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In August 1915, the Russian Army under pressure from the Austrian Army withdrew from Lutsk. With the permission of the last military commandant, a civilian militia was organized under the leadership of Dr. Kartshemni, of blessed memory. The task of the civilian militia was to protect the civilian population from looting attacks and to organize help against fires, which kept breaking out as a result of the ceaseless bombarding of the two enemy armies. The [bad] elements only waited for an auspicious opportunity to begin looting Jewish possessions.

After the Russian military retreated the Austrian Army entered, which, having been in Lutsk for three weeks, also had to withdraw, but not completely. The city of Lutsk is divided by the Styr River and the front line actually went through the middle of the city, on both sides of the Styr. The shooting went on constantly and gave rise to human victims. The population remained hidden in the cellars. However, the civilian militia had to stand on watch against fires and looting attacks. The situation continued from the Day of Atonement to the end of Sukkous [Feast of Tabernacles].

On Shabbos [Sabbath], the last day of Sukkous, when we all were hidden in the cellars, bombs fell on the brick house of Yehoshua Yakov Drauzen, may he rest in peace, and killed many people. This happened because the Russian field kitchen was in the same house, from which smoke rose and this was a target for the Austrian bombs. One of them created a desolate ruin. The writer of these lines was not far from the spot mentioned and survived certain death through a miracle.

At first a rescue action was organized. The dead were pulled out and the wounded sent to the nearby field hospital and transported to Rovno.

In the morning, the dead were buried at the Jewish cemetery. The crying of the families of the 15 who were murdered was heart-rending. The Austrian Army entered Lutsk on the same evening, the 2^nd of November 1915.

We crawled out of the cellars and various hiding places and had the opportunity to breathe more freely. However, our hardships began again. The Austrian military regime began to requisition the most important food products. Even before the Russian Army had left the city, an order was issued that the storehouses of food be turned over to it [the Austrian military regime], and those who could not do this – kerosene would be poured on [the storehouses] and they would be set on fire, so that nothing fell into the hands of the enemy. This really created a great scarcity in food. However, there was no other choice and we had to accustom ourselves a little to being hungry.

The civilian militia was reorganized with the arrival of the Austrian Army, but without Dr. Kartshemni, who had been arrested as a hostage along with several other citizens; and a [ransom] payment of 10,000 rubles in gold was placed on the city [for the release of the hostages]. The sum was actually paid and the hostages were immediately released. Dr. Kartshemni's place in the reorganized militia was taken by a certain Graus, an owner of a printing shop on the main street, and his aide, Tshatshki, a former teacher at Diksztein's school, Yitzhak Akt and so on. Their task consisted of helping the Austrian occupation regime carry out various requisitions for residences, horse and wagons and the like from the local population.

To all of the local hardships, another general one arrived: the homeless. The war operations in the Lutsk surroundings created an empty ruin in the small shtetlekh [towns] around Lutsk. Kolki, Rafalivka, Manevychi, Volodymyrets, Rozhyshche, Torchin, Kysylyn, Travec, Lokhbytsia, Ustyluh, Baremel and many other villages were made a ruin and burned by the bombs. The homeless, who had barely emerged with their lives, began to stream from the surrounding shtetlekh and left their possessions in the care of the fires. The need was limitless.

The arriving winter lay particular hardships on the homeless. There was no heating material, no food, no shoes and no clothing. The crowding in the residences was great. Various epidemics broke out. There were no days without several deaths. A deep sadness lowered over the Jewish community in Lutsk.

And this was not everything. The Austrian military

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regime began to grab Jews to dig trenches around the city. Those grabbed were held far outside the city and they were not permitted to go home. This had a particular effect on the material conditions of the poor strata, where the men had been the only earners. In order to avoid being grabbed for work, a committee was organized of which Reb Eliezer Druker, of blessed memory, stood at the head. The committee was located at the house of Reb Yona Feldenkrajz, of blessed memory. The entire Jewish population aged from 16 to 60 were provided with special work booklets in which was filled out each one's work duties according to their rank. Thus, with the agreement of the Austrian military county commandant, the wild plague of grabbing [Jews] to work was abolished and a certain order was brought in. Those, who were not capable of filling the work duty had the opportunity of hiring another so that he would work for him. Understandably, with this, income opened up for a portion of the population.

The material situation of the population gradually became better. With the permission of the Austrian military commandant, goods began to come in from Horokhiv and Lemberg. Various businesses began to open. The coffee and tea houses grew like mushrooms after a rain. Everyone who had a window open to the street opened a teahouse and had income from it. All of this, together with various other opportunities, thanks to the military's government work, alleviated a great deal of need.

At the beginning of 1916, Dr. Marinsztajn, of blessed memory, was nominated as Rabbi in place of the former rabbi, Reb Moshe Gliklich, of blessed memory, who had evacuated to Kiev. The new rabbi was occupied only with taking care of the religious needs of our kehile.

After the Austrian military regime brought in a little order, it began to carry out passportization [mass conferral of citizenship] of all adult residents of the city. This began in February 1916 and it was carried out in the following manner: there was a special commission in the building of the military district commandant; as [property] owners, two esteemed members of the middle class from each street became members of the commission. Every two to three days, the residents of another street had to appear at the commission and on the basis of testimony from the property owners, they were identified and they were given the appropriate documents.

After the conclusion of the passportization of the population, the entire city was surrounded by the military. Military patrols were placed at every street to find the hidden elements of the population. To the severe regimen in which the residents lived and to which they had to conform to the military time requirements was added another hardship because of which we were as if locked in our own ghetto for a time.

As I previously mentioned, various epidemics rampaged in Lutsk. However, there were almost no medical institutions in Lutsk. The institution, Bikur Kholim [society for visiting the sick], was then the only medical institution from which Jews could receive medical help. Alas, it could not absorb all of the sick who needed medical help and isolation. Because of this, many of the sick had to remain in their residences. There was a great scarcity of doctors. They had all been mobilized in the Russian Army. Only two doctors remained in Lutsk, a Jew, Dr. Ranc, may he rest in peace, and a liberal Christian with the name of Dr. Pomianowsky as well as three feldshers [traditional barber-surgeons], Reb Mendl rufah [healer], may he rest in peace, Reb Zalman rufah, may he rest in peace, and a Tarczyner healer named Fuks, may he rest in peace.

The Austrian occupation regime provided a disinfection machine for disinfecting the houses in which there were sick people.

Understandably, in such a situation, the teaching institutions were not active. The Talmud Torah [religious school for poor boys] was requisitioned for a military hospital and the Diksztajn school was taken over by the occupation forces. This all led to the organization of the Lines haTzedek Society [poorhouse], at the head of which stood Reb Avraham Landberg, may his memory be blessed.

With the approach of Passover in the month of March 1916, a general committee was organized whose task was to provide poor Jews with all of their Passover needs. Representatives of all of the houses of prayer were elected. From the Vilker house of prayer: Reb Uzer Debert, of blessed memory, Reb Yitzhak Daliner, of blessed memory, the Vilker Rebbe Reb Ben-Tzion Lederman, of blessed memory, Reb Yosef Sztenbaum, of blessed memory, Reb Meir Kupersztajn, of blessed memory, Reb Moshe Libhober, of blessed memory, Reb Dovid Golub, of blessed memory, Reb Dovid Szajnman, of blessed memory. From the large Vilker synagogue: Reb Yehiel Ajnbinder, of blessed memory, Reb Alter Pres, of blessed memory, Reb Yakov Bawerman, of blessed memory. From the Novo-Strajaner synagogue: Reb Moti Fuks, of blessed memory and Reb Yakov Fridman, of blessed memory. From the Daliner synagogue: Reb Meir Firer, of blessed memory, and Reb Borukh Szpigel, of blessed memory. From the Trisker synagogue: Reb Motl Waksman, of blessed memory, Reb Gershon Cwitman, of blessed memory, and Reb Itshe Kestenbaum, of blessed memory. From the suburban large synagogue: Reb Anshel Waserman, of blessed memory, Reb Shimeon Goldberg, of blessed memory, and Mirmelsztajn of blessed memory. From the large synagogue: Reb Itshe Kraun, of blessed memory and Kriszmalka, of blessed memory. From the Krana synagogue: Reb Shlomo Ajzenberg, of blessed memory and Sznajder, of blessed memory.

The people who found themselves on the managing committee of the help action were: Reb Yisroel Wajntraub, of blessed memory, Reb Avraham Landau, of blessed memory, Reb Chaim Bukowiecki, of blessed memory, Reb Yudl Nuch, of blessed memory – with the complete help of our rabbi, Dr. Marinsztajn, of blessed memory. In general, those families whose men had been mobilized into the Russian Army were taken care of for Passover.

At this opportunity, I will record a very

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interesting episode in the life of the Jewish kehile [organized Jewish community] at that time. The Austrian military regime was searching for a suitable premises for its nightclub for the Austrian officers. They wanted to requisition the house of Reb Meir Kupersztajn. The top floor had been furnished with the necessary facilities for such a premises. They also wanted to take the lower floor where several branches of the Kupersztajn family, which was considered the most distinguished family in the city, lived. For the latter, arranging such an entertainment place [in their home] was a great shame. All interventions with the occupation regime did not help and they [the Kupersztajn family] were in danger that the entire house would be taken for such an “elevated” purpose. Literally at the last minute, Reb Meir Kupersztajn had a good idea. There was a large room in this house in which a rich rabbinical library with various sacred manuscripts was located. They opened a small synagogue in this room in which they prayed. They placed three Sifre-Toyres [Torah scrolls] in an ark, a lectern with a table for reading the Torah and many other religious articles. Then they demanded that the commission of the Austrian military regime inspect it to see whether a nightclub could be arranged in a house in which there was a house of prayer. A military commission of Austrian officers with the participation of a Jewish field rabbi did come and determined that a public nightclub must not be organized in this house because this would insult the religious feeling of the local population. The requisitioned top floor was also released. This small synagogue remained active until the last, great destruction [the Holocaust].

The mentioned episode took place three months before the Austrian Army left Lutsk. However, before it left the city, the days of fear repeated themselves, similar to the earlier ones when the Austrians took the city. Over the course of three days, violent shooting, which forced everyone to hide in various hiding places, began unexpectedly. This was at the end of May 1916, Shavous [the holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people], at night. Our entire family gathered with our uncle, Reb Gershon Cwitman, of blessed memory, in his brick house not far from the Krasner Bridge. Suddenly, the entire mass of the Austrian military was an obstruction because of the great congestion of all kinds of Austrian military divisions that were withdrawing from the city in great haste. This obstruction was noticed by the Russian artillery, which started sending its shells here. Almost at the last minute, we went down to the lowest part of our house where it was more secure than the upper part. The two shells that fell on our house did not harm us and we escaped with only fear. We knew that the Russian military would return to the city and we were a little afraid of this. The danger was particularly great from the advance units, which acted on their own and could create great hardship for the civilian population.

The cannonade became weaker and weaker and only rifle fire interrupted the relative quiet. In our hiding place, in addition to our family, there also were several other families from the street on which we lived. Someone stood on guard all the time, in order to catch some indication about what was happening in the light of day. Around two at night, when Reb Yisroel Leib Matiuk, of blessed memory, stood on watch, we received an order from him: Quiet, be still. I think they are speaking Russian! We all held our breath even more and them we heard Russian being spoken in the courtyard. The Russian soldiers, who were then in the courtyard, also noticed our hiding place and the weak night candle that flickered from our hiding place and they came closer to us. Reb Matiuk went out to meet them and immediately returned with a Russian soldier who greeted us with a warm Zdravstvuyte [hello]. They looked at our hiding place and calmed us, advising us not to come out until morning. We gave them cigarettes. The soldiers were very friendly to us.

In the shooting then, two victims fell. These were Yudke Papirosnik's wife,^[1] of blessed memory, and Yisroel Kowal's wife, of blessed memory.

Right after this, when the Russian military returned to Lutsk, the new military commandant turned to the civilian population and called upon it to return to normal bourgeois life; they should open their businesses, workshops. The front was then located about 30-40 kilometers [18.6 to 24.8 miles] from the city. The commandant gave out propusk [passes] to travel to Rovno. The population did not wait for long to be asked and commerce was revived. All products appeared in the city and one could buy everything.

It did not last long and the civilian regime returned – with the previous police and its police chief. The previous city president, Malowicky (gorodskaya golova – mayor), returned. They simultaneously began to grab people for various military work, but a short time later, everyone was mobilized.

At that time arose a Jewish help committee for the war refugees in Lutsk and its surroundings. The central [office] was located in Kiev. At the head of the central was a special plenipotentiary, Guterman (the son of a Kiev rabbi), later the director of the Joint [Distribution Committee] in Warsaw, who perished during the Hilterist occupation.

This help committee created a kindergarten for orphans whose parents perished in the war.

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Businesses were also organized in which widows of those who had fallen at the front were employed as workers.

At the same time, the writer, Sh. Ansky, came in the uniform of a Russian officer to Lutsk from the Kiev Central. He visited our synagogue with its antiques from the Middle Ages, which he took to Petrograd (Leningrad).

The German air force did not rest, not during the day and not in the bright nights. We were bombed every day. As a result, many victims often fell. I still remember one such air attack. One morning, we were shaken up by a strong explosion. We were simply thrown from our beds. The doors came off their hinges. The windowpanes were knocked out of the windows. The German airplanes then bombed the train station, where the military transport of ammunition stood. One bomb actually hit a wagon of explosive material. A terrible explosion occurred and caused a fire that was localized and finally extinguished after several days work by the municipal fire brigade.

Despite the careless bombarding of the German invaders, life went on at its normal pace. Commerce blossomed. The workshops worked at full steam because the front kept demanding war materials.

The bombarding stopped with the arrival of the autumn rains and we caught our breath a little. In contrast, during the winter months various epidemic illnesses again began to spread, brought from the front. Appropriate means to fight the epidemics were undertaken by the military and civilian regimes. Every resident was provided with a special book and was obligated to go through a disinfection every week. However, there were still a large number of victims that winter.

The [newly created] Lines haTzedek [poorhouse] organized a widespread medical aid action. Someone was sent to every sick person, who would watch over him the entire night.

Thus passed the winter here in 1916-17.

A radical change arose with the outbreak of the February Revolution in 1917. First of all, the nominated self-rule committee and the designated city president, Olowczik, left us. In their place was designated a new self-rule committee with Reb Avraham Warkowicky, of blessed memory, at the head as city president. Designated as members were: Reb Yehiel Ajnbinder, of blessed memory, Reb Yosef Zshitin, of blessed memory, Reb Meir Ingber, of blessed memory, who, at the city hall, took care of the current municipal matters and the food supply (there had already begun to be a lack of important basic food products) along with a certain number of Jewish and Christian councilmen.

A large number of changes in the communal and spiritual situation of the city also arrived. Like mushrooms after a rain, various organizations, unions and political parties were organized. The Society for the Promotion of Culture, which existed then in Russia, opened its evening courses. The opening of the first liberal organization, Progres, must be emphasized, in which free-thinking young people were grouped and in which the following people excelled: Yitzhak Szternfeld, of blessed memory, Kolodne, of blessed memory, Ahron Cwitman, of blessed memory, Yona Szternfeld, of blessed memory, Zishe Baglajbter, of blessed memory, Efoim Maranc, of blessed memory, Shmuel Tshetshosko, of blessed memory, Shmeya Kimelman, of blessed memory, l'havdil [to distinguish between] life and death – Chaim Leibl, Leib Lerner, Dovid Grinsztajn Leib Kotliar, Dwoyra Grinsztajn, of blessed memory, Shaya Wajcberg, of blessed memory and so on. A dramatic section was organized that often presented Yiddish theater at Lubart's Castle. The thirst for a living, Yiddish word was so great that every time the dramatic section performed, it was over-filled. The income from the performances was designated for the purposes of the organization. After [the lifting of] the restrictions of the Tsarist regime, which did not permit the performance of Yiddish theater, we used the time of the new, free opportunities for cultural activity.

Various workers' unions arose in which there were representatives of various political parties. Thus, from the Bund, Dovid Ajzen, of blessed memory, was active; from the Fareinikte [United] – Szternfeld, of blessed memory, from Paolei-Zion [Labor Zionists] – Wisocky and Golib, of blessed memory. Active in the artisans' union were: Reb Yehiel Einbinder, of blessed memory, Melimewker, of blessed memory, Klimbird, of blessed memory and Bajoner, of blessed memory. Active in the retailers' union were: Reb Eliezer Gindel, of blessed memory, Reb Euzer Cvirt, of blessed memory, Reb Noakh Sztajnberg, of blessed memory and Yosef Finkelsztajn, of blessed memory. Active in the merchants' union were: Reb Yudl Szapiro, of blessed memory, Bronberg, of blessed memory and Dal, of blessed memory.

The Zionist organization was organized, at the head of which stood Reb Kheikl Wajc, of blessed memory, Reb Yehosha Berger, of blessed memory, Temerlin, of blessed memory (the latter died in Israel), Khalaf, of blessed memory and, l'havdil [to distinguish between] life and death – Avraham Waksman.

Also in another area, communal life began sprouting with new strength. Thus the Jewish gymnazie [secular secondary school] and a Hebrew school was organized. A division of the Kiev Kultur-Lige [Cultural League] was opened, which possessed a rich library of Yiddish, Hebrew and Russian books. Moshe Ferdman, who also in later years, was a councilman in the city local rule organs for many years, led the library. The Zionist organization also opened a library in which there were mainly Hebrew

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books. My friend Yosef Wajntraub, of blessed memory, led this library.

In Jewish alleys, there was joy and jubilation. Political life began to pulse at a quick tempo. We began to prepare for the first free elections to the municipal authority. All of the above recorded parties and organizations organized gatherings and meetings day in and day out to which they brought special lecturers from Kiev. These elections actually took place at the end of July 1917. Thus the following people were elected to the city council:

From the Zionist organization: Reb Kheikl Wajc, of blessed memory, Yehosha Berger, of blessed memory, Temerlin, of blessed memory, and other activists in the Zionist movement.

From the artisans were elected Reb Yehiel Ajnbinder, of blessed memory, Reb Avraham Klimburd, of blessed memory, Melimewker, of blessed memory, Fajntuch, of blessed memory, Szpicman, of blessed memory, and Frenkel, of blessed memory

From the middle-class property owners: Reb Avraham Warkowicky, of blessed memory, and Reb Yosef Zshitin.

From the Jewish workers who, in general, entered the Social-Democratic list, on which Jews and Christians appeared, Yitzhak Szternfeld, of blessed memory, and Daw, of blessed memory, and Ajzen, of blessed memory, were elected.

The first public meeting of the newly elected Lutsk self-rule committee took place in August 1917. It occurred with great pomp and was very solemnly organized. Residents from all strata of the population was present. There was great joy because of the freedom they had received. The welcoming greetings were impressive because of the historic event. A fraternal atmosphere reigned among the Jews and Christians and there were no feelings of hate of one for the other.

It was the same in daily life during the honeymoon of the provisional Russian government, at the head of which stood the Prime Minister [Aleksander Fyodorovich] Kerensky, until the outbreak of the revolution on the morning of the 7^th of October 1917. A day earlier, I was at a certain military office to submit a request about a matter and the acting officer told me to come the next day for an answer. However, arriving there, I noticed an armed soldier at the entrance. Several curious people had come with me. We were told to wait. Meanwhile, the acting officer received none of us. After waiting for about half an hour in the hall, we learned that the previous night the Bolsheviks had taken power. Meanwhile, the city managing committee remained the same.

The military office was then in Eli Kraunsztajn's house (where the Bank Odbudowy [reconstruction bank] was later located.

On the same day, the Bolsheviks opened the gates of the Lutsk prison and freed all of the arrestees.

A special meeting of the city managing committee was called in the evening to discuss the newly created situation. Several councilmen from the Social Democratic faction were absent. The Jewish opposition appeared as one.

A great people's demonstration in honor of the victory of the Bolsheviks took place in the municipal park. Several cannon volleys were fired.

The elections to the kehile, which were supposed to take place at the same time, did not happen because of this. Until then it consisted of representatives from various houses of prayer.

The supplies after the October Revolution significantly worsened and basic foods began to be lacking. In general, from the beginning of 1917, we were not in a good situation in the matter of supplies. The municipal self-rule committee was forced to distribute the articles according to a card system. After the October Revolution, the situation became even worse.

In the meantime, communal life became disorganized. The military divisions in Lutsk crumbled. The soldiers began to wander around without a purpose. More looting and robbing attacks began. The hungry and ragged soldiers created groups and began to rob and murder the peaceful population. The new regime could not control this disorder. Therefore, an armed self-defense group was created by the workers' union, which assumed as its task to fight, armed with weapons, against these groups. In general, not a night passed without looting attacks. One was afraid to move around the city. No products were brought in. The money was devalued. The peasants did not want to take it and, therefore, they did not sell their products.

Later, in January 1918, the German occupation came, during which the looting ceased and life provisionally stabilized a little. Jews again received the opportunity to trade and earn money.

1959

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In April 1917, the wave of the Russian Revolution also reached Lutsk. Mass meetings and demonstrations took place in the city.

One giant demonstration of city residents, workers, the military and others, which stretched across Szoseine Street (Jagelonske) stopped in front of Nakhum Warkowicky's house, in which the municipal uprave [managing committee) was located.

Molawczik, the city golova (mayor) went out on the balcony and greeted the demonstration. However, unexpectedly for everyone, a doctor emerged out of the masses and demanded in the name of the demonstrators that Mr. Molawczik leave his office as representative of the old regime.

Sh. Warkowicky

On the 22^nd of April 1917 a special meeting of the city duma [parliament] took place under the chairmanship of Molawczik's representative, Steciuk, at which for the first time in the history of Lutsk, a Jew was elected as mayor – Mr. Avraham Warkowicky.

The next day, after taking over the office, A. Warkowicky looked over the daily correspondence and immediately asked that everything be taken care of and that all incoming papers be answered. The secretary and personnel were astonished: what did he mean take care of everything? Until now, taking care of everything, even the littlest matter, took a month at the minimum.

In the course of the first month, A. Warkowicky carried out an important, at that time, sensitive matter. He permitted the enlarging of the Jewish cemetery in the direction of the highway, thus increasing its area.

Warkowicky occupied the office of the mayor for six months – until November 1917, when the leadership of the city was taken over by newly elected socialist duma [parliament].

There, Warkowicky occupied the office of representative of the mayor because he did not belong to any party.

At that time, there was a moment when the central government wanted to move the county court from Lutsk to Rovno, which would have been a great loss for Lutsk. Thanks to the rapid intervention by Warkowicky, who specially traveled with a delegation with the Messers Zajkowsky and Sorokin (former members of the county court) to the minister in Kiev. The county court remained in Lutsk.

In those years, working in the self-rule committee was very difficult. These were the uneasy post-war years. Russia had lived through a terrible civil war. Ukrainians fought for their own state and Marshall [Józef] Pilsudski had drawn the borders of the Polish Republic with fire and sword.

In 1917-1919, Lutsk went from hand to hand several times. 

Each regime demanded products, residences, payments and so on. The hungry, poor population required bread, heating, clothing.

The demonstration in Lutsk after the outbreak of the March revolution

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Many times, the Jewish mayor was taken to the headquarters under bayonets. Many times, the city hall was occupied by the military, which made Warkowicky personally responsible for the immediate provision of all the demanded products and material; many times, threatening hordes of hungry, jobless people, driven crazy by hunger and cold, demanding bread and heat, took him infuriated from the headquarters.

And everything had to be created; all demands had to be satisfied, despite the fact that they city did not have any normal income and the currency changed with each regime.

If a regime left Lutsk, Warkowicky received a “friendly letter” from the mayor that he must leave because of “family matters” and that the entire city managing committee was being left to him, Warkowicky.

Such a letter also was left by the former Polish burmistrz [mayor] Suszinski and when the Polish military again settled in Lutsk, the Polish commandant of Lutsk expressed his great amazement at the daring of Warkowicky who had the strength to undertake such a mission at a time when this was connected to such certain danger to life.

Warkowicky did not feel any resentment in representing the city even during the terrible moments for whichever regime it might be because he was and felt himself to be a permanent Lutsker citizen.

At a special meeting on the 31^st of August, 1918, Doctor Pinus expressed in the name of the council and with ovations from all present councilmen “Trust, gratitude and respect for the efforts and achievements [of Warkowicky] for the city of Lutsk.”

A. Warkowicky left his post at the city hall in 1922, when he returned to his pre-war trade – banking, where he worked until September 1939 as a managing committee member and treasurer of the cooperative bank society.

Lutsk 1938^[1]

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It happened in the days of the First World War. Our city, Lutsk, tasted the taste of calamity in great quantity. Many difficult incidents happened then in our city, but I will not forget this incident. Indeed, a night of horrors was that night. I was little then, I did not understand much, but I was afraid of everything I understood. The Russians left the city and everyone anxiously awaited the arrival of the “nobles” - the glorious Polish army… We tasted the taste of the Russians and did not enjoy the attitude of the soldiers. A piece of bread was not available, and it was also difficult to get a small quantity of water because we were afraid to go out into the street.

It happened on Sabbath eve, father, a religious Jew, did not go to the synagogue. He remained at home and couldn't fulfill the mitzvah of Oneg Shabbat because we did not have bread! We, three little hungry girls, huddled in one bed for fear, we lay down and kept quiet, every rustle outside frightened us. And the fear grew. We heard the sound of a mob. The Polish soldiers arrived. They immediately declared a curfew and, whoever violated the curfew, his sentence was go to a place from which no one returned... They suspected that every Jew was a communist.

And precisely on that night one of the occupants of the nearby houses wanted to go to his neighbor with whom we lived in the same house, even at the same entrance. We knew nothing about it. And behold, suddenly the door opened and a Polish soldier came in and asked for that man. We knew nothing. But since he could not find the man, because he was hiding under the neighbor's bed, he pointed at my father. Father denied everything. But the soldier demanded that he would go with him. We knew the meaning of this walk. Father began to prove to him, in the clearest way, that he had not left the house. We all spoke excitedly and begged, but in vain. The soldier did not want to hear. The more we begged, the more stubborn he became. He insisted that father would go with him. We all burst into a heartbreaking cry, but it did not touch the stone heart of the Polish t...

To the sound of our weeping and wailing our neighbors gathered and everyone begged for mercy. And the soldier insisted: “No and no!” Only after one of the neighbors stuck a coin in his hand - he agreed to leave alone.

Father remained at home.

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As a result of the Russian military defeat in 1915, the front began to approach the Wolyn area. The Russian troops began to flood the Wolyn cities and shtetlekh [towns]. This created a terrible situation for the Jewish population in these places. The Russian soldiers and the peasants from the surrounding villages stormed the Jewish houses and looted them; the wild soldiers, embittered by their defeat at the front, attacked the Jews in the streets and houses. The Jewish population in the small areas fell into a panic and began to run away en masse to the large Jewish communities where they felt safer.

Lutsk was then literally flooded with thousands of refugees who stormed there without end. The situation became particularly critical when Lutsk was occupied by the Austrian Army. The city was cut off from the Russian market and had not yet succeeded in making contact with the new Austrian market. The commerce and the small industry that Lutsk possessed almost completely died out. The provision of the city with food products was in a catastrophic condition because the peasants were not interested in bringing their products into the city. Therefore, it is easy to imagine what kind of heavy burden [in caring for] the masses of refugees fell on the city.

This situation reigned until the city was again taken by the Russian Army. Then, Russian Jewry responded, and generously began to send help for the Jewish population in the Wolyn area and among them, to Lutsk.

With this purpose, a committee was created in Kiev with the name KOPE – a shortening from Russian of Komitet po Okazaniyu Pomoshchi Yevreyskomu Naseleniyu Postradevshemu ot Voyennikh Deystviy [Relief Committee for the War-stricken Jewish Population].

Then the son of the Kiev Rabbi,

Managing Committee of the Help Committee In the middle row from the right: 1) Kh. Wonie, 2) A. Warkowicky, 3) Y. Gilerman, 5) Y. Nul, 6) M. Mendelbaum, 7) L. Ozcziker, 8) Y. Kotliar, 10) A. Tacszyner Standing from the right: 4) W. Tshetshotko, 6) Moshe the mashgiekh [supervisor of dietary laws], 8) Finklsztajn Sitting on the ground (the office personnel) from the right: A. Debert, 3) Golendberg. The names of the others are unknown to us

H. Giterman (later the director of the Joint [Distribution Committee] in Poland), came to Lutsk and created a division of the above-mentioned committee in the city. The committee consisted of the following people: Kheikl Wajc – chairman, Avraham Warkowicky and Yakov Kotliar – vice chairmen, Menakhem Mandelbaum Avraham Lender, Yudl Ptic, Berger (Rozshishtsh) and so on. The committee created an orphan's house in the residence of Leibtshe Fisz. The wife of the above-mentioned Berger and Mishka, the daughter of Yakov Kotliar, ran the orphan's house.

The help committee developed vigorous activity in various areas. The central committee sent large sums of money and transports with food products and clothing. The committee's storehouses were also in the house of Leibtshe Fisz.

Thanks to the activity of the committee, the situation for the Jewish population in the city began to improve quickly. The money that the central committee had sent was divided as support among the needy and also in the form of loans for retailers and artisans. The latter took part in the revival of commerce and of artisanship. There also was an improvement in the supplies because of the distribution of food products and clothing among the Jewish population. The orphans' house took in hundreds of Jewish orphans, supporting them and from time to time sending groups of orphans to Cherkassy (Ukraine), where the central orphans' house was located with the central committee.

The work of the help committee was very difficult and responsible. The members of the committee worked with great self-sacrifice and therefore with significant results.

Little by little, life began to normalize in the city. Many refugees returned to their homes. However, the committee continued its work – until the outbreak of the October Revolution, when Russian Jewry was not merely in a position of being unable to help, but itself was in need of help.

The activity of the Jewish help committee during the war is one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the Lutsk Jewish society as a whole.

Summer 1919… The days are the dying days of the rule of Hetman^[1] Petliura in Ukraine. The irregular troops of Petliura's government were pushed from the north and the west by the Polish armies of generals Haller and Piłsudski.

Petliura's armies retreated in disarray and scattered in gangs over Jewish cities and towns. They destroyed entire settlements, slaughtered women, the elderly and children in a cruelty that surpassed all imagination in those days. They looted the Jews' property and there was no rule that would tell them: Stop! The ring around independent Ukraine (Samostoyatel'naya Ukraina) was getting tighter, and in this way also came the turn of Wolyn Jewry to drink the cup of poison to the end.

Zhytomyr, Berdychiv, Ovruch and Proskuriv were looted, and their Jewish inhabitants were mercilessly slaughtered by Petliura's men and all sorts of “Hetmans” who commanded the independent gangs.

On the other hand, reports arrived that also the troops of the Polish General Haller carry out pogroms against the Jews in their military journey.

A wave of pogroms swept through all the Jewish settlements in Ukraine and was getting closer to Rovno and Lutsk, the last fulcrums of the Ukrainian army.

Hetman Oskilko the commander of the regional camp, and his helper Colonel Shapola head of the military secret police, raged in Rovno, and on everything Polkóvnik Paliyenko the commander of the “Battalion of Death” (Ruren smerti). In April 1919, in the last dying days of Petliura's rule, Hetman Oskilko tried to organize a “revolution” on behalf of the “Independence Party” and when he failed - he poured out his wrath on the Jews.

The head of the secret police, Shapola, was a terrible monster for the Jews of Rovno, Lutsk and the surrounding area. Many Jews lost their lives in his torture chambers that were installed in train cars. The “Battalion of Death” of Polkóvnik^[2] Paliyenko carried out a mass massacre of the Jews of the nearby towns, and Hetman Oskilko did not accept the Jewish delegation request to intervene in the matter.

This atmosphere became denser and worrying as the Red Army approached Rovno and Lutsk from one side, and the Polish army - from the other.

The first signs of the impending disaster were seen in Lutsk when a battalion of soldiers, who were staying at the Bel-View Hotel on the main street, raided the city after getting drunk. They beat and wounded every passerby, and for a successful start of the riots opened fire from machine guns to the windows of the apartment of the “Bolshevik”, Dr. Korczimani, the dentist, a rich man and a reactionary by his views. By swift action of the leaders

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of the Jewish community who turned to Hetman Abaza, commander of the “Grey Division” and the head of the military government in the city, the attempt was stopped at its outset.

This situation required the residents of Lutsk to immediately organize self-defense. Indeed, in Lutsk there were Jewish political organizations and even a “Maccabi” Zionist youth organization, but these people did not have military training. There were more than enough weapons after the 1917 revolution, because the Russian army withdrew from the front near Lutsk and Kovel leaving behind weapon depots and a lot of military equipment. Anyone who wanted stole a rifle, machine gun, boxes of hand grenades, motor vehicles, etc. All this, “for any trouble that may come.”

The first nucleus of the defense was the volunteers of the Fire Brigade because of their regime and the semi-military organization, and especially because of the brave men among them. Above all, it was important to acquire for this purpose the bravest among them, and he is “Leibchik Bender,” meaning, Leibchik the bandit. He was a sturdy and strong man, fearless with a very unclean past and present and one of the leaders of the criminal world. The whole city and the surrounding area, even the policemen, were frightened when they heard that name. He was an unrestrained man in his non-kosher businesses, but was a quiet man with people he had no businesses with him. He was also a good Jew and severely punished anyone who insulted a Jew because of his Judaism.

A headquarters was soon assembled. Participated in it: “Leibchik” - on behalf of the Fire Brigade, my late brother Yitzchak Golub - on behalf of Poalei Zion, the writer of these columns - on behalf of the Zionist Youth (Maccabi etc.), the student Yozik Ranz - on behalf of the left circles (communists, etc.), and Shaike (Yehusua) Kroyn (now in Israel).

But before they could organize the companies and train them, the first echoes of the howling cannons east of the city have already reached the residents' ears. Indeed, it was from a distance of several dozen kilometers, but the echoes were clearly heard and informed that the Poles are ascending on Lutsk. The city was suddenly emptied of army. Every soldier, who still remained in reserve, was sent to the front, and the “Grey Division” remained in the city with Hetman Abaza at the lead. Here and there, lone Ukrainian officers were seen running around like mice in a trap. Meanwhile, a rumor arrived that the Red Army, which came from the west, captured Rovno. There was no more rescue for the remnants of the Ukrainian army. They did not want to come to terms with the fate that had already been imposed and continued to fight on both fronts.

And in the meantime we were also in this turmoil and the fear of last acts of despair by the retreating troops forced us to decide on quick actions.

First of all we assembled a strike force headed by one of our talented officers, sent it to disarm the “Grey Division” headquarters and imprison all the officers in charge. This task was fulfilled with the accuracy of a watch. The officers, including the Hetman, hardly resisted. At first they thought this company was an advance guard of the Red Army, and decided that there was no point in resisting the Red Army without military support in the city, but when they later learned that they were Jews, they regretted their surrender.

The Ukrainian headquarters was imprisoned in Bel-View Hotel and a guard was placed over them. Our headquarters occupied the offices of the Ukrainian headquarters in Kronstein's house.

Civil rule was almost non-existent. The district governor, and the high officials, fled the city and only a few low officials came to the offices and walked around, here and there, embarrassed and anxious of what to come.

An order, which came from the defense headquarters, instructed these officials to remain in place and to fulfill their duties until the establishment of the new regime. So as not to arouse suspicion in the eyes of the Christian Church in the city, and in the surrounding area, that we strive for Jewish rule, we searched and found a retired old general named Krumnow and asked him to give his name and signature on the orders of the civil government as interim district governor. The salary promised to him was paid immediately and retroactively. In fact, one of our confidants controlled the district offices by the headquarters' appointment.

In theory, there was still a police force headed by the commissar Meissner of a Czech descent, who was not much loved by the Jews because of his hostile attitude toward the Jews during Petliura's regime. While touring the city, accompanied by several police officers, he only encountered a few policemen. They hid or fled for their lives. The armed forces he encountered were defense companies marching in formation in the streets.

Meissner drew the logical conclusion and came to our headquarters offering cooperation between the police and the defense in order to maintain security. At first, there was an offer to disarm the police and arrest Meissner, but eventually it was decided to keep Meissner in his post and only ensure cooperation. In order to keep an eye on him, we provided him with a company of armed youths and our own liaison officer. The police received their orders from the defense headquarters. Meanwhile, the members of the defense received training. Outside the members of the youth movements civilians also flocked to the defense: merchants, artisans and students flocked to the defense. Every father, who could not fulfill a role in the defense, saw himself obliged to send his son because everyone knew what would happen in the city when the desperate and hungry retreating troops will break into it. By the third day of operation there were already 400 volunteers in the “defense.” Someone suddenly brought an armored car. It was a broken-down car that the Russian army had left in the yard of the government treasury (kaznacheystvo). A mechanic was also found to repair it and it went into action.

The journey of the armored car through the city streets on a patrol of the defense guards encouraged the Jews, who had been for several days in suspense and anticipation of all evil. They awoke a little from the depression and started to appear in the streets without hesitation. Only the fear of the new regime occupied their thoughts. Who will come first? The Red Army or the Polish army? Who is preferable and who is more easy-going for Jews? And what if the battle for Lutsk will flares up between the two camps from every direction? Also the question of food and supply began to worsen. Basic groceries have run out. No one can go in or out, not even the army. The Ukrainians probably believed that the city had already been occupied by the Red Army and therefore did not turn to it. And life in the city was like in a besieged city.

Meanwhile, the cannons' noise was getting closer. The Polish army already arrived in Rozhyshche and the Ukrainian troops withdrew in disarray. And under enemy pressure companies of soldiers-non-soldiers infiltrated to Lutsk, dirty people dressed in worn clothes, and it seemed that soon they would pour all their rage on the quiet population. The first clashes with these companies started in the suburb of Karsne, near the bridge, when they began to loot Jewish homes and abuse them. Then, the defense company intervened and put an end to it. At the head of this operation stood “Leibchik” in person, and the member of the defense, Yona Waldman, was wounded.

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After this incident the number of soldiers infiltrating the city increased. We came to the aid of the frequent alarms from all parts of the city. There have been minor clashes with no serious consequences, and the situation required vigorous and swift action to prevent organized events.

The headquarters ordered the patrolling guards to disarm any Ukrainian soldier who appears on the street, concentrated a number of companies at the entrances to the city and ordered them to prevent the entry of armed soldiers if they came in a limited and disorganized number. Only wounded soldiers were allowed to enter. The order was carried out accurately and only cost a few lightly wounded on both sides. The weapons were taken from most of the soldiers and they were given permission to enter the city. Those who refused to hand over their weapons turned to the fields along the Styr River, and continued on their way to the nearby villages. There was usually no strong opposition from the Ukrainian soldiers. Many of them thought we were Red Army soldiers, and when the rest heard various legends about our armed organization, fear fell on them.

A typical case occurred in the Volka quarter. At six o'clock in the morning I passed the main street at the head of a company - for inspection. Suddenly we heard shouts and cries for help from one of the yards. We hurried there. The soldiers immediately felt us and began to flee through the nearby yards as they were shouting, escape! escape! the Jewish militia arrived! But we caught up with them on the street and ordered them to stand. Their number was six. While fleeing, one of them took out a hand grenade from his belt and raised it to throw it. At that moment he was hit by our bullet and fell. The grenade exploded next to him. Two more soldiers were wounded and the rest fled in the direction of the river outside the city.

The nervousness in the city, which had already subsided, suddenly increased with the arrival of an alarm for help from the Yarovitsa quarter near the train station, where the barracks and army warehouses were located. The barracks were empty, but the warehouses were full of military equipment, sugar and canned food. We did not know about it and no one guarded these warehouses.

And now came the news that peasants from the area had raided these warehouses ans they are looting them. Although this property did not belong to the residents, we had to intervene to prevent the spread of anarchy that could have moved from there to the Jews' homes.

A company of twenty five men went out to the place and found there dozens of peasants' carts laden with crates and sacks. The peasants were ordered to disperse, but they refused on the grounds that it is an abandoned public property. To prevent casualties they were warned by shots in the air and then they surrendered, but they asked that we give them some of the loaded food, especially the non-kosher canned food, and they left the city.

The food found in the warehouses was immediately handed over to the mayor, who distributed it to the Jewish and Christian residents, and with that the shortage of basic food was somewhat alleviated. But the residents' nervousness did not subside. The defense, and the remnants of the previous rule, could not fill the place of the state rule. The anticipation of what the next day would bring stretched the nerves to no end.

Who will come? When will it come? And if it will come - would there be security for life and property? Will the defense cease to exist? These questions popped into my mind and demanded an answer, though no one could answer them. We were surprised that the Polish army had not yet entered the city. From this morning we no longer heard the thunder of the cannons. The rifles and the firing machines were silenced. There was complete silence in and around the city, and everything was so obscure and mysterious.

What happened? Did the Poles retreat? Is the Red Army not approaching? Did the Ukrainians gain power? Why, then, they do not return in droves drunk with victory?

It's already evening, night came, and the silence was not broken. Amidst the pleasant smells of the gardens in and around the city, which were carried in the summer night air, we felt the smell of a horrible explosive that could have exploded at any moment. That was the feeling each of us. It was like a quiet before a storm. We expected the worst.

Almost no one slept that night.

Suddenly…

At dawn, two military cars waving white flags approached our headquarters building and stopped at the entrance gate. Two Polish officers accompanied by two adjutants got out of the cars. They went up to the headquarters and asked for the officer in charge.

At first our people were confused. But their fair and calm demeanor reassured us and they were taken to our duty officer's room. I don't remember now who this officer was. The student Ranz and I entered the room after them.

The Polish officers saluted our officer and introduced themselves. One of them opened and said: we are the emissaries of the victorious Polish army standing at the entrances of the city. We know that there is a well-armed local force and in a large number. We did not want to storm the city so as not to cause unnecessary victims. We ask you, for your own good, that when our army will enter that you would avoid any kind of collision because we will respond mercilessly.

Our duty officer asked them to sit down. They sat, and he explained to them that we were not demanding the rule of the city for ourselves. We were just a defense organization, and the only thing that matters to us is the security of life and property.

To this the officer replied that he agrees to keep the defense companies in the city as a militia until the police force be organized in the city, and temporarily our headquarters will be in charge of security in the city. For our part we requested that the soldiers will avoid any conflicts with the residents.

The agreement was reached, and at our request we received their written consent on behalf of General Litovsky's headquarters.

It was a huge achievement. Official recognition of our armed forces to serve as a militia for the safety of the residents - this matter encouraged everyone. We asked them, when the first Polish forces would enter the city, but they evaded an answer. The officers got up, saluted us, and left the headquarters.

At the same time we informed them that we had prisoners, Hetman Abaza and his headquarters. They were very happy for such an important booty, praised us for our courage and asked for their extradition. Two of our men traveled with them to the Bel-View Hotel with an order to extradite the Ukrainian headquarters to the Poles. After they were taken away, the Poles returned to where they came from (by the way, I later sat as a political prisoner in Brest Fortress with Hetman Abaza his headquarters. The student Ranz was also sitting there and they rejoiced our downfall. They protested to the fortress

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authorities that they were holding Jews in the officers' ward. And when they did not receive an answer to their complaint - they shot at us a hateful look and angrily muttered anti-Semitic curses through their teeth).

Our confidence has increased. The residents' nerves calmed down and preparations were made for a festive reception of the Polish army, but we did not know that we had been cruelly deceived.

At noon, the first advance companies were seen in the suburb of Yarovitsa. Immediately the raid on the houses and the looting began. Our men reacted harshly to this and did not refrain from using firearms. Meanwhile, the advance guards arrived in the suburb of Krasna and also began to riot and loot. The troops of General Heller especially excelled in this. The minor clashes turned into battles between the rioters and the members of the defense. That day five of our men were killed, many were wounded also among the Jews who did not participate in the defense. There were also casualties on the part of the military. At this price a mass massacre, which was prepared in advance without taking into account a fierce armed resistance, was avoided.

Only at four o'clock in the afternoon, when the main troops headed by the High Command, which had been received by the Christian mayor and the city's Jewish and Christian dignitaries - the situation calmed down a bit. But not for long. They began abducting civilians who were taken to unknown places and shot there. In this manner the shopkeeper, David Kos and his son, were abducted by a Polish horseman who tied them behind him and dragged them across the road along the entire city and in front of all the residents. Later we learned that they had been brought to the ancient Lobarts Castle where they were ordered to dig themselves a grave and were shot on the spot. Over the following years, all the requests of the community committee and other Jewish institutions before the Polish authorities to bring them to a Jewish grave were to no avail. The castle later became a stable and the horses trampled these Jewish martyrs with their legs.

The community committee protested before the headquarters and asked for protection, but in response to that the student Ranz and I were arrested and brought in for questioning by the military police. The other members of the headquarters managed to leave before that and went underground. The members of the defense also disappeared from the street by order of the headquarters, which knew the Poles' intention as soon as they entered. Before we were arrested it was decided, in an urgent consultation at our headquarters that we would continue to activate the defense in the underground because the authorities were preparing to disarm us and arrest the members. General Lisztowski was very upset that we had guessed his intentions and preceded him, and tried to extort information from me and student Ranz about the whereabouts of our members and our weapons. I know that this bitter enemy of the Jews, who executed thirty young Jews in Pinsk for a crime they did not commit, will not hesitate, and will not shy away, from anything. He threatened the community committee. We were tortured by the secret police hangmen with all sorts of tricks. When we lost our senses they waited until we regained consciousness and then they tortured us again, but we kept silent. Finally, we were put on military trial for organizing armed gangs and attacking the Polish army. The letter from the Polish officers, according to which we were recognized as a militia until the police force was organized in the city, did not help. We were sentenced to death. The city was in turmoil. General Litowski refused to accept the Jewish community delegation, and only thanks to a personal appeal of someone to the French General Bernard, who had served as a military adviser to the Polish army, the death sentence was changed to imprisonment in the fortress.

We were sent to Brest Fortress and our escape from there after many months of torture is a story in itself. But with that the plots of General Litovsky against the Jews because of their armed defense did not end. The harassment continued until the military rule, which was replaced by civilian rule, was transferred to the interior of Ukraine with the advance of the Polish troops to Kiev. And if there were no riots then it was only thanks to the defense which operated first openly and then underground

This affair is one of the brightest in the lives of the Jews in Lutsk.

Lipstein - the Hebrew teacher

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