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First on the right: his mother Chana
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[Page 580]
50°18' / 24°56'
by Shimon Gruber (Canada)
Translated by Pamela Russ
We, those who survived, the only ones who know and remember, are obligated, to the best of our ability, to recount [our memories]. And so I begin this chronicle by saying – Our mother, may she rest in peace, would do the following: On Fridays, she would send one of her children with prepared Shabbat dishes, to my grandfather, may he rest in peace. One Friday, it was my turn to bring over the food, and my grandfather put everything away and said it was all in honor of Shabbat. My grandmother was blind and helpless, and when I was going to leave and go back home, my grandfather looked toward the west and remarked to me that he was not sure whether I would make it home before sunset. I did not want to stay there for Shabbat, so stubbornly, I went over to the horse and wagon. My grandfather noticed this and said, “At least I will give you a verse [from the Torah] for the road, as protection from any obstacle, and so that you will get home safely. The blessing recited after meals ends with these words – Na'ar hayisi v'gam zakanti v'lo raisi tzaddik ne'ezov v'zaro m'vakesh lachem. The translation is: I was young and I became old, and through all these years I've never seen the Creator disregard an honest person, but if once a person finds himself in a difficult time, and his children are looking for bread, here it is [God provides]. You brought me such a beautiful gift of Shabbat food, so let these words support you.”
It has already been more than 50 years since that happened, many other things happened and were forgotten, but as unusual as this is, that episode has etched itself into my memory to this day. And I want to mention one more thing about my grandfather. It was in the year 1918 when the war was still raging, I remember that my father, may he rest in peace, became sick with a lung infection. Since there were military camps in this area, there were also special doctors there. The doctors we contacted did everything possible. They told my father to wrap himself in sheets, they gave him all kinds of medications, but
[Page 584]
when the fever did not go down, they all became discouraged.
One morning, three doctors were standing at the bedside. My grandfather came in wearing his tallit and tefillin and went over to the bed, and began to recite the verse from Psalm 102: “Tefila le'ani ki ya'atof” [prayer of an afflicted man when he is overwhelmed]. Dr. Wittlin, one of the doctors present, said that if medical treatment was not going to help, then the prayers of the old man [grandfather] would have to suffice. My grandfather's sad and deep melody still resonates in my ears to this day. And truthfully, my father recovered and lived for many more healthy years. My brother Aharon remembers the village Uwin [Uvyn] as his place of birth. This was located just a few kilometers from the special place of my grandfather's residence, the small town of Brandasowka, the birthplace of our mother, may she rest in peace, as well as the other children – four sons and six daughters. One of the sons, Michel, who later became my father-in-law, was himself a role model, a Jew who lived with total faith in the Creator. Once, when I wanted to show him my worldly breadth of knowledge he said to me that he knew I read books, and that I think I know a lot, but a Jew also has to know that when a farmer drives with his wagon filled with hay or wheat, when a stalk or a straw falls off, it happens by the will of God.
Once, on a market day, when his wife, Aunt Chana, was struck with a difficult question about some merchandise that she tried to sell to another Jew, and she had asked only a small price, the Jew said to her, “Good, I'll give you that sum, but Reb Michel [her husband] should honestly say that the asking price of the merchandise is the correct price.” My uncle replied that he was not selling “honesty.” And then Aunt Chana asked, “This is about earning a living!” But my uncle said, “No.” Both of them [my uncle and aunt] and their daughter Pesia were murdered by the Nazis. My brother Nachman, who died as a victim like all the other martyrs and pure ones did, suffered great pain. It is worthwhile to mention here his education as a devoted Zionist, but already in his early years, the Polish gangs started harassing him and making trouble. When he went to serve in the army, they made sure to accuse him of an offense. He came a week later, and they beat him severely, and he suffered great pain. His wife died three years after their wedding, and being alone, he
[Page 585]
settled in Brody. On every Shabbat, he studied the weekly Torah portion with the Rashi commentary, and he was active in the Mizrachi movement.
The Ukrainian murderers killed him. I feel that I am indebted to these Jews from whom I learned so much, and I am very grateful to them as I make my way through life. I was born near Tluste, and a few years later I lived by the Bukovina – Snyatyn border. The reason for my wanderings was that my father was employed at various estates owned by Jewish pritzim [noblemen], or as they were called possessors or landowners. In 1920, I was in Brody, and the value of Judaism became clear to me, both on a spiritual level and in my day to day life. First, I want to mention the great halachic scholar, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Halevi Steinberg, and later his grandson Rabbi Reb Moshe Steinberg; the prominent community members Reb Michel Rothenberg and Daniel Glazer; the Husiatyn Chassidim Reb Yosef Charag, the son of Reb Yoel Krystianwoler, the Tartakower brothers, and Chaim Mordechai Charesh.
The family of bankers Bloch and the Shliefer family, the head of the congregation Lenia Keller, Dr. Avraham Glasberg, the director of the Zionist organization, the borerim [legal arbitrators] Hersh Leib Shapira whose nickname was “the straight one,” (if only that were true, he limped on one foot), Reb David Rothenberg, Reb Berish Mehr; the dayanim [judges in a Jewish court], the Jewish culture community with its own rules and laws, the caretakers of the shuls, the kloyzen, and the Jews who earned a living by carrying bundles on their backs, or the wagon drivers who drove passengers to and from the train, Chaim Trager [carrier] or Chana Katchke [duck]. My heart yearns and mourns for them. Among those who did all the holy work, I want to particularly mention Yehoshua Heshel, the caretaker of the Husiatyn kloyz on the railway street. People prayed there from early morning until noon. Already for the first minyan the oven was warmed up, and the Jews were invigorated for the autumn and the winter days. Reb Yehoshua Heshel woke up before everyone else. There were also freshly baked cakes, and I had the privilege of tasting those delicacies. The older Jews would also take a little bit of whiskey and a bite of a bagel. Apparently, the wife of Reb Yehoshua Heshel did get up before everyone else.
In conclusion, I wish to mention those who died at the hands of the German murderers:
[Page 586]
Michel ben Yakov, his wife Chana daughter of Reb Eliezer, their daughter Pesia, their son Avraham and his wife and five children; my brother Nachman ben Yakov and the children; and the entire Segal family. I also want to mention those who died by the hand of God: my father Reb Yakov ben Dov (26 Shevat 5711/February 2, 1951), my mother Mrs. Matil, daughter of Reb Yakov (18 Sivan 5705/May 30, 1945), my uncle who lived in past days, Reb Tzvi ben Dov (1931), both famous grandfathers Reb Yakov Brandisivker and Reb Dov Gruber, my grandmothers Mrs. Sarel and Mrs. Chaya Reizel; and I want to make special note of Reb Reuven David, Michel and Chana, Mrs. Beila Barak, who left this world alone.
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| Standing: Avraham Gruber, his wife and children; First on the right: his mother Chana |
by Lipa Bernstein
Translated by Shuki Ecker
The village of Zawidcze (Zawitsch) lies near the towns of Brody, Lopatyn and Radekhov in eastern Galicia. The town nearest our village was Szczurowice (Schterwitz). We were dependent upon this town for all of our religious and social needs. From there we brought the shofar blower and cantors for the religious festivals and High Holy Days. The rabbi and the shochet (ritual slaughterer) from Szczurowice attended to the Jews of Zawidcze as well. We had about ten Jewish families until the First World War. Some of them were well off, but most of them eked out a meager living close to the brink of poverty. The main occupation all week long was agricultural work in the village. In honor of the Sabbath, all Jewish houses would display an air of festivity. A “minyan” was always assembled in one of the houses and a public prayer was held. For morning prayer and Musaf even two minyans would usually assemble.
The village of Zawidcze was the center of all surrounding villages and Jews were drawn to it from all these villages, and if there were villages further than the distance allowed for walking on the Sabbath, an “eruv”[1] was made to avoid desecration of the seventh day. The younger people, who did not mind slight offenses, did not mind this one either, and they used to come to Zawidcze on Saturdays and holidays to spend time together. People used to come from the villages of Wolica, Nowostawce, Uwin and Barylow.
The earliest residents of Zawidcze were Reb Shimon Gruber and his wife Sara Riva. By the time our family came to Zawidcze in 1910, Reb Shimon Gruber had already passed away.
In hardship and poverty there lived in Zawidcze a Jew named Reb Yaakov Brandesiwker. He was highly admired and honored in the village. In spite of his poverty he knew a variety of ways to help others when they were in trouble. His son–in–law Reb Yudl Gruber, one of the first settlers in Zawidcze, was a distinguished scholar [of Jewish law]. He too labored hard to support his large family.
A respected and revered Jew among the early residents of Zawidcze was Reb Avraham Saphier. He was a clerk for the forestry companies, running their businesses with exaggerated, unnecessary meticulousness and pedantry. He was knowledgeable in religious laws, and could rule on issues of daily life – such as removal and selling of chametz,[2] eruv tavshilin,[3] times of lighting the candles, etc., thus helping the rural community keep and uphold religious law. Woe to the man who did not follow religious law in accordance with his instructions. Some of his children immigrated to Canada, others left the village in 1924 and moved to Brody.
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Sitting: Lea (Laura), Henich and Feiga Lea wife of Rapaport (z”l) |
The family of Reb Binyamin Kardiman came to Zawidcze in 1905. He bought the local estate from a Pole, and the Jews were fortunate to have one of their own as landowner. At that, the community grew to include a large and extended family. My parents, the Bernsteins, were the last to come to Zawidcze before the First World War. It was in 1910. My father was born in Sokal and was educated there along with the son of the then Belzer Rebbe. It was hard for my parents to leave the town and adapt themselves to country life but their business in that region demanded it. My father, with his brother, my uncle Reb Hersch Bernstein from Szczurowice, had some business in the area. My oldest brother Elimelech and I stayed to study in Szczurowice where we lived at the home of grandfather Reb Nachum and grandmother Rachel.
I reflect upon my hometown Schterwitz with much respect and admiration. Dear memories from that time were etched in my memory. God–fearing and wholehearted were the Jews of Schterwitz. At four in the morning before dawn, you could already find Yekutiel Moshe in the bet midrash, and at this time with the Gemara at hand, I found him immersed in some issue or another. Despite that, you could interrupt him at all times: ask a grave question nagging at your mind and he would willingly explain and resolve it. He would inquire once or twice whether you had indeed understood and grasped his meaning, if not he was willing to repeat it again and again. Reb Hersch Grymaliwker, and Reb Avraham Chaim son of Naftaly were also like that. I was enlightened by all my teachers – from the beginners' melamed Reb Hersch to the teachers of Bible, Mishna and Gemara. It should be noted that in our town Schterwitz it was the custom not to teach the children the later Prophets [of the Bible], only the early Prophets.
I will turn back to Zawidcze then. From 1919 after the First World War till 1930, I only visited Zawidcze from time to time on vacations, but I knew what was happening in the village and followed the course of events. After the war the community grew by a number of families and adolescent youth. The youths' lives were dynamic and very active. A drama class was formed; it was very successful and also attracted the Jewish youth from nearby villages. These young people seemingly held nationalistic and Zionist views, but they did not act upon them by immigrating to the Land. None of these youths performed aliya. I too gave up an immigration license for a friend. On the face of it there were reasons I did it. But these hardly qualified as valid and justified reasons that could not be overcome. Only in 1928, after the death of my father was the road to aliya opened to me. This was also the will of my father, who once told me: “By your present standing you needn't go anywhere. But if you will go then the only option in my view would be the road to the land of Israel.” I carried that out to the letter, and in 1930 I made aliya.
I myself did not witness the Holocaust of our people under Hitler, may his name be erased. I did not feel on my flesh the wrath of the oppressor. But my soul weeps for the loss of the lives of our dear ones. May these few pages serve as their memorial, in memory of the Jews of Zawidcze, who perished in sanctity and purity.
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The two farm managers on the sides: Eliezer Rawer and his daughter Rivka and on the other side Diwald on the stallion and his daughter near him. Amongst the others: Yosef Apelfeld, Keila Gold, Zipora Szlajen. Mendel Czop, Miriam Kleinman and others. |
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