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young men fight back. Fifteen Jews were arrested for standing up to the
hooligans. Jungle justice."
September 1, 1937, Warsaw
"In Bidgoszcz, Stok,
Malkyn, Kelc, Stuczyn, Czyzew, Oszmany, Drohobicz, Bryansk and Vilna. Jews are
being beaten everywhere! People are crying for help everywhere."
[Photo:] The new cemetery. From
right: Hershel Eisenstein (Blumacker), Moshe Leizer Gratch, Yisrael Dovid and
Chana Milner. Seated: Chava Milner and her son, Yosef.
This is how things were for
Jews during those fateful days. I also experienced Polish hostility. I was
beaten twice on the streets of Warsaw by Polish "democratic" mobs who
the Western democrats yearn and grieve over. What a pity…..
The situation in Drohitchin was
no exception. The mood was very bad in town. One day, some young Poles who
worked on the roads started rampaging through town. The Jews in Drohitchin
stood up against them and taught the mob a good lesson. Finally, the Polish
authorities arrested some Jews and took them into custody. Such was Polish
"justice."
This Hitlerian atmosphere
existed in Poland even before the German storm troopers even marched into the
country. The ghettos were already set up by the Poles. It's no wonder that
Poland was the graveyard of European Jewry. It should be emphasized that we
have nothing against the country of Poland itself. It was a good and fertile
country.
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Over a period of a thousand years, dozens of generations of Jews lived there
honorably and comfortably, and Drohitchin provided a true Jewish life. They
could have continued to live there for hundreds of years, which would have been
a blessing for the country. However, the Poles, who controlled the area,
consciously and intentionally sought to impoverish the Jews, and thus brought
down the most beautiful and finest Jewish community! They thereby also ruined
and devastated their own lives and their own land.
[Photo:] This is what the German murderers did to the men, women and children
of Drohitchin.
My last look at Drohitchin
On November 1, 1938, I left my hometown and departed for England. Before my
departure, I bade an emotional farewell to my dear parents and sister. Other
Drohitchin Jews, with tears in their eyes, said, "Don't forget us!
Remember us!" I cast my last glance at Drohitchin, and left with the
thought that at the first opportunity, I would return to celebrate with my
family and visit with my friends and neighbors. Unfortunately, however, my
hopes were dashed.
Our parents are no more, our
siblings are no more. There's no one left to back to visit. In the same way as
the sound of dripping water from a broken water faucet breaks the silence of
the night, the dripping of tears and blood from my heart breaks the stillness
of the darkness that surrounded their last cries of "Hear O Israel."
May the Germans and their friends today never enjoy anything good or
pleasurable! They injured us bloodily, we are constantly haunted by them, like
a plague on our hearts, and will never be able to forget.
Yes, martyrs of Drohitchin,
your will and testament is engraved on my heart with blood and tears. Never
will I forget you! I will forever remember you and your murderers, the Germans,
may their names be obliterated!
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Drogichin, Belarus
Yizkor Book Project
JewishGen Home Page
Yizkor Book Director, Lance Ackerfeld
This web page created by Lance Ackerfeld
Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 7 Dec 2001 by LA
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