Y. GLEZER

FROM PRUZHANY TO MIDDLE ASIA

September 17 1939. Russian army crossed the frontier and the following day, the 18th., Soviet divisions were in our city. The arrival of red army was received as a splendor. One could breathe with more freedom.

Arrival of Soviet power brought in turn, in first weeks, another important factor: the shortage of first necessity articles and of merchandises. Soldiers of red army, when seeing business full with crafts, decorations and other merchandise, which never had seen obviously in their homes, began to buy in massive quantities, and they emptied city business. .

New power authorities, began with a régime, which was directed against previous establishment. Former policemen, official military, high officials, and landowners were detained. Their relatives were expelled to Russia. Jewish population was hardly bothered.

We thought that persecutions were only against elements hostile to Soviet Union, but this concept was false. Of that we convinced ourselves later, and about this I want now to write.

My father YTZHOK EZRA GLEZER, a "bundist", was whole time one of most outstanding activists in Pruzhany. He collaborated in almost all institutions of which I will mention some: was President of the Jewish Artisans Labor Union , during years was Consultant in City Hall, worked in the commission of Jewish Popular School Y. L. Peretz, in the Commission of Orphans Home, and in the Linat Ha'tzedek (social help), Toz, etc. In pre war years, when he decided to collaborate with Jewish congregation, was designated representative of Bund and artisans and as leader of Pruzhany's Kehila . He dedicated soul and life to social activity, shared happiness and sufferings of Pruzhany's Jewish population, and everybody liked him.

After the arrival of Soviets to the city, whole social activity was interrupted. The institutions were liquidated, or were absorbed by organizations of Soviet power. This was the cause for which stopped my father's social activity .

In a certain winter evening, on Sunday February 5, my father was cordially invited to the Soviet Secret Police section , of where he never returned. The following morning we already knew that besides him, other two "bundists´ were detained, the members SHAIE FORER President of "bundist" Youth group "Tzukumph" (future), and SHLOIME ROGOVITSH who has been "Cultural League" President . The same day I was informed in secret that two party leaders ZALMAN YURIEVITSH Bund President and MICHAEL NEIMAN Secretary of the same organization, when they knew the detention of their friends, immediately abandoned Pruzhany and looked for protection in some other city.

The unexpected detention shocked city's population. The intervention of the families didn't give any result. One could not receive any information, neither was any official accusation. They neither could inform us about the situation of the detainees . After a lot of insisting, only once, through an investigator, they answered to my mother and me, that the family is not forced to know the cause by which was detained.

It is enough that he knows it. We were only allowed to send him a coat, clothes and cigarettes. There was not any possibility about being able to see him,. Approximately four weeks after the detention, we found out that they had been sent to an unknown place.

Shocked by the terrible blow of my father's detention, some weeks later we receive the second blow.

April 13 at 3 p.m. of Friday to Saturday, some militiamen hit the door of our house. When we allowed them to enter, they declared us that they came to make a revision, and they informed us that we, the whole family, my mother, my sister and me, were immediately expelled of Pruzhany, and sent to some place which they didn't tell us, but assured us that could be near our home. To console the tormented mother, they asked her not to worry, because in some place she would meet her husband.

We were allowed to take 100 (?) kilograms a person. We didn't have another alternative, and we began to pack. Stunned and full panicked, we were not in conditions of thinking of taking most important things. We packed everything that came to our hands.

Although they took us at night, neighbors listened the noises, and transmitted what was happening in our house, in our family. They arrived at the house, but Soviets didn't allow to enter anybody. When they sat us down in the cart, our acquaintances were able to enter through the soldiers, and they said us goodbye.

In the road we discovered a caravan of hundreds carts that went in same address. Then we understood that it was a massive expulsion, and this alleviated us a little. At least we were not alone. They transferred us to the station Orantzishe (Lineve), 12 km of Pruzhany. They put us in loaded boxcars, together with Polish officials' families, and other army officials. We found there also DOBE ROGOVITSH the wife of SHLOIME with her 8 months daughter.

We traveled during 17 days in narrow and suffocating boxcars, in beds of three levels to both sides of boxcar. In these small beds we ate and slept. To make our necessities, we used a hole made in boxcar's floor center. These 17 days were a hell, but we survived them. They banished us toward the north from Kazajstán to a village called Atbazar that was inhabited by the exiles besides the natives. From there, after a short time, we were transferred to another district. During 6 years we were in Russia. There we passed the war and we suffered all sufferings of the exiles in Soviet Russia.

In 1943, I was separated from my family, and sent to the "Stroy-battalion" in the Urals, where I was three years. In 1946 began the repatriation of Polish citizens, and then I was able to return with my mother and sister to Poland.

In Poland I found the family of SHAIE FORER and also MICHAEL NEIMAN. They had the same destiny than us. They had been banished to another area of Siberia, with the second transport. Being in Russia, I made all possible to know about my father's whereabouts. All my efforts didn't have result. After diverse amnesties, many of the detainees returned with their families, but about my father and the other two "bundists", SHAIE FORER and SHLOIME ROGOVITSH, we didn't know anything until today.