There Once Was a Town Swir;
Between the Two World Wars
(Svir, Belarus)

54°51' / 26°24'

Translation of
Haya hayeta ayarat Swir; ben shtei milhamot ha-olam

Editor: Herzl Vayner

Published in Tel Aviv 1975


 

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Lee Harrison z”l

 


This is a translation of: Haya hayeta ayarat Swir; ben shtei milhamot ha-olam (There once was a town Swir; between the two world wars),
Editor: Herzl Vayner, Swir Society, Published: Tel Aviv 1975 (H,Y 227 pages)


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Translated by Yocheved Klausner

 


Hebrew
 
Introduction 5
Several Chapters in the History of the Town Svir 7
 
The Cultural and Social Life in Svir
 
The Economic Life 9
Charity and Social Aid 11
The Great Dispute Between the Majority and the Minority 12
The Struggle Between the Social Classes in Svir 13
Doctors and Miracle-Workers 14
My “Melamdim” [Teachers of small children, in the “Heder”] 16
The Education system 18
Memories from my School Years 19
The Public Library 21
The Jews on the Sabbath and Holidays 22
I am Seeing Your Jews - and They are Still Alive 24
The Lake 26
Holidays 28
A Tour of the Town 43
 
Organizations and Parties
Memories from the Old home 56
History of the Zionist Movement in Svir 57
The Cultural Activity of Hehalutz 62
The Jewish National Fund [Keren Kayemet LeIsrael] 63
The Struggle between the Parties in Town during the Last Twenty Years 64
Hashomer Hatza'ir, Hehalutz Hatza'ir, Freiheit (Dror), The Po'alei Zion Party (Right), Ha'oved [various Zionist parties] 66
 
Destruction and Annihilation
Svir 69
The Bridge 70
A Letter to the Home of my Parents 71
And it Came to Pass when… - Springtime is Over and Gone - on the Path of Suffering 72
The List of Persons Who Perished in Wilyeka 80
We Shall Never Forget Amalek 81
The Mound 81
A Window to my aching Heart 82
The Mountain 83
A Partisan from Svir 86
Ponar 89
The Handful of Ashes that Was My Mother 90
My Farewell to Svir 90
By the Picture of Mother - Father - to my Wounded and Sick Brother - the Vicious Circle 91
The Pure White Flowers of the Oleander 92
You, too, are an only Brother … 93
Grandfather Mor 94
To the Memory of Those Who Perished 95
 
Yiddish
 
Introduction 125
A Few Guidelines to the History of the Town Svir 127
 
The Cultural and Social Life in Svir
 
The Economic Life in Town 130
Philantropic and Social Aid in Town 132
Disputes and Arguments in Town 134
The Struggle Between the Social Classes in Svir 136
Doctors and Miracle-Workers 138
My “Melamdim” [Teachers of small children, in the “Heder”] 141
The School System 143
Memories from my School Years 145
The Jews on the Sabbath and Holidays 147
I am Seeing Your Jews - and They are Still Alive 150
The Lake 152
Holidays 154
Figures and Characters in Town 173
Memories from the Old home 203
 
Destruction and Annihilation
Svir 206
The Bridge 208
A Letter Home 210
When? 211
We Shall Never Forget Amalek 212
The Mountain 213
Ponar 217
The Handful of Ashes that was My Mother 218
 
The Missing
By the Picture of my Mother 219
Father 220
On the Mount of Olives 221
To my Wounded and Sick Brother 223
In the Vicious Circle 224
The White Oleander 225
To my Only Brother … 226
To Grandfather Mor 227


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