sleep from time to time at one of these houses.

Dr. Zorovsky, a non-Jew, was a human man and good-hearted. During two days of the week, he would treat poor people without payment. He would visit sick people without considering what he would get in return. From those who could not afford it, he would take no money at all. For years he was never seen with an angry face.

Dr. Kibutz was the town doctor. He was a good doctor and a good Jew. He did a loyal and dedicated job. He was an introverted man and never interfered with the daily life of the town.

Thus every man cared for each other in deeds and not in words. Instead of speeches calling for the need to worry, the Jews pitched in physically to help, often over and above their capabilities. The feeling of togetherness was shown in every way, as if all were one big family.

Writers and Poets

The poet Yaakov Shudrich

The poet Yaakov Shudrich was born in Uhnow in 1905. He was the fifth poet originated in this town. The first was Moshe Prizamant: a humorist and a real national poet.

[Page 47]

The second – Mordechai Gotfried – who composed Hebrew poems and had a special style.

The third – Avigdor Spritzer, poet and playwright.

And finally – two Spritzer pupils.

Yaakov Shudrich's father was a furrier, who worked 15 hours a day and still didn't earn enough for his wife and children. His mother nursed rich people's children. Such honest and flawless people were a rare sight even in those days.

Uhnow was only 20 kms from Belz. Even the craftsmen who did not go to the Belz Rabbi made an effort for their children to learn Torah.

Yaakov Shudrich learned chomesh with Rashi and a little g'mara. He wrote Yiddish in the Jewish school that Avigdor Spritzer founded in the town. He was close to his teacher until he left town. In 1930 Shudrich went to Lemberg where he stayed till the day he died.

In Lemberg he developed as a poet and printed songs in different languages.

In 1937 he published his first book “the Earth Talks”, that came out in 1953 in Argentina by Avigdor Spritzer's inheritants.

Amidst the young Galician writers there is not one that had the difficult time that Yaakov Shudrich had, in his struggle for existence as well as his experiences to find a framework to express himself in his special way.

Short and withered, almost with dry lips and almost always coughing and feverish – he burned for his songs and his ideas.

He was born to be a good lyrican, to sing the lonely dreaming song but life gave him a difficult time. He was born to live among fields, forests, mountains and rivers, but sat all his life in narrow and dark places, near dried skins.

Fighting and dreaming, everyday reality and imagination that fought

[Page 48]

between them inside him – attacked his body and prevented him from accomplishing perfection.

When he published a wonderful poem in the “Zushtayer”: “Bartan Hulian”, he drew attention at once. He described nature and man, like one of nature's forces. He finished one great poem: “Der Bal Shem un Dabash”. This poem was the most beautiful perfection that he had accomplished in his life. In it he succeeded in describing national motivation in a deep lyrical ay. In it he pointed out the natural light in the Carpathian Mountains among them two tall mountains: The Ba'al Shem and the Dabash.

In spite of his suffering in life and the disappointments that he went through – until the last moment he did not lose his faith in mankind. In a letter written in the ghetto in a trembling weak hand, after the massacre the German gangs carried out against the Jews “he still believes that there will still be another future, ten times better”.

He was weak, really sick all his life, but still dreamed of a real physical battle against the German murderers. He writes in that letter “All the time I dreamt of fighting together with the partisans somewhere in the woods. Even though I never carried a gun I would like to learn and was willing to do anything but unfortunately I wasn't lucky.”

He tried to make his dream come true. In February, 1943, Jewish youngsters organized, among them Shudrich, who bribed a Polish driver to take them out of the ghetto, to the woods, where they could join the partisans. But instead of taking them to the woods, he took them to the Gestapo, where they were killed.

Shudrich wrote little. And even from that bit not all of it remained. From his poem “Bartan Holian” only the content remained. His poem “Der Bal Shem Tov un Dabash” was completely lost. I mentioned “Bartan Holian” because she was a beautiful opening to the second poem and this went back to the beginning, which unfortunately was the end.

Shudrich was a poet, but could have been a famous one with the poem on the Polish Jews: their needs, dreams, and their tragic annihilation.

During the Russian conquest, the Jewish writers in Lviv were a special

[Page 49]

department in the General Writers Association in Lviv. The secretary was Yaakov Shudrich.

Yaakov Shudrich wrote songs on the Ukrainian robber Dobosh (according to the legend the Bast and Dabash were friends). In one letter that was saved Shudrich mentioned his spirit and his literary work in 1942.

I'm leaving these poems unsmoothed, raw, with no improvement or polish whatsoever. I see that the wiping out of my people is a fact. There will be a few songs to show that I existed and created, even though the “Haliph” is on my neck”.

Avigdor Spritzer was born in Uhnow in 1898, studied in the “cheder” and in the Beit Hamidrash in Uhnow. After that he moved to Nemirov, Rava Ruska and Trambavlya, where he came face to face with general literature, Yiddish as well as new Hebrew. During World War I, he taught for a short in a school for invalids in Vienna.

His literary work began with writing songs. Afterwards he wrote anecdotes and then the poem “Job”. After that he returned to Uhnow and managed the Jewish Hebrew school. He also organized a theatre and was active in Zionist circles.

In 1926 he came to Argentina. At first he was a teacher at the IKKA School in Mazevilly and then at the Jewish school in Buenos Aires. He wrote stories, songs and poems for children. He also participated in the Jewish newspapers in Argentina and also in “De Yiddische Zeitung” and “De Presse”, where for years he edited the children's corner. He also published “Ruth” and “Yiddisch Fiddele” – children stories. And “Der Goldener Fadim” which includes an interesting story. He also published a chomesh in the form of “Masselach fur Kindar”.

Itzhak Arieh Berger

Born 13.2.1907 in Uhnow and was a teacher. His songs were published in “The Cochav” (TR D), “Hasolel”, “Davar”, etc. He won a literary prize on behalf of the magazine Be Derech (Gnazim, 364).

Brenner published a book of songs in the year TRZD, in Lviv, under the name “A Dying World”.

In the foreward to this book Yaakov Natanel, writes:

Young, productive Galicia, where Hebrew is the sole and painful expression of the generation forms a new chapter for itself in our generation. This chapter writes down with great amount of work and sweat, form the day that a group of Hebrew writers from “Ha solel” drew up a line of “precisely so”.

In spite of the cold of the Lviv district, its running noses and Zionism, in spite of the apparently” and “maybe not” of the house owners, people making a break through to creativeness and understanding his sole, the reality of our lives in the years 1933-34, full of poison and loss and lately having their full, it is a killer and a source of revival. We, the Hebrew creators of the state believe this, with our hearts, because in the artistic expression of suffering, is a sign of things to come. In publishing new creations, we believe wholeheartedly there is condolence and good hope in this fact.

“A Dying World” is an expression of freedom from distress. A generations cry for help is heard from inside.

We determine, therefore: the year – 1934…

The place: Galicia and in a wider extent, Poland.

The situation – poverty.

And here we publish a Hebrew song book. With our last pennies, from uneaten meals, and from unrepaired shoes. For bringing our souls together, waiting for the days of the Messiah.

Lviv, Chanukah Eve, 1934

[Page 51]

Only once in my life did I have a good summer, Before I woke up, before I became a man; Love, like an angry sea, filled my heart, And in the early morning fog quickly disappeared. The summer filled me with a strange new feeling, I saw before me wide gates opening up, Walking in paths unknown to a young soul – And my dream was quickly broken in a thick rainbow… Now I knew: those days were filled with plenty. But I threw them away and trampled with my feet, I left my quiet apartment and poor parents, And went in search of childhood dream. Now – every step, every word – destroyed. With doubt I roam from defeat to defeat -- --

On the night of the fifteenth of Ab, when we start to study together, it is difficult to find a place to sit in the Beit Hamidrash and in the Kloiz. After the “Ma'ariv”, every man and his book, every man and his candle (we studied by candlelight since there was no electricity). The attendant Rabbi Be'erish, gave everyone a candle. It is a wonderful sight to see a whole town fulfilling the commandment “Vagatah Bah Yomam Valilah”. Naturally not everyone kept up with their studies every night. Because a lot of them had other worries. Most of them barely made a living. There were those who

[Page 52]

needed help with their basic needs. Mainly food and “Sabbath needs” it was called. On Thursday nights, a pair of boys from the Beit Hamidrash, and also older people would go around collecting donations for this purpose, from among those who go regularly to the synagogue. They would go to everyone and say: It is needed for a Jew for Sabbath. And everyone would give according to his heart. They would use the break between Minha and Ma'ariv and collect the money. After the prayers they would bring the money to the needy and virtually at the last moment these would go and buy the flour and other products for the Sabbath. It was custom that everyone bake his own bread and Chalah and other baking products. The women were usually up Thursday nights and prepared the above products for the whole week.

Friday afternoon both young and elderly men went to the bathhouse, to the sweathouse and the miqve (there were no bathtubs at home). In the early evening after the candles were lit, everyone went to “Kabalat Shabbat” in the synagogues, the men with their sons beside them. Everyone's faces shone with no worry in them. “When Shabbat comes, rest comes”. I felt that a new breath was inside them.

One phenomenon which was not like the Uhnow Jews is worth considering. A phenomenon that in our day is hard to understand. It is difficult not to see it as a negative trait, but to see a few sunrays coming from it. If we consider the life pattern of the East European Jews, before the Holocaust, without overdoing it, we cannot but touch on this phenomena. The Jews of Uhnow were religious and were close to the zealots. The synagogues were full every day. But there were those on whom Hazal said “They are empty when they should be full of deeds like a fruit.” A few were.

[Page 53]

Even in communities like there were a few Jew who were not straight in their doing. And there were moral faults in them.

But when these faults are compared to the downfall we witness inside the people of Israel of our day, there is a difference in two directions. – One – the quality of these faults. In murder, violence, etc., no Jew would turn on. Only a few Jews would steal. The second – those who steered a bit from the moral way, they had a certain set of value. They did not altogether shake off God's image. There were certain points that thanks of them were not completely cut off from Jewish society. Both sides knew the dividing line which even those who steered aside did not pass. Even he who steered from the road felt at some point – even though a little far out – that it hurt his deeds. Even so society did not catch up these deviating Jews. A certain mutuality soared among them. Sometimes there was a certain paradox that now seems ridiculous.

A story about a Jew who was known as a pickpocket who sometimes used to borrow from so and so certain products for the Sabbath promising that on Thursday when he would earn – on Market Day – he would repay his debt. He would add: you know that I don't steal from Jews. He kept his promise. He often went back on this deed.

Moreover. In the conclusion of his days, seeing he could not go on with his “work”, he wanted to move to Lviv where his son lived. But he did not have enough money to rent a room. Once between “Minha” and “Ma'ariv” he stood in the Beit Hamidrash door, he turned to its comers and said: “My fingers have grown thick and cannot do their days work. I want to go to Lemberg, but I have no money to rent a flat. I won't let you leave here until you collect the sum I need”.

Somehow, the money was collected, when all present gave as much as they could.

This kind of help to someone who, in our days, was a member of the “Underworld”, will be better understood by another story, also connected with a Jew from Uhnow. The Rabbi from Uhnow was to marry off his daughter passed by Sarke the wife of the Rabbi of Canziga – the bride's sister – in Rava Ruska, while her hand was holding a leather suitcase

[Page 54]

and in it her dress and jewels for her sister's wedding. Suddenly a stranger passed by her, grabbed the suitcase, while the handle was left in her hand. She returned to Uhnow, hours before the wedding, with the bad news.

The rabbi's son was immediately consulted. He knew a Hybniever Jew in Rava Ruska, who was close to the group of thieves there. This Jew travelled to him immediately and told him of the boy with the suitcase on his shoulder. The ”agent” told the messenger from Hybniev that he will check if there is nothing missing because he has business with thieves … and of course nothing was missing … There are stories of how these Jewish fellows protected their brothers from violent thugs.

This doesn't teach about right, on some ugly deed, only describes reality.

Real happiness as a result of togetherness among the Jews – could be seen at a town wedding. Nobody spared neither time nor energy, but everybody took part to make the families on both sides happy. This kind of happiness would begin at 7 o'clock in the evening and end with early morning.

Almost every Jew in town would get an invitation to every wedding. On the day of the wedding the synagogue janitor would personally invite all the men and a woman was sent – and get paid for it – to the housed to invite all the women, otherwise no one would appear at the wedding.

On the Sabbath the “Rise to the Torah” in the morning, the attendant would go to all the house to ask the men to escort the bridegroom to the synagogue.

Before the wedding the boys were at the bridegroom's house and the girls at the bride's house, singing and dancing. If the bridegroom was from out of

[Page 55]

town, the bride's relatives went to the railway station to meet him with a band. This way they brought him to the house and stayed with him until the ceremony.

There was no wedding hall in the town. The wedding meal was held at the bride's house. But the ceremony itself was held in winter and summer – in the synagogue's yard.

The crowd would accompany the groom, together with the band, to the synagogue and then the bride in a similar manner. From the ceremony to the wedding meal the bride and groom were accompanied with the aid of the band. The women would dance in front of them with woven chalas and candles in their hands. After spending time in the “cheder Yichud”, the bride and groom would come to the “hall” and the feast would begin. In a lot of cases the portions were handed out a number of times because there was no room for all present.

During the feast a comedian would brighten up the atmosphere. After he would call out the names of the “gift givers” and what they gave – in the groom's side. And afterwards those from the bride's side. This alone took two hours. It was clear that towards the end of the wedding the “mitzvah” dance was held, and only at the break of dawn would everything end.

On the Sabbath the “Seven Blessings” the attendant was sent to bring the men to escort the groom to the synagogue and a woman to invite the women to escort the bride. After the prayer, everybody was present at the “Kiddush”, and then the third meal.

The Jews from Uhnow are neither the first nor the last ones to be killed by the Nazi murderers. All the European Jewry, no matter where the murderers and their army came to, killed them one and all. The Jews of

[Page 56]

Galicia – from Auschwenzin until Snatten – and the large and colorful community from Ukrainia – from Brody, Burdechiev and Kiev and the surrounding area – was razed to the ground. The educated Jews from Litha – a street of wise ones – where are they? A man in close by himself. All those large and colorful communities – are a memory of everlasting beauty. I painted and wrote a bit about Uhnow, (the city where I was born) sixty years ago – in prose. And an elegy on the Holocaust that came over in the year 1942—43. The elegy is about all the communities that were massacred and wiped out by the Nazi murderers –But to my town I gave a special honor – because it is close to my heart. I was born there and grew up there and there I was elevated. Thanks to these missing Jews I am what I am a writer and a poet.

A few of my private memories will be engraved in eternal writing as a souvenir of this writer and his spirit. My descendants will know that they stem from a city of Torah and zealots. And their fathers were Abraham, Itzhak and Yaakov, believers and sons of believers, righteous and worldly people.

May they rest in peace!

Our house was outside the city. It stood on a small hill and I had the chance to go far away from the city and the noise from the other side – to Carib and to the other side to Podovitch. In winter the rivers were frozen and everything covered with snow. And when winter would go on its way I escaped from the “melamed's” cheder and from our narrow room I would hide and watch the river and look at the horizon and the blue sky and I would live a natural life. I hear the herds' whistle and the birds sing. Sometimes I should whistle and sing like that and I would and I would…

[Page 57]

“Not a city boy but a song boy”.

Sometimes I left the gamra and all its “meanings” and escaped into nature's folds.

From the eve of Passover until L”G of Omer – how did I spend my days and nights? A wild and devilish boy I was – rest was not for me, only what? Keeping on the move! I climbed on the highest trees in town – Podovitch – and threw down the fruit that grew there. There were instances when the farmers – who saw what I was doing – ran after me with sticks in their hands and I was as quick as an eagle and escaped. When they disappeared -- I went back to doing what I did before. I was a naughty boy in nature's folds. Nature – be it physics or metaphysics has an effect on those who sit in its folds and makes them naughty physically and mentally.

The boys in the Beit Hamidrash said I was a genius. I knew by heart all the tractates; the gamra and the R”N the methods and the logics and a few more books. The “genius” if it did not develop would not leave this group and go to wider groups, what was there is no wide horizon to his spirit.

Those same sights – the sights of climate and nature stayed the same and with no counter-value. There is no remembrance to the Jews and zealots of this town.

The poet has to have a talent to mourn a new dirge. What is “Cinat Eicha” to that town's dirge that the poet will mourn on the loss of Knesset Israel in Europe – and my town Uhnow horrid destruction “in my minds a new dirge awakens upon the death of these hearts”.

[Page 58]

Portraits of Different People from the Town

Rabbi Shraga Feibel

A relation by marriage of the late Rabbi Aahron from Belz. He died in Israel.

Was a blesser with the Admore the late Rabbi Aahron from Belz.

Was a leader in prayer and a reader with the Admore from Belz. The late Rabbi Aahron from Belz appointed him to teach his late sons. While he was in Uhnow he taught Rabbi Shmuel Frankel from Belz. He was wise and said that the light was in the faces of the young men of Uhnow.

Rabbi Abraham Leib was a very special type of person, who in spite of total blindness, kept every mitzvah, always sat in the cloys and learned everything that was read to him. He came to Uhnow already “sagi nahor” after the Kishniev pogroms in 1903.

His biggest happiness would be on “Simhat Torah” Rabbi Abraham Leib contributed a lot to it. He gathered all the children, inspired them and made dancing circles by using a special tune, rhyming the whole alphabet. Afterwards, in answer to his cry of “holy herd”, the children would yell

[Page 59]

loudly “me, me”… That's how Simhat Torah” was celebrated. That was the kind of singing our late dear ones would sing.

Who will replace them?

He laid the foundation of the Kloiz Yeshiva was it head for six years. He was a darshan in every sense of the word, who would go through the towns and make himself heard. Before he was a rabbi in Postan and was called the Postan rabbi.

Rabbi Eliezer Rokach's son – was a dayan in Valinkah. An interesting episode about him, from Asher Kleinshipiz: Once, when Zalman Zeif visited him and they sat alone he turned to him with the name “rabbi” and said to him: “Don't make an affair of this. In the presence of others call me “rabbi”, but between us say to me “you” Leibish is my name and that is it”.

The son-in-law of the Admor Ahron from Belz.

[Page 60]

Rabbi Abraham'le Shahat

A great reader in every sense of the word who, with his soft and pleasant voice, would make his listeners' hearts tremble. Everyone could see that he was able to carry out his responsibilities as a public servant.

As the end drew near and he felt that he was weakening, he wanted to stop passing by the Reader's Desk. But a step like this he dared not ask without asking the Admor, the late Rabbi Isahar Dov from Belz. When he approached the Rabbi with his request, the latter answered that as long as his e yes were open and he even is forced to sit on a chair, he should continue praying before the pillar.

There were more synagogue readers of “Shaharit”: for instance, Rabbi Yehoshua Shohat. And after he became a shohat in Lvov, Rabbi Yaakov Shohat (a shohat from Reisla) came in his stead. Jews whose free time was devoted to Torah and prayer every day of the year. As public servants on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur was in the sense of: “all my bones will talk”. My friend Ziegel, whose father's residence was in Kloiz, near Rabbi Yehoshua Shohat, told me that even today when he is remembered in “:Nishmat Kol Chai” as Rabbi Yehoshua Shohat would say in his prayer alone, he would shaker and feel cold to his bones.

All the prayer readers, without exception were righteous men, and were deemed fit for their holy mission. It should be mentioned that not one of them fulfilled this mission for any payment whatsoever. Not everyone merited having this holy mission bestowed upon him. It was also a “Herka” for the rest of one's life. And whoever was privileged to be a public servant.

It is said that The above Abraham'le Shohat during his last days, on his sickbed, was saddened by the fact that he was prevented from being a public

[Page 61]

servant during “Kol Nidre” because of his weakness. As usual it was his work to pray: Kol Nidre, Mussaf and Neilah. In that year he only prayed Mussaf and Neilah. Until the end he was sorry that he could not pray “Kol Nidre” as a public servant, as if he had been (Chas vahilila) unfaithful to his job. This goes to show the faithfulness that these people fulfilled their holy mission.

Yihe Zichram Baruch!

My father the late Joseph Goldfarb or, as he was called by the townsfolk, Yossele “Leshnizivker” after the place we lived in, was born in Uhnow, which was near the Solikiah River. About 1 kilometer from the city was a railroad station. To get to it one had to cross two bridges. Near the bigger was a flour mill in a two-story house. I would like to stress that in our town most of the houses were one-story buildings, only the buildings which had the flour mill, courthouse and the post office were big and you could see them from a distance.

We lived not far from the railroad station in a place called “Lishnizivka” which was art of the Olikov farm and Magdalenka farm which belonged to a Polish gentleman name Skolimovski. My late father was foreman of these farms for a period of forty years.

This area was populated only by goyim. And we were the only Jewish family living in it. Our relationship with them and the Polish gentleman was good. They also honored my parents. My late father had a very extensive knowledge: he knew Torah and Talmud and also mathematics. Very often people gathered at our house to learn or to ask advice. Also farm-owners from the whole area would not buy or sell land or forests until my father would measure them. In spite of all his work he had time for

[Page 62]

everything. He did not neglect our education. He would check our homework every day and ask what we did during the day. He would also learn Gamra every day before going to bed.

My late mother, Leah, was born in Corneah near Rava Ruska. She was an intelligent woman who took part in everything whether happy or sad. There were also families who were provided with bread and other needs by my mother. Our house was always full of guests from every sector, including merchants, travelers and poor people. The house stood on a crossroad which led from several towns to the city and this was the reason why the house was always full of people.

My late parents were very religious people, followers of Belz. But they were also Zionists. Thanks to the education I received from them I came to Eretz Yisrael before World War II and did not change my view points until today. It could be that the atmosphere at home affected me and as a result I love guests and friends.

In 1924 my late father finished working on the farm after forty years, having come of age to receive his pension. Then my parents decided that living among goyim was not worth it and we moved into town. My father joined the “Lina Zedek”, which an organization helping the sick there was being no hospital in our city as well as no nurses. Only people would volunteer to go to a sick person and help him out.

My father was different from the other followers in that he was not anti-Zionist and permitted me to join the Zionist Movement, when the other youth were forced to do it secretly. This caused the inobservance of the precepts of the religion, when I managed to combine the two together (Religion and Zionism).

My father was one of the worshippers of the “Kloiz” where only the followers prayed. One of the town's people told me what happened. The followers wanted to oust from the “Kloiz” the boys who belonged to the Zionist Movement and my father got up to protect them saying that this way will force them to become cut off from trying to implement the commandments. In order to strengthen them he would sit and give of his

[Page 63]

time to teach them Gamra. Because the Hassidim honoured and respected my father they stopped fighting those boys.

I would like to tell something of the happenings about the city and its people, although a lot can be told. But this I leave to other people who probably remember more than me and even the different events that took place. What I will tell you now I heard from my late mother. There were two events concerning miracles. The first: in our town there were fires very often, because most of the houses were made of wood. Most of the fires started when sparks flew up the chimneys. In one of the big fires, in which most of the town houses were burned, a miracle took place: There lived a tailor, a religious and God-fearing man, who died a number of years before this fire. He was survived by a daughter. When the fire burned she was not at home, but when she noticed the fire she ran home and yelled that because of her holy father the house would be saved. While she was yelling, everyone thought she was mad. But a miracle happened and all the houses surrounding them were burned, while her house was left standing and was untouched by the fire.

A second miracle happened during World War I in 1914.

When the Russians conquered Galicia, they came to Lashnizovka where we lived one and a half kilometers from Uhnow, where a great general from the Czarist family was killed (Nikolai Mickolouvitz). And why was it a miracle? Because it was a Caucasian company that if they captured the town they would have massacred the Jews as had happened in many other places, and in this manner we were saved from the murderers.

In the family we were one son and three daughters. The son died at the age of 24 leaving a daughter who is now in Israel and her name is Reisel Tischler. My eldest sister, the late Bluma, was married to the late Abraham Yaakov Neiman, who was a religious man and a zealot. They had four sons named Azriel, Pinchas Zvi, Issachar Dov and Shmuel Mordechai. My sister, the late Ella and her husband, the late Israel Zweig, had two children: a son named Moshe and a daughter named Rachel Sarah, after our dear grandmother from my mother's side. My brother-in-law was a

[Page 64]

farmer, and a good and kind man. They were all killed in the Holocaust that came on our people in World War II. They were killed by the damned Nazis without knowing when where and how it happened. There was no one left. May they rest in peace.

The daughter Esther Reisner nee Goldfarb.

How difficult it is to write about you my dear Uhnow! How difficult it is to write down on paper all that is buried deep in the heart, to paint and to remember paces and faces that don't exist and have departed from us.

It is necessary to go back 20-30 years in order to relive past memories, that will never, never come back.

It have felt the pain of your destruction our town and cried over the death of your pure Jews. My soul yearns when I remember you and the places where I was born, and the same era when I grew up and the days of youth that I passed there. I will always remember you with pain and I will not forget you, because the pain of losing those dear ones that lived in you is too great.

When I start to write, I see all those Jews that lived in Uhnow, plain and pure Jews, folklore heroes (stories written by Peretz). Great Jewish scholars. And just simple Jews who went here and there all year round; that worried about making a livelihood. But there were all good Jews. I will remember all of them with pride and with pain.

How did the Jewish youth in Uhnow spend its time? There was no high school in our town, no trade school, no recreation places, there was even no electricity. Even so no one was ever bored, because we passed our time on the Book. There the youth found a meaning and a pleasure. It studied alone, by itself. It studied, read, picked, sought out solutions to painful

[Page 65]

questions and indefinite problems. But they lived rich internal and spiritual lives, which gave them a feeling of satisfaction and filled their world with happiness.

First I will sadly remember my dear parents: Aahron, Izhak and Pini whose deaths were so tragic.

My good father had a slightly crooked nose. When I was small my father told me – when I asked him about it -- that once the goyim in Uhnow went out to hit the Jews. As usual the Jews were always run after, frightened and panicked and hid. My father was a strong man. He looked out through a crack and saw that a goy caught a Jew and was hitting him to death. My father could not resist, tore himself outside to help the Jew and was then hurt in his face. The next day, while in the hospital with the other wounded he found out that his nose was broken. Since then he had a scar. Years later I was very proud of this sign.

I will remember with grace my holy mother. She was a meek person and a loving woman. She suffered a lot because of her children. She wanted to give them everything, but could give them nothing. This did not prevent her from helping the needy.

Whoever needed a piece of meat, whoever needed money and how she could just help as much as she could.

My brother-in-law was Leizer Hirsch. I will remember him lovingly and on the best side. He was an artisan by profession, and gentle in character. He always kept promises and was true to his word. If he promised to finish the furniture by a certain date, he would work night in order to fulfil this promise. He was honest. He did not cheat in his work, nor forge. That is why his work was always the best.

I will remember my sister Molly, and their children who did not live and died so young: Their daughter Hanna, a fair woman, thin and delightful. Their son David and their daughters Monthshele, Leitshele and Sara.

With pain and sorrow I will cry over my brother Walwish Shtahl, with his young wife Mellah Cramer, who helped me a lot in arranging my life. And also kept “Kibud Av”

[Page 66]

His helped our parents until the end. He started arranging his life and he finished it. May they rest in peace.

I will remember my Uncle Abraham Sofer, my mother's brother, poor, good-hearted, honest an excited zealot, a very profound believer, he was devoted to the Rabbi from Belz in every sense of the word.

It is difficult to write on my dear friend Brentshe Malca. Beautiful, clever, smart, talented, an open mind, a wonderful conversationalist, a devoted friend and kind-hearted. How cozy and interesting it was to be in her presence. Her parents, Haim Udah and Mali, always welcomed us beautifully.

There was a street in Uhnow called (Schul Gessel), because the synagogue stood there. I grew up on this street. A few steps from there lay the fields. And not far from there – the river. In this area I spent the most beautiful years of my life.

We had a neighbor “Der politischer Melamed”. He was a wise scholar. He made his living being a melamed. I loved the melodies that came out of his house. I always went in because his daughters were my closest friends. All day he sat and studied with his pupils. In the evening he would go with them to the fields – in order to breathe some air. What an ideal atmosphere was in their house between him and his wife Eve. I loved their daughter Racthshele Horoshovsky, who was beautiful. She was full of life. More than once I went to her parents to recommend someone for her.

We had another neighbor across from us. The tailor “Walf Maneses”. I was a household member by them, because his daughter was also my friend. Poor Surka was gentle and clever who died in the peak of her life leaving two orphans to her husband Zisha, who so loved her and mourned her very much.

I cannot pass by Berl Kliegar, who because of his devotion to his mother, lost his life. Once he gave up his great love because he did not want to leave his old mother alone. And a second time gave up coming to Israel because he did not want to leave her. He was a well-mannered boy. He treated everyone with the respect due to him. He was the one who pushed

[Page 67]

me into going to “hachshara”. “Go and travel to Israel”, he said. But he never got around to it.

Abraham Klughoipt grew up and lived together with me in the same house. He was like a brother, and I liked him. He was a poor orphan. He would pour out his heart to me. He was good-hearted but he was out of luck. He was not liked by his family, but he succeeded in being liked by his friends and close relations.

Haim Katz was a good friend of mine, a craftsman. His whole life he sat and worked. In the evening he sat with his books. In summer before going to work he would wake up, go to the field and read. Not once did we meet him there. Our discussions were very interesting.

Forgive me all those whom I did not mention. I will remember everyone in goodness and grace and will never forget anyone at all.

May they rest in peace!

I was amongst the rest of the Jews who were sent to work by the Juden Rat. My last working place had been a farm in the Uhnow district and I was there for 7 weeks. Within the framework of transferring Polish citizens from place to place and the confiscation of their property by the Germans there was a Pole from Pozan – together with his family from the Uhnow district, and this farm that had belonged in the past to a Jew, was given to this Pole.

In the beginning I worked in the fields, but after the Goya housemaid that had worked for this family, ran away, they put me in her place as a housemaid. In the frame of this work I was forced amongst the rest of the chores to feed and water the pigs. The boss was an easy-going man while his wife was a real anti-Semite. When in November 1942 they were going to

[Page 68]

transfer all the Jews to a ghetto near Rava Ruska, it was plain that this order included me too, but then, one day while I was serving a meal, the housewife turned to me and said “It is a pity that you will be sent there too. You are so good”. To this her husband questioned what could be done to help me and she answered that she would think about the matter and after a time she said “I have an idea that I think is possible” and then she asked me if I had money. “Money I haven't got” I replied “But I have a nice wardrobe”. “If so, listen” she said “I had a sister and when she was still little, my father ran away with her and all their traces vanished. No one remembers her. I will go to the priest and get a birth certificate for her and for this I'll give him your wardrobe. This birth certificate I'll give to you and you can present yourself as my sister – as a Christian and so save your soul. It will be impossible to find out that you are not my sister because no one remembers her. Only in Uhnow could they catch on to this trick because you are known there, but there, no one will question this matter because my sister wasn't from Uhnow.

In the period that this family dwelt in the Uhnow district, a Polish woman stayed with them and she was arrested and jailed after she was caught buying food products out of her living district which was illegal in those days. She was released by a friend of my boss's wife when she asked him to help, and that is why she came to give thanks for the help she had received and before she left the farm she said to the house-wife “As thanks for your help, I'll always be ready in the future to re-pay you any favor when you need it and I'll always be ready to fulfil it”.

Now, after getting the sister's birth certificate the house-wife turned to me and said “Go to this Polish woman and introduce yourself as my sister and my request is that she'll look after you.” I immediately went to Poland to where she lived in Radosh (not far from Odbocheck – 6 kilometers before reaching Warsaw). Now it was obvious that from that minute onwards until the end of the war, I was to present myself as a gentile.

On the way, on the train I saw a man from our town and I am sure that he too was disguised as a gentile, and when I realized that he meant to speak to me, I signaled to him that I was not Jewish and that he didn't

[Page 69]

know me. The signal was understood and we travelled all the way as if we did not know each other.

When I arrived at this Polish woman's house in Radosh, she greeted me and gave me the job of housemaid. She lived with her old mother and the house was divided into two flats. One was rented to an engineer. She worked me very hard, but I did not complain for in exchange I had my life. I did any chore that there was to do and they had a goat that I tended. I used to feed her and walk her through the streets of town. By the amount of work I did, I did the work of several people and I felt it in my bones every night when I went to sleep. The daughter was quite a placid woman, but her mother was very hard-hearted. Once I was nearly turned over to the police because of her. It happened when her daughter was away buying food products. She had once give a piece of the collar of her fur coat to the gentile housemaid that had worked for her before me. When she was asked for another piece she refused, so the housemaid stole a big piece, and the daughter did not say anything about it to her mother. Later the mother found out that all the back of the coat was missing, so she pounced on me with shouting and yelling that I was responsible and all my denials were of no use. “What” she shouted “Angels took it” and wanted to go to the police. Nothing helped me to stop her from taking this step. I begged her to send a telegram to her daughter to come home so that she could hear the truth. When I saw her on her way to the police, I found all the courage within myself and I stopped her from leaving the house and to my luck she became hysterical. I gave her two ringing slaps on the face and ordered to go straight to bed. Later I forced her to write a telegram to her daughter which I sent immediately, together with one from me. After a few days the daughter came home. I told her of the accusation her mother had made and although she knew I was in the right she still complained why I had hit her mother. In 1943 when Ghetto Warsaw was demolished I was still in Radosh. In one of my outings in the town I got hold of pieces of “Cidurim” and all sorts of books from synagogues and after making sure that no one was watching I hid them in a hole in a tree.

At that time the Germans insisted that everyone held a citizen-card,

[Page 70]

This was given when presenting a birth certificate. Mine, the daughter's and her mother's were sent to the right office, but to my bad luck, we received an answer after a while they were lost and that we should make new ones and because I didn't live in the place where I was born, I couldn't get one from the local priest – only my “Sister” from Uhnow could get one for me as she had done the first time. So we wrote to her and explained what we needed but a few weeks went by and no reply came, because she felt that she didn't have to help me anymore. This fact put me in grave danger and I cried at night about my bad luck. The daughter noticed my crying and she asked why. Having no choice, and after being there 5 months I had to tell her that I was Jewish. This meant that I endangered both her and her mother's lives and even though they were only doing me a favor, anyone who hid a Jew was executed. After that I told her that I would leave, but to my surprise she said that I could stay while she thought about some way to help me, because I had done her a big favor – during a thorough clean-up of her cellar I had found a ring that was the only memento she had from her dead finance, and she had lost it, but I think the real reason was that she realized that if I left she would need several people to do the work that I had been doing. When she asked if I had any money I told her that I had 300 zlotys, so she took the money and sent it with a letter to my “Sister” in Uhnow, saying that she thanked her for sending her “sister” who is a very good worker and that the money is for her to go to the priest and get a new birth certificate. In 8 days the reply and birth certificate came back. She was probably scared that if she didn't fix it the whole affair would blow-up and they would find out that she lied in the beginning.

Now, another problem was left. In that particular district it was forbidden to change address, only in Warsaw could you outfox this law, because in every building there was someone to register inhabitants, and it was easy to put a new name in between the lines of the 1940 list. For this reason, the daughter took the last of my money and went to a girl-friend in Warsaw and put me on the list of her building. And so, I was listed in Warsaw and lived in Radosh. In the meantime she taught me a few Christian prayers, in case of need, because when people suspected of being

[Page 71]

Jews were interrogated, they were asked if they knew any prayers. The fright that maybe someone would find out that I was Jewish ran after me like a shadow, and every movement or look from a stranger scared me. Once, while walking the goat I saw someone watching me with binoculars, and when I told the daughter about it and that I must leave, she laughed and said that they were only looking at me because I was pretty.

After a row and court case between the daughter and the engineer, as he was leaving he said “I haven't finished with you yet” and pointing at me added “I know that this one is registered in Warsaw”. So for this reason I left and looked for a place in Warsaw, where because of its size, it was easier to keep out of the way of the law. Again she helped me and found me a place with a widowed acquaintance with a big flat, who needed a housemaid. I stayed there from 1943 to the Polish uprising. The conditions were good, I worked well and remembered my former employer and her kindness and used to send her packages of food. I was frightened nearly all the time and from this would get high temperatures, as much as 40 C, but I kept on working as if nothing happened, but eventually I began to spit blood. The widow's daughter helped me to go to a private Doctor friend.

They were frightened that they might catch it too, but after a while, with good care, I got better. To go to the Doctor, I travelled by bus for the first time – previously everything I had needed was close by. Unknowingly I sat in a special seat reserved for high-ranking Germans, and everyone thought I was a spy, so, after this I went only by foot – sometimes considerable distances.

After the failure of the Polish uprising, on the 5^th day, the Germans came to the flat. We raised our hands and they evicted us, as with a lot of other people. When I wanted to get my coat, a German threatened to shoot me, but I didn't listen, took it, but he didn't shoot. In this way they took 15,000 Poles to the market place and shot into the crowd and not till 12 o'clock did the order come to stop shooting. The widower and I were amongst the survivors. We were there for 5 days and nights and somehow managed to find enough food and water to stay alive. Once when I went to pull a carrot out of the ground, a Russian accosted me and only by telling

[Page 72]

him that I had a terrible disease could I get him to leave me. At night was the worst for the women. The Germans looked for them with torches. The widower told me to bundle myself up in my coat and then he sat on me, so that the Germans couldn't see me. This way I survived. Later he told me that I had shivered so much that he was frightened that I would give myself away.

After 5 days of this they finally marched us, in terrible heat, 5 kilometers. I was so exhausted that I couldn't carry even my overcoat and wanted to throw it away, but the engineer carried it for me, with his last bit of energy and said “Who knows, you may need it one day”. They took us to a place where there were a lot of Polish bodies lying on the ground. The Germans had killed them in reprisal for the uprising. From there they loaded us on to trains (like the Jews that were sent to death) and transported us to Schlezia in Germany. At every station in Germany the train stopped and they unloaded 500 of us. I was put off at Mittelberg. Every day someone came from the employment bureau and took who they needed, for all types of work. I was very lucky – I was with a group of 10 women who went to Olidsberg to work in a cloth factory. It was comparatively easy work and I stayed there until the liberation. There were 650 women in that camp. As a gentile, I went to church on Sundays. While the others were praying I could concentrate on my thoughts. Confessions were made collectively to the priest, but one day I refused to go to the priest to take the holy bread. When the women asked me why not, I replied that I believed in G-d but didn't need a go-between. To one woman, I said that one day I should tell her more, and after the war I told her that I was Jewish, and that I hadn't wanted to laugh at what others took seriously. She was surprised, and complimented me on my stand.

In so many of the places that I moved as a gentile amongst the Poles I heard talks full of venom and hatred for the Jews. Even to the extent of partisans killing Jewish partisans, even though they were fighting the same enemy. Such were the feelings for the Jews.

The fact that my looks helped me to pose as a gentile and so escape the worst of the war were t cause me hurt afterwards. At the end of the war I

[Page 73]

worked for the Polish Red Cross and across the road was a Jewish refugee camp. I went there, and by the prayers knew it was Rosh Hashana. I entered and started crying, even though I thought that I had been well hardened by what I had been through. I said that I was Jewish and that I wanted to join ink but they told me to come back the next day. When I came back next day, there was a committee of 3 men waiting for me, because they hadn't believed me. It was only when I started to sing “Rachemna” did they believe me. Later on, they still didn't want me and said that every German knew a few prayers too, but finally when I remembered the prayers that my mother had taught my little brother for going to the Torah they finally believed me – that I was Jewish.

A few days after the war broke out (12.9.39), I was called upon to join the Polish army. A lot of people were called up together with me, included two from Uhnow: Slomo Fogel and Alter's son-in-law. The next day we arrived in Yaroslav with a train full of people who were recruited. When we got there, the Germans surrounded the train and imprisoned all the passengers who were still in civilian dress. These were grouped as Jews, Ukrainians, and Poles. This made me suspect that they intended killing the Jews and I told my friend that we had better make a run for it. There was a river close by and I jumped into it. I swam over to the other side and entered the town, where I stayed the whole night. At the break of dawn, I continued to the next town. Because I was soaking wet, I changed clothes. I also ate.

I stayed there for two days, after which I hit the road going to Uhnow arriving the next day.

  Uhniv, Ukraine     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 8 Nov 2015 by MGH