 |
|
|
[Page 284]
[Page 285]
[Page 286]
By Joseph Fyvel (Ramat-Gan)
Edited by Dr. Rafael Manory
|
|
As the Secretary of the Organization of Émigrés of Sokal & Vicinity, I was asked to assume the burden of writing about the activities of the Organization from the day it was founded. However, I cannot take this task without remembering here, our comrade, I would say our brother, a scion of our city, Dr. David Kindler, it is not only because he is the founder of our organization, but he is the uniting glue that united us all; there is no initiative undertaken without him, and it is unlikely any activity would succeed without his help. As was the case in Sokal, where he was the central pillar of the Zionist movement and of every undertaking for the Land of Israel, and his hand was always involved, likewise here [in Israel], there is no case of help or support that some member of our scions will need, without his participation. It is in this fashion that I wish to convey the thanks of the scions of Sokal & Vicinity to our Dr. Kindler, whom we hold in such high regard, and to wish him a long life and many more years for us to benefit from the participation of his work in our midst. And so, to life!
On January 15, 1951 the first memorial service took place to honor the martyrs of Sokal, Belz, Varenzh and Tartakov in the hall of the health department in Tel-Aviv, No. 14 Balfour Street. After this previously mentioned service, a discussion was begun as to whether such an organization should be created, against which the people of Belz were strongly opposed, such that it was decided to form an organization for the Émigrés of Sokal, Tartakov, Varenzh and vicinity, but there was no success in electing a slate of officers from Tartakov and Varenzh.
In that same year, the ADMo”R of Sokal, Rabbi Sholom Rokeach זצ”ל came to The Land from the United States. With the effort of Dr. Kindler, an acting committee was created with the participation of the lawyer Moshe Kubler, Mr. Yaakov Za”k ז”ל and Joseph Fyvel. The committee, led by Dr. Kindler, was tasked with arranging a meeting with the Rabbi, and inviting him to participate in a memorial assembly set for January 11, 1951. The Rabbi responded favorably to our request, and on the specified date, the assembly took place in the HaPoel HaMizrahi house in Tel-Aviv. [The assembly] had many participants and left a strong impression on the participants by the vivid description of Dr. Kindler about life in the ghetto of Sokal during the period of the Nazis ימ”ש. The assembly listened while standing and with tears running from their eyes, when they heard the chant of the ‘Yizkor’ that was chanted by the Rabbi, after which the assembly said Kaddish jointly in memory of the martyrs.
[Page 287]
|
|
Speaking: Rabbi R' Sholom Rokeach זצ”ל |
After the memorial service, the lawyer Moshe Kubler turned to the participating audience with a proposal to create an organization and to decide on a managing committee, whose first goal would be to establish a Mutual Help Fund. On the spot, a committee of seven people was formed: Dr. David Kindler, Mr. Yitzhak Birnbaum, Mr. Yaakov Za”K, the lawyer Moshe Kubler, Mr. Yaakov Gartl from Tartakov, Mr. Shimon Gerstenfeld from Varenzh, and Mr. Joseph Fyvel.
On January 24, 1951 the first meeting of this selected committee was held in the home of the Rabbi from Sokal, and the various responsibilities were divided as follows: Chairman, the Honorable Rabbi Sholom Rokeach זצ”ל, Managing Chairman, David Kindler, Secretary Joseph Fyvel, Treasurer Mr. Yaakov Za”K.
The lawyer Kubler related that he was successful in collecting 172 liras among the Émigrés to establish a Kupat Kholim and Mutual Help Fund in the Name of the Martyrs of Sokal. The decision was approved unanimously, and all members of the committee assumed the responsibility of opening this Fund, whose purpose shall be to help new arrivals from our hometown to get settled in Israel, with long-term and interest-free loans, and in this way to help those in need of constructive help.
At the same meeting, it was decided to charge the member Fyvel to develop ties with our scions in the greater world. He undertook this task and invested much effort, and succeeded in gathering approximately 200 addresses of our scions in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, and Europe.
It is significant to stress that our scions the world over responded beautifully to us by providing bolstering support for the Mutual Help Fund. Mr. Yitzhak Kreminer from Canada gave the first donation of 1000 liras, Mr. Zavitzky of Canada and Mr. Yaakov Fyvel of Milano donated $100 each for this purpose, and in a like manner, Mrs. Huval organized together with Mr. Pfeffer a special fundraiser among our scions in the United States that netted 450 liras, a sum similar to the sum raised by our scions in Argentina that was organized by Mr. Shmuel Windler of Buenos Aires.
[Page 288]
My report would not be truthful were I not to recall the responsiveness of our scions for the Mutual Help Fund that reflects so well on their character in every instance when we appealed for help, during the austerity years in Israel, at a time when newspapers the world overtook the time to tell about this, perhaps with some exaggeration, it spontaneously aroused our scions in the United States and Canada, who were moved to send help to their fellow scions [in Israel] and it was in this fashion that we received a parcel from Mr. Kreminer containing used clothing, and
similarly, a gift of food from our organization in the United States. After a lively discussion among the Committee members, it was decided not to encourage the donors to send such packages, which denigrate the dignity of a person who is laboring to build the Land, but rather to explain that our real need was for loans of an extended period that are interest-free, that are needed for our goal. There would be an obligation to return the money that needs to serve the same purpose for a scion of our city. A committee was set up, headed by Dr. Kindler dealt with the distribution of the clothing and food packages in exchange for a symbolic payment into the Mutual Help funds. As was usual with such undertakings, there were both willing and unwilling people among the recipients, which confirmed the Committee's position to no longer encourage initiatives of this kind.
On 15.11.1952, we organized a memorial service to honor the martyrs in the hall of Bet-HaHalutzot in Tel-Aviv. Following a request of our organization in the United States, we also brought into the Israeli organization the Émigrés of Stoyanov, who had since then been invited to these memorial services and responded accordingly, but not in tangible projects for the good of the Organization. After the memorial service, there was a general meeting in which Dr. Kindler described the activities of the Organization in general, Mr. Yaakov Za”K ז”ל gave a financial accounting for the [Mutual Help] Fund, and Sh. Joseph Fyvel a report on the connections with our scions outside The Land, for fundraising, and a separate committee was set up in which Dr. David Kindler, the lawyer Moshe Kindler and Joseph Fyvel participated. In connection with a proposal of Mr. Yaakov Za”K ז”ל, an initiative to collect pictures, articles and memoirs to publish a Yizkor Book. It was agreed that all members of the committee would be members of the editorial committee, and each was given responsibility to engage in this undertaking.
During the first meeting of the committee, it was decided to publish two circulars, one in Yiddish and one in Hebrew, and distribute them among our fellow scions, both in Israel and the Diaspora. The lawyer Moshe Kubler, together with the secretary Sh. Joseph Fyvel put together the previously mentioned circular on the spot, and we were concerned that it reaches each of the scions of the city wherever they may be found, and the first feedback was strong, and we received encouraging replies from all sides, and we were certain of success. At the same time, Mr. David Blum reached The Land, and we arranged a reception for him at the home of Mrs. Arlinsky (of the Za”K family), and taking advantage of this opportunity, Mr. Blum donated 100 liras for the benefit of the Mutual Help Fund, and he promised to donate a parcel of land in Tzfat to put up a nice repository in honor of the names of the martyrs of the Sokal ghetto. After this success, we turned to planning the details, and wanted to initiate the distribution of work, but this did not go too smoothly. Scions of Tartakov in Argentina rose up in opposition and began to speak up against the initiative as it was defined, and to tear down is always easier than to build up, and in this they succeeded. We also received unpleasant news from
[Page 289]
the United States, and because Mrs. Hubal was the Chair of the committee, she decided to turn over the funds amounting to $2,500 to the ‘Joint’ that promised to buy a building in Israel. To this day we do not know where this building stands. And as a result, the plan to have such a house – ashamedly – fell through. On March 15, 1954 we had the happy opportunity to arrange a warm reception for our scion Mr. Yitzhak Kreminer and his wife at the Café Carlton in Tel-Aviv. This was a very pleasant encounter over a glass of tea, and almost all the scions of our city, and among the
discussions of friends, we raised the importance of the Mutual Help Fund, and at that same meeting, a handsome sum was raised from our fellow countrymen for the good of the Fund, and Mr. Kreminer also promised to stand by our side for those who needed it. At that same time, it was decided to send a letter of thanks to Mrs. Hubal for her remittance of the monies received from the United States to the ‘Joint.’
In May 1954, we, together with our families and loved ones, organized a memorial service to the martyrs of our city at Bet HaMoreh in Tel-Aviv, and we had picked this date to remember the day of the last aktion, in which 4,000 people were exterminated. For this memorial service we invited the acting troupe of HaBima to put on a special presentation for us.
|
|
in memory of the Martyrs of Sokal & Vicinity |
In the general meeting that took place after the memorial service, Dr. Kindler conveyed the work of the committee, and also the bitterness of the lack of success in erecting a house for the martyrs of the ghetto. Mr. Yaakov Za”K ז”ל then reported on the fruitful work regarding the Mutual Help Fund, and blessed the concept of creating such a Fund that will represent a unique monument to the martyrs of those near and dear to us. He too expressed disappointment at the lack of success in having our request for Yizkor Book material not well met, and, once again, requested those who were gathered to be responsive to this need. Following with a proposal of Sh. Joseph Fyvel, it
[Page 290]
was decided to memorialize the martyrs of the ghetto with a stone memorial in the Cellar of the Holocaust [Editor's note: Later to be called Yad VaShem Institute] on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, with a special ordering on a scroll to record the names of the martyrs that were exterminated by the Nazis ימ”ש. In a like manner, the proposal of Dr. David Kindler was accepted to record the name of Mr. Yitzhak Kreminer in the golden book of the Keren Kayemet L'Israel, as a sign of recognition of his generosity and for the help with loans, and Mr. Dov Levy from the United States for his readiness to help in all instances and especially in the inhuman conditions when he was in the Auschwitz camp.
|
|
(Sitting from the left): Yaakov Z”ak ז”ל, Joseph Fyvel (may he live a long life), Rabbi Sholom Rokeach זצ”ל (The speaker): Lawyer Moshe Kubler (Sitting from the right): Nahum Engel, Isaac Birnbaum, Berger, Aryeh Donner |
In January 1955 we addressed all the émigrés from our city all over the world in Hebrew and Yiddish, whose addresses were known to us, asking that they send us the names of their dear martyred colleagues, so that we will be able to preserve them eternally in the scroll that was being written (for us) by a special scribe, and will be attached to the memorial stone in the Cellar of the Holocaust on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. In the interim, we concluded the negotiations with the leadership of the Cellar for the Holocaust, and we turned to preparing the stone itself. We set the date for the dedication of the stone on the memorial day of the first aktion against the Sokal ghetto. We began to receive letters with gifts as we gathered every name, and in order not to
cause conversations and embarrassments, we decided to arrange the names in alphabetical order, so there would not be a question of who came first. On May 22, 1955, the memorial day of the first in the Sokal ghetto, the memorial stone was formally set in place in the Cellar of the Holocaust with the participation of many of our townsfolk; the local Cantor recited ‘El Moleh Rahamim’ in a manner
[Page 291]
that tore at the heart. Dr. Kindler spoke about what used to be, but was no longer, Mr. Yitzhak Amiral brought up memories of the city of Sokal from those years, and afterwards, we dispersed broken-hearted, each to their place. We had the feeling that we had succeeded in doing something additional to preserve the memories of the martyrs that were murdered by the Nazis ימ”ש with their polluted hands. I then turned to apply the rest of my energy to the gathering of the names of martyrs, to get closure on this significant undertaking. We photographed the memorial to the martyrs, and we organized a gathering for all of our scions both in and out of The Land of Israel. Once again we sent out to them mail to send us the names of martyrs and by this method we succeeded in gathering most of the names of the martyrs that were known to us, and we arranged to prepare a scroll of the names of the martyrs and turned this scroll over to the Cellar of the Holocaust, where it rests to this day in a special place that was prepared for it along with the erection of the memorial stone placed there.
|
|
with the listing of the Martyrs of Sokal |
The Fyvel brothers, in their desire to have an eternal memorial for their bother Leona Fyvel who was martyred after being liberated from the camp at Bergen-Belsen, put in the effort to create a faithful copy for the scroll of the names of the martyrs of the Sokal ghetto done by the same scribe that was selected for the original. They placed this copy in a black container with special lighting from its two sides. And every year, at the time of the memorial service for the martyrs of Sokal, the stone memorial is lit by the six memorial candles; it had already become customary to light these extra two. And when the time arrived for the cantor to chant ‘El Moleh Rahamim,’ the hall lights were turned off. The hall was lit only by the memorial stone, which casts its glow for the names of the martyrs on all those assembled in the hall, and kept that way until after the recitation of the Kaddish by the whole community.
On October 21, 1956, we gathered to memorialize our martyrs in the Bet HaMoreh hall in Tel-Aviv. There was complete participation as usual, and as always, after the memorial service we had a general meeting. During this meeting, an accounting was given regarding the activities of the Mutual Fund for the memory of the martyrs of Sokal and neighborhood, which was consistently the first order of business. Dr. Kindler took this opportunity to propose the inscription of Leona Fyvel ז”ל into the Keren Kayemet golden book. He was a scion of Sokal, who gave himself over to helping refugees from Eastern Europe,
[Page 292]
that was centered in Milan, this being the first station of rescue at that time. He created a special facility for the children of refugees with a kitchen, and when the Nazis imposed their rule on this city, he was arrested and shipped to Bergen-Belsen. Since he was a citizen of Argentina, he was given a special permission there to help out the unfortunate in that same camp; may his memory be blessed. It is noteworthy that we mention that in the wake of the organization in Israel, the scions from Argentina, from our city, set up a memorial plaque that was placed over the general memorial monument erected by the Hevra Kadisha in Buenos Aires.
In 1957, we held a memorial service for our martyrs on November 25, with the participation of the well-known Cantor Mr. Wilkomirsky, who sang songs from life in the ghetto and called to memory the martyrs in the traditional fashion on that day. On 27 Nissan there were large memorial services held in all of the cities of The Land, and a general memorial service in the Forest of the Martyrs.
In 1958, in response to a request from the Knesset to secure and recognize the significance of 27 Nissan, we assembled on the memorial day for remembering the Holocaust and Heroism, and the undertaking was successful; its outcomes are always seen as special on this day. On the 27th of Nissan, very large memorial services were held in all the cities of The Land, along with a general memorial service in the forest of the martyrs.
On October 29, 1958 we organized a memorial service for the martyrs of the Sokal ghetto in the hall of the Keren Kayemet L'Israel in Tel-Aviv, with the participation of Cantor Frankel. Several new people who made aliyah from Sokal and its vicinity, having escaped from the Holocaust, participated in this memorial service. In the general meeting after the memorial service, an accounting was given regarding the activities of the Mutual Help Fund, and it was decided to allocate special loans to new arrivals, to give them a chance to establish themselves and settle down in The Land.
|
|
Martyrs of Sokal & Vicinity in Tel-Aviv in 1958 |
The connection with our fellow scions in the Diaspora nevertheless weakened in these later times, but Dr. Kindler did not tire of using special letters to keep in touch with our fellow scions in the United States, to strengthen our connection. In April 1959, we received news from our
organization in Buenos Aires of the great loss that our community suffered with the passing of the honorable scion of the city, Rabbi Nachman Tzigman ז”ל. This was a loss mourned by all the scions of the city.
On November 11, 1959, the service in memory of the martyrs of our city took place in the hall of Bet HaMoreh in Tel-Aviv, in
[Page 293]
which the proposition was passed to plant a grove of trees in the forest of the martyrs of Keren Kayemet L'Israel (KK”L) in the name of the martyrs of the ghetto of Sokal, its purpose being to erect a memorial to those who were not privileged to come and be buried in Israel. In February 1960 we sent out a letter with a return to all the scions of our city to donate to accomplish this sacred task, and the replies were lively and in the end, we were able to confidently turn over to the KK”L to first sum – of 500 lira for use in creating the shrove. Because of a specially strong effort, we succeeded in receiving the use of a parcel of land for the shrove from the management before 27 Nissan for the year 5720 -1960] and close to 50 people gathered together, scions of Sokal, Tartakov, Varenzh and Stoyanov, and we traveled to the forest of the martyrs that is to be found between the mountains of Jerusalem and a place where a memorial stone had been carved of marble, dedicated to the martyrs of our city, that had been put to death by the Nazis ימ”ש, and eradicate their memory as well. The officers of all the cities were given the honor of planting the trees, and after the memorial prayer for the martyrs, a community Kaddish was recited by the attendees, we then dispersed with a feeling that, once again, we had done something to memorialize the memories of our belove3d ones who are no longer with us. From that time on, we would invite all of the scions of our city on the general day of mourning, 27 Nissan, and whoever could take the time off from his usual work [joined us], and we gathered in the forest of the martyrs beside the monument to those martyrs from Sokal, Tartakov and Stoyanov, we would jointly recite Kaddish and unite ourselves with our martyrs.
|
|
With the permission of the KK”L. We received special permission to plant specific trees in the memory of individual martyrs which we allocated among the donors. In that same period we decided to integrate the survivors of Witkow Novy into our organization, who conveyed their desire for this, and so therefore, in the coming memorial service that took place on June 6,1969, we included them as well, and decided to organize them and to collect their writings. But this union did not proceed well, and after two years, they left our organization.
On June 11, 1960 we held the traditional memorial service in memory of the martyrs in the halls of the KK”L. This time we were privileged to have the participation of Rabbi Dr. Fogelman, today the chief Rabbi of Kfar Motzkin, the son-in-law of R' Moshe Rapoport ז”ל. He honored the memory of the martyrs with a presentation about Sokal, its people, the Synagogue, the Bet HaMedrash, and in general of its Jewish activities of Sokal and its vicinity, that was very interesting.
[Page 294]
|
|
Martyrs of Sokal and Vicinity in Tel-Aviv in 1960 |
Sitting from the right: R' Mordechai Fogelman, Dr. Gruber, Yaakov Za”K ז”ל, separated for life, Dr. David Kindler, and the Speaker: The Lawyer Moshe Kubler
|
|
The ceremony of this memorial service made a deep impression, and the participants conveyed their satisfaction to the organizers of the service, underscoring the importance of these get-togethers.
During 1961, our work was the usual. The connection to our people in the Diaspora weakened, and a few new people made aliyah who were our scions, the Mutual Help Fund provided them with their first assistance, and enabled them to get settled and to arrange for work.
[Page 295]
|
|
On November 16, 1961, we were struck bitterly by the sudden loss of our beloved scion our member Yaakov Z”K ז”ל, who was an active member from the day our organization began, and donated a lot of time to the opening and founding of the organization, participating in all of its initiatives, and committed himself to the community at-large. His sudden death placed a heavy burden of mourning on all the people of Sokal when they received this sad news. His life and work are described elsewhere in this book.
On November 11, 1961, we arranged for the memorial service in memory of the martyrs of the Sokal ghetto in the Hall ‘Bet Tzionei America.’ This time the memorial service was under the nimbus of mourning of the death of our comrade Yaakov Za”K ז”ל, and all the participants honored him with its conduct. Dr. Kindler offered the eulogy, and the Cantor recited chapters of the Psalms and ‘Yizkor,’ and without prompting, we scattered bearing the burden of this heavy cloud of bereavement that had fallen upon us.
On April 21, 1943 on the 27th of Nissan when the general country-wide observance of the Holocaust takes place, we met in the martyr's forest beside the gravestone we placed four our martyrs, and on the way back we decided to allocate more energy to the goal of producing a Yizkor Book. Despite the fact that we knew the undertaking was weighty, it is the only way we can repay the debt to the memory of our martyrs and beloved ones who did not have the fortune to be among us, and had given up their lives in such a tragic way. We turned anew to the task of letter writing to all those who had some possibility to help us in this undertaking. On August 23,1963 we consummated a meeting of friends in the Samuel Hotel in Tel-Aviv we allocated tasks, accepted promises of contributions, and approached the task once again. On December30,1963 we called for a memorial service, the traditional mourning in the Bet Tzioni in America and Tel-Aviv, and after the memorial service by the Cantor and the presentation of the task, we brought up the issue of the publication of the book before the gathering that bestowed its blessing on our decision and promised us help. We turned with our Yiddish response form to people in the Diaspora and the same in Hebrew to those living in Israel, with the request that they send us material for the Yizkor Boo k. The reaction was a weak one at the start, but slowly and surely we gathered page after page, picture after picture, and everything we received was precious in our eyes.
I would like to use this opportunity to return and offer thanks to the scions of our city, Mr. Yitzhak Kreminer and Yaakov Fyvel who with their donations for the Yizkor Book encouraged us to move ahead with our comprehensive work.
[Page 296]
By Joseph Fyvel
Edited by Dr. Rafael Manory
In the great sea of Jewish immigration that began even before the First World War, there is no doubt that Jews from Sokal could be found among them. These immigrants considered maintaining an intimate contact with the ‘old country’ – a very important task, often combined with support activities for their needy brethren in Sokal. But by being dispersed and spread out in a variety of countries, mostly overseas – the Jewish Sokal immigrants lacked the power to establish strong landsmanschaftn, and even in the period between the two world wars, this situation did not change, especially, when the countries accepting émigrés employed a variety of statutes and laws, which sometimes put more burdensome obstacles in the path of Jewish émigrés.
It was only after the destruction of Polish Jewry, along with all the other settlements in Poland, no trace of Jewish Sokal remained, and those of Sokal Jewry who survived, that is the pitiful few who miraculously managed to remain alive, as well as those Sokal Jews who returned from the Soviet Union, could not – and did not want to – reconstruct their lives on the wreckage of Jewish Sokal – and therefore allowed themselves to be swept up in the tidal wave of immigration that in the beginning led to the D.P. camps in West Germany and other receiving places of refuge. From there, the path led to the Land of Israel – in the beginning by illegal means, and after the establishment of the State of Israel by legal aliyah, as well as from other European or overseas countries.
An important collection point for Jews rescued from the Nazi Gehenna was established in Italy – in Milan, where even before the war there had developed a broadly branched philanthropic activity for the benefit of Jewish refugees from Hitler's Germany, including the energetic and committed activist Leib (Leona) Fyvel[1], a child from Sokal, who lived through the terrifying Gehenna in the death camp of Bergen-Belsen. After the liberation, he returned to Milan and despite his illness, he committed himself with full-hearted dedication to continue the social work, in particular on behalf of his Sokal landsleit in Israel. He passed away in Milan in 1953. An appropriate assessment of his social activities in Milan can be found elsewhere in this Yizkor Book. The Jewish Sokal survivors in Israel made eternal the memory of their precious landsman, Leib (Leona) Fyvel ז”ל, by inscribing him in 1956 in the Gold Book of the Keren Kayemet L'Israel.
As noted earlier, a significant number of the Sokal Jewry survivors were concentrated in a variety of D.P. camps in West Germany. The wounds and the terrifying torture of the Nazi death-camps was still rather fresh… The pain of knowing the torture undergone by fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters in the ‘Old Country’ was still great. And indeed, overall, wherever
[Page 297]
|
|
Speaker: R' Isaac Konstantin ז”ל |
|
|
Second from the right: R' Isaac Konstantin ז”ל |
a group of landsleit from Sokal and its vicinity could be found, the memorialization of the martyrs by holding memorial services and evenings dedicated to sorrow became a sacred duty.
At one such memorial service held by the Jews from Sokal and its vicinity, which took place in the spring of 1947 in Landsberg – the recently departed and well-known Tel-Aviv resident R' Isaac Konstantin ז”ל took part, and [we received news of] a second such memorial service, which took place in May 1948 in the German city of Neu-Freiman. We learn from a report that was published by our Sokal landsman Sh. Imber in the ‘Yiddisher Stimme,’ the organ of the leadership of the American [refugees] in the occupied German cities, from which we cite the following words[2]: ‘On Monday, May 31, 1948, a memorial service was held in the Neu-Freiman camp to honor the martyrs of Sokal and its immediate vicinity. The Service was opened by Mr. Sh. Imber, who invited a presidium. Then, comrade A. Weiser recited an ‘El Moleh Rachamim,’ and after that, Mr. A. Krom spoke about the life of the Sokal Jews in the period between 1941–1943. Then, Mrs. M. Solitare talked about Jewish life in the ‘Old Country,’ and at the end, Mr. Sh. Imber called on all those present to stand in the rows of this battle camp. All of us express our recognition of Mr. Y. Kraft, who risked his life and was able to seize the mass murderer, the chief of the Sokal Gestapo, Heyduk, who today is already standing trial[3].
[Page 298]
An important center for Sokal Jews after the Second World War was in New York (North America). At the beginning, our American landsleit kept up an intimate contact with their relatives in Sokal and provided help to their needy brethren with clothing and food packages by all means available. After the establishment of the State of Israel, the support activities of the Sokal landsleit in America became more intensive. Of particular significance, the Organization of Sokal émigrés underscored the support activities of the prominent landsleit, Chaim Ber Pfeffer, Harry Weitz, Shmuel Fyvel, Moshe Bauman, Uri Weiser, and Dov Levi, who substantively and with a full heart answered every call from their brethren in Israel.
The Sokal landsman Dov Levi, who today lives in New York, while still in the Auschwitz death camp, always, even under the most difficult circumstances, strove to help his brethren in the camp. In recognition of this commitment of heart and soul, the Sokal landsleit in Israel had his name written into the gold book of the KK”L.
A great deal of respect and recognition developed among a wide circle of Jews in New York [this author included] for the Sokal landsman Shmuel Fyvel, because of his dedicated community a,ctivity. Together with his wife, Sadya, they managed the sale of Israel bonds with great success, and thereby, because of this special interest, they looked after satisfying the religious-cultural needs of the Jewish community where they lived.
After 1963, the New York-based publication, writing about the social work of Shmuel (Sam) and Sadya Fyvel, stressed, among other things, that during many years, they had been active for the good of the Jewish Center. Sam is the Vice-President of that Jewish congregation and takes an active part in its undertakings. With a separate interest, he involves himself with the religious and cultural work-program of the center, and it is he who, with unwavering commitment, does this, so that there is a minyan held daily, and that Sabbath prayers are recited. Now, he is active as the head of the education program for adults…’
The activity of the Sokal landsmanschaft in Argentina had great meaning and impact. Apart from their philanthropic activity, the Sokal Jews there showed a genuine and profound concern to make eternal the memory of the annihilated Jewish settlement in the Sokal of the ‘Old Country.’ In the Buenos-Aires cemetery, they erected a monumental grave marker in memory of the martyrs who were cut down in that community, and in memory of their tortured brothers and sisters.
Shmuel Windler and his wife Malka Elefant belong to the group of most active participants in Argentina. In the year 1959, our landsleit in Argentina suffered a heavy loss, when the director and guide of all the Sokal Jews, the guarded and honored leader Rabbi R' Nachman Tzigman ז”ל passed away. He was active during the course of many years in every undertaking for the benefit of the Sokal landsmanschaft in Israel. He was brought to a final resting place in Jerusalem.
[Page 299]
|
|
A very important chapter in the history of the activity of Sokal landsmanschaftn in the larger world, is occupied by the small group of Sokal Jews in Canada. In the first line of this group, one finds R' Yitzhak Kreminer, that gentle Jewish man from Sokal, the most generous contributor, who is always counted with extraordinary warmth and true self-sacrifice regarding every issue that has a relationship to Jewish general interest and especially to the State of Israel.
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
[Page 300]
This tireless social activist responds with an extraordinary warmth to every call from the Sokal landsmanschaft in Israel, and foremost, and because of his substantive expenditures, we have to thank him for broadening the effort of the Sokal Gemilut Hasadim Bank in Israel. With his contributions, he significantly helped to create the Yizkor Book as an eternal memorial to the Sokal Jewry that had been annihilated.
Every time when R' Yitzhak Kreminer comes to Israel with his dear wife and children, he is received warmly and with a full heart by almost all of the Sokal Jews that are found in The Land, and as an expression of the full recognition for his generous financial support for the good of the landsleit of Sokal, they had him [also] inscribed in the gold book of the KK”L.
Along with R' Yitzhak Kreminer, his brother-in-law Zavitzky also takes part in this social activity, even though he does not come from Sokal, but thanks to his wife, a sister of R' Kreminer, he was drawn into the activity for the general good, as well as the benefit of the Sokal landsmanschaft in Israel.
Several Sokal Jews in Australia are also active on behalf of their brethren in Israel. A strong, intimate connection with the Jews of Sokal in Israel arose with two activists, the Lewitttes and his brother-in-law Rechtshaffner. Both of these maintain a warm contact with their comrades in Israel and are always prepared to help when called by the indigenous landsmanschaft of Sokal. The loss of the socially active member in Milan, R' Yaakov Fyvel ז”ל[4], heavily impacted the Holocaust survivors from Sokal, who passed away on the First of the month of Tevet 5712.
[Page 301]
The comprehensive philanthropic activity in the Jewish settlement there earned him much respect from the general Milan Jewish community. Together with his comrades from the Hitakhdut Party in pre-war Sokal, Zvi Klinger and Berisz Buchalter, with their great commitment, developed an intensive social activity among the Jewish populace in Milan, thereby not forgetting their landsleit in Israel, with whom they have always maintained a warm and fraternal contact.
[Page 302]
Editor's footnotes:
|
|
JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of
the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material
for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.
Sokal, Ukraine
Yizkor Book Project
JewishGen Home Page
Copyright © 1999-2025 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 18 Jul 2025 by JH
