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The Tragic Fate of the Volkovysk Jews

By Yitzhak Tchopper

In memory of my father, Reb Leib, the son of Jedediah Tchopper, my mother Ziss'l (from the Zabludowsky family), who were killed in the bombing, my wife, Batya, and my son, Emanuel.

My worthy landsleit!

I, Yitzhak, the son of Reb Leib Tchopper, and a grandson of Jedediah, born in Volkovysk, lived in Zamoscheh until 1928, and afterwards in the center of the city, on the Grodno Gasse, in the house of Sholom Barash (which later belonged to Yud'l Bereshkovsky), where we also had an ironmonger's store.

I was a member of a many-branched and deeply rooted Volkovysk family. I spent the best of my young years in Volkovysk, had many friends, a number of which live today in Israel, America, Canada, and Argentina. My wife, Batya, the daughter of Mordechai Moorstein (from the Ostroger Gasse), and my son, Emanuel, my parents, and the rest of my entire family were all exterminated. It was fated that I alone remain alive from my entire family.

I survived the Polish-German War, the Soviet occupation, and later, the German occupation, with all the troubles of the Hitler-occupation – the bombing, the burning of our city, the countless anti-Semitic decrees from wearing the yellow insignias, going to the fields, living the entire time in fear of death – until they took us away on November 2, 1942 into the bunkers. I survived the horror of the bunkers, the time when they took all of our nearest to Treblinka (I remained behind in the count of the last 1,700 people), the great typhus epidemic – and to the last, deported with the last transport to Auschwitz on January 26, 1943, where I was among the “fortunate” 210 men, who were brought to the Auschwitz lager. I then survives all the decrees in the camp, the selections, in which almost all of our other brethren were exterminated – and it was fated that I remain alive.

I therefore take it upon myself as a sacred obligation – as one who has survived all of these sorrowful days and remained the only one alive, who also experienced all those former good and normal times in our city – to give an accounting to our landsleit, wherever they may be found, of the fate of all their near ones and friends, who fell in Sanctification of The Name. I will exert myself to communicate all the details, as far as it is possible – in the order of the streets and the houses – in order that it can be known what happened to them, and that it remain as a permanent memorial for our martyrs that we have lost – to be remembered for those generations that will follow us. And may God help that such occurrences will never, ever happen again.

 

Zamoscheh

The left side – From the train station in the direction of the city.

Yaakov Weinstein (a son of David Gisha's), a Porter. He had brothers in America. A son of his was shot at the barracks when he went there about an issue. His wife and a second son were killed in Treblinka. He came with us on the transport to Birkenau-Auschwitz, but was sent directly from the train station to the crematorium.

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Simcha Berg, son of Herschel the contractor. His wife, Shayna was a daughter of ‘Tal U'Mottor,’ as he was called. Her parents and sister are in America. His older son, Ben'yeh, went into the Polish army at the outbreak of the war in 1939. He was taken prisoner by the Germans, and was later killed in Germany. Simcha Berg was taken away by the Germans among the first 200 men in an aktion that they carried out a month after their occupation of Volkovysk, and was killed there. His wife was killed in Treblinka. His younger daughter and her husband, a son of Klempner, both came with us to Auschwitz, and died there. His daughter Rosa, is today found in Israel.

Metchik. One son of his, Abraham Herschel, went into the Polish Army at the outbreak of the war in 1939. The Germans captured him, and later killed him there. His wife, Zina (a daughter of Eliyahu M. Levin, who lives in Chile) along with her two children, Chaim and Lena, were killed in Treblinka. Metchik's daughter Chana, with her husband and children were killed in Treblinka. Two sons of his second daughter Reizl, Feivel and Itzel, fled on November 2, when the Nazis ordered the Jews to leave their homes and go to the bunkers. However, the Nazis caught them on the very same day in the train station park, and shot them immediately. Their mother, Reizl died a week later in the bunkers from heartbreak. Her husband, Meir Velvel Zlotnitsky was killed in Treblinka.

Yaakov Minkovich. He worked in the kitchen of the Kushnir's. His wife Hinde (a sister of Mopsik, the hatmaker's wife) and the children, were killed in Treblinka. Only one son, who was in Russia during the war, remained alive. A second son, Shmeryl, a hatmaker, who was married to a daughter of Abraham Lovzovsky the pearl merchant, was wounded during the bombardment, and had a foot amputated. His child was killed in the bombing. Later, he together with his wife were killed in Treblinka.

Shayna Shapiro, Or as she was called, ‘Die Vatchachiner.’ Her family is in America. She was also in America for a while, but later returned to Volkovysk. There, she lived with a friend, and old maid, Sarah Rivka Kolgavin. Both were killed in Treblinka.

Aaron Riplansky's Family. His wife, and daughter Tcherneh, with her husband were killed in Treblinka. His son, Gershon, who lived in a village adjacent to Izavelin, was also killed in Treblinka along with his family. His sister, Tzipa, with her husband, Leibeh Schorr, a shoemaker, together with their children, were buried in a cellar on the Tatarski Gasse during the bombardment. Many people were buried in that location. One daughter, however, was rescued, but she was later killed in Treblinka.

Abraham Milkov, of the general store. He lived together with his youngest daughter, Mirkeh. They were killed in Treblinka. A second daughter of his, Lyuba, who got married in Slonim, was killed there in one of the mass slaughters that took place there. The other daughter, Chaya, and her family, were also killed, according to what I have heard. One son and one daughter reside in Israel.

Shmuel Pitotsky, a Hairdresser, was a Vice-President of the Hairdresser's Society in Volkovysk. He is a brother of Chaya Feygl (Motkeh Kilikovsky's wife). He, his wife and two children, were killed in Treblinka.

Leibeh Pereminsky, a carpenter (a son of Shayna Nat'teh's). He, and his wife and children were killed in Treblinka.

Aryeh Velvelsky, from the general store (Shimon Rutchik's son-in-law). He, together with his wife Rachel and son, Shimshon were killed in Treblinka. A second son, Berel, was a physician-surgeon, and was killed during the aktion against the Volkovysk doctors. A third son, Eliyahu was sentenced by the Soviets to five years in

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prison for speculation, and because of this remained alive. He is still in Russia. According to what I have heard, he was sentenced to another eight years in prison.

Beckenstein, a tailor from Piesk, who had a handicapped son. The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Shlomo Shkolnik, a son of Karpel's. At the end, he had a restaurant. His son, Liova went into the bunkers. There, together with 9 other men he worked out a plan for escaping into the forest. They escaped from the bunkers, and hid out in the Neuer Gessel, and waited for an opportunity to carry out their plan. The Germans, however, caught them in their hideout, and brought them to the barracks. At that time, the leaders of the Judenrat were called out of the bunkers, and all of these young people were shot in front of them. Shlomo's wife, [H]Odel, a daughter of the teacher from Dereczin, and a sister of Abraham and Meir Zaklas, later was killed in Treblinka.[1] Her husband, Shlomo, who remained with the rest of the children among the residual total of the 1700 people, later died in the lager from typhus. His son, Itzel, and his daughter, Taiba and her husband, Yoss'l Langbord (Pelteh the Moditskeh's son), and their child, were taken away on the last transport to Auschwitz, and killed there.

Nakhum Bayer, the butcher. He and his son, Mottel (also a butcher) and Moteleh's wife Chana, together with their son, Yaakov, were all killed in Treblinka. Bayer's son-in-law, [A]vigdor Pshenitsky, son of Manya the Baker, who was a bookkeeper, with his wife and two daughters, were killed in Treblinka.

Yaakov Frei, a Porter, a son of Golda Itcheh Muchnik. His wife, Ethel, and her son by her first husband, Bor'eh[2], were killed in Treblinka. Yaakov Frei, along with a number of other men, escaped from the bunkers to the forest. However, it appears that he was killed there, because nothing is heard from him. His second son, Yud'l, and his daughter, Rosa were killed at Auschwitz.

Berel Zavelevich, (White Head), the shoemaker. He was a popular figure in Volkovysk. The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Yitzhak Dereczinsky, the baker. His wife was killed in Treblinka. He and his two sons and daughter, were killed at Auschwitz.

Benjamin Adelsky, of the general store, from Amstibova. He, his wife and children were killed in Treblinka.

Nakhum Lipshovich, from Amstibova. He and his son, Zaydl were killed in Treblinka. His daughter, Sarah lives in America.

Moshe Rutchik, (son of Shmuel-Chaim the Butcher). His wife, Chas'shkeh (the daughter of David Smazanovich the Carpenter), worked in the kitchen of the bunkers. When she stood at one point to mix the large cauldron full of soup, she slipped and fell into the pot. She was severely scalded, and later died from this. Moshe Rutchik, together with his two children, Herschel and Yenta, were killed at Auschwitz. One son was in Russia, and remained alive according to what I have heard.

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Shammai Daniel, the son of the Headmaster of the Yeshiva, Yerakhmiel. His wife, Gittl was a sister of Moshe Rutchik. Together with my family, I lived with them after the fire, until a week prior to the liquidation. During the period of the German occupation, Shammai was the work inspector of the Judenrat, and was one of its most focused members. He, his wife and son were with us on the final transport to Auschwitz. He and his wife were immediately sent to the crematoria. His son, Avra'sheh remained in the Auschwitz camp. The following incident occurred to him. One day, after work, Moshe Saladukha from our transport (who is no longer alive) and I were approached by one of the work overseers, who ordered us to strip a corpse. At first, we did not recognize the dead person, who lay on the ground, covered in mud. Only later, when we had undressed him, and seeing the number on his arm as being in the 94,000 series, which was the series of our transport, did we examine him more closely, and in doing so, recognized Avra'shkeh. As we learned later from those whom we knew, and who worked together with him, he was killed at work by an overseer.

Yaakov Lanievich (Moshe Zhelenevich's former son-in-law). He and his second wife, Malka (the daughter of Joseph Leib Rabinovich), went to Lida at the beginning of the Russian occupation, out of fear of the Bolsheviks. Both of them, together with their son, were killed in the Lida massacre, on May 18, 1942.

Mordechai Wilk, the shoemaker. He was killed in Treblinka. His son-in-law, Khatzkel Sidransky, was killed by the Germans in the first 200 men. Khatzkel's wife and child were killed in Treblinka. The second son-in-law, Shmuel Khvalitsky, a tanner who worked with sheepskins, was killed along with his wife, Raina and their children in Treblinka.

Shlomo Shklar, a locksmith (son of Yaakov Shakhna who traveled with a donkey). He and his wife, (a daughter of one of the “Stats” the glaziers) and their child, were killed in Treblinka.

Kaddel[3] Lapidus, was a smith, but towards the end had a general store. He and his wife Chana, and their children: Yitzhak, Berel, Chaya and Shayna-Feygl, were killed in Treblinka. A married daughter of his, Basheh, and her husband, Israel Eckstein, a baker, were killed in Treblinka.

Eliyahu Livkin, a porter at the train station. His wife, Feyge-Kayla was killed in Treblinka. He was with me in the Auschwitz lager, and died there.

Velvel Bendenson, a butcher. He and his wife (a daughter of Nakdimon from Karczyzna), with their son, Moshe, a carpenter, were killed in Treblinka. His daughter Chas'sheh, and her husband, Velvel Rubinstein (Yud'l the Locksmith's son, and a nephew of my aunt Lena Tchopper), with their child, were also killed in Treblinka.

Shimon Bayer, a horse-handler. His son Chaim, and his wife and child were in Bialystok, and were killed in one of the aktions that took place there. The other son, Shlomo, fled from the bunkers into the forest, but it appears that he died there, because we never heard from him again. Shlomo's wife, and his father, Shimon were killed in Treblinka.

Esther Zapoliansky (the wife of Berel Zapoliansky), a storekeeper. Her son, Hanokh was mobilized into the Polish Army in 1939, and was killed there. The other son, Yaakov, was in the Auschwitz lager, and died there.

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Yaakov's family was killed in Treblinka. Chaya, the wife of the third son, Shmuel (daughter of Krum the Smith), was killed along with her child in Auschwitz. Shmuel was with me in the Auschwitz camp and survived among the living. Esther Zapoliansky and her daughter Reizl, and her child, were killed in Treblinka. Reizl's husband, was exiled to Russia during the time of the Soviet occupation.

Aaron Leib Smazanovich the Shoemaker. He and his wife were killed in Treblinka.

Berel Khazanovich, who sold ice cream during the summer. Both of his sons, Shlomo and Yaakov were Hairdressers. Together with their families, they were killed in Treblinka. One daughter lives in New York.

Shlomo Krinsky, from the fruit store. He was a popular figure in the city. At one time, he was a teacher. His daughter married Yud'l Frack, a tailor. Shlomo, together with his daughter and her child, were killed in Treblinka. His son Mordechai, or as he was called, ‘Motcheh’ (would sell fruits and vegetables in the streets), was killed in Treblinka with his entire family.

Chaim Rubinovich, lives today in Israel. His wife Riv'l was exiled into Russia by the Russians for speculation. Because of this, she remained alive. Their children, two sons and a daughter, were killed in Treblinka.

 

Zamoscheh

The right side – going from the train station in the direction of the city.

Mrs. Itzkowitz, from Ruzhany. She ran a food store. Her house had previously belonged to Tarma. Her two sons, Berel and Moshe were with me in the Auschwitz camp and they both remained alive. Both are found today in America. Their mother, and Moshe's wife (a daughter of Herschel Ravitz – in America today), were killed in Treblinka.

Yaakov Shmuel Segal a son of Raveh[4] the Baker, and Yeshayahu Segal. He had a big house and was known as someone with a good wit. His wife was the daughter of the pearl merchant, and a sister of Pin'iyeh Khomsky. He and his son Pesach, along with his wife and child were killed in Treblinka.

Abraham Loyteh's[5], he and his daughter, Yehudis and son-in-law Ben-Zion Zhukhovsky (an ordained Rabbi who made paper bags for sale), were all killed in Treblinka.

Zalman Frenkel, the operator of the hotel near the train station. He was once a manufacturer of coverings in Bialystok. His two sons, Yosh'keh and Avra'sheh immediately left to go to Ruzhany to their oldest brother, after the Germans entered the city, where they were later killed along with Ruzhany Jews in one of the aktions that took place there. Zalman Frenkel, along with his wife and daughter, were killed in Treblinka.

Chaya Kleinbaum, from the hotel (a sister of Zalman Frenkel). She was killed in Treblinka along with her daughter. During the time of the occupation, the Germans took over her house to be used as a finance office. And Zalman and Chaya [then] lived with Shayna Shapiro on the same street. From what I heard, their house

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was destroyed, along with all the other houses at the time the Germans retreated from Volkovysk in 1944.

Moshe Avigdor Taran. He had a combined business with colonial and ceramic pottery. His wife was Chaya, a daughter of Kalman Kaplan. His daughter, Sarah and her son, along with her parents, were killed in Treblinka. Sarah's husband, Herschel Ditkovsky (Leibeh Kalman's son) was taken away with the 200 men. A second daughter, Hinde (who had a limp), was killed in Treblinka. Hinde's husband Shliv'keh, suffered a heart attack when the Germans arrested him, and died of it; a third daughter, Feygl, along with her son, were killed in Treblinka. Feygl's husband, Yitzhak Paveh (from the Pharmacy) was also killed in Treblinka. Taran's fourth daughter, Gittl and her husband Kovensky, were also killed in Treblinka. His son, Velvel Taran was killed at Auschwitz. Velvel's wife was killed in Treblinka.

Kalman Bartnovsky, the son-in-law of Hinde Lev from the Wide Boulevard. He lived with Taran during the time of the German occupation. The Germans took him away with the first 200 men. His wife and children were killed in Treblinka.

Mottel Lev, Hinde's son. He lived at Taran's on Zamoscheh. He and his wife Feygl Goyda from Lida, and their two children, were killed in Treblinka.

David Shteiman, a tailor to the military (a son-in-law of Mindl'leh). He, his wife and both of their children were killed in Treblinka.

Velvel Kaplan. He was a storekeeper and a middleman. He was called ‘Velvel Kalman's.’ He was a well-known figure in the city. He died of a heart attack a short time after the German occupation. He lived together with his family, at the house of Abraham Milkov. His wife, Chava, and his daughter Sarah and her husband, Shlomo Itzkowitz, and their child, were all killed at Treblinka. Velvel Kaplan's second daughter, Hinde, who had previously lived in Zheludok, was killed in Treblinka with her husband, Abraham Dereviansky, and their children. A third daughter, Rachel, had lived in Argentina, married there, and had a child. Because of the climate, she became ill, and returned to Volkovysk to cure herself. However, she died in her home town during the time of the Soviet occupation. His fourth daughter, Mikhlah, went to Bialystok and was killed there in the local aktion against the Bialystok Jews, along with her husband, Archik Shapiro and their children.

Shayna Pereminsky, from the general store. The widow of Moshe the Carpenter. She and her daughter Nechama, and son-in-law Joseph Salateh, a carpenter along with their child, were killed in Treblinka.

Yaakov Pereminsky, Shayna's son. A Tailor. He, and his wife Rosa (a daughter of Sarah Shosha Rutchik) and their child, were killed in Treblinka.

Notteh Pereminsky, a Carpenter, a brother of Yaakov Pereminsky. He died in the bunkers. His wife, Basheh (a niece of David Vitka, who lives in America)was killed in Treblinka with her child.

Stanislav Jesierski, a Tank Repairer and Locksmith. A bomb hit his house in June 1941, and Joseph Beckenstein from the shoe business was killed there.

Shmuel Sulkes, a Shoemaker. A bomb hit his house. During the time of the occupation, he lived at his daughter's house in Karczyzna. He and his wife, Reizl (of the Munchiks), with their daughter, Leah Lass and her husband, were all killed in Treblinka.

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Zalman Sulkes, the Hairdresser. (A son of Shmuel Sulkes). His wife, Gittl Yunovich (of the butchers), with her child, were killed in Treblinka. He alone, was in the Auschwitz camp, however, he could not withstand the circumstances, and died there.

Eckstein, the Baker. (Son-in-law of Kaddel the Smith). He, and his family, were killed in Treblinka.

Shepsel Chazan, the Tailor. He, and his wife, Chana Riva were killed in Treblinka.

Abraham Chazan, a Tailor (Shepsel's son). Killed in Treblinka with his wife and children.

Shmuel Krinsky from the manufacturing store (son-in-law of Shepsel Chazan). He, along with his wife Chaya Reishl[6], and child, were killed in Treblinka.

Rokh'eh Segal, the Baker. She and her daughter, Leah, were incinerated by an incendiary bomb that fell on Leibeh Vinnik's house. Eleven people were consumed there. She is the mother of Yaakov-Shmuel, and has children in New York.

Leibeh Vinnik, a Shoemaker, lived near the Bet HaMedrash. His house was hit by an incendiary bomb, from which, his daughter Golda, and ten other people were consumed. He was completely changed by this experience, and died a half year later. His wife Reizl, and daughter Chaya, were killed in Treblinka.

Berg (from Rosh), a father-in-law to Dr. Berel Velvelsky, lived in Gottleib's house on the Brzezker Gasse. He and his son were consumed in Vinnik's house. His wife was killed in Treblinka.

Boruch Furman's Widow. Lived near the Bet HaMedrash, and had a general store. She and her daughter were killed in Treblinka. Her son, Mulya Furman, a Carpenter, was killed in Treblinka with his family.

Mottel Smazanovich, was a Porter, a son of Dod'zheh the Carpenter. He was shot, when he hid himself to keep from going to the bunkers on November 2, 1942. His wife, a seamstress (from the a family of hat makers, and was a niece of Yos'keh Wilk), was killed in Treblinka. Her brothers live in Argentina.

Hosea Grunes. He and his children and son-in-law, were killed in Treblinka.

Velvel Grunes A horse-hitcher (Hosea's son). He and his family were killed in Treblinka.. His son-in-law, a stocking maker (I don't remember his last name – he was not from Volkovysk), and Isser, Hosea's son, were taken away in the first German aktion, and they were killed. Also, the wife of Mordechai Grunes and their son, were killed at Treblinka.

Reuven Rutchik, the son of Yoss'l Chas'shkeh's. He was the editor of the ‘Volkovysker Leben,’ and also composed songs and write the column, ‘Matters from Home.’ His wife, Bobel, was from the Rappaport family. Both of them, with their children, were killed in Treblinka. From their family, a brother, Eliyahu Rutchik survives, and a sister, in Norwich, [Connecticut] in America. Their sister, Chana, and her husband and their children (the husband used to be employed by the butchers in the slaughterhouse, and also was a Tailor) – were all killed in Treblinka.

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Svisluczkeh Gasse

Svisluczkeh Gasse is a small street in Zamoscheh. It begins near Tchopper's house.

Aaron Kossowsky, a flour merchant. He, and his wife Hinde, a daughter of Leibeh Ditkovsky, and their daughter, were killed in Treblinka. His son, Shakhna, who was with me in the Auschwitz camp, suffered from a swollen leg in the camp, and he was taken to the hospital, and from there to the crematorium. The other son, Meshel, lives in Israel, where he served in the Jewish Brigade during the Second World War.

Zechariah Tchopper. There was nobody in his house during all of these happenings. Chaim Moshe Tchopper and his family had gone to Slonim, and were killed there in the massacres.

Rivka Nakdimon, or as she was called, Die Volerkeh, because she once lived in the village of Volya [perhaps Wola]. She, along with her daughter and son-in-law, Zaydl Pomerantz, a carpenter, were killed in Treblinka. Her second daughter, Fei'tcheh, with her child, a little girl, were also killed in Treblinka.

Chaim Moshe Nakdimon, a porter (son of Rivka Nakdimon). He was a wagon driver for the Germans in the Judenrat. His wife and son were killed in Treblinka. He was brought to Auschwitz on the last transport, and was killed there.

Sarah Shosha Rutchik, the widow of Moshe Rutchik. She, along with her daughter-in-law, Baylah Nekha's, and her grandchild were killed in Treblinka. Her son, Yaakov Rutchik, a wagon-driver (who drove a wagon for the Judenrat), was killed in Auschwitz.

Israel Richter, a Carpenter, son-in-law to Sara Shosha. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Chaim Yitzhak Kaplan, a Tinsmith (a son of the Kaplan's near the Russian Orthodox Church, and a son-in-law of Sarah Shosha Rutchik). His wife and child were killed in Treblinka. He and his brother were in the Auschwitz camp and were killed there.

Shakhna Kushnirovsky, a Tinsmith (Bebel the Tinsmith's son). He and his wife Liebeh, and their children were killed in Treblinka.

Velvel Berg, Herschel the Contractor's son. He was also a contractor of sorts. His wife Zlateh (daughter of Pelteh Shevakhovich, the Butcher's wife, from the Wide Boulevard), died in the train car of the last transport to Auschwitz. He and his daughter were killed in Auschwitz. His second daughter, Paulia, went away to Russia, but it is not known what happened to her.

Engineer Yaakov Shipiatsky, son-in-law to Velvel Berg. Along with his wife, Kreineh, and their child, were taken out of the bunkers and sent to Bialystok through the efforts of Ephraim Barash, the head of the Judenrat there at that time, but they were later killed there in one of the local aktions.

Herschel Smeizik (of the “Kvachuks”), a porter. He fled when the Germans entered the city. His wife, along with her daughter and son-in-law (Alteh Berestovitsky's son) were killed in Treblinka. A second daughter, Masha, was in the Auschwitz camp and survived.

Rachel Solomon, the widow of Sender the Baker. She lived in the house of Moshe Tchopper. One son, Hosea,

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was mobilized into the Polish Army in 1939, and later came to Vilna. However, in the final hours before the occupation of Vilna by the Soviet military, he was killed by a bomb. I think that Rachel and her second son, Velvel, were killed in Treblinka.

 

Bet HaMedrash (Zamoschanskeh) Gasse

Yoss'l Rutchik (Leibeh's son), a Truck Driver. His wife (Sarah Shosha's daughter) and their child were killed in Treblinka. He was in the Auschwitz camp by himself, and was killed there.

Abraham Rutchik, the Porter (Leibeh's son). He was in the Auschwitz camp, and was killed there. I think his brother Yitzhak was killed with him as well. His wife was killed in Treblinka.

Malka Rutchik, a daughter of Leibeh Rutchik. She fled to the forest and remained alive. She now lives in Volkovysk.

Pesach Rutchik, a Truck Driver. During the period of the Nazis, he worked as a painter. He and his two sons, Khatzkel and Meir were in the Auschwitz camp and were killed there. The wife and daughter were killed in Treblinka. His sister, Laskeh, was killed in Treblinka.

Feivel Irmess, was a courier for the Hebrew School. He, along with his wife and children, were killed in Treblinka.

Jonah Irmess, a Shoemaker. He was arrested as a communist and killed. His wife and child were killed in Treblinka.

Shayna Irmess. She and her husband, a Tailor, were killed in Treblinka.

Chaim Mordechai Irmess. The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Yaakov Rubinstein, the son of Yud'l Rubinstein the Locksmith. He was taken to Auschwitz, were he was killed. His wife Chana (from the Irmess family) and the child, were killed in Treblinka.

 

Brzezkeh Gasse

The street where Bloch's leather factory was located.

Abraham Gottleib – his daughter, older girls, were killed in Treblinka.

Yaakov Gurevich. His wife, Kreineh (a daughter of Gottleib's from the ‘Kielbasas’) was incinerated in Vinnik's house along with eleven people. The remaining members of the family were killed in Treblinka. Among them, killed in Treblinka were their son, Zelig and his family, and their son Mendel (a son-in-law of Krum) and his family.

Avreml Shapiro, from the factory. He was taken by the Russians into Russia, but is no longer alive. His wife (a daughter of Bogomilsky from the yards) along with the children, were also taken into Russia. After the war, they returned to Poland.

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Asher Yanovsky, a son of Nissan Yanovsky of the Tobacco business. He and his wife Matilda and their children, Dora and Chaya were killed in Treblinka.

Sioma Gallin, the well-know public servant and president of Linat-Kholim. During the time of the German occupation, he was active in the Judenrat. In the bunkers, he was in charge of provisioning. The following incident occurred to him in the bunkers. At one time, he approached a chauffeur with a bottle, and asked for a small amount of benzene to be used for starting a fire. When an SS trooper noticed this, he called him over and beat him murderously, to the extent that he had to be supported under the arms and taken back to the bunkers. Towards evening, as he lay in pain, the same SS troops entered the bunker and he was called out of the bunker to go outside. He could barely stand on his own feet. Before he went outside, just as if he had a premonition of what awaited him, he took his formal leave of everyone. After he exited the bunker, the sound of beating and shouting was heard from the outside, and a few shots. When we went out to him, he lay dead already, near the entrance to the bunker. His wife and son were killed at Auschwitz. His son, Izzy, who fled from the bunkers to the forest on the night his father was killed, lives today in Volkovysk.

Ephraim Gallin, Sioma's older brother. He and his son were killed at Auschwitz. His wife, Elkeh'leh (the daughter of the Bialystoker Baker, from the Levs) died of typhus in the bunkers.

Joseph, Shakhna, Koppel and Yaakov Dworetsky (grandsons of Avigdor Bloch). No one survives from them. A portion were killed in Treblinka, and a portion in Auschwitz.

Israel Gubar. During the time of the German occupation, he manufactured soap and other articles. Before the liquidation of the ghetto, he lived with Amstibovsky in Karczyzna. He and his wife, Fanya (a daughter of Dworetsky, and grandchild of Bloch), were killed in Treblinka along with their children.

Chaim Yud'l Shipiatsky, the bookkeeper. He, and his wife Rachel (a daughter of the Bialystoker Baker), and their children, hid themselves with a Christian in Lisokovo in a potato storage pit. The wife, later came to the bunkers with her younger daughter. She had the opportunity to escape yet again, on the last day before everyone was taken from the bunkers. She returned to her husband and oldest daughter, and they all went away into the forest. There, she and her younger daughter fell ill with typhus, which they had contracted in the bunkers, and they both dies. The father and older daughter remained alive. Now they live in Lodz.

Abraham Pines, father of Noah Pines from Philadelphia. Their house was near the river. A son of his, Chaim, went off to Russia on the second day of the war, in 1941, and nothing was ever heard from him. Abraham Pines, his wife and other son, were all killed in Treblinka.

Hertz Mostkov. His daughter lay sick in the Sejmikov Hospital near the forest, where she later died. During the time of the bombardment, he was wounded on his way back from visiting his daughter, and he later dies of his wounds. His son, Joseph, and his daughter Lyuba live in Israel.

Joseph Lemkin. He and his wife were both killed in Treblinka. Their son, Dr. Rapahel Lemkin, lives in America. The second son, Eliyahu, and his wife (from the Vinogradskys) and their children, traveled for a visit to Moscow during the time of the Russian occupation, and remained there. Today, they find themselves in Germany.

Abraham Ezra Glembotsky. He died before the war. His daughter, Chan'tsheh, was killed in Treblinka.

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The Sukenik and Zneidik Families lived in a house that had previously belonged to Zalman Chafetz. Nobody from either of these families survived.

Yoss'l Damashevitsky, (Yoss'l der Shaffer). He and also Liebeh and Feygl Damashevitsky were all killed in Treblinka.

Shlomo Liss, the gravedigger, who lived at the cemetery. The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

 

Die Kakhelnya

The children of Moshe Alter Kushnir lived there. They were known as the “Kakhelnikehs.”

Yaakov Abraham Kushnir. He and his wife (Moshe Zilberman's daughter) and child, were killed in Treblinka.

Joseph Kushnir. He and his wife were killed in Treblinka.

Eliyahu Kushnir. He and his wife lived in Krinki[7] during the time of the German occupation, where he worked as a pharmacist. When the Jews of Krinik were taken away, he and his wife managed to escape. They hid themselves with a Christian whom they knew, who protected them for the entire time. As a result, both of them survived and today are found in Israel.

Shlomo Shipiatsky, son of the Garment Seamer and a brother of Chaim Yud'l (a son-in-law of Kushnir). He and his entire family were killed in Treblinka.

Myrim Stein. He worked in Seletsky's factory. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Zaydl Kaplan, the Baker, a Hassid. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Shmuel Vishniatsky. He lived on the Fabrichneh Gasse. He worked in the Judenrat during the time of the occupation. His family was with me in the same bunker. He and his wife Liotsha (from the Glembotskys), and children, Joseph and Esther, went to Auschwitz on the last transport, and were killed there.

 

The Wide Boulevard

On the left – going from the bridge in the direction of the city

Shimon Lapidus, a Smith, lived near the pond. He once was in America. His entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Shemaya Shevakhovich, a Smith, lived near the little pond. His son, ‘Nioma was taken away by the Germans among the 200 men. The other son, Leizer, also a smith was in the Auschwitz camp and survived. He is found today in Volkovysk. Their mother, Mirkeh, was killed in Treblinka.

Mopsik, the Hatmaker. He was known in the city as the maker of military hats. His son, Shalkeh, a newspaper

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vendor was in the Auschwitz camp, and was killed in one of the selections. When he was being taken to the crematorium, he shouted to the Volkovyskers that he knew from the bus: “Take vengeance for me!” The rest of the family was killed in Treblinka.

Mottel Shevakhovich. He and his wife Sarah Elkeh, a market vendor (a daughter of Zalman Khodzheh) and their family were all killed in Treblinka.

Shavzan, a tanner. He was also known in the city as the “Gendarme.” He was popular in the city, and known as a Bundist. He and his wife and daughter were killed among the first 200 people.

 

Vatachiner (The Shammes's) Gessel

Joseph Mayer Levin. He was a popular figure. Everyone in Zamoscheh knew him. He once was a teacher, a very smart and humorous Jewish man, was a scholar and could lead the congregation in prayer. The women liked the way he lead services from the pulpit. At the time of the German aktion, he was an old man already, and he was brought to the bunkers as a sick man, where he died shortly thereafter. His son-in-law Zaydl, a shoemaker, with his wife and their ten children were all killed in Treblinka.

Miller, the Tinsmith, lived at the house of Joseph Mayer Levin. He, and his wife and their three sets of twins were all killed in Treblinka.

Golda Stolovitsky, the wife of Avrem'keh Berezhimky the Horse-hitcher, and daughter of the wagon driver Itcheh Rutchik Munchik. She was killed in Treblinka. Her son Yoss'l, a Carpenter was also killed in Treblinka, along with his wife and child. A second son, Moshe'l was in Russia, where he had been sent by the Russians, and survived.

Hanokh Lifschitz (“Tatkeh”), a Horse-hitcher. His son-in-law, ‘Nioma was shot, along with other men, who were serving sentences in the Volkovysk jail (The Germans would arrest many men and throw them into jail, and when the jail became overcrowded, they would take out the arrested people near the “Mayak” and shoot them). From the family, Reuven Lifschitz and his son were killed in Auschwitz. All the other members of the family, along with the children, were killed in Treblinka.

Motkeh Lipsky Gottleib, (“Kielbasas”) from the Horse-hitchers. According to what we have been told, the only survivor from this entire family is one grandchild. All the rest were killed.

Nye'sheh Levin, “The Dark One[8]” (A sister of Motkeh Kielbass and a daughter of Abraham Gottleib). The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Yitzhak Shklavin, Yud'l Pikarsky's son-in-law. He and his wife Henya and their children were killed in Auschwitz.

Yitzhak Stolovitsky, a shoemaker. He and his wife Alta (her brothers live in America – Sam Krinsky and the other) and their children, Reuven and Avreml, were killed in Treblinka.

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Yitzhak Lipshovich (“Tzanner”) a Horse-hitcher. His son Meir was in the Auschwitz camp and was killed there. His son-in-law, Bor'eh Kaplan, a Butcher, along with his wife and children were killed in Auschwitz. The remaining members of the family were killed in Treblinka.

Shmuel Lapidus, a Smith, a son of Yaakov the Smith. His son, Leizer was in the Auschwitz camp and survived (I do not know his whereabouts, however). The remaining members of the family were killed in Treblinka.

Issachar Lev, the Tailor. He and his son, Alter, a Tailor, daughter-in-law, Chana (a daughter of Joel Azriel Shishatsky) and their children: Feyge, Taiba, Shayn'dl and Joel were all killed in Treblinka.

Abraham Kaplan (“Kalman's”), he had a general merchandise store and a vegetable garden. He and his entire family were killed in Treblinka. One son, Yoss'l, can be found today in America.

Abraham Bayer, a Wagon Driver, “Mareh.” The entire family was killed in Treblinka. His son, who was in Russia, is alive, according to what we have been told. His son-in-law, David Guskin, a jeweler, was in the Auschwitz camp and was killed there. A sister of Bayer's, Fraydl, and her husband, Abraham Katz, were killed in Treblinka. Their son, Jedediah, was in Russia and remained alive.

Feitelevich, (“Gagush”) the Miller. Only one daughter, Elkeh remained alive out of the entire family, who was in the Auschwitz camp. The rest were killed in Treblinka.

Shepsel Feitelevich, a son of “Gagush[9],” a Hairdresser. He alone was with me in the Auschwitz camp. He could not bear the tribulations of the and slashed the veins in his wrist with a razor and died. His wife (a daughter of Abraham Beckenstein the Horse-hitcher from the Veterinarian) was killed in Auschwitz with her two children.

Kaplan, a widow. She sold wood. Her father was a brother of Zelda Lapin. The entire family was killed at Treblinka.

“Blond Kalman” had a stand near Perekhodnik's. He and his entire family were killed in Treblinka.

Zaydl Binkovich “Shmerkeh's”, a Miller. He and his entire family were killed in Treblinka.

Alter Berenstein, a brother-in-law of the Shammes from Zamoscheh. He had a paper business, and lived in Shevakhovich's house. The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Chaya Khvalovsky. She and her son, Herschel, and daughter Sarah (who was married to Blaustein) were killed in Treblinka. Sarah's son Max, remained with Nionia (one of my best friends), who was married to Baylah Galiatsky (daughter of Kalman Galiatsky) among the [final] 1700. All of them, meaning: Nionia, his wife Baylah, Sarah's son Max, and Yud'l Khvalovsky, were all killed in Auschwitz.

Moshe Benjamin Shalakhovich. He and his wife Milia (a sister of Fanya Tropp), were killed. She was ill with

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typhus, and died on the transport on the way to the lager. He died in Auschwitz. Their son, Bebeh[10], is alive.

The Furniture Turner's Family (Adelberg). No one remains from them. One daughter fled to her husband's family in Narevka immediately after the Germans entered [the city], but she was shot there. The other daughter, Sarah Epstein, was in Lisokovo with her family, from where they were sent in transports together with the other Jews of Lisokovo to Treblinka, and killed there. The Turner's two daughters live in Israel.

David Goshchinsky, the Smoker[11]. He was killed on the second day of the bombardment in the courtyard of the hospital. His wife and three children were killed together with my mother, and father-in-law, Mordechai Moorstein at home, during the bombing. Their son, Yud'l, who worked in the Linat-Kholim (was married to Manya Lev), was in the Auschwitz camp and was killed there.

‘Nioma Liss, the Shoemaker. He and his son, Israel the artist, together with his family, were killed in Treblinka.

Chaim Aberstein, a Wagon-Driver. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Zaydl Mopsik. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Meshel Koss, a Tailor. He was in the Auschwitz camp and survived. His wife and two children were killed in Auschwitz.

Avreml “Columbus,” a Porter. The entire family was killed in Treblinka. A relative of his, Jesierski, a photographer who lived with him, was also killed.

Golda Eisenstein, a (lady) Baker. Her son, Aharon Mottel, his wife and the children, and Golda's four daughters together with the son-in-law Zelig Blumenthal (a bank employee) were all killed in Treblinka.

Teltzkeh, from the Chickens, a sister of Feygl Rutchik, the mother of Reuven Rutchik the editor of Volkovysker Leben. She and her son-in-law, a Carpenter, and their daughters, were all killed in Treblinka.

Abraham Binkovich, a Tailor. A brother of Zaydkeh Shmerkeh's the Miller. The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Kravitsky the Artist. Nobody survived from this family.

Guskin the Artist. Nobody survived from this family. His son, Dr. Guskin (a son-in-law of Abraham Bayer), was killed in the Auschwitz camp. The rest of this family was killed in Treblinka.

Mottel Poyker, the Porter. He and his wife, Chaya Dvora (a daughter of Rutchik) were killed in Treblinka.

Volsky, “Stast,” from the Glaziers. The entire family was killed in Treblinka. One grandson, Moshe Volsky, who was in the Auschwitz camp, survived.

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Yitzhak Yazhernitsky “Blenkitner,” (Der Yelinevitcher). He and his wife were killed in Treblinka. The fate of their son is unknown.

Shayn'keh Mezheritzky, the wife of the Garment Seamer. She fled to Lisokovo, and apparently was killed there. Her son, Yeshayahu was with me in the Auschwitz camp. On one occasion, Ehrenburg from Warsaw, who was a soccer player in Volkovysk, and was appointed as a house servant in the lager, beat him so badly that he could no longer to go to work. He was taken to the hospital. On that day, on return from work, I saw him standing at the entrance to the hospital. Moshe Weiner, Israel Weiner's son, was standing with him. Yeshayahu Mezheritzky approached me, and asked that if I should survive, that I should relate to his mother, Shayn'keh, that he died because of Ehrenburg. This was his last day [alive]. Weiner also was killed with him at that time. A short while thereafter, Ehrenburg himself was severely beaten at work, and he died of this beating in the hospital.

Hirsch Ravitz, the Shoemaker. He was active in the Burial Society and would participate in every funeral. Immediately as the Germans entered the city, he and his wife rode off to Vilna to their daughter. As is reported, they were killed in one of the aktions there.

Herschel Bayer, a teacher. He and his wife, Sarah, (known as Sarah Leah Mineh's) were killed in Treblinka. Their daughter, Shayna Gittl lived in Kiev, from where she was evacuated to Zhambyl[12] during the war, but there is no word from her. Herschel's son Mulya, lives in Canada.

Yitzhak Zelitsky, the Wood Merchant. He lived in the house of Mezheritzky the Garment Seamer. He, together with his wife and child, were killed in Treblinka.

Yitzhak Kossowsky, a Carpenter. His son, Chaim, a bookkeeper, and the rest of the family, were killed in Auschwitz.

Joseph Kossowsky, a Carpenter. His wife, Chava, and two children, Bluma and Itzel, were killed in Treblinka. Joseph was in the Auschwitz camp, and survived.

Nakhum Lev the Carpenter (a son-in-law of Yitzhak Kossowsky). His wife Sarah, and their three children, were killed in Treblinka. Nakhum was killed in the Auschwitz camp.

Rozhansky, a Shoemaker (lived in the cellar of the house that was adjacent to Herschel Ravitz's building). He, his wife and children, and mother-in-law, were killed in Treblinka.

Riva Fuchs. Thanks to the fact that her son, Noah Fuchs, was the head of the Judenrat in Volkovysk, she remained behind as one of the 1700. However, she was later killed in Auschwitz.

[Page 419]

Noah Fuchs, Riva's son. He was in the camp at Auschwitz. He had worked himself up to the position of a command-secretary. However, in the Gypsy lager, he fell into dispute with a block senior officer, and was severely beaten by him, from which Noah became sick, and shortly after this incident, died in the hospital in April 1943. His wife and child were killed in Auschwitz, his sister Sonya, and her husband, Yoss'l Rossiansky and their children were killed in Auschwitz.

When the transport with Sonya Rossiansky arrived in Auschwitz, the wagons were opened, and everyone was being driven off. I had to carry my wife in my arms, because she was sick with typhus at the time, and also, my son had only recently recovered from typhus. When the order came to separate the men from the women, I approached a number of the women that I knew, and asked them to look after my wife until I returned – I was at that point certain that I would be back immediately – but they all refused. The only one who calmed me down, and promised me to look after my sick family, was Noah Fuchs's sister, Sonya Rossiansky. “Go, Tchopper, I will look after them,” she promised me. I was, however, not privileged to see them ever again. They were all killed in Auschwitz.

Zaydl Lapin, worked in the brick factory. He, and his wife Breindl, and son Abraham were killed in Treblinka.

Dob'keh Movshovich, had a candy factory. The entire family left Volkovysk, and their fate is unknown.

Shlomo Mandelbaum, a bank director. He, his wife, son and daughter-in-law were killed. One son lived in Berestovitz, and was killed with the Jews of Berestovitz.

Berel Falkovich, a maker of horse straps. He lived in Shattai's house. He was a well-known Bundist. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Luniansky-Halpern. The daughter, and her husband, Zilber, a Teacher, and the other daughter and her family, were all killed.

Cooper, a Carpenter. He had a furniture business in the Luniansky-Halpern house. On the last transport of January 23, 1942[13], the Cooper family became separated while the trains were being boarded. Mrs. Cooper was with me in one wagon, and he and the children were in another wagon. They never saw one another again, because in the process of being driven from the wagons at Auschwitz, they were sent into different groups, and from there, taken immediately to the crematoria.

Yoss'l Wilk, the Tailor. Had a business in finished clothing. The entire family with his four daughters were killed in Treblinka and Auschwitz. His son, Zhoma was in Auschwitz and was killed there.

Dr. Feinberg. He was killed with the very first 200 men who were executed. His father-in-law died in the bunkers. His wife was killed in Auschwitz.

Yerakhmiel the Tailor. He was shot by the Germans in Karczyzna while going from the bunkers to work. His family was killed in Treblinka.

Boruch Bastomsky, Galiatsky the Hairdresser's son-in-law. He and his wife Reizl and their children, were killed in Treblinka.

[Page 420]

Mottel Zilberman, the leader of the fire-fighter's orchestra. His wife Chana (a daughter of Motkeh Kilikovsky, who is today in Hartford, CT) was taken away to Treblinka. Mottel and his son Shal'yeh remained among the 1700. Mottel was shot by a German, who wounded him in the hand, concocting an accusation that he, along with other Volkovysk Jews, had stolen his gloves. Mottel died a short time afterwards from his wounds. His son, Shal'yeh remained alone, after his mother was taken to Treblinka, and his father died in the bunkers. I befriended him, and looked after him like a father. However, he later was killed at Auschwitz.

Moshe'keh Pisetsky, the Watchmaker. The entire family was killed in Treblinka. His son, Shlomo, was killed in the Auschwitz camp.

Moshe'l Shereshevsky, from the Bicycles. He went through several concentration camps and survived. He is today in America. His mother, Bob'cheh, and his sister, Mindl, were killed in Treblinka. The other sister, Shifra, was killed in the Auschwitz camp.

Chaim Berel Lev, a Shoemaker. For a long time, he was counted by the Germans among the “necessary Jews,” because they used him in the production of shoes (there were two such “necessary Jews” – he, and ‘Niomka Solkovich the Tailor). Chaim Berel and his wife were killed in Treblinka.

Ben-Zion Rothwald, from the Shoe Store. He and his wife Bertha, and their children, were killed in Treblinka.

Yaakov Lifschitz, from the Herring Business (an uncle of Dr. Yitzhak Resnick). He and his wife Henya, were killed in Treblinka.

Lev Sasson, a Butcher. His wife and children were killed in Treblinka. His daughter Chay'keh (married to Berel Shalakhovich, and lived in Lida) was in the forest with her family, and they survived, except for the daughter who died there.

Leibeh Patsovsky (“Chas'shkeh's”), a Hairdresser. He and his two sons, Yisroel'ik and Yehoshua were killed in Auschwitz. His older son, Lalleh, was killed in Baranovich. His daughter Yenta was killed in Kozlovshchina, along with her husband.

Rachel Leah Zuckerman (mother of Yankel Zuckerman, who lives in New York). She was killed in Treblinka. Basheh, Yankel's sister, and her daughter Tzil'eh, went from the bunkers to Bialystok. The daughter, Tzil'eh, was shot in Bialystok when she made an attempt to escape from the ghetto. Basheh was killed in one of the aktions there.

Mikhl Zohn-Mazya. He worked for many years for the magistrate and once lived at the Kavushatsky home. He was killed by the Germans with the first 200 men. His wife and son were killed in Treblinka. His older son, who was married and in Warsaw, was killed there.

Hona Kavushatsky. Hona and Frum'keh are in Israel today. The daughter, who was married to Dr. Rem, was killed along with her child in Auschwitz. The fate of Kavushatsky's sister, that had a paper business, is unknown.

Rappaport, a Hassid. He had a Fabric Business. The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Perekhodnik, had a manufacturing business. The entire family was killed in Treblinka. His daughter, who was in Russia, remained alive and is today in Israel.

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Chay'keh Ravitzky, the wife of Herschel Reb Teveleh's[14], had a general merchandise store. She, along with her daughter and son-in-law, were killed in Treblinka.

Dvora Rakhkin. Her son and daughter-in-law, Sarah Gisha's were killed in Treblinka.

Leizer Novick, had a Ladies Fashion Shop. His wife, Rachel'eh (a daughter of Reuven the Glazier), and their children were killed in Treblinka.

Meir Pisetsky, a Watchmaker. His wife was killed in Auschwitz. He was killed in the Auschwitz camp.

Alexander Makov, from the Fabric Business. He was murdered by the Poles on September 18, 1939. His wife, Dvora, together with the son, Dr. Yaakov Makov, were killed in Bialystok.[15]

Shereshevsky from the Dye Business. The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Herschel Grinsberg, ran a Sugar Store. His wife, daughter, son Pesach, and daughter-in-law Masha, along with their children, were killed in Treblinka.

Hirsch and Kalman Lev, they had a newspaper kiosk. They and their families were killed in Treblinka.

 

The Wide Boulevard

On the Right – From the bridge in the direction of the city

Bom Bliakher. He had a business in finished clothing. He and his wife Rachel'eh (a daughter of Leibeh Khananovich), and their child, were killed in Auschwitz.

Leibeh Khananovich, a mechanic. He died during the Nazi era. His daughter Yenta was killed in Auschwitz. His son, Nakhum, a Locksmith, together with his wife Aydeleh ( a daughter of the Markuses that lived near the river), and their child, were killed in Treblinka. The other son, Karpel, went to Russia in 1941, but there is no information about him. Karpel's wife, Sonya Berman, and their child, were killed in Treblinka.

Zlateh Kaufman, a daughter of Malka Pearl's, who had a hotel. She and her daughter Liebeh, were killed in Treblinka. The son, David Kaufman, a doctor, was killed in the aktion against the doctors. His wife was killed in Auschwitz.

Fishl Berezinsky, he had a general merchandise business and came from Karczyzna. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

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Yaakov Kaplinsky, a Baker (son-in-law of Nye'sheh the Dark One[16]). He and his wife Malka, were killed in Auschwitz. One son was in the Auschwitz camp. One daughter hid herself in the home of a Christian, an employee of her father, a Bekz, and remained alive. Today, she is found in Volkovysk.

Meir Zeleviansky, “The Menaker,” was previously a shoemaker. Through my efforts, he did not live in Volkovysk during the time of the Germans, and I do not know his fate. I recall his daughter in the documentation of the street where she lived.

Ephraim Yelsky, a Shoemaker. He died during the period of the German [occupation]. The children were killed in Treblinka.

Avreml Beckenstein, a Horse-hitcher (of the Kanovals). Together with his family, he was killed in Treblinka. His son, Gershwin, a musician, was with me in the Auschwitz camp. He played in the lager orchestra there. I was in one block with him for a long time. He was a very talented young man. Tragically, he was killed shortly before the evacuation. His wife (a daughter of Shifran from the Tatarski Gasse) was killed in Auschwitz.

Basheh Lipshovich, a general merchandise business (a daughter of Mot'yeh Kanoval). She, together with her family, were killed in Treblinka.

Tevel Smazanovich, the Photographer. He died during the time of the Russian occupation. His wife, Andzhusha Grodzhensky, and their son, as well as his wife's younger sister Zhenya, remained among the last 1700. All of them contracted typhus and afterwards were killed in Auschwitz. Tevel's mother, his sister, and her husband, Yudelevich, a Watchmaker, were all killed in Treblinka.

Dod'zheh Smazanovich, a Carpenter. Was known in the city because of his son, who was one of the Volkovysk ‘heroes.’ The Germans shot him on November 2, at the time they were driving all the Jews into the bunkers. Dod'zheh died in the bunkers.

Shlomo Sukenik, the Teacher – a son of Chana'leh the Butcher. He was a student of C. N. Bialik when he studied in Odessa and was a very popular teacher in Volkovysk. His wife was a sister of Tevel Smazanovich. He and his wife were killed in Treblinka. A son of theirs, Tevel, while traveling to Auschwitz, was in the same wagon with me. He had just fallen ill with typhus, and lay with a high fever near the door to the train car. The frost outside was intense, and lying next to the door, he slipped into unconsciousness, and gave up the ghost. The second son, Leizer, was in Russia during the time of the war.

Pelteh Shevakhovich, the Butcher. She was killed in Treblinka. Her daughter, Leah Botvinsky (whose husband dealt in flour), was killed along with her children in Treblinka. The son, Berel Shevakhovich, with his wife, Chay'keh (a daughter of Sasson the Butcher), and their children, fled to the forest and remained alive. They lost one daughter in the forest.

Rubinstein from the Gesseleh. The entire family was killed.

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Moshe Rutchik. He was also known by the name, Der Zhelenevicher. His wife, Tzipa died in the bunkers. Her two sons, Yud'l and the other one, who was married to Khomsky from the Neuer Gessel, were killed in Treblinka. Her daughter, who was married to Feivel Arkin, a dental technician, was killed in Auschwitz with her children. Feivel was with me in the Auschwitz camp, and being unable to bear the tribulations, hanged himself.

Bliakher, from the glazing business. Lived in Rutchik's house. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Feivel Bubliatsky, the Locksmith. He and his son and daughter (the wife was [daughter of] Shimon Koss the Scribe), were killed in Treblinka. Shimon Koss was killed in Auschwitz. It is interesting to tell, how Moshe Koss, Shimon's brother, who worked as a tailor in the Auschwitz camp, in a special detail where the clothing and possessions from the transports were brought, while at work one day, found his brother's belt and photograph. From then on, he kept it with him always, as a memento of his slain brother.

Herschel Linevsky, the Teacher. He and his wife Shayn'keh (a daughter of Shmuel David Pines) and their children, Yeshayahu and Yokh'eh[17] were killed in Treblinka. One son, Shmuel David, and a daughter are today in Israel.

Nissan Kagan, a Shokhet. Their daughter and her husband Yazhernitsky, and their children, were killed in Treblinka together with the Lastovskys.

Travinsky the Bookbinder. He and his wife were killed in Treblinka.

Taiba Yoshpeh's Family. The entire family was killed in Treblinka. His nephew, Leibl Travinsky with his wife and child were also killed in Treblinka.

Blumenthal's Family (He was the last Jewish mailman). His son, Zelig, who worked in the bank, with his wife (a daughter of Eisenstein the Baker), were killed in Treblinka. His daughter Rash'eh-Min'yeh, was in Warsaw with Leah Marotchnik, and they were killed there.

Mordechai Leib Kaplan, the editor of Volkovysker Leben. He and his family were all killed in Treblinka.

Vashchilkeh, the Shoemaker. He was known in Volkovysk for his singing. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Bobiansky, Berezniak's son-in-law. He had a chemical goods business And lived at Kaminsky's house. The entire family was killed in Treblinka. His brother-in-law, Greenberg, a bookkeeper was also killed in Treblinka with his family.

Shepsel Yudzhik, the Expediter. He was killed with his family in Treblinka. His brother, Herschel, at the time of the German [occupation] went away to his wife's family in Dereczin and was killed there at the time of an aktion. The sister, Kreineh, with her husband vAbraham Shalkovich (he had a printing business together with Herschel in Volkovysk) were also killed in Treblinka.

[Page 424]

Saul Markus of the Leather Factory (a son of Abraham Eli Markus, the well-known Torah reader, and a brother-in-law of Eliezer Kalir). He was killed in the aktion against the first 200 men.

Poliak's Family, (from the Butchers). Gittl Poliak and her daughter, Itkeh, with her son-in-law Boruch Geller (a Hairdresser), and the other daughter, Min'yeh (who was married to Abraham Golub, a Garment Seamer), and the son, Yankel (also a Butcher), were all killed in Treblinka.

Kaminsky's Family, the Fishermen. Leizer and his wife, Chaya Mereh, were killed in Treblinka. The brother, Yaakov was in Russia, but his fate is unknown.

Herschel Gordon, the Scribe – from the Schulhof. His son, Shabtai, worked at the orphanage. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Gamaliel Tchopper. He died before the war. His wife and two children were killed in Treblinka.

Bialosotsky the Baker. His wife and the children (one of them was named Kalman, and was a bookkeeper) were killed in Treblinka and in Auschwitz.

Abraham Shpak, a Leather Tanner. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Zhameh Schein, from the Cork Factory (a brother of Mulya who lives in Israel today). During the time of the Germans, Zhameh was with his father-in-law in Svislucz. Later on, he was brought with his family to the Volkovysk bunkers, along with all the other Jews of Svislucz. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Zlateh Rutchik, “Chana Dob'eh's.” She was a sick woman, and she was gassed by the Germans in the bunkers, along with the old and the sick.

Masha Goldrei, a daughter of Naphtali the Teacher. She and her daughter, Golda (Mazya) and Ronya, and son, Naphtali were killed. Her son-in-law, Izzy Mazya, who was in Russia, remained alive. Masha's son, Chaim Simcha, lives in America.

Herschel Zuckerman. He had a paper business in the house of Zlateh Rutchik. Along with his wife Yehudis (a sister of Leibeh Khananovich), and his son Moshe, he was taken away by the Germans among the first 200 people. The other son, Bom, went into the forest and survived. He is today in Volkovysk.

Weiner the Hairdresser. He had a overcoat business. He and his wife and family were killed in Treblinka.

Yaakov Werner. He had an Overcoat Business. He, along with his wife, Sarah and their three children were killed in Treblinka.

Yud'l Zlotnitsky, a Shoemaker. None of his family survived. The fate of his two sons who were imprisoned by the Russians is unknown. However, I heard of one Zlotnitsky that is still alive.

Shimon Mushatsky, or Shimon Chaikel's the Tailor. His wife, Chan'tsheh, a daughter of Nakhumovsky's had a kosher restaurant. They were very popular in the city. One daughter was killed in Treblinka. The son, Chaim was in the Auschwitz camp, and was killed there.

[Page 425]

'Niomka Solkovich, the Tailor. His wife, Chana (a daughter of Alter Savuolsky the Butcher), and his children were killed in Auschwitz. It was thought that the Germans would not execute him, because he was counted among the “Necessary Jews,” and had great privileges from the Germans. However, this was of no help to him, and he was later killed in the Auschwitz camp. His son Munya, fled before the arrival of the Germans, however, he was shot on the road.

Abraham Zalman Rabinovich, a Garment Seamer. He and his entire family were killed in Treblinka.

Reuven Pisetsky, a Watchmaker. During the time of the Germans, he traveled to Grodno with his family, and was killed there in one of the aktions. His daughter, Chaya, who was in Russia, remained alive, and is still there.

Gass, a Pharmacist. He was killed in Treblinka. Before the arrival of the Germans, his family left Volkovysk, because they had been accused of being communists. One daughter, Elkeh, lived with her sister-in-law, Pes'sha Galiatsky. When the aktion against the 200 people took place, and they came looking for here in that house, she hid herself. However, when the Germans began to threaten, and she heard through the door of another room that the Germans wanted to take away her sister-in-law, she gave herself up into their hands. They executed her immediately. The brother, Mottel Gass, together with his wife Fanya, survived, and are found today in Volkovysk. The rest of the family appears to have been killed.

Golda Levin, or as she was called, “Golda the Black[18].” She had a Soda-water Store. She and her daughter were killed in Treblinka. Her son, Yud'l, who worked in the bank, was in Zelva at the start of the war. However, he was wounded by a bullet there, while sitting at home, and later died from this [wound].

Kuzinsky, from the Shoemaker accessories business. He, his wife and daughter, were killed in Treblinka. The son, Zelig, who was married to the sister of Silvia Bayer-Leselrot (from New York), was killed in Treblinka with his family.

Yaakov Gandz, from the Ironmongery. Yaakov and his son Velvel, and the second son, Joseph along with one of his children, were killed in Treblinka. Joseph's wife, Nieta Khvonyik (a daughter of Milia and a sister of Chaim Khvonyik), left the bunkers for Bialystok by herself, leaving her two children with her husband and mother. One child was taken along with her husband, Joseph – in one transport – to Treblinka and were killed there. The second child as sent away with the mother, Milia Khvonyik – in a second transport – to Treblinka, and killed there. Yaakov's daughter, Ethel, and her husband, Abraham Yunovich, and another son of Yaakov, Moshe'l with his wife Sarah (a daughter of Reizl Farber), were also killed in Treblinka. The youngest son, Simcha, together with his sister Manya and her husband, Meir Farber, remained among the 1700 and afterwards were killed in Auschwitz. Zalman Zamoschansky (his present name is Senor), a son-in-law of Yaakov Gandz, along with his wife, Miriam and their three children, fled to Vilna during the time of the Russian occupation. Zalman, along with other accused parties, was sent by the Russians to Siberia. His wife with the three children later were killed in one of the aktions in Vilna. Zalman survived, and today is in New York.

Yaakov Lytus. His wife was killed in the bombardment, but her body could not be found. Yaakov and his children were killed in Treblinka.

[Page 426]

Kaplan from the Shoemaker's accessories. He and his family, and his son-in-law, Feivel Tzemakh were killed in Treblinka.

Yoss'l Yunovich, “Shustak.” Yoss'l's wife, Chaya Feygl, died previously. He and his daughter, Khien'keh (the wife of Yaakov Botvinsky of the Cinema, who was mobilized in 1939 into the Polish Army and was killed there), were killed in Treblinka. His son, Abraham, the Ironmonger, with his wife (a daughter of Yaakov Gandz), and the children, were killed in Treblinka. The second son, Ephraim, who lived in Bialystok, was also killed with his family. The daughter, Gittl, and her husband, Dr. Malzak, were in Russia with their children, and survived. They are today in Africa.

Eliyahu Motya Ginsberg, “The Hassid,” from the Hotel. He was killed in the Auschwitz camp. His brother, Moshe'keh the Watchmaker, traveled away to Lida with his family during the time of the German occupation, and was killed there. His sister and brother-in-law, Petritzer, (who also was a Hassid), who had an olive oil factory, were killed in Auschwitz.

Joseph Leib Shipiatsky, a Garment Seamer, father of Chaim Yud'l. Joseph Leib, and his wife, and their daughter Chana, and her husband (who had a shoe business), and their children, as well as his son, Shlomo, with his wife (a daughter of the Kushnirs), were all killed in Treblinka. His son Yaakov with his wife Kreineh (a daughter of Velvel Berg), thanks to the protection offered by Engineer Ephraim Barash, were transferred from the bunkers to Bialystok, but were killed there in one of the aktions. Chaim Yud'l, was in Lisokovo with his wife Rachel (a daughter of Lev, the Bialystoker Baker), and their children, during the time of the German occupation, where they hid out with a Christian in a potato storage pit. Rachel, however, was unable to bear the difficult circumstances in their hiding place, and came back with her younger child to Volkovysk, in the bunkers. Shortly before the transports left, she returned to Lisokovo. They then all went off into the forest. However, Rachel at that point was already infected with typhus, and she and her younger child died from the disease. He, Chaim Yud'l, and the older daughter, Ruth, were in the forest as partisans, and they survived. They are in Poland.

 

The Wide Boulevard

Left – Going from Zamoscheh

Jonah Becker, a Tailor. He was killed with his family in Treblinka.

Abraham Katz, He and his wife, Fraydl (from the Bayers) were killed in Treblinka. Their son, Jedediah was in Russia, and survived. He is in Poland.

Chaim Aberstein, a Wagon Driver. The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Bernstein, “The Rebbeleh,” a Paper Merchant. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Itcheh Falkovich, a Tailor (lived in the house of Zaydkeh the Artist). He was killed by the bomb that fell on Nakdimon's house. His family, as also his daughter (who was married to Avreml Lifschitz's son from the Ostroger Gasse) were killed in Treblinka.

Boruch Akhrimsky, “Gergeleh,” the Shoemaker. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

[Page 427]

Yoss'l Moshe Boruch's, a Miller. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Zaltzburg, a Pharmacist (lived in the house of Alter Savuolsky the Butcher). At the time that the Germans entered, no member of this family was in Volkovysk, they having traveled to their home town.

Alter Tzofnass, a Grain Merchant (was an old bachelor). He was killed in Treblinka.

Lichtin, a Potter (he lived near the furniture turner). No one survived from this family.

Shepsel Ravitzky, Moshe's son. During the time of the German occupation, he and his family lived in Lida and they were killed there in one of the aktions.

Feivel Tzemakh, a Lumber Merchant (a son-in-law of Kaplan from the Shoemaker's accessories. He went insane and was later killed.

 

The Gesseleh

Shmuel David, a Horse-Hitcher (he is told about in the record of the Grodno Gasse, because that is where he last lived).

Elkeh Gallin, the daughter of the Bialystoker Baker. She made corsets. Her husband, Fei'tcheh Gallin, with their son, were killed in Auschwitz. Elkeh died in the bunkers from typhus.

Silver, a Teacher. He and his wife (a daughter of Nakhum Halpern) and his sister-in-law, were killed in Treblinka.

 

The Schulhof

Kryer, a Tinsmith. The entire family was killed in Treblinka, except for one son who survived, and is living in Volkovysk.

Simcha Ein, a Wagon Driver. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Zaydkeh Bogomilsky, a Tailor. Nobody from this family survived.

Berel Zavelevich, “White Head,” a Shoemaker. Already recorded in the description of Zamoscheh, where he last lived.

Not'keh Schwartz. He and his entire family were killed in Treblinka.

Herschel Gordon, the Scribe. Nobody from this family survived.

Zvi Inker. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Mindl, Chana Lev's. The Germans gassed her in the bunkers. Her son Raphael and his family were killed in Treblinka.

Zaydl Shcheglovitsky, a Furniture Turner. He and his family were killed in Treblinka.

[Page 428]

The Wide Boulevard

The side on which the Blond Hassid's house was located.

Alter Rossiansky, or as he was called, Alter Berman. He had a hotel. His son Yerakhmiel was severely wounded in the German bombardment. He was later killed with his father in Treblinka. The other two sons, Ahareh, and his younger brother, were killed in the Auschwitz camp.

Goshchinsky, the Ironmonger. He and his wife were killed during the German bombardment, at the priest's on the swamp, near the river on the Millner Gasse, opposite the mill. His son, Fishl died in the bunkers from typhus. Fishl's wife Chana (a daughter of Glatzer the Locksmith, who is today in America) was in the same wagon with me, along with her child on the way to Auschwitz. Both were killed there. Fishl's brother, Moshe'l also was killed in Auschwitz.

Shammai Mordetsky's Children (The “Gershkeh's”). They were millers. The daughters, with the son, a Hairdresser, were killed in Treblinka.

Abraham Mordetsky (“Gershkeh's”). His daughter and her husband were killed in Treblinka. His two sons, millers, were in the Auschwitz camp. The older son was with me in the camp. Once, in February 1943, he was severely beaten by a “House Servant.” The next morning, when everyone stood at roll call outside in the cold and snow, he suddenly went insane. He stripped off all his clothes and leaned against a block. When I asked him the reason for this, he no longer answered me, and fell down in the mud and expired. It was only a few hours earlier that the incident with the House Servant who had beaten him so severely, had been related to me. His brother also was killed in the Auschwitz camp.

Yaakov Paveh, from the Cigarettes. The entire family was killed in Treblinka. His son (a son-in-law to Taran), who had a pharmacy in Zamoscheh, was also killed with the family in Treblinka.

Nakhum Lytus. The entire family with the daughter and her husband, that had a paper business, were all killed in Treblinka.

Zelda Lapin. She, along with her daughters, Rivka, Tzirel, Chana and their husbands, and children, were all killed in Treblinka. Zelda's son, Chaim, was with me in the Auschwitz camp and was killed there. Zaydl Lapin and his family were all killed in Treblinka. Zelda's son Joseph is today in America.

Chaim Slapak, a Baker, who lived in Lapin's building. During the time of the aktion against Volkovysk, he was in Svislucz. However, it appears that no one from this family survived.

Aizik Werner. He died in the bunkers from typhus. His wife with the children and his sister Chana, were all killed in Treblinka.

Sarah Epstein, the daughter of the Furniture Turner, that had a fashion store. At the time of the German occupation, she was with her sister and her family in Lisokovo. When the Jews of Lisokovo were driven on foot to Volkovysk on November 2, 1942, she couldn't make the trip, and the Germans shot her along the way. The remainder of her family were killed in Treblinka. Her younger sister was killed in Narevka.

[Page 429]

Nissan Zapoliansky, Shmuel Chaim Bayl'keh's son, who dealt in yeast and lived in the stores opposite Einhorn's house. He was one of my uncles. Nissan Zapoliansky died in the bunkers. His wife, Shosha died during the Nazi period. His son, Chaim Yitzhak, his wife Bobel and son Israel, were killed in Treblinka.

 

The Einhorn Family

Before the outbreak of the last World War, the following members of the Einhorn Family were found in Volkovysk; Rosa Einhorn-Pshenitsky, the Dentist, with her husband, Mulya and daughter Dora, who lived on the first floor of their house; and Pes'shka Einhorn-Yanovsky with her husband, Joseph, and two children. Pes'shka ran the pharmacy, and lived in the same house. When the Russians took control of Volkovysk, both families remained in their homes and carried on with their day-to-day lives. On June 21, 1942[19], when the Germans began to bomb the city, the Einhorns fled to Karczyzna like many other Jewish residents of Volkovysk, where they hid themselves in the mounds. Rosa managed to take along a number of dental instruments. Their house was completely destroyed by the bombing. After the Germans entered the city and took over control, the Einhorn's settled themselves in Kilikovsky's house in Zamoscheh, where Rosa opened a small office and continued her practice. Stepka, the Christian lady who raised Rosa's daughter Dora, remained with them. This condition continued until November 2, 1942, when the Germans ordered the entire Jewish population to leave their homes. The Einhorns were also among all the other Jews who, on that day, were driven into the bunkers. During their first days in the bunkers, Stepka the Christian lady would bring them food every day, and even for their friends. A few days after being in the bunkers, the Germans permitted Rosa to resume her practice in her prior office in Kilikovsky's house in Zamoscheh. They permitted her daughter, Dora, to leave the bunkers with her. However, her husband, Mulya Pshenitsky, and Pes'shka with her entire family, remained with all the rest in the bunkers. Mulya was later appointed among the sixty workers who were given permission to go to work in the city, and thanks to this, he was able to see Rosa outside the bunkers. During the time that Rosa was located in the city, many Christians used to send food parcels to their Jewish friends in the bunkers.

At the beginning of November 1942, the Germans began to send the Volkovysk Jews out of the bunkers to Treblinka. They promised Rosa that her sister Pes'shka, with her family, would be permitted to stay in the bunkers among the 1700 people. Tragically, a change in the plan took place, and at the last minute they were sent with everyone else to Treblinka. In that second transport, Pes'shka, her husband Joseph Yunovich, their two children, as well as the large Yanovsky family were then killed. Mulya Pshenitsky, Rosa's husband, then remained among the 1700 Jews in the bunkers. Rosa and her daughter Dora still lived in Zamoscheh at that point. When the typhus epidemic broke out in the lager, Mulya Pshenitsky also fell ill. When the last Volkovysk transport was sent out on January 23, 1943 to Auschwitz, Mulya was unconscious. The Germans allowed him to remain lying in the bunker hospital, and the next morning they shot him, along with all the other old and sick people. At the time the bunkers were liquidated, they were yet inclined to let Rosa remain in the city, but her daughter was to be sent to Auschwitz with the others. Rosa did not want to be separated from her daughter, and she refused the German proposal, and went with all the other Jews on the last transport together with her daughter.

On the night that the last transport was sent out from the bunkers, I saw Rosa Einhorn for the last time. When I stood outdoors in the cold, together with my sick wife and child, and waited for stretchers, because my sick ones were unable to walk to the train station, I ran into Rosa. She was at that precise moment, highly distracted,

[Page 430]

because she had at that time lost a package of hers, which contained everything that she owned. As Dr. Marek Kaplan tells, Rosa was later with him in the train car. She was then already very defeated and broken. Rosa arrived in Auschwitz with her daughter. The Nazis, however, separated them. Rosa was sent with the other Volkovysk [Jews] to the Auschwitz crematorium, and Dora went into the count of the 87 women that remained in the Auschwitz labor camp. However, the separation from her mother had a terrifying effect on Dora. Despite the fact that she was still very young, she completely lost her will to live, and demonstrated little ability to resist and survive. She compliantly did the heavy work that the Nazis imposed on the women in the camp, and in April 1943, when dysentery broke out and spread all over the camp, Dora was among the first to fall ill. Shayna Lifschitz and her sister Elkeh were together with her in the bunker. Shayna tells, that despite her illness, the girls in the bunker would take Dora along to work, in order to protect her from certain death, which the Nazis would instantly impose against everyone who was sick. Dora's health, however, go worse day by day. And one day, she was no longer able to lift herself up from the place where she slept, because her feet were badly swollen. That evening, when the girls returned to the bunker from their work, Dora could no longer be found.

The Shiff Family. At the time of the German occupation, Berel Shiff (of the Gold Business) was in Warsaw with his family, and nothing was heard from them. Chaya Shiff, the wife of Leizer, was taken away in the first transport to Treblinka. Leizer and his two sons, Lialkeh, and Naphtali Hertz were left behind in Volkovysk with the 1700 people, and were later killed in Auschwitz. Itzel Shiff lived in Belgium and the fate of him and his family is not known to me.

Hona Shiff. His wife Chana, was killed along with her daughter, Rachel Leah, in Auschwitz. Hona was with me in the Auschwitz lager. He worked with me in the ‘command.’ Hona Shiff, Alter Burdeh, a watchmaker from Svislucz, Jekuthiel Bashitsky (“Bish”) and I would sleep on one bunk. During the entire time in the camp, Hona Shiff felt well. However, he did not give heed to the warning not to drink the bad water in the camp, from which people became sick with dysentery in droves. I myself would often warn him not to drink the water. He argued, however, that it didn't affect him. One day in the morning, when the men were awakened to go to work, Hona, who slept at the edge of the bunk, no longer moved. We awakened him, and warned him that the “House Servant” will beat him severely if he finds him in his sleeping place. However, Hona said absolutely nothing. When the “House Servant” entered, he began to beat Hona with his rubber truncheon, and when he didn't move, the “House Servant” tore off his covering. He then saw that Hona was sick with a bad case of dysentery. The “House Servant” nevertheless pushed him off the bunk, which was soiled with excrement, and beat him even more. On that day, Hona no longer went to work, and when we returned in the evening top the camp, Hona was not there anymore. Alter Burdeh from Svislucz was killed that same day.

Chaya Esther “Fira” (Meir Shiff's daughter). During the time of the Russian occupation, she went away to her brother, Tzal'yeh in Kharkov (Russia), and remained alive. Most recently, she returned to Poland. Her husband, Roman Blumstein, with her daughter Ruzhya[20] went away to his parents in Warsaw during the time of the German occupation, and it appears they were killed along with the local Jews there.

Bontsheh Slutsky. Nobody remains from this family. One daughter, married to Volkovysky, a Hatmaker, and was killed with her husband and children in Treblinka.

Israel Olshevsky. He and his wife, Zina and their children, Herzl and Malka were killed in Treblinka. His two sons, Liova and Nakhum, were in the Auschwitz camp, and were killed there.

[Page 431]

The following happened to Liova: In the morning, as usual, we all went to work after the roll call. On that day, about 150 men were left in the camp by the commander. When the workers returned to the bunkers in the evening, they no longer found those men there. It was later discovered, that on that day, automobiles came, and all the people who remained behind in the camp were taken to the gas chambers. Among these unfortunates were the following from Volkovysk: Liova Olshevsky, Mulka Pshenitsky (the watchmaker), and a certain Kessel, who came to Auschwitz with the Volkovysk transport.

Yud'l Scharf, a Shoe Merchant. He and his wife were killed in Treblinka.

 

The Gesseleh

Yekhiel Pshenitsky. He died during the time of the Soviet occupation. His wife was killed in Treblinka.

Yerakhmiel Babitch, a Tailor, son of Reuven the Tailor (lived in Nakhumovsky's house). The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Mania Pshenitsky, a Baker. The entire family was killed in Treblinka. One son, Mula[21], a Watchmaker, was killed in the Auschwitz camp.

Nakheh Yunovich, ‘The Dairyman.’ The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Leibeh Kaplan, a Tinsmith (son of Alter the Tinsmith). He and his brother Shmuel, also a Tinsmith, were killed in Treblinka. Leibeh's two sons, Chaim Yitzhak and the younger one (whose name I cannot remember), were with me in the Auschwitz camp and were killed there.

Chas'sheh Leah Yunovich. She, and her daughter Rachel Epstein, were killed in Treblinka. Rachel's son, Herschel Epstein, who was in Russia, remained alive.

Meir Podorovsky, The Feldscher. Part of the family was killed in Treblinka, and the fate of the remaining members is unknown.

Zadok Lev, a Baker. The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Hinde Lev's Children. The fate of her daughter Rosa Bartnovsky, and her son, Mottel Lev is told in the description of Zamoscheh, where they last lived.

Goldberg. He had a general merchandise store in Bartnovsky's house. No one survived from the family.

Yaakov Goldberg, from the Manufacturing concern. The mother, Chana, was killed on the last day of the bombardment in Kalman Levitt's house near the river, near the Hassidic building. Levitt's wife was also killed there, and a child of Breineh (a grandchild of the Pearl Merchant). The father, Yaakov, was killed in Treblinka with those of the second Volkovysk transport. The older son, Mendel, remained with the 1700 men, and was killed in Auschwitz. The younger son, Morris, left for Ruzhany during the time of the German occupation, and fled to the forest from there. However, nothing more was ever heard from him. Their son, Dr. Yitzhak

[Page 432]

Goldberg, who worked as a physician for the entire time of the German occupation of Ruzhany, went from there to Lisokovo. However, he was later transferred on November 2, [1942], together with the Jews of Lisokovo, to the Volkovysk bunkers. During the time of the typhus epidemic, he did a great deal for the benefit of the Jews in the bunkers. When the bunkers were emptied, together with the last Volkovysk transport, he came to Auschwitz. There he was separated out among the 210 men, and remained in the Auschwitz camp. He was later sent to the Lendzin coal mines by the Nazis as punishment for the assistance that he rendered to the Jews in the camp. When the Germans evacuated the camps, he fled to the forest and hid until the Russian Army took control of the area. Today, Dr. Goldberg is in New York, where he practices as a doctor.

Yaakov Goldberg's Daughter, Shoshana, who was married to Yitzhak Pearman in Pinsk, went to Sarna during the time of the German [occupation], but nothing more was heard from them.

Tzil'yeh Medvedev (Bartnovsky) , a daughter of Zelig Bartnovsky the lumber merchant, who was a well-know worker on behalf of the community, and a Gabbai of the Great Synagogue. Together with her husband, Medvedev, and her children, she was killed in Treblinka.

Dr. Menashe Niemchik. At the beginning of the war he left Volkovysk and remained alive. He is today in Israel. His wife Clara and daughter Irkeh[22] were killed in Treblinka.

Abba Yehuda Winetsky, “The Hassid.” (Der Vashilishker[23]). He was popular in the city, and died before the outbreak of the war. His family was killed in Treblinka.

Aizik Lev, The Butcher (from the Gesseleh). The entire family was killed in Treblinka.

Kalman Levitt, of the General Merchandise store. His wife was killed in the bombardment, in Levitt's house near the Hassidim shtibl. The remainder of the family was killed in Treblinka.

Mordechai, Hosea's, The Boyger[24] No one from this family survived.

Pelteh Langbord, the Milliner (she bought Tzipa Katzin's building). She and her husband were killed in Treblinka. The son, Joseph, who had lived in Argentina for many years, and then came home and married Taiba Shkolnik, was killed with his wife and child in Auschwitz. Pelteh's daughter, Mal'yeh[25] who was married to Chaim Khvonyik, voluntarily turned herself over to the Nazis, after they had taken her husband away among the first 200 [men]. This was one of the instances where a wife did not want to be parted from her husband, and was killed along with him.

 

Translator's footnotes:
  1. The Dereczin Memorial Book has a reference to a Zaklas family (see p. 70 there). Return
  2. Diminutive for Boruch Return
  3. The Yiddish diminutive for the Hebrew name, Katriel (also rendered as Casrael by those using the Ashkenazic pronunciation). Return
  4. A nickname for Rivka. Return
  5. A variant of Lotte, derived from Charlotte. Return
  6. From Royze (Rose) or Raytse (Richenza/Richinza; German-Christian) Return
  7. Sometimes also called Krinik by the Jews. Return
  8. See also the footnote regarding Yaakov Kaplinsky on page 422. Return
  9. Nickname drawn from the Russian word for an eider duck Return
  10. A nickname for Leib. Return
  11. In the sense of preparing smoked foods, like gevendzelteh herring. Return
  12. Zhambyl (jämbl'), Now Taraz. City (1993 est. pop. 317,000), in S Kazakhstan on the border with Kyrgyzstan, on the Taraz (Talas) River and the Turkestan‑Siberia RR. Industries include food processing and the manufacture of chemicals, footwear, and leather goods. Founded in the 7th cent., it was called Taraz or Talas. In the 8th and 9th cent. it was ruled by Arabs. From the 10th to the 12th cent. it was the capital of the Karakhan state, and in 1864 it passed to Russia. It was called Aulie‑Ata until 1936 and then Mirzoyan until 1938, when it was renamed for the Kazakh poet Zhambyl Zhabayev; in 1997 the original name was restored. Near Taraz are two mausoleums (11th and 12th cent.). Return
  13. I believe this to be an inadvertent error. The year was 1943. Return
  14. This should be read as Herschel, the son of Reb Teveleh Ravitzky, the Dayan. Return
  15. See the memoir about Abraham Makov in Lashowitz's Volkovysk (the third part of this Trilogy). Return
  16. It cannot easily be discerned if this nickname is due to black hair, or swarthy complexion. This appears to be Nye'sheh Levin, characterized on page 415. Return
  17. Yiddish nickname for Yocheved Return
  18. Once again, it is not clear that this nickname was due to hair color or swarthiness. Return
  19. Seemingly an error: this was 1941. Return
  20. Nickname for Rosa or Rose (German-Christian). Return
  21. Variant of Mulya, nickname for Shmuel. Return
  22. Nickname for Yerusha (See II Kings 15:33. Readers of James A. Michener's novel, Hawaii, will recall one of the characters, a wife of a missionary, named Jerusha Hale). Return
  23. Indicating his origin to be in Vasiliski, to the north in the Lida Guberniya. Called Vasilishok by the resident Jews. Return
  24. Seemingly someone who bent objects into shape, such as barrel hoops, and possibly wheel frames. Return
  25. Nickname for Malka Return

 

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