N. Altshuld (Altman)
PRUZHANY'S GHETTO BEFORE AND AFTER ANNIHILATION[i]
July 18 1941. We and a hundred of souls, inhabitants of Byalistok
Ghetto, women, men and children,
arrived to Pruzhany's Ghetto. Most of we were poor, we didn't have the
amount of money needed to buy freedom of Byalistok's Judenrat hands. Were also
with us a great quantity of Jews of
near towns, as Trestine, Goniondz, Knishin and Zabludove.
These are the first victims that
fell for Byalistok Judenrat. They ordered us to ascend to load trucks, with the
collaboration of Byalistok Jewish Police and German beasts. We arrived to
Pruzhany at evening, and there were
waiting us Gestapo murderers. These revised each one of us and took out all they found. These inquiries were
accompanied by sadistic blows, during seven hours. Then they gave us to
Pruzhany's Jewish police. These demonstrated so much consideration and human
feeling, that never in my life will I forget it.
Pruzhany's Jews were not only good friends, but were also brothers and
sisters during whole time of our permanency. Later, we shared with Pruzhany's
Jews the way of sufferings and tortures, persecutions and inquisitions, first
in the Ghetto, and later the insults and murder in Birkenau (extermination camp
of millions of Jews), Auschwitz, Grosrosen, Dachau and other extermination
camps. The kindness, compassion and pity of Pruzhany's Jews, was for us very
important, Jews of small towns, escaped and saved from death. We found a
transitory home there, a home sharing sufferings and tortures, an united and
solidary home.
In the moments when sanguinary German enemy not only watched Pruzhany's
Jews, but also each Jew, then
Judenrat's representatives with the collaboration of other Jews, made all possible - many times taking risk to
their lives - to save Jews of a sure death. Who doesn't remember the arrival of
Heinowke Jews that walked crawling on
their four extremities, literally on the four, a distance of dozens kilometers,
receiving blows and German murderers' shootings, and arrived almost dead to
Pruzhany.
Local Jews received them as a mother receives her wounded children. The
transports of Byalistok with hundreds of Jews that arrived weekly to Pruzhany,
all without difference, poor or rich, workers or who were under better economic
conditions, received a roof on their
heads. The hungry silenced his hunger, the nude received his clothes, for each
one of us a warm heart beated.
The Judenrat and all it's members, of whom I believe that survived only
ZAVEL SEGAL, was in many cases the "redeemer from death" for dozens
and hundreds of Jews. It's president YTZL YANOVITSH, more than once was in
front of a sure death, to save a Jew of
murderous Germans. These and all Judenrat members, were in charge of
concerns of a congregation of almost 10.000 souls; daily watched on them the
murderous hand of German beast, because
they felt Jewish concern and humanitarian
responsibility.
In most difficult moments, when the Ghetto was in front of compulsive
norms from the sanguinary Germans, these could not transform Judenrat members
in informers, neither in deliverers of Jews to murderous hands. Always with
national honor, with responsibility and Jewish solidarity, the Judenrat
rejected murderous enemy's attacks. Among Jews of Pruzhany's Ghetto there was
not neither a case of "delivery to
death", neither they had here "good and kind (with the Germans) youth", and other
crimes as in other Ghettos. Here dominated a conscious discipline in old and
young men.
In Jewish Judenrat tribunal, the appreciated leader and lawyer VELVEL
SHRAIBMAN (he was Judenrat's Vice-president), when considering diverse trials among Jews, demonstrated
great precision and understanding of moral and Jewish ethics. These trials were
also full with common sense: a Jew refused to give milk for a refugee's
creature; a rich Jew didn't help a poor refugee; an inhabitant of Pruzhany
didn't try his refugee brother as was used among Jews, etc. These trials were
public, and they had a didactic objective for
Jewish masses.
In section Provisions (Administration)
was Mr. SOLOMON YUDEVITSH. Here received meal hundreds of indigent,
maybe thousands. The relationship of the person in charge of this section with
each Jew was humanitarian. The long lines to receive a piece of bread were always
in order, and if somebody wanted to use strong hand, Jewish police reacted
without using physical force. Provide combustibles for the poor, prepare a
quantity of potatoes and afterwards distribute them, everything was carried out
in perfect order. Each one completed his fraternal duty, in relation to the
needed Jewish brother .
And the frequent, almost weekly contributions of Ghetto inhabitants!.
The members of Judenrat were almost
always the first ones, an example for all, offering their gold, silver, diverse
value objects , furniture and other things. They believed that with this
attitude and behavior, whole Jewish
congregation would avoid disappearance
and annihilation. Regrettably, German
beast made it's work, well planned and refined, to usurp all belongings of the
Ghetto, and then to liquidate it.
The Judenrat in collaboration with population, worked until last sigh
and were solidary in everything. Who
doesn't remember the epidemic of suicide of Pruzhany's intellectuality in the house of SHRAIBMAN
family? This suicidal act produced a tremendous impression on Ghetto Jews. It
was a warning: if they, the intellectuals, reacted this way, it meant that all
we are designated to a sure death. Then people began to prepare and wait the storm that could outbreak in any
moment. Were built bunkers, youth began to organize, call to secret meetings
and to smuggle weapons. A great doubt arose about the power of the Judenrat,
and about the false promises of the refined German beast.
Some time later was fortified Ghetto's watch system, mainly in the exit,
even for work brigades. All this caused that Jews also began to be watchful.
Germans again made any possible thing to deviate Jewish population's attention, and to produce that the youth is
not prepared to resist.
Step by step life began to be "normalized" (if this
could be called life). The Judenrat felt that the atmosphere was loaded
with humiliation. The face of the President YTZL YANOVITSH expressed sadness.
It trembled for tomorrow's future, and
it could be read in his intelligent
look. The same thing happened to the wonderful organizer, the Secretary H.
SCHEIN and also of all collaborators. At
same time, heroic children of Pruzhany's parents, as well as youth of
Byalistok, left toward outside the
Ghetto and created the first partisans group.
BER SEGAL (son of SHLOIME SEGAL)
was the Chief and soul of the group, but he was annihilated by Russian partisans March 28 1943 in Klepatshi
Chornie Liazi forest. BER SEGAL was shot together with his young brother
LIOLEK at 20 km of Pruzhany. The third brother ITZHOK (YZAK) fell in front of
the wire fences when he tried to cross them, in front of Nazi surveillance. In the forest were annihilated ELIE VINER son of a
Pruzhany's shoemaker, HERSCHEL JANOVSKY of Graievo (his last years was in
Byalistok); MEITSHEK of Byalistok (I regret not to remember his last name).
Also fell one of the first partisans organizers, YOSEL UNTERSHUL (lately he was
chauffeur in the Ghetto).
Pruzhany's partisans were able
to take out from the Ghetto dozens of young and mature people, saved of a sure
death, and they offered them the possibility to retaliate of spilled Jewish
blood. Also in this sense, Pruzhany's Jews demonstrated responsibility and
solidarity, rebelling and fighting against the enemy, retaliating and not
leaving to be driven as flock, falling in
fight with honor and dignity. All these episodes up mentioned, were
transmitted to me by the partisan
survivor, cousin of BERL SEGAL, MORDECHAI BER SEGAL who is now in the camp
"Nay Freiman" near Munich, together with his two siblings, also
partisans[ii].
I also allow myself to remember some characteristic personalities. Dr.
FAYNGOLD offered help to all Jews in all moments, many times taking risk to his
own life. The intellectual FAIVL
GOLUBOVITSH had his house open to everybody, whole nights during which were
discussed political issues. The
wonderful and kind Jewish mother YENTE URIEVITSH (her paternal house was URINKSY), my friend's wife, the survivor
ZALMAN URIEVITSH, shared with everybody her last mouthful and gave to the poor
her scarce food. Lately her house door was closed. I asked her: Why is closed
the door, and the answer was: "regrettably I don't have what to give,
neither I have left potatoes, the needful won't believe me, for them it is a
pain, for me, it is a shame". YENTE URIEVITSH was annihilated in the
crematory of Auschwitz together with her two wonderful daughters.
Mrs. Dr. OLYE GOLDFAYN, a Jewish aristocrat, willful and intelligent
woman, in last stage of evacuation, being in front of Pruzhany's Ghetto wire
fences, in literal words, insulted and threatened German watchers, saying them that very soon they will disappear
and Jewish people will retaliate. This
heroic woman, Dr. OLYE GOLDFAYN, some days later, without considering age,
achieved to leave the Ghetto. She got dressed as nun, and considering that she
was loved by Christian population,
achieved to stay during whole time of German occupation, as "Holy
Sister", in diverse cities of Poland. Today, this heroic woman is in
Israel State.
I also want to remember the missing persons, dear and humble
collaborators, the firemen LIPE ZAKHEIM, MEIR PRUZHANSKY, siblings ISROEL and
MOISHE ROIPKOP, MORDECHAI KRUGMAN, YAKOV RUZANSKY, and others whose last name I
doesn't remember. They demonstrated
much affection while I shared days and nights with them in our joint
task.
One afternoon, visited President's YTZL YANOVITSH office partisans BERL
SEGAL, MEITSHIK of Byalistok, and YANKL LERNER also of Byalistok. They were
negotiating with the President the provision of money and weapons for other groups that came out to the forest.
While they were talking, suddenly entered GESTAPO's Chief. Partisans MIETSHIK
and YANKL LERNER were able to escape through the window, but BERL SEGAL rushed
on Gestapo's Chief with his shotgun, this one grabbed his hand, BERL achieved to release of the
murderer, but the nazi shot.
The murderous bullet impacted the Jewish guardian old man (of Byalistok,
whose name I doesn't remember) who fell dead . While BERL SEGAL was escaping,
he achieved to enter his house and took his two siblings, LIOLEK and YZAK. But
when they tried to cross the fortified cord of German sentries, a bullet
impacted the older brother IZAK who fell dead. BERL arrived to the forest with
his younger brother LIOLEK, to be next to his
partisans friends, but as I already told, sometime later was murdered by
Russian partisans.
After this facts, a terrible fear
possessed Ghetto Jews. It was a people's mass who was saddened,
trembling, closed in themselves. It began to appear diverse delirious rumors.
The Judenrat representatives also began
to feel that the floor burned under their feet. Ghetto's watch was reinforced
even more. The youth began to be organized even more... .A group of Jews got
ready to descend to the bunkers, others to hurtle on Ghetto guards. The
atmosphere was depressive. Jewish
firemen met to clarify what to do, they were young, brave and with experience. Diverse
projects arose.
Who writes these lines proposed that the Ghetto should caught fire of
all sides , this would create panic among Germans, and while this happened,
groups organized of 15/20 men would fight against the guards, and this way they
would make possible the exit of women, children and old men. A heated
discussion arose. Most were against it, and the reason was not to expose women
and children to a sure death. Then I proposed them to transmit my action plan
to the President YTZL YANOVITSH.
Was nominated a delegation integrated by MOISHL FRYDBERG, YAKOV
RUZHANSKY, me, and a fourth whose name I doesn't remember. At 2 a.m. we
appeared in YANOVITSH's house and transmitted my suggestion. The atmosphere was
tense, a mortal silence gained the situation. After some minutes of silence, came
YTZL YANOVITSH's answer which was: "I don't want to see with my eyes how
will fall thousands of Jews, better I do not live this, and you are not
entitled of carrying it out.. Let us have faith in G-d. He will take care of
us." When concluding his words, with
courage depressed, we left the room.
Some hours later arrived the order that the Ghetto will be liquidated
and 10.000 Jewish souls will be
transferred to work camps.
It began on Thursday January 28 1943 and lasted four days until January
31. Daily, German drove Jews to death on peasants' of neighboring villages
sleds, that before had good relationships with Pruzhany's Jews during generations. Daily left toward Lineve station 2500 souls.
Waited for them load boxcars, entered
pressed in each boxcar 70/80 souls and were driven to Auschwitz extermination camps.
In those days and nights of deep anguish, some groups of young as well
as elder people, tried crossing the fortified German, Poles and
Byelorussian iron guard bet in Ghetto's
entrance. Many died next to wire fences, other small groups were able to
survive and to arrive to the forest. A small quantity entered in the bunkers
and later were also able to survive, and arrive to the forest.
In the trip in the sleds toward Lineve train station, some tried to
escape, but the criminal bullets put an end to their lives. Some were able to
escape.
After four days, Pruzhany's Ghetto was without its 10.000 souls. 6000 of
them were humiliated, and robbed of all its belongings. They were of cities and
small towns: Byalistok, Shereshev, Narevka, Malech, Heinovka, Kamenietz,
Drohishin, Kobrin, Kosovo, Slonim. Brest and others....
Munich. October 1948
[i] In Pruzhany's Ghetto
were insulted and humiliated Jews of towns surrounding Byalistock, and also of Byalistok. Next, is
mentioned a fragment of a former
resident of Byalistok, later in Pruzhany's Ghetto. We bring a series of details
and names which enlarge the memories and previous testimonies.
[ii] "Now" means
Munich 1948