[Columns 177-178]

Yehuda Hofman

With the return of Meir Hofman, or as he was called in the city, Meytshe, from the Soviet Union, our movement ascended in a regal way. On his own initiative and energy he brought together individuals and founded a branch of the Jewish Socialist Workers Party Poalei Tsiyon united with Ts. S. (Socialist Zionists), or as they called it then: Right Poalei Tsiyon, although many found it difficult to understand: Right – for what? In Hrubieszow there were not even three members of Left Poalei Tsiyon, much less funds!

Over time, the branch expanded to become the most prosperous party in the city, encompassing masses of youths from all walks of life and its significant record of action for Zionist foundations, the Jewish community council, and the city council, on which it was tasked with wrestling with the Christian council members on the one hand and with the council members from the Bund party on the other, who cooperated with our Christian opponents and voted against the proposed allocation to the “Tel Chai” school run by Poalei Tsiyon.

The party was very active in the cultural field: it organized lectures on Zionist, socialist, literary and political issues; organized a library with an extensive circle of readers; and a reading room for larger circles, even from outside the ranks of the party. Over time, the party published a newspaper and organized dramatic circles.

In light of its sanctioned, tireless, and successful activity, it should be understood that the party won the hearts of the youth in the circles of workers, artisans, petty merchants, and thus a “child” was born to the party, called “Frayhayt,” whose members fulfilled their roles with loyalty and dedication, and all their zeal for the sake of a laboring land of Israel. They were loyal supporters to the party's missions in all areas and a strength after that, when many of its members immigrated to Israel.

During the heyday of the party and “Frayhayt” in the city, some of its members were inspired and came to the conclusion that the tenets of party theory should be observed in practice. They had a feeling in their hearts that they should not be content with just “actions for” and that a gloomy sense of the future may have guided them (approaching the dark-black years–not this person) and thus the idea was born to renew the “HeChalutz” branch there (the word “renew” indicates that there were also a few pioneers who had immigrated to the land of Israel before), but the organization “HeChalutz” with a constant connection with the center had not yet existed, neither had “HeChalutz” in its full meaning–that is, training and immigration.

With the help of the late friend Marmari, who in those years served as a Hebrew teacher at the “Tel Chai” School, the first committee of the “HeChalutz” branch was organized in early 1928 and the connection with the “HeChalutz” center was established immediately. Already at the first contact the demand for training places was made to the center [movement leadership].

Indeed, immediately after the first visit of the center's emissary, Comrade B. Maniv from Kibbutz Einat – then Minkovsky, the first candidates for training were sent to the “HeChalutz” farm in Grokhov and Tel-Avraham. The members abandoned their work and went to their training places.

The ranks of “HeChalutz” in the city expanded, mainly among members of the party and “Frayhayt,” and in 1929, at the beginning of the Fifth Aliyah, the first members went to the land of Israel.

Today it is possible to find hundreds of people in Israel who received their Zionist-socialist education in the ranks of the party and “HeChalutz,” and who built his house on group farms, a significant number, or on independent farms; who in his independent workshop and who as an employee in factory and craft; who in settlements; and who is called to be a member of the Knesset and a daring fighter for the rights of workers in Haifa.

And who knows what would have been, if our friend Yosef Almogi had not drawn his aggressive resilience and courage from the “discussions” on various topics, which took place in the humble “hall” of “HeChalutz” in one of the city alleys?

Finally, I would like to lend a hand to one of the founders of the renewed “HeChalutz” branch in the city, a dear and unassuming friend, who was not only an initiator but also a member of the group, Binyomen Retig. Thanks to his intelligence and commercial talent he was, despite his young age, “setting the tone” in the store of the parents. But at the right time, when his family was immersed in the pharmacy business and saw their world in it, Binyomen did not see his future in commerce, nor an hour for the “plan” that his parents wanted. With the establishment of the “HeChalutz” branch, he was one of its first members and one of the first to leave for training.

Without a farewell greeting, against the wishes of his parents and most of his family members, he arrived at the “HeChalutz” training camp in Grokhov near Warsaw in May 1928. From his first contact with members of the “HeChalutz” center, they recognized his qualities (and he was then 19 years old) and they did not let him stay in Grokhov, which was then a developed farm, the glory of “HeChalutz” training in Poland, but rather sent him to Tel-Avraham to be one of the builders of a new farm there. Although his desire was to stay in Grokhov, because the place and its society fascinated him, he accepted the role of a pioneer and left the camp.

At that time there were a number of people in the new place. They lived on crusts of bread, but he did not shy away. During the day he would work in agriculture and at night he would lie in the pasture, guarding the horses grazing in the meadow, the farm's first property.

One wet night, when the fog covered everything, he did not want to abandon the farm property and did not feel that he was abandoning himself. He suffered from pneumonia (in those years and at his age – a malignant disease), so he was transferred to Warsaw and received the necessary treatment. When his family heard of his illness, he was forced to return to them. As affluent people they did not withhold anything from him: famous doctors, fine clinics, but it was all to no avail. He was dwindling physically and mentally. His longings for the land of Israel grew, and although some hope of the possibility of immigrating to the land of Israel still shone, the fear that he would perhaps become a burden to the group on the kibbutz attacked him, and in the wake of despair, he took his own life.

The anonymous pioneer, Binyomen Retig, will not be remembered among the victims of the revival of Israel in his country.

The Renewed “HeChalutz” Committee in the year 1928 Seated: the teacher Gozltshinsky (Marmari) may his name be a blessing, Yehude Hofman, Yekhiel Vayntrub, and Fishl Fifer Standing: Yisroel Lerekh and Binyomen Retig

[Columns 179-180]

Close cooperation between the Tel-Chai School and the youth movements -- HeChalutz HaTzair, Red Scouts, and “Frayhayt” -- bore fruit. Many people went out for training and hundreds immigrated to Israel.

Here, in Israel, almost all of them are members of Histadrut, active in settlement, working in factories, workshops, and services. A considerable number are active among the working public as honest public figures. Zionist-socialist education was deeply absorbed in their souls, and the difficult years and life were not.

How did they get there?

First and foremost thanks to the teachers of the school: Meyer Hofman and Eliezer Fuloshko, who made a difference in life, Marmari – may his name be a blessing, and thanks to the activists of Poalei Tsiyon – Ts. S. (Zionist Socialists) who invested their energy in running the school and in running the youth movements.

The living spirit of “HeChalutz HaTzair” was our teacher Eliezer Fuloshko. With the foundation of the school, almost all the graduates joined its ranks. We had the instructors: Yosef Epshteyn, Yosef Almogi (Karlenboym), Yosef Lederkremer (our sports instructor) and others.

At that time, many of us were enthusiastic about the mouthpiece of HeChalutz HaTzair and about the meetings with members of “HeChalutz,” who returned to the city for a short vacation before immigrating to the land of Israel. Their training was at the Klosova quarry, at the agricultural farm in Grokhov, at “Dawn” [a training camp in Baranowice], and more. With wild forelocks, in Russian shirts, and with buckled boots, they told us about their work and their friends from training. I was impressed by one story, and it reminds me to this day about my friend Beni Mahareshek from the time he was in Klosova.

Beni fell ill and on that day did not make arrangements at work, but he could not be satisfied with that. To Beni it was not just work, but sacred work. And when they closed the door behind him, he burst out of the window and went straight to the quarry. Such stories and the [personal] link have affected us.

Our conversations were usually held in the fields or in the orchard. We also had some nice hours of entertainment, such as croquet games. It was not long before, under the influence of the party, we joined “Frayhayt.”

This organizing was not carried out without heated debates. We debated the importance of a political youth movement, the realization of all the possibilities of personal fulfillment within “Frayhayt,” Yiddish and Hebrew, and the ideas that grasp the core of the world. By joining, our influence in the city expanded, and we demanded more instructors, who came from “Frayhayt” graduates, from the party, and from graduates of the Tel-Chai School. The influence of the leaders on the youth was quite great, in spite of the fact that both the leaders and the members were the same age in the early period.

The Frayhayt committee Back Row: Itsik Huz, Yosef Epshteyn, Meyer Hofman, Shloyme Lindenboym, and Binyomen Retig Middle Row: Rizl Diament, Moyshe Tsigl Front Row : Yisroel Lerekh, Yehoshue Tsigl, and Dovid Tsimerman

Frayhayt Committee in the year 1929 Back Row, Standing: Yosef Epshteyn, Yehoshue Hofman, Yehuda Hofman, Yisroel Lerekh, Khaym Frid Middle Row Sitting: Hersh Aykhenblat, Avigdor Biterman, Avrom Tsigl, Tsharne Gayer, Asher Hobl Bottom Row: Shloyme Valdman, Feyge Futer

M. Hofman (Meytshe) had a significant impact educationally. His conversations attracted attention and his vitality was an example for us and instilled in us immense confidence. Unlike others, who would silence the initiative of their fellow men, he knew how to activate others and that was the secret of his power. Therefore, when some of the first-year instructors of the school left for training, those who remained there were not afraid. The young people took matters into their own hands, and the work continued.

But not everything was always smooth. There were also crises. One of them was expressed in cynicism, which permeated the ranks. Those who suffered from it did not take part in cultural action, instead they were arranging banquets, drinking, and playing card games. At the end of these actions, they would come to the club to make fun of the members. They considered themselves privileged and treated their comrades, the children of the Jewish poor, with contempt. It is not clear to me what the cause of this crisis was, but it seems to me today, as far as I can remember, that it was a young man who had decided in his heart not to immigrate.

The next crisis was ideological. The local Communist Party grew stronger, especially in the villages and in the surrounding area. There were quite a few Jews among its members and leaders. As a result of their extensive activities, many arrests were made. The underground fascinated some of the youth and, what's more, a process of rebellion existed among the youth. In my opinion, the Communist camp belonged to that part of the youth to whom Zionism was foreign.

As far as I can remember, this element was not mentally ready for effort and patience, they hoped for an immediate revolution that would resolve all the questions at once.

Therefore, what was strange was to suddenly hear within “Frayhayt” phrases empty from ideological content and a lexicon that pricked one's ear. After an investigation, it became clear that there was indeed a Communist cell among us, including some of the students of the Tel-Chai School.

With some of these comrades we had long friendships, some even from the dawn of our childhood. From a personal perspective, those made a deep wound. The grief was, therefore, twofold: as individuals and as a movement, but we saw them as traitors and it was up to us eliminate them. And we eliminated them!

With the destruction of our dear ones, part of the soul of the people blossomed. This tragic fact is affecting us now and will continue to affect our situation in Israel and around the world for many years to come.

[Columns 181-182]

Lag Ba'Omer celebration in 1917 Standing: Yisroel Sukhman, Motl Goldman, Yenkl Kahan, Miryem Vinfeld, unidentified, Feldman, Moshe Herman, Dovid Brand Sitting: Sore Hay, Perl Shteyn, Tove Goldman, Rivke Erlikh, Tove Zak and Stoler

Lag B’Omer. Hundreds of children gather together in the small park across from Panska Street. For the first time in my life we, the cheder-youth with Jewish hats and sidelocks, are together with girls from the [secular?] schools. We receive small, blue and white pennants and march in the Branditser woods under the sounds of “Carry to Zion, Miracle and Flag” [Sha'u tsionah, nes v'degel, Zionist song by Noyekh Rozenblum].

How we spent the day, I do not remember, but I still remember this: it was dusk. The sun was setting. Hundreds of children sat in a large circle among the trees and a comrade told us:

… King Solomon became sad. Everyone tried to make the king happy -- nothing helped. According to the advice of the sages, people brought happy children, who played and laughed. Perhaps the king would also become happy? But this too did not help.

In the end one found a barefoot, half-naked, dirty and hungry child. After that, when he had been washed and fed, he was taken to the king. The child saw himself in the [king's] mirror, broke out in a hearty laugh and the king, too, began to laugh.

Hundreds of small eyes looked on with amazement, and with open mouths we listened to the story, and sunk into deep thoughts…

My father, Velvish, who was the husband to Toybe, who herself was a member of Agudas Tsiyon, brought me the first booklets “Perakhim” [Flowers] and “Nitsanim” [Buds]. I enlisted a few other cheder-youth and we began to exchange books in the Agudas Tsiyon library in Shaul Marder's house. We got three or four booklets a week.

Bunye Yanover would often take one of the books I was reading, leaf through the pages, and ask me:

– What is this “shazif “ [plum]?
– A fruit, I answered.

A “shazif ” is a simple plum, so I could not imagine how that word is not mentioned in the Torah.

In this way I got used to reading Hebrew and to considering myself a “Hebraist” and when I became a bar mitzvah, I lived with the images of “The Love of Zion”^[2].

Going to the Belz prayer house, where Reb. Moyshe Dovid learned with us, the gemore^[3] youth, I once went to Natan Zayd's cabin.

It was not simply a place where one drinks soda-water and continued on their way, one always found young men there with great heads of hair. From time to time they sang strange, unknown-to-me songs. There I heard for the first time: “Rampage, rampage, raging winds!”^[4] From the expression on their faces, I understood that the words were just an example. The true intention of the song is associated in my mind with prison and police arrests, in which some of the frequenters of the cabin, as well as its proprietor, were involved.

In truth, I acquired my heretical consciousness from encountering a poem by Goethe in “HaTkufah.” And so, the rabbi's Hebrew library made me cease to be a believer…

[Columns 183-184]

From the house there developed diverse work for the K. K. L.^[5] I joined the work enthusiastically and collected money in the blue and white tins.

On a particular night of Hanukkah (1924?) the rabbi invited to his house 50–60 well-to-do men and on the spot each one contributed to the national fund.

The streets around were raging. The great Russian revolution had left deep traces. In our town this was expressed by the great May 1^st demonstrations of thousands of peasants, and in the arrests of Jewish young men for Communist activity among the surrounding Belarusian peasant population and especially among the Jewish needle-workers.

In the paper “Haynt,” the debate raged between the “Et-livnot” (Time to Build) and the “Al-hamishmar” (On Guard). I automatically considered myself a Tseyre-Tsion member, although I do not remember any particular organizational, activity, except for letters and cards, that Yosef Lederkremer used to show me from time to time. I remember the “Bafrayung,” however I cannot describe its specific influence.

Grinboym's declaration, that if socialism means Ein Harod and Deganya – I am a socialist; if Zionism means liqueurs in the land of Israel^[6] – I am not a Zionist, showed the path to pioneering Zionism.

The only thing that was missing was who would give all of these feelings and thoughts a concrete, organizational expression and create the appropriate frame. And then came Meyer Hofman (Meytshe).

Standing with Meytshe, on a summer day in the market green, Moshe Tsigl approached and asked Meytshe to lead a discussion. Meytshe told me:

-- Go, you.

I was embarrassed, because a few days earlier I had told Moshe Tsigl that I wanted to join the “Frayhayts” organization that was being created. I went and in Berger's home lead a conversation about the question: the land of Israel or Birobidzhan^[7]. The theme was quite timely and Dr. Yisroel Rubin had published a long article about the question under the title “Territory and Territories.” This was my beginning with the first group of 8 to 10 male and female comrades from the later Borochov circle…

The youth organization began to take root, and from the narrow Borochov circle grew four individual circles: Borochov, Sirkin, Chazanovitsh, and Brener.

The circles included hundreds of youth, for whom the hall was a warm, soul-nourishing corner that brought light to the gray, daily life in the depressing Jewish home.

I look now, after a quarter of a century, back to those particular few years of our Poalei Tsiyon activity, it is very difficult not to fall into apologetics and to not sing songs of praise for the past. I must note that this ideological life in the city, and particularly in our circle, was very intensive.

Returnees from the Fourth Aliyah sowed, in truth, a feeling of despair. The charm of the great Russian revolution opened wide horizons, a labor government in England, Red Vienna, the uprising in China (Chiang Kai-shek was then the revolutionary liberator): everything was in full swing, burning, and we Jewish youths had to “have a stand” on each and every question…

Dictatorship and democracy, materialism and idealism, Zionism and internationalism, Yiddish and Hebrew – we had to answer to all of these questions. We devoured articles from Otto Bauer, Victor and Friedrich Adler. The figures of Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht, and Naske were still sharp... the polemic with Karl Kautsky, Gustav Landauer, Zhitlovsky and Bergson. Everything around was seething, old faiths were left behind, and new ones were in the middle of forming.

In this very confusion from ideas, from struggles over the soul of the Jewish youth, a number of people, who at that time stood at the head of communal work in the city, took upon themselves the task of deeply plowing the terrain.

Meytshe had then already returned to Russia and saw the revolution at home, more than once he cruelly undercut the belief in a quick redemption.

Ayznberg (today, Eshed from Ein Harod) quietly, privately gathered together youth who knew Hebrew and enlisted them as teachers.

The cultural work was multifaceted. Newspapers, brochures, and political discussions were no longer enough for us. Literature occupied an important position in our cultural work. Systematically the circles became wider and wider.

If I were to summarize that period for myself as for hundreds of youth in our city, I must say, that it was the era of Sturm und Drang^[8] of active, interesting cultural work, which to this day lives in our feeling and memory.

It also bore fruit in that time. An example: the hundreds of young men and women, who are today rooted citizens in the Jewish state, in the Histadrut, and in the worker's parties, who without that blessed work - who knows if they would have come here?

  Hrubieszów, Poland     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 17 Sep 2022 by LA