There was a Town...
Memorial Book of Beresteczko, Boremel and Vicinity
(Berestechko, Ukraine)

50°21' / 25°07'

(Baremel', Ukraine)

50°28' / 25°12'

 

Translation of
Hayeta ayara...sefer zikaron le-kehilat Beresteczko, Boremel ve-ha-seviva

Editor: Mendell Singer

Published in Haifa 1961

Our sincere appreciation to Yad Vashem
for the submission of this material for placement on the JewishGen web site.

This is a translation of: Hayeta ayara...sefer zikaron le-kehilat Beresteczko, Boremel ve-ha-seviva
(There was a town...memorial book of Beresteczko, Boremel and vicinity),
Editor: Mendell Singer, Association of Former Residents of Beresteczko in Israel, Published: Haifa 1961 (H,Y 555 pages)

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Beresteczko

This material is made available by JewishGen, Inc. and the Yizkor Book Project for the purpose of
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Hebrew translated by Sara Mages

Yiddish translated by Yocheved Klausner

 

The History of Berestechko M.M.A.and Yochanan Gelkin 9
About the Berestechko's Rabbis   17
 
The Holocaust
A description of the destruction of Berestechko by the eye witness Melech Goldberg of blessed memory   18
A description of the destruction of Berestechko by the eye witness Melech Goldberg of blessed memory [Y]   25
We are guilty (Poem) [Y] Avraham Zak 36
The Holocaust days in Berestechko As told by Moshe Belfer 36
The torture road of Berestechko's Jews (from the letters of Leah Lerner-Berger)   39
The torture road of Berestechko's Jews [Y]   42
With the Russian invasion to Berestechko Pinchas Kolton 45
In Berestechko after its destruction (a conversation with David Zitzer)   48
Told by the Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Israel illegally Chaya Henzel, Yehoshua Starker 49
In Berestechko after its destruction (from a letter of Dr. Lazar)   50
The plowmen plowed upon the town[1] Told by a man who saw Berestechko after its destruction 50
The head of a martyr (Poem) [Y] Yosef Pressman 53
The first immigrant from Berestechko to Eretz-Yisrael (about the immigration of Yosef Sofer) M. Singer 55
 
The Chain Continues
The first days of the Zionist Movement As told by Sara and Mila Katerbursky 65
The National Awakening (from the memories of the first immigrant who left Berestechko for Eretz-Yisrael on the Second Aliyah)   69
The defence of Berestechko As told by Shmuel Margalit, Efraim Federman, Yitzchak Handelsman, Nachman Reiff and Yehoshua Klibner 74
The Miracle of San Remo (the speech given by Yitzhak Margalit at the Zionist celebration in Berestechko with the occasion of the proclamation of the Balfour Declaration) [Y]   80
Berestechko and Eretz-Yisrael Yakov Uri 83
The beginning of “HeHalutz” in town As told by Miriam Boidek, Moshe Linsk, Yehudah Sirkis, Yeshaya Klibner and Yosef Shimoni 85
From the synagogue to Klosova Yosef Rykin 87
With the establishment of “Hashomer Hatzair” (the first group) D. Persztut 89
“Hashomer Hatzair” Yosef Ettinger 92
From the days of the establishment of “Hashomer Hatzair” (pages from a diary) H.H. 93
The Woodcutters Shoshanna Greenshpon-Plotnik 96
The Hakhshara [2] Kibbutz in Berestechko Moshe Silberman 97
A testimony of a Hakhshara[2] member Zev Schunem 99
“Cheers to Klosova!” (pages from a diary) Rachel 99
I'm leaving for the Hakhshara[2] Halia Lehrer-Berger 100
In the Youth Movement Ben-Zion Geller 102
About the Halutz and HeHalutz Hatzair Yakov Silberscheid 105
HeHalutz Hatzair As told by Shoshanna Greenshpon -Plotnik, Avraham Silberscheid, Aharon Kahana, Yakov Silberscheid and Moshe Zilberman 108
“There was a different spirit around”… As told by Zalman Einer 118
The labor parties in town As told by Yeshayahu Kleiner, Yoel Reiber, David Lichtigstein and Yitzchak Handelsman 121
My last days in my town - Berestechko Lea Lehrer 126
From occupied Poland to the Maapilim [3] detention camp in Cyprus (pages from a diary of a Maapil from Berestechko) Yosef Friedman 131
The Chain Continues (a collection of photos)   141
 
Boremel
Boremel and Berestechko (memories and experiences) Yosef Weitz 151
My town Boremel that no longer exists Tonya Surzher 176
The quintet and sextet from Boremel Tova Breznik 181
The house, the town, my parents' home, and the “club” Riva Monschower 183
On the ruins Yosef Reznik 187
Two “Melamdim” – teachers – in Boremel Tonya Surzher 188
To the best of my friends Tonya Surzher 190
My last visit to Boremel Arye Breznik 191
Crying out in sorrow (the words of an eyewitness to the annihilation of Boremel) [Y] Rachel daughter of Yosef Kibrik 195
A bitter lamentation (translation of the testimony of Rachel daughter of Yosef Kibrik)   201
The family of Mendel Hubiner Yosef Weitz 207
From the sights of the town of Berestechko   210
 
Our birthplace whose memory was erased from the earth
On the river Stir A townswoman 221
The Rutes Street Helia Lehrer-Berger 223
A house in Shkolna Street Rachel Sara-Etis 224
The generosity in town A. Geller 226
Memories from the town of my birth H.S. Katerbursky 228
Will we remember the little town? [Y] Kai Schugerman 232
Of the events in town Yehoshua Safran 250
Childhood and youth in town Hanoch Chodek 253
From the mood in town (a letter by Dvora Bialer née Lehrer)   254
In the Russian school in Berestechko Ita Gelkin née Reif 256
The school in town Chana Rosen from the Chaim Lehrer family 257
The establishment of the “Tarbut” School Ester Ben-Sira (Greenshpon) 260
The first dilemmas with the establishment of a school in Berestechko Tzvia Katerbursky 262
Berestechko and its school Tzvi Perach-Kwitny 267
The school and my teachers Penina Shlein-Grinberg 272
The school for children of poverty As told by Miriam Boidek 276
Jewish children in the Polish school Miriam Meilman 276
The last days at school (pages from a diary) H.R. 277
The Jewish National Association As told by Miriam Boidek and Moshe Linsk 281
On the social work in town As told by Yeshayahu Kleiner 283
“Linat Zedek” [Free Lodging Society] in our town Avraham Silberscheid 284
The craftsmen in town As told by Yeshayahu Kleiner, Moshe Silberman, Hila Belfer, Bluma Bikman and Yitzchak Handelsman 285
“Our Echo”, a Newsletter that appeared at the 10th anniversary of the Craftsmen's Union in Berestechko [Y]   288
“Lik“ the Jewish literary club Mordechai Steinberg 289
The community weaves its dreams Rachel Shapira-Ganani 291
My town Berestechko Bruria Charshak (Hirshfeld) 292
Reports of a passerby Y. Gozhelka 295
The “School of Medicine” Tzvi Limon 298
From my memory Avraham Ostrow 300
The “club” and the river Bluma Skolsky- Katerbursky 302
About the chapter of “Hashomer Hatzair” (memories) Lea Lehrer 304
Our home Aharon Kahana 307
The town and my parents' home Bluma Skolsky-Katerbursky 309
From home [lit. “my father's house] to “Eretz Chemdat Avot” [the land cherished by our fathers] Sara Limon 313
In my parents' home Benzion Geller 314
In my home that was destroyed Yehuda Mazori (Mazurek) 319
In my parents' home Eliezer Litvak 320
Segments from the town's life Tzvi Limon 323
Our parents' home Avraham, Yakov and Sheindl Silberscheid 325
Our family and another family Bella Bardyga-Schentzer 327
Short memories M. Steinberg 328
Avraham Levinson came to town Bluma Skolsky 331
From the words of Avraham Levinson (from “Yalkut Wolhyn”[4])   332
The visit of S. Ansky in Berestechko Nehemiah Margalit 333
“The Little Jerusalem” (from the weekly “Unzer Veg” [Our Way])   335
The meetings of the former residents of Berestechko in Israel   335
The first meeting   336
A memorial for the holy community that was destroyed Aharon Kahana 337
To the image of Berestechko Chaim Zimerman, Rachel Katerbursky, Bella Yashpe 339
The first meeting of the Association of Former Residents of Berestechko in Israel Yehoshua Safran 345
The second meeting   348
The third meeting   349
The fourth meeting   352
About the values that we brought from our town Chaya Klibner 352
The drama group in Berestechko   355
From the town's daughters – the daughters bring up memories M.A.A. 359
The daughters immigrated – the parents perished Yafa Persztut-Wachs 362
The whole story of one family Penina Greenberg 363
One more tear added to the “Cup of Tears” Bat-Sheva Michaeli 363
My parents' home Leika Cohen-Tadir 364
And their heart is in the East A woman from Berestechko 365
Our sons and grandsons did not disappoint us Naomi Klibenski-Alon 366
The town's elders tell R'Meir Litvak 369
Segments of memories Yitzchak Manusowitz and Moshe Harash 371
We will remember them and go on in their spirit Dov Cohen (Bril Plomin) 379
A monument for our martyrs Tzvi Kieler 379
Rav Moshe Arye Klibner Yitzchak Margalit 381
About a scholar who sinned and a God-fearing ignorant (from the book “Ke'arat Egozim” by Dov Sadan)   382
The home of Avraham Yehuda Polak Ruhama Polak 383
A.Y. Polak (one of the images that I remembered) Chaim Rokach 384
To the image of Avraham Yehuda Polak David Schein 385
My father Yitzchak Margalit Nehemia Margalit 386
From the immigration diary of R'Yitzchak Margalit   389
One of the noble spirits (from the images that I remembered) Yehoshua son of Chaim Rokach 393
Memories from my father's home Lea Margalit 393
Baruch Furer S. Katerbursky 395
To the image of Baruch Furer Lea Margalit 396
In memory of my father Ben-Zion Katerbursky Rachel Katerbursky-Shapira 396
The Yeshiva students in Berestechko A woman from Berestechko 399
About the simple folks As told by Yosef Amiad-Klibner 404
My grandfather - Reuven Poopik, Mordechai Kuper 406
More about Reuven Poopik   408
Binyamin Wolter L. Ben-Yakov 408
Avraham Skolsky M. Steinberg and Yosef Friedman 411
The author of ”Tsvit” [bloom] and his way (to the memory of David Pucholnik) Dov Sadan 414
David Pucholnik in Berestechko Yosef Friedman 426
About the painter Yosef Pressman – a Berestechko man Dr. Chaim Gamzu 427
The painter Yosef Pressman – about the town   428
Berestechko as seen by Yosef Pressman [Y]   429
Yitzchak Lamdan and Berestechko Tzvi Perach-Kwitni 431
Yitzchak Lamdan a “son” of Wolhyn (from “Yalkut Wolhyn”[4] chapter 1, section 6) Yakov Rabinowitz 437
Judaism of the heart (from “Yalkut Wolhyn” [4] chapter 2, section 9) Yitzchak Lamdan 438
“A young poet who wants to remain anonymous…” Yehuda Mazuri 439
About Berestechko, a letter from Yitzchak Lamdan   439
More silent, more silent… [Y] Yitzchak Lamdan 441
Among the first in Klosova Avraham Kahana 442
A expression of gratitude for the first meeting with people from Berestechko   444
About the B.B.L towns A townsman 444
The last of the former Berestechko residents to see the town in its ruins 445
The last of the former Berestechko residents to see the town in its ruins [Y]   447
A list of Berestechko's former residents who live in Israel   451
A list of Berestechko's former residents who live in other countries   454
A list of Boremel's former residents who live in Israel   455
Families and individuals from Berestechko (a collection of photos)   456
 
Yizkor
In memory of my parents and my family members A. Ben-Aviv 477
A memorial candle to the soul of my beloved parents Aharon Geller 478
In our town and in my father's home Avraham Kahana 478
In memory of our sister Rivka Y. Mazuri (Mazurik) 479
To the image of Feiwel (Shraga) Smit A friend 480
Shlomo Poliak Aharon Kahana 481
Little Pearls by Sani Friedman [Y]   481
Sani Friedman Yosef Friedman 482
Arye Reiber   483
My grandfather R'Leizer the slaughterer and my grandmother Bracha-Ita Y. Safran 484
The family of David Leib and Miriam Reiss   486
 
Some of those who died in Eretz Israel 487
Pinchas Belfer; Bilha Blasha; Halia Berger; Rachel Baru; Zahava Brawer; Sara Baram from the Y. Klibner family; Meir Shmuel Gitlis; in memory of Eliyahu Gilboa (Geller); Tamar Glkin; Malka Geller; the Grubman family; Isser Weber; Yakov Vardi (Resler); Ester Malka Zafran; Bebtzi Chanes; Bella Jashpe-Kimchi; Zipora Reiber-Chasa; Feigale; Meir Litvak; Zipora (Feiga) Litvak; Shoshanna Litvak; Benzion Lichtenstein; Aharon Lehrer; Uri Mehlman; Yehoshua Safran; Moshe Safran; to the image of Chaya Sara Katebursky; Yakov Klir (Sikoler); Yosef Shirman; R'Yisrael and Henia Chaia Schlein; Sara Zisel Shapira; the family of Pinchas and Chaia-Sara Rothblit  
 
About the sons who fell in the struggle to liberate the homeland
Mordechai (Modi Alon; Amichai HaLevi and his mother Miriam; Yehoshua Eliyahu Henzel; Yechiam Weitz; Yair Yisraeli; Yair Margalit; Emanuel Margalit; Amichai Klibner; Avraham Arye Kleinstein; Yehoshua Starker;   521
List of Families from Berestechko who died in the Diaspora and perished the Holocaust   544
List of Families from Boremel who perished in the Holocaust   549
Former Berestechko residents who died in Eretz Israel   554
List of sons of former Berestechko and Boremel residents who fell in the struggle to liberate the homeland   554
Their candle will light, a drawing by Yosef Pressman   556
 
Footnotes

  1. From the book of Psalms 129:3 - The plowmen plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows. Return
  2. Hakhshara – preparation in Hebrew, refers to agricultural kibbutzim where Zionist youth would learn technical skills necessary for their immigration to Israel. Return
  3. Maapilim – Clandestine Jewish immigrants during the British Mandate of Palestine. Return
  4. Yalkut Wolhyn - Wolhyn Anthology. Return

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