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The Tze'irei Tzion Chapter takes leave of Fyvel Einstein in 1921

The Cultural Organizations Committee (untitled)

Poalei Tzion group picture on the occasion of Ch. A. Reichman visit, 1930 (untitled)

The relationship of the Polish regime to the Jewish residents was not particularly good. There were also language problems. Despite this, the Jews inured themselves to Polish rule over time. Many residents, who had relatives in the USA began to receive support from them. A number of them emigrated to the USA.

In the summer of 1920, the Polish-Bolshevik War broke out, and under the pressure of the Red Army, the Poles were forced to retreat. In the midst of this Polish retreat, new incidents of plunder and abuse arose. Thanks to the volunteer Fire Brigade (who were all Jewish), the officers of the retreating army were bribed, and as a result, there were no incidents of murder, as did take place in nearby towns.

In the month of August 1920, the forces of the Red Army occupied the town. Once again, it became necessary to become accustomed to a new regime. It is difficult to describe the suffering of the Jewish population during that period. Stores were emptied of their goods, and the air was heavy with tension. In Slonim, at that time, a young Jewish woman was executed for smuggling dollars. In town, labor assemblies organized by the Bolshevik regime took place daily. Participation in the assemblies was compulsory. The local authority was a “revolutionary committee,” and was led principally by Jews who were members of the Communist Party, of which only a portion were idealists. The alert ones, who could speak Russian, obtained positions in the offices of the authority. Many young people and also family men, were drafted into the Red Army, and the older ones were drafted into labor forces to build fortifications. At the beginning of October 1920, the Polish Army went aggressively on the offensive, and the Red Army was obliged to initiate retreat. The last of the Red Army companies came through town on the Eve of Sukkot. It is noteworthy that they did not plunder or abuse the population as the Poles did during their time. The Jewish communists left along with them. The following day, the Poles occupied the town.

Slowly but surely, life began to return to its prior course, after the tribulations that had beset the town, from the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914. The storekeepers reopened their stores, and the craftsmen their stalls. The Joint, once again, provided support. It was at that time that a general Hebrew school was established due to the efforts of

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David Alper ז”ל. This school was the marvel of the area.

Beginning in 1918, Agudat Tze'irei Tzion was established; a Keren Kayemet chapter began to function; a Hebrew library was opened, named after Y. Kh. Brenner. The foundation of the library became the books of the teacher, Fyvel Einstein, who donated them for that purpose, at the time of his emigration to the USA in 1921. A goodly number of the Hebrew books that were published in Warsaw were acquired, published by Shtibl, and also books written in Yiddish.

At the same time, the activities of the local Bund expanded under the guise of the cultural organization called Zukunft. They also opened a library and reading-room. Most of the books, in particular the Russian volumes, were remnants of the Bund library from 1905. At the head of this organization was Shmuel Abelovich, a man with a leftist outlook. As a result of the work of an informer, the Polish police suddenly instituted a series of arrests among members of this organization. The Russian books were seized and impounded. After efforts made with the authorities in Slonim, the detainees were set free. From that time on, there was no indication of activities in the Jewish neighborhoods on the part of the Yiddish Left. Only in the year 1928, did the Polish authorities return about two hundred Russian books that had been confiscated years back, to the hands of the management of the “Brenner” library, with the intervention of the Vice-Mayor of Slonim, Mr. Zabludsky. From that time on, those books were kept in the attic of our house. Periodically, the young Byelorussians would come and ask to borrow these books to read, and we would willingly, if secretly, respond to their requests.

In 1921, the first pioneer from Dereczin left for the Holy Land. This was Naftali Dykhovsky. The ties to the central Tze'irei Tzion office in Warsaw were quite flexible. Occasionally, the members of the central office would come to visit us in town. The daily Yiddish newspaper, Befreiung, and the monthly Hebrew publication Atid, were distributed in town. I recall the time when the T”T took up a collection for Keren HaAvodah. They took up a collection of tools from the townsfolk: axes, plows, ropes, etc. for this purpose. If my memory is not mistaken, I believe that the chapter of the T”T ceased to function in 1923. Because of this, in 1925, an organization called HeHalutz (The Pioneer) was founded. In the month of May 1926, the first organized aliyah left for the Holy Land, with the assistance of anonymous help from Poland: Shimon Abramovich, Dov Gorinovsky, and David Rabinovich. With their departure, the energies of the pioneering organization were weakened, and the chapter disbanded. Only the Keren Kayemet and the Brenner Library continued with their work. The leadership of the KK consisted of Abraham Zlotagura, Masha Alper, and Dov Polachuk. In 1929, a branch of Poalei Tzion was reestablished in Dereczin, with a membership of about eighty souls. In that time, the organization developed quite nicely. Members were [also] active in K”K, the library, etc. Thanks to this branch, a Schul-kult organization was established and it led to the opening of a Jewish school, in which instruction was given in Yiddish and Hebrew. Before the establishment of this school, Jewish children studied in the Polish school (Szcola Powszecznie). In 1930, the central office sent A. Reichman as a teacher, who was very active in the branch of that organization, and thanks to him, the activities of the Poalei Tzion in Dereczin widened. A branch of the Labor League for workers of the Holy Land was also established. In the elections for the 17^th and 18^th Zionist Congresses, the Labor League scored large victories, despite the efforts of the revisionists who attracted a goodly part of the young people around them. Together with Poalei Tzion, the Halutz movement was also revitalized. The town changed its face. From time to time, the directors from the district office in Slonim, and the central office in Warsaw would come to visit. The youth that was attracted to these movements came from all walks of life, beginning with gymnasium students and ending with the ranks of tailors and shoemakers. Every day, twenty copies of Der Wort, the printed organ of the organization, published in Warsaw would arrive. My brother David regularly sent the paper, Davar, home to us, and anyone who was interested to learn about what was happening in the Holy Land was welcome to read it. It is worthwhile at this time to take note that in 1925, with the initial publication of Davar, The HeHalutz, chapter took a subscription to the paper, and up to the middle of 1927, packages of the Davar

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paper were received weekly at the address of the Secretary of HeHalutz, who at that time was David Lifshovich. In the period between 1929-1933, the following excelled in their unique contributions: Fyvel Gelman, Issachar Abelovich, Yitzhak Minkov, ז”ל, and to be separated for long life, Moshe Sedletsky. Let us also recall Joseph Dykhovsky ז”ל, who put his shoulder to any task that was asked of him.

There was also a Players Group in town, who would put on performances from time-to-time in Yiddish. Simkha Hurwitz was very active in this group. Revenues were donated to the Library, charitable purposes, etc.

There also existed a general Zionist Histadrut in Dereczin, headed by M. Feldman, but it did not produce much in the way of activities, because the majority of the young people were under the influence of the Poalei Tzion, and the revisionists who grew strong during the early 1930s. Sima [Sioma] Shelovsky ז”ל, was active in that organization.

A communist cell operated underground, which was connected to the Communist Party in Western White Russia. On May 1, they would paste up notices in Yiddish with revolutionary slogans.

At the end of the Twenties, a general Jewish bank was established in Dereczin, that was instrumental in providing credit to storekeepers and craftsmen. Because of inept management, it went bankrupt in 1933. The economic condition, which had always been at a low level, worsened as the Thirties progressed. The Polish regime did whatever it could to beat down the Jewish population.

I recollect, that before I made aliyah to the Holy Land in 1933, it was forbidden for the farmers from the surrounding area to park their wagons with produce in the marketplace during the weekly market days, or monthly fairs, as they had done since time immemorial, but rather had to park them outside of town.

This robbed the storekeepers of their livelihood. There was already talk at that time to open a centralized purchasing cooperative for agricultural produce. Up until that time, many Jewish families made a living from running merchandise stores. The difficulties associated with making a living led to [sic: unhealthy] competition and intense hatreds.

Relationships with the Christian population was generally benign. I do not remember any time when we felt the danger of a pogrom. The farmers, who were largely Byelorussians, also suffered from the yoke of Polish rule. Naturally there was anti-Semitism under the surface, and it was felt in relations with the urban Christians, who always acted tense. They were more readily influenced by anti-Semitic activity, but these issues never came to a confrontation.

It was at the outset of Polish rule. In the USA, a Polish-American Committee was established for the relief of the newly established Republic of Poland. Jews of Polish origin also participated in this committee. The requested that no distinction be made between Jews and Christians in rendering aid to the people of the new Polish Republic.

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One day in 1919, we received word that they were getting ready to open a shared kitchen to serve the needs of both Jews and Poles. They turned over the organization of this matter to Mrs. Nowicka, the wife of Dr. Nowicki. She invited Rabbi Plotkin, ז”ל, who proposed that two separate kitchens be established, one for Christians and one for Jews, or that the foodstuffs be distributed to the Jews dry, and they would prepare their own meals at home.

The “old lady” suspected that the Jews would take their rations and trade them in the market for whatever they wanted, and stubbornly insisted on a single, shared kitchen (perhaps she held some inner hope that it would be possible to tempt some unsuspecting Jewish child into eating non-Kosher food), and there would be a need for someone to stand guard, in the spirit of shared work, to assure that needy Jews would obtain Kosher food from whoever was dispensing the rations.

It was my lot to be selected as the link between Rabbi Plotkin as the head of the Jewish community, and Mrs. Nowicka as the head of the local committee.

A tiring negotiation was carried out with her, until she agreed that the portions of lard would be given to the Christian children who were town residents, and also the residents of the village of Aleksich, which was nearby, and those items prepared in the kitchen pots would be dairy only, and supervised as such. The interesting thing was that the old doctor [sic: her husband] would always stand by my side, and gently ease the temper of his wife during the discussion, by citing different illogical customs that existed in the Catholic faith as well.

For almost the entire year of 1919 until about the month of November,

I would come daily to the kitchen, which was located in one of the buildings of the aristocracy, ‘die palazen’ outside of town to keep an eye on the cooks, who were two elderly teachers who had moved to Dereczin, Russian by their appearance, who declared themselves to be devout Catholics (they were the Goznyuva sisters), especially to oversee the rationing, and assure that no swine products were put into the pots. Jewish children received cartons of buttermilk in place of meat.

The old lady also used me in the evening to do the accounting (those receiving rations were asked to pay a nominal sum for each portion), and conveyed them to the central district, and consequently it was incumbent on me to be familiar with a variety of the aspects of the kitchen's operation.

Schraga-Fyvel Einstein, Ethel Rabinovich & Yaakov-Meir Plotkin (untitled)

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height. The full military pressure of the conquering German military was not felt at its greatest intensity in our area, since the front of battle receded from our area on a daily basis. The Jewish population in Dereczin, as in all the surrounding towns of the district, was elated by the temporary peace that came to it, and quickly began adapting to the conditions of a new life.

When I was possessed by the fire of youthful exuberance for the realization of the desired ideals of the salvation of our people, the Hebrew language, and the Land of Israel, I set my steps first in the direction of organizing Hebrew education in our town. In accordance with accepted custom, I pasted a short notice on the door of the Great synagogue, arranged in Hebrew, describing the founding of an ordinary Hebrew school. I signed the announcement in the capacity of a teacher of this school. Parents immediately rallied to me, enrolling their sons and daughters so that they could learn Hebrew, Tanach, and the history of Israel. I divided the children into classes, and I taught them around one large table, in a four foot by four foot room in the home of my parents. This was a sort of “Reformed Heder.” The method of teaching that I selected was, naturally, Ivrit B'Ivrit (Hebrew taught in Hebrew).

And soon a message began to permeate the town that something new, vibrant and stirring, was coursing through the educational process of the children: Hebrew speech. An awakening arose in the midst of the community, interest strengthened not only in broadening the renewed Hebrew language studies, but also in Zionism, and in nurturing Hebrew culture in all its aspects and nuances. A “ Lovers of Hebrew Language” Club was organized, whose objective was to meet periodically for the express purpose of carrying on Hebrew conversation. This group was led by young people, who in the past had benefitted from a Yeshivah education. Meetings of the group took place in the regular homes of the members. During our first meetings, we clarified our own agenda of efforts that we would like to realize. In about an hour, we had decided what our course of action would be on the cultural front. We put out a weekly newspaper called HaNoar (Youth), which we would publicly read during our meetings. We opened evening lessons to the older members of the community in Tanach, History, and Hebrew language. And with the support of yet other young people, who came to us as unaffiliated, with our collective efforts, we opened a town library.

And then David Alper ז”ל, joined our group. He was young, talented and intelligent, and had received a comprehensive progressive education. He was among the few from our town, who as a young man, had the opportunity to attend the Russian public schools, because of the governmental requirement. As a result, he was able to obtain exposure to more broadly based ideas in the Hebrew language and in its literature. We saw in him the man destined to bring “the splendor of Japheth into the tents of Shem.”^[1] It did not take many days before the group found their leader in Member Alper, as well as their director and organizer. A working committee was formed, headed by Member Alper. Also, David's sisters, Malka, Masha ע”ה (she and her family were wiped out in the Holocaust), Beileh, Duba, and Rachel, all joined the group as members. It was in this way, that the Alper house became the center of the Hebrew movement in Dereczin (the father of the family was the sole pharmacist in town. The pharmacy store business was conducted from a room of the house that faced out onto the street). It was here that the meetings of the working committee took place, during which the various agendas of our activities were created. Slowly but surely, the urge to organize our work grew stronger, with the goal of satisfying our desire to embrace more general Zionist principles, with an eye toward the welfare of our people and the redemption of the Land. After a course of rulings and discussions, we founded a branch of “Zionist Youth” in our town. We established relations with the central office in Warsaw (our area was at that time already under Polish rule), and we received periodic news regarding different activities aimed at supporting the workers movement in the Holy Land. Once , we received a notice from the central office to collect tools and farm implements for the use of pioneers who had gone to the Holy Land. We returned to our sources and gathered all sorts of tools, most of

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which were rather old and worse for wear, and whose utility was questionable… but we did our thing.

Of all the efforts that we undertook in various fields of endeavor in the “Zionist Youth,” none was as successful as what we were able to accomplish on the cultural front. On this front we went from one success to the next, until we proved to ourselves that we had laid down a firm basis on which we could establish formal Hebrew education. We turned with an announcement to the Hebrew community at large, which responded to us immediately. Everyone felt that the time had come for the establishment of a general Hebrew school. In a large public meeting, in which David Alper spoke on – the issue of a [Hebrew] school – the curriculum of study in accordance with the outline of the “Zionist Youth” was approved by a voice vote. In the middle of 1919, after all the necessary preparations were made, a general Hebrew school was opened with three classes, with a broad curriculum, that included Hebrew studies as a significant part along with general studies and the study of the national language (Polish). Our member, [David] Alper was appointed as Headmaster of the school. Considerable difficulty was experienced in the teaching of general subjects (arithmetic, geography, physics) because of a dearth of suitable textbooks. We, the teachers, were compelled to prepare our lessons in these subjects by translating Russian and Polish text material into Hebrew. In a short period of time after its establishment, good reports went out not only in our town, but to the entire area around us. This contributed to giving us both strength and encouragement.

In time, when the Tarbut movement was created in Poland, with its headquarters in Warsaw, for the purpose of establishing Jewish day schools throughout the country, our school became affiliated with the movement as a Tarbut school as well.

In those years an unaffiliated drama society was formed in our town. The Players staged several plays, among them, Aluvei HaChaim (The Slings and Arrows of Life) (in Hebrew) by D. Pinsky. For a theater, we used an old large stone building, which was in a state of disrepair standing in the center of town, which at one time had been used by the Polish nobility in the area. This building also served to house the large public meetings that our movement organized periodically. At the request of the school administration, we put on the play, Shnei Nigunim (Two Songs) by Y. Shweiger. The performance made such a strong impression on the audience, that filled the hall from end to end, that even the diehard Yiddishists were compelled to say, “Amen!”

In the middle of the summer of 1920, our movement temporarily ceased its activities. The Soviet Russian Army spread throughout our district, and pushed the Poles back to the gates of Warsaw.

The head of the city that was appointed by the Soviet military, invited me to his office – a bare room in one of the houses – and turned to me with these words: “I have heard that you were a teacher in a general school here, [therefore] from this day forward, you will serve as a teacher in a Soviet school that will be established shortly. In the coming months, you will be free of any military obligation, because you will be responsible for organizing a group that will assist you in the establishment of a school, which will have the curriculum of a Soviet school.

You will be responsible for participating in the meeting of the District Committee of Soviet educators that will take place in Slonim.

Needless to say, I was compelled to follow his orders. I traveled to Slonim, to the Committee meeting. There were about two hundred teachers there who came from all the cities of the district. A young lady, of about twenty-eight years of age, addressed us as a meeting facilitator, who had been sent to us especially for this purpose from Moscow.

She explained the nature of the curriculum in Soviet schools, and emphasized the Soviet recognition of the responsibility of the teacher to indoctrinate students. Her presentation was given both forcefully and with great emotion. Prior to the conclusion of the meeting, the people who ran the meeting distributed to each teacher one inkwell, one pen, one notebook and one pencil, to be used in teaching their students.

I returned to Dereczin, and as I was standing bewildered and struck dumb over what had transpired there, the miracle happened: the Poles

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succeeded in driving the Soviets back, and our district became “liberated.”

In the meantime, we received (both myself and the rest of my family) a formal invitation from our relatives in Chicago to emigrate to the USA. We made all the necessary preparations for our trip to America, and at the beginning of November 1921, we reached Chicago – where we live to this day.

Given to our dear and respected friend and Committee Member, Schraga [Fyvel] Einstein on the occasion of his departure for America.

Our comrade! With our hearts fluttering, here we are, preparing to take our leave of you. In our minds is the great void that will remain behind in our midst in the Zionist-Socialist camp in Dereczin. We find a bit of comfort in recognizing that you are transferring your work to another, large arena, and we give you our blessing with the wish that the line of your endeavor will broaden, and you will continue to rise higher together with the outlook of our world that continues to prosper.

On behalf of the Organization: Head: D[avid] Alper Sec'y: Y [Yosef]. Dykhovsky Members: Nachman Goldin A[braham] Zlotagura L. D[avid] Alper

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A group of young women active in the Brenner Library (untitled)

But where would an appropriate place be, in which to conduct expanded cultural activities? In this regard, the German military command themselves placed a room in their barracks building at the disposal of the culture workers, practically in the center of town. It was there that lectures were organized with regard to Yiddish subjects and Tanach.

News reaches us regarding the Balfour Declaration! The enthusiasm of the young people rises. Bnot Tzion, a circle of Hebrew speakers is organized, along with committees for Zionist activities. Discussions are initiated regarding a variety of Zionist themes, and fund-raising begins for Keren Kayemet LeYisrael. Every opportunity is utilized, when special evenings come, like Yom Kippur Eve, when collection boxes are put out for various charities, the KKL box is also put out among them.

I remember well the Hanukkah evening celebrations that were organized annually, with a lecture about the meaning of Hanukkah, followed by a presentation. Young and old alike, all the residents of Dereczin came to the Hanukkah evening. The hall was packed full of people to the point of asphyxiation. In this stifling air, the Hanukkah candles were barely able to stay lit. The speaker could barely hear himself speak. Despite this crowding, the celebration was carried off with aplomb, and it was talked about in Dereczin for a long time afterwards.

A group of children, ages five to six is assembled, and the first class of the [new] Hebrew school is opened. The German school is closed. The school of Abraham Izaakovich has not yet been reopened.

The work of the school is initiated and directed by David Alper, ז”ל. He was assisted in this by [Schraga] Fyvel Einstein, and the writer of these lines.

The older youth carries on discussions about the problems of communism-bolshevism, general Zionism, and socialist Zionism. A number of the former Yeshiva students are drawn closer to the ideals of the Bund, and even further left, but the largest part with Zionist sensitivities seek a synthesis of religious values with Zionism and socialism. I am reminded of the long discussions in a small circle that took place in my home, in which David-Zelig Epstein took part (he died young in 1919 from typhus), Shmuel Abelovich, Joseph Dykhovsky, Abraham Zlotagura, Shmuel Shepshelevich, Nachman Goldin, and others.

The “Zionist Youth Organization” is established. The worked out program of the new organization is agreed to at the founding meeting. Meetings are organized, speeches are given, and a mission-clarification initiative is undertaken. ZYO does not encompass all the older young people, and it is therefore necessary to launch a larger invitational effort, in order to prevent the young people from falling under the influence of the leftist, anti-Zionist movements. David Alper ז”ל, assembles a group of young people, including married individuals, and means are sought to establish a more right-wing Poalei Tzion organization, that will be active among the working class young people. And this is, indeed, accomplished.

A variety of material begins to arrive from the

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centers in Slonim, Volkovysk, and Bialystock. Despite the tenuous contact with Warsaw, because of the chaos that reigned in those times, even from there we received helpful materials.

However, the Bund wasn't about to give up so easily. Its loyal members organize themselves as well, and a war is declared for the soul and spirit of the young people in town. At open gatherings in schul, in the Alter Mauer, or in the barracks-hall, debates between the leftists and Zionist-socialists take place with regularity.

In the meantime, aid began to arrive from America for the impoverished population of Poland, which looked upon our area as part of their country, as promised [to the new republic] by the Allies Powers. The “Joint” initiated its activities, and among the populace a discussion began regarding who would be responsible for distribution of the aid, where should the resources be sent to – and what form should such support take, or should it be through constructive activity of some kind. The “Joint” required that the people who needed the support should participate in community projects. It was the community at large that would receive the funds involved, and decide how these funds would be allocated. Will this newly appointed body be Jewish-nationalist and Zionist, or one with leftist, anti-nationalist tendencies? Heated debates took place around this issue, at public forums, with speeches that lasted many hours, until the speakers themselves grew hoarse.

The town balebatim were sympathetic to the Zionist youth. An administrative body was formed with representation from all parties, but with a Zionist majority.

This was an interesting, if stormy epoch, when our region changed hands between Russia and Poland, and during which we experienced periods with no national rule at all.

On January 6, 1919, a Christian holiday, a large public demonstration was called with red flags paraded, during which the authority of the church was challenged, and in which Bolshevik authority was championed. The demonstration was organized by a group of Bolsheviks and commissars, who had arrived from Slonim a couple of days before. The rural populace streamed into Dereczin to observe the demonstration, particularly the young people, which had been co-opted by the ‘solution’ of having large parcels of the landed aristocracy divided up among the land-hungry peasantry. The older peasants came to town to celebrate their Christian holiday, buy some merchandise, and in the meantime, also listen to what the Bolsheviks had to say.

The demonstration began first with the communists leading the parade, with their flags, followed by the Bundists, and then Poalei Tzion with red flags. There was a large crowd. Speakers held forth with fiery oratory from the veranda at Joseph Rabinovich's home. Afterward, the demonstration continued peacefully.

At night, after the demonstration day was over, immediately after midnight, a group of Polish army officers from Dombrowsky's army appeared in the marketplace. They fell upon the stores there, and began robbing and pillaging whatever came to hand. The senior officers began to hunt for the Jewish speakers who spoke at the demonstration. If one of them had hidden themselves, then their fathers were taken as hostages and whipped, it force them into revealing the hiding places of their children. It was literally a miracle that no loss of life occurred on that night.

Both the Bund and the Poalei Tzion had to furl their red banners until better days would come.

Meanwhile, there was no sense of security, neither for life itself, nor for the ability to make a living. One lived in constant fear, “from hand to mouth.” And what did one not do in order to find sustenance? One traveled to the neighboring towns, and even more distant places, as far as Warsaw, returning with merchandise and products. If young people are traveling, they bring back also [reading] materials, literature and ideas.

The older youth gets together almost every evening, mostly in private homes, to hold discussions, to listen, talk and deepen the foundations for the coming movement to a working Land of Israel. In those trying times, the Hebrew school was also established.

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Where did those active young men and women find the stamina and energy to create the spark and effervescence for their fierce love for the Land of Israel, for the preservation of the Hebrew language, for their love of humanity, for their own peoples, for peace and brotherhood of man all over the world?

When I recall the personalities of those days, of those debates, of those activities – none of them is with us any longer – when I think of the sharp analysis and heated arguments over newspaper articles, and the discussions about them, of the talks we had over songs and stories, I come to the conclusion that they were nothing less than the teachers of an entire young generation. It is our great loss, that only very few survived the Holocaust years, to find refuge in the Jewish Homeland.

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