SHERSHEV
YZKOR BOOK – Chapter 2
OUR HOMETOWN, SHERSHEV
By Zundl Yablonovitch
I write the following lines at a time when Shershev
has already been reduced to ruins, when my hometown has been destroyed. It is
not the history of our Shershev. These are descriptions that live in my memory.
Of course, I may have forgotten some things, or have left someone out, but this
was unintentional. We are dealing here with events that took place decades ago.
Shershev, in the region of Polesie, belonged in the
time of Czarist rule to the gubernye of Grodno, and to the Uyezd (district) of
Pruzhany (for Polish rule was called "powiat")). The town was located
at a distance of 15 kilometers from Pruzhene. It was reached by the high road
that led to the Bieloviez (Bialowieza) forests. From the high road a paved road
3 kilometers long led into the town. This road was called "The
Brukovke".
Shershev had approximately 2,000 inhabitants, most of
them Jews.
Before the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Shershev,
as has been said above, belonged to Russia. In 1915 the town was occupied be
the Germans. They stayed in it until the end of the war. After 1918, the town
was transferred from one authority to another; first the Bolsheviks, then the
Poles, the Bolsheviks again, and/or other groups and bands. Not until the peace
between Poland and Russia did Shershev belong to Poland until September 1939.
In September 1939, the Red Army occupied Shershev (as
well as the whole eastern part of Poland). During the German invasion of
Poland, the town was under Soviet rule until June 1941 when it was occupied by
the German army. After Hitler’s defeat in 1944-45 the town was returned to
Russia.
Shershev considered itself an old town. It was said to
be centuries old. Shershev was built in an old-fashioned European style: wooden
houses, covered with wooden tiles. Some
houses, especially the peasants’ houses at the edge of the town, were thatched
with straw.
The main streets were paved and had wooden sidewalks.
Shershev had four main streets in the pattern of a cross. Their names were:
1. Pruzhene
Street water flowed through a roy (stream) over which Bridge Street
crossed. Over the small river there was a wooden bridge.
2. Kominietz
Street
3. Stariveske
Street
4. Beyt Chayim (Cemetery)
Street
There were also smaller streets, for example Untern
Dol ["beyond or beneath the valley"]. This small street looked like a
valley, in the middle of a pit from which yellow sand was dug. Around this pit
was a circle of houses. The older people used to say that the pit was made in
the time of the Povstanye [Polish uprising] when many people were killed.
Indeed, when yellow sand was dug there human bones were found.
There was also the (Heif) Yard Street that, with its lovely appearance and densely growing
tree-lined avenues, beautified Shershev. This was the place for summer walks.
From the central streets, yet other small streets
branched off, looking like the veins of a human body.
The "heart" of Shershev was the market,
where there was also a built in stone "circle of stores", where
Jewish storekeepers sat waiting for customers.
The famous great old Synagogue, built in stone,
resembled a temple with its artistic architecture. Two wide and round columns,
with wide, high steps at the entrance, strengthened the impression of the
synagogue. Inside, one was captivated by the artistically carved Torah ark and
by the wonderful paintings on the walls. These decorations were very old. Even
the grandfathers did not know exactly when the synagogue had been built.
The many fires that had, at various times, destroyed
the town, had spared the synagogue
One of the worst fires happened in about 1908. People
wanted to smoke out the worms from the trees in the priest’s orchard. A
thatched roof caught fire and a terrible conflagration ensued. More than half
the town burned down. This was one of the biggest fires. Houses near the
synagogue burned, but the synagogue survived.
The synagogue also stayed intact during World War I.
But shortly after that war, a small fire broke out in Shul (synagogue) Street.
Then the synagogue did burn. It was not rebuilt. American landsmen sent money
to repair it, but the work was not carried out. With the money from America and
with the help of local householders a large stone "Bet Medresh"
(study house) was build near the synagogue. It was the biggest in the town.
This was where the town community meetings and gatherings were held.
Apart from this Bet Medresh, Shershev also possessed
others: Reb Eyzhe's Bes Medresh, the Rabbi’s Bet Medresh, the New Bet Medresh
and the Hasidic Bet Medresh.
The Jewish community also owned a "Hekdesh"
(a kind of lodging for poor travelers), a town bathhouse and a rabbi’s house.
Of religious officers, we had a judge, a shochet
(ritual slaughterer), a mohel (circumciser) and a chazan (cantor).
Every synagogue had its "shames" (beadle).
There was also a "Shul-rufer" (person to call the congregates to
prayer). Every Sabbath eve and holiday eve he walked through the Jewish streets
crying, "Jews, to the synagogue".
At this point we should also mention the religious
teachers and their schools: these belonged among the "Kahal"
(religious institutions) of the town.
We also had a Chevra Kadisha (burial society) that was
in charge of preparing the corpses for burial. But it was also involved in, and
in fact played a leading role in, Jewish town-affairs.
In the "Bet Midrashim" (houses of study,)
the authoritative word was from the "gabbais" (treasurers). Their
word was also a leading suggestion in matters outside the Bet Meidresh.
There
was also a court. The court was located
at Heikel’s house on the Starivietzker Street.
As for the Jewish population, the registry was kept by a “Tshlen” (a member)
of the “Uprave”. I remember that his
first name was Mendel. Very few people
knew his last name. The elite of the
town, who incidentally were intimate with our leadership, also included the
“Felsher” (healer) and the pharmacist.
The
court had a lot of work – quarrels between peasants about a piece of land,
fights, arsons and stealing. The
stronger person always was the winner.
The discords among the Jews were mostly resolved by the Rabbi or the
“Dayen” (a judge charged with settling minor disputes in accordance with Jewish
law).
There were Jewish merchant’s “Perve Gildenikes” (association) who dealt
with leather, furs and grain. There
were forest merchants who dealt with wood.
A substantial number were the village merchants who would travel to the
villages and buy different products and material from the peasants. The shopkeepers would purchase their fabrics
in the larger cities such as: Warsaw, Brisk, Bialystok and Slonim.
The
main business was conducted through Pruzany.
Everyday two horse-drawn wagons would arrive from Pruzany and go back
and forth. They would bring wares and
commodities as well as passengers. They
used to also deal with people in Bialowieza.
Most
of the craftsmen were shingle makers.
The surrounding forests were full of fir trees that are suitable for
making shingles. The Shershever shingle
makers supplies the entire area with shingles.
Among the Jews there were carpenters, chest makers, shoemakers, tailors,
hatters, strap and thong makers, blacksmiths, butchers, horse and bogymen,
horse traders and one watchmaker.
During
the Christian holidays, there were fairs in Shershev. The market place and the central streets would be packed with the
wagons of peasants who brought their products to be sold with them and then the
peasants would in turn buy the town’s material for themselves.
One day, in 1914, the terrible news arrived – the war had started. Then there came an announcement of a
mobilization of all men between the ages of 18 and 45 years. A few months thereafter, we already sensed
the nearness of the front line. The
town was full of Russian military Cossacks, Cherkesens and ordinary soldiers. Those inhabitants, who had the possibility,
had a horse and buggy ready to be harnessed in the event they had to leave the
town.
On a
certain day, an order did come that the people had to leave the town because of
an impending battle. The majority of
the inhabitants left by horse and buggy or on foot carrying their packs and sacks. The well to do went to faraway Russia. Many others went into hiding in the
forests. Some did not want to leave the
town and went into hiding in the brick synagogue.
Several
days later, the Germans arrived in Shershev.
The shootings subsided and the inhabitants began to move back into the
town. Half of the town was destroyed
and burned down. A large number of the
inhabitants, mainly those who had escaped to Russia, did not return. The previous occupations, business and
craftsmanship, came to nothing. The
situation was desperate. The Jews
started to occupy themselves with different kinds of work. They went to the abandoned fields where they
dug out some potatoes. They would pick
corn from the husks and grind them up in a hand mill. In summertime they would go into the woods to pick blueberries
and mushrooms. Many Jewish people went
to work for the Germans.
It
was difficult to obtain the necessary products. The hardest thing, however, was to find sugar and salt as these
items were not available at all.
Instead of sugar, saccharine was used; salt was brought in from
Pruzany. Since there were no wagons
going there, people would walk to Pruzany.
They could get salt there, however it was very expensive.
Young
men would travel to Bialowieza where they worked in the forests. It was forbidden to do business even though
there was neither money to deal with nor any products to sell. Life was very primitive. People ate whatever was available. No new clothing was made; therefore to make
do the old clothing would be resewn.
Already
then, the Germans had exhibited their cruelties. The Jews were subjected to all kinds of suffering, harassment and
insults. They would cut off the beards
of the elderly Jews and the braids of the girls and women.
The
German reign came to an end after the revolution in Russia and the peace
agreement between Russia and Germany.
On a beautiful morning, the Germans, in haste, began to leave the town. They dumped their weapons into the
river. The Bolsheviks took over the
town without any battle. The Bolsheviks
established a new order that was supervised by a newly created civilian
committee and civilian police. The
townspeople’s income started to go up significantly as they did business with
the military. They paid for everything
in rubles, but later on the people found out that the money was worthless.
The Russian reign did not last long.
Clashes began to erupt between the Bolsheviks and the Poles. The town passed from one regime to another.
The
following tragic incident happened at that time: On a certain day, when the Polish military had to retreat and had
to leave the town, one soldier remained in town. He barged into several houses and robbed from the Jews. This provoked some Jews who ran behind the
town and caught the soldier. They beat
him up and took away the robbed things.
The soldier ran away and joined his detachment. He told his commander what happened. Late at night, a band of Polish soldiers
barged in and with violent fury and shooting intruded in the town. All the people were terrified. First of all, the soldiers called the rabbi
and demanded that all the Jews should assemble in the synagogue. The younger men were led away from the
street to the staff of the military unit so that the soldier could recognize
those people who beat him up. The
guilty ones, understandably, had hid themselves beforehand. The commander of the unit said that if the
guilty men would not surrender, every tenth Jew would be shot and the town would
be burned down. The Jews lived through
the night with a real fear of death.
They offered ransom money but to no avail. The Jews were beaten. The
Poles searched in all the streets until they found one of the men who beat up
the soldier. His name was Aaron, the
butcher. The Polish gang tortured him
and shot him to death. With this act,
their fury subsided and they left the town.
Several
times, Shershev was a place for a frontline, for strategic positions and
battles, until the Polish reign was strengthened.
When
the war ended, life began to normalize little by little. The American landsleit (compatriots) began
to help the Shershevers. A committee
was established for the purpose of supervising the distribution of the material
support that consisted of products and clothing. A kitchen was set up to prepare and distribute soup and food to
the needy people. This made the
difficult situation less severe and helped to mitigate the hunger.
The
Polish reign strengthened and life began to normalize. Also, the town began to be more active with
respect to social life. Modern speakers
and delegates from different organizations arrived in town. Instead of the sermons of the old-time
preachers and messengers, the people listened to lectures and propaganda
speeches of the Zionist movement.
Committees were established for “Keren Kayemeth Leisraeel” (Jewish
National Fund) and for “Keren Hayesod” (Palestine Foundation Fund). The youths were drawn into these
activities. In the beginning they
joined just any organization, later on the “Hashomer Hatzair” (The Young
Guardians) organization was formed where the young people would assemble.
At
that time, the library was in the process of being established. Jewish and Hebrew books were gathered
there. Later on, it became the “Tarbut”
library that consisted of 800 books and a reading hall where Yiddish newspapers
and brochures were available.
There
were also young people who organized an amateur circle. They performed in the Jewish theater from
time to time
With
the help of our American compatriots, the “Yavneh” school was built where there
were, besides the classrooms, the library and the reading hall. (A special article about the “Yavneh” school
is written in the subsequent pages).
There
was a bank in town that would lend money, without interest, to the needy
people. Also, we had a group of people
who would take care of the sick and stay with them overnight.
The
town was rebuilt. There was a novelty
in Shershev – instead of the horse-drawn wagons, an omnibus started to cruise
in and around the town. Every time the
omnibus would arrive, it was a special event.
The young and the old would go out to the market in the evening to
welcome the omnibus that would arrive in town with lighted lanterns.
At
the same time, around 1930, Shershev was happy to see electric lighting. Motorized mills replace the ordinary
windmills. This was a great development
and progress for the community. People
also started to act differently with new manners and new mores. After the years of hardship and discomfort
during the war, people began to dress up and dress in style. They began to enjoy themselves. On Sabbath and on holidays they would stroll
along the street of the courtyard.
The
leased fields that belonged to the priests were taken care of by the Jewish
workers. The young people would also
stroll along in the fields. They would
sing and would have a good time there.
Jewish celebrations during the national holidays were a frequent
occurrence, particularly during the existence of the “Yavneh” school. However, the most embedded one in our mind
was the first celebration of the Balfour Declaration (the declaration in 1917
by the British Foreign Secretary which viewed with favor the establishment of a
national home for the Jewish people).
It was a wonderful spectacle in Shershev. The Guardians in their uniforms, carrying the Jewish flags,
organized a manifestation. In long
orderly lines and with the singing of Hebrew songs, the manifestation went
through all the streets in Shershev.
When we now reminisce about those wonderful days, our grief becomes more
painful. It was not meant for those
Jews to see their dreams fulfilled – to have a Jewish country. Only a small number of them went to live in
Israel. The largest majority of them
were killed by the Nazi murderers.
At
the beginning, the Poles had established a magistrate. Kopel Kantorovitch was chosen as Mayor. The Jews were a majority in the town
council. Among the councilmen there
were merchants and craftsmen. Later on,
however, the Polish authorities in Shershev incorporated many surrounding
villages and then they established a municipality (“Gmina”). Consequently, the Jewish population became a
minority. The familiar politics of
discrimination against the Jews started in Shershev. Exorbitant taxes and all kinds of assessments particularly
effected the Jewish population. Also
our non-Jewish neighbors started to exhibit their anti-Semitic acts. On a certain day, the “mieshtshanes” (the
town’s inhabitants) stood with sticks and did not let the Jewish cows go to
pasture. Because they had to pass
through the Gentile streets, there were fights among the people. They were brought before a law court. The court decided that the Jews had to pay
for the legal right to take the cows to pasture in the communal meadows.
It
was customary, for many years, that the Jews would gather the dried up branches
in the forest and they would use them for heating. This wood was free, without anything to pay. However, the peasants and the town’s
inhabitants prevented the Jews from taking even these dry twigs. Also, the Jews were not allowed to pick
blueberries and mushrooms. There were
some cases when the baskets with the picked blueberries and mushrooms were
taken away from the Jews. Oftentimes,
different incidents occurred in the market place. Some hooligans would spread anti-Semitic propaganda. Many times, the Jews would chase away those
anti-Semitic inciters, but the mood of the people was gloomy and depressed.
Very
often, a call could heard in the streets – “Zyoy do Palestyny” (Jews go to
Palestine). The same call was repeated
in the “Szkola Powszechna” (The Polish public school). There were many Jewish children who went to
the same school together with Christian children. The Jewish children had to endure all kinds of insults and pain. The same thing happened during the evening
courses.
There
were different activities in the same school in the evening. In the beginning, the Jewish young people
would also participate. Later on, from
1927, it was impossible to take part in those activities. However people continued with their normal
life. They worked, created, traded and
studied. Despite the surrounding hatred
and incitement, life was normal. The
older generations spent their time in the synagogues in study groups, learning
“Smas” (the six volumes of the Mishnah forming part of the Talmud) and the life
of homo- sapiens. They also discussed
politics in the same place. The young
people had their library in the reading hall.
The meeting hall was also utilized by those who belonged to “Hashomer
Hatzair” (Young Guardians).
It was customary that at the conclusion of studying the tractates of the
Talmud, the townspeople would prepare a banquet. The students, as well as all other people and the rabbi, would
rejoice at this special occasion.
Our
town was not big, however it possessed a charm and a grace. The houses, mostly made of wood, were clean
and warm family nests. Every day of
every week had its orderly routine. As
in many past years, there was a repetitious order in our town – to work, to
enjoy life and to prepare for the Sabbath and the holidays.
It was
not a life of wealth and luxury, but it was a beautiful and a traditionally
established life, even without the comfort and convenience that we have
nowadays. Water was fetched from a
community well or from a water pump in the market place. Central heating was unheard of. People would prepare bundles of wood for
winter. The majority of the people had
a cow that fed the family with milk, cheese and butter. Also, they raised chickens. Even in their plain and simple lifestyle, it
was an exalted life. People would
celebrate the Sabbaths and the holidays with their established special customs
and practices. They celebrated at
weddings, circumcision ceremonies and other joyous occasions. The entire Jewish community in Shershev
celebrated such joyful events.
Unfortunately, to make a distinction, the people would mourn in the
event, god forbid, of a sorrowful happening, then the whole town would go to
the funeral.
There
were also quarrels among some people about private matters or about community
affairs. However, they always took
place among themselves in their own surroundings. The rabbi or the “mentshen” (the responsible people) would settle
such disputes in order not to allow any injustice to prevail.
All
of that ended with the destruction of the Jewish lives and, along with all
cities and towns, our dear town, Shershev, was decimated with the murderous
hatchet of the Nazi bandits.
Regarding
those dark years, survivors who were in that hell are witnesses of the terrible
times. These few survivors tell about
our holocaust in another part of the “Pinkes”, the memorial book.