[Columns 259-260]

Leybish Frost

The Polish-Bolshevik war broke out that same year. Hrubieszow was briefly occupied by the Bolsheviks. Many young Jews worked actively with the Bolsheviks. They organized a town militia, and called for meetings and assemblies.

After the Bolsheviks left Hrubieszow, many of these activists (such as Sonya Efros, Palast, and the brothers Gerovitsh) went to Russia. The activity then ceased.

At the end of 1921, Communist youth began organizing once again in Hrubieszow. The first group of activists consisted of Yehoshu'a Fraynd, Yekhezkel Kam, Berish Vaysbroyt, Moyshe Kornblit, and others. The Party was illegal, and such activism required a great deal of idealism and readiness to sacrifice; the masses at that time were still very politically backward.

The group was ready for anything. Especially outstanding was Yosl Tsigel, who was very knowledgeable, impelled by strong idealism, and threw himself into the work wholeheartedly. The Party's first task was to organize the workers in professional unions. At that time, the importance of professional unions was still virtually unknown in Hrubieszow. Work conditions were dictated by the shop owner, and his wife used the apprentices for housework. It was difficult to organize the masses, a task that Yosl Tsigel took upon himself. He would make the rounds of the workshops and register workers, and eventually succeeded in calling a meeting in the Brodice woods.

Groups of activists awaited the workers at the entrance to the forest; the workers were led to a designated spot, where Yosl Tsigel described the situation and indicated the methods by which it could be changed. First and foremost, the workers needed to organize and demand the same rights that were won by workers in other towns. As a result of this meeting, an organizing committee was elected, whose task it was to legalize the unions.

A construction workers' union was soon created, and it began diverse activities. A series of strikes led to the achievement of a nine-hour workday, higher wages, and ensured better relations between owners and workers. There were not enough workers to establish a hide-workers' union according to official requirements. Yosl Tsigel found a solution: he started to work as a shoemaker's apprentice himself, in order to represent the union to the authorities.

Now that the Party had professional unions at its disposal, it began widespread educational work among the workers. A drama club was established and plays were performed, classics as well as improvisations. Yehoshu'a Fraynd distinguished himself as organizer of the improvisation shows.

It wasn't long before all the achievements were cut short. One of the activists was a shoemaker named Ikhl Landsberg. His seriousness and calm won the sympathy of all the comrades. He was eager to take on all the missions that carried danger, and would even take care of getting permissions from the town elder. No one imagined that the modest, quiet Ikhl Landsberg was double-dealing! The authorities knew all that transpired in the chambers of the Hrubieszow Communist Party. When they had enough material, the police began to liquidate the Party. At the beginning of 1923, the following were arrested: Yosl Tsigel, Shi'e Frayns, Moyshe Kornblit, Berish Vaysbroyt, Yekhezkel Kam, Shi'e Ayzenberg, and others. The professional unions were shut down at the same time. Ikhl Landsberg was also arrested, to avoid suspicion. Everything was revealed at the investigation. During the trial, he attempted to withdraw his statements, but it was too late. The nickname “provocateur” was attached to Ikhl throughout his life. In later years, he would slink along the walls when on the street, and his eyes expressed a secret fear.

The result of this arrest was tragic. Yosl Tsigel, who was rebellious by nature, could not adjust to prison rules. He began mounting hunger strikes, which gravely affected his health. Once he was released from prison, he was unable to regain his former personality. Moyshe Kornblit, Berish Vaysbroyt, and Shi'ele Ayzenberg, received 5-year prison sentences. The others received lighter sentences. This marked the almost complete cessation of the Hrubieszow Communist Party's activity.

[Columns 261-262]

The Party Reorganizes

It was only in 1925, after some of the members were released from prison, that Communist cells began to form anew. Under the leadership of Yehoshu'a Fraynd, a convention of Party activists was assembled; they were tasked with reorganizing the professional unions.

A group of Communist activists in 1925 Mendl Krayner, Ben-Tziyen Haydnblit, Yekhezkel Kam, Yehoshu'a Fraynd, Shloyme Zayfn, Yisro'el Tsvayg

Other unions were those of the woodworkers, the leather-workers, the transport workers, and the commercial clerks. The total number of members exceeded 600. This was a great achievement, considering conditions in Hrubieszow. Yehoshu'a Fraynd was elected general secretary of all the unions; he was assisted by Shloyme Zayfn, Yisro'el Tsvayg, Ben-Tziyen Haydenblit, and others.

At that time, inter-party strife grew sharper, and each party made efforts to gain numbers. In Hrubieszow, the Po'aley-Tziyon – Socialist Zionist party was active, led by the energetic and gifted Meytshe Hofman, and had considerable influence in the town. They had the fine Brenner Library, which attracted many readers. The Bund was very active as well; it organized the large Peretz Library. The parties were represented by factions in the professional unions. Po'aley-Tziyon – S. Z. was especially well represented in the woodworkers' union.

The unions were often the scene of political discussions, in which representatives of all trends participated. The Communist Party made the greatest efforts to win over union members. At that time intellectuals such as Lazer Ayzn, Rivke Erlikh, Dovid Erlikh, and others were active, and advanced our work. A library for the unions was proposed, to serve the union members and also attract non-members.

We announced a fundraiser to buy books. Some members, such as Lazer Ayzn, Dovid Fayl, and Yerakhmi'el Tasher even donated a month's work. The necessary funds were collected, and the library began its activity under the leadership of Rivke Erlikh. The Party initiated a recruitment campaign among union and library members. We were able to organize a large number of cells consisting of older and younger members. The work was clandestine. We were careful to make sure that no illegal activity took place in the union headquarters, as that would endanger their existence. Cell meetings with the participation of a guest from the City Committee were held mostly in the forests, which were plentiful in Hrubieszow.

In 1927, the young Asher Shnal was stabbed by a Polish anti-Semite who was working for the town elder as a speaker. The incident resulted from the anti-Semitic campaign initiated by the Polish reactionaries. The hooligan, who was just leaving the tavern, decided to murder the first Jew he would meet. Asher Shnal was on his way from the library, and encountered the hooligan, who stabbed him next to Shimele Mangel's soda booth.

This barbaric murder greatly agitated the Jewish population. Clearly, it could not be passed over quietly. The party called a meeting of the council at the professional unions' center, and it was resolved to turn the funeral into a large mass demonstration against anti-Semitic murderers. Virtually the entire Jewish population participated in the funeral. Shops and workshops were closed. A eulogy was presented by Rabbi Verthaym, who parted from the martyr in the name of all the Jews, and asked the great, eternal question: “Why? Why was innocent blood shed?” His eulogy was followed by the words of Dovid Fayl, representing the professional unions. He said, “We, the progressive workers, know why. The murder is the result of the socio-political relations that dominate Poland. The political bourgeoisie, feeling its interests threatened, has turned the Jews into lightning rods.”

Another case when the professional unions turned a funeral into a mass workers' demonstration was that of a young girl who had lived in the crowded poverty of the slums, and died of the “proletarian disease” – tuberculosis. Hundreds of workers participated in the funeral; she was eulogized at the gravesite by union workers.

At that time, the Party began its activity in the villages surrounding Hrubieszow. The vast majority of the village population consisted of Ukrainians who did not view the Polish authorities favorably. Communist agitation therefore fell on fertile ground.

[Columns 263-264]

Connections were made with almost all the villages of Hrubieszow county.

A comrade who went by the pseudonym ‘Jan’ was elected group secretary. He was in charge of all the work, and set meeting points for the secretaries in the villages. He also organized a technical group, which supplied each village with literature. Comrade Ranye Lyaks distinguished herself in this group. She would walk dozens of kilometers from one village to the next, to distribute the literature at the meeting points.

A regular connection was also established between the committee in Chelm and the Central Committee in Lemberg. Until then, Hrubieszow had operated independently, only receiving literature from Zamość. The illegal literature was often brought by Yo'el Vaysbroyt. He drove his passenger car between Hrubieszow and Chelm. One meeting point for the Chelm committee was at Moyshe Rayz's, and for the representatives of the Central Committee – at Dr. Lifshitz's. Each meeting point had its passwords. Once the password was recognized, the guest was connected with the group secretary.

Often, there were expanded conferences in the woods, with delegates from all the village cells. Though the party was carrying out large technical projects, such as hanging up banners and disseminating literature, the police were unable to discover any traces of the organization.

The Communist party presented its list of candidates for the 1927 City Council elections under the guise of the professional unions, headed by Lazer Ayzn, Dr. Vaysman, and Yehoshu'a Fraynd. The election campaign was strong, aiming to win voters for the Communist candidates. The best campaigners were Noyekh Diamant, Dovid Fayl, and Avremele Lerer. The party elected two council members (Lazer Ayzn and Dr. Vaysman). A certain number of voters chose the list because of Lazer Ayzn, who evoked attention and trust, even from his opponents. He distinguished himself by his honesty, simplicity, and idealism. Yehoshu'a Fraynd was elected as council-member, and the replacement for Dr. Vaysman once the latter moved away from Hrubieszow.

The Communist faction was a constant thorn in the side of the bourgeois majority in the town council, which sought ways to get rid of them. Their chance came later. The party distributed letters to various associations of apprentices as well as to individuals. The police hired a graphologist and “determined” that the letter had been written by Yehoshu'a Fraynd. He was arrested, and sentenced to four years in prison.

The Hrubieszow branch of the party began intensive preparations for May 1, 1928, planning a large demonstration of city and village workers. They received a permit, specifying certain conditions, and preparations began at full speed.

On May 1, at dawn, workers began to assemble at the professional union offices. A huge procession formed, carrying union banners. The Polish underworld wanted to obstruct the procession. We noticed that groups had taken up positions in various spots in order to attack us, but when they saw the large number of village workers they did not dare to attack. The procession completed the demonstration without disturbance.

Later, there was a great event in the “Rusalka” movie theater. After the official segment, the union chorus, directed by Avremele Lerer, presented a rich program. This May 1 demonstration left a strong impression.

Elections to the Polish Sejm were slated for 1928. The Party decided to utilize the elections campaign for its own purposes. Conferences of activists were organized in preparation for the campaign.

Avrom Lerer		Lazer Ayzn		Yehoshu'a Fraynd

The Polish authorities took steps against the increasing danger, and began sending their people to infiltrate the Party, all the way to the top echelons, in order to destroy the Party from within.

At that time, a delegate from the Central Committee in Lemberg arrived: a university student named Kozak. He announced himself at the meeting place, at the house of Moyshe Rayz, and demanded a meeting of the club committee. This meeting could not take place, due to technical difficulties. He therefore went to a conference at the Ludmir club.

Arrests began in Ludmir after he left. He came back to Moyshe Rayz's, together with the secretary of the Ludmir club. That same night, the police carried out a search at Moyshe Rayz's, searching for Avremele Lerer who often hid there. The police found the above-mentioned persons in the house, and arrested them. The next day, Moyshe Kornblit and Moyshe Rayz were arrested. It later emerged that the Central Committee member was an informer. The Party sentenced him to death,

[Columns 265-266]

but he was able to escape to another country with the help of the police. Luckily, they did not fall into the hands of the Polish border guards. As a result of this incident, Moyshe Kornblit was sentenced to six years in prison, and Moyshe Rayz – to four years.

The authorities did not give permission for a demonstration on May 1, 1929. Regardless, the Party called for a celebration of the holiday. The police carried out many arrests, and blocked all the roads leading into the town. However, masses of peasants disregarded this, and streamed into town with their means of transport. The police tried to disperse the crowds, with no result. A bloody clash with the police led to many injuries and fatalities. The police could not block the force of the crowd, and summoned the Hrubieszow regiment of Uhlans^[1] to help. Only then could they disperse the demonstrators. Several dozens of people from both sides were wounded in these events.

Following these incidents, the police began making large-scale arrests. In order to create relevant evidence against the arrestees, they would plant illegal literature during their searches, and that was all they needed in order to make an accusation.

During such a search in the home of the brothers Berish and Yekl Vaysbrot, the police found “relevant” evidence. As neither of the brothers was at home, they avoided arrest, and the Party sent them to Russia.

In spite of the police persecution, the Party never ceased its work, even for one day. Cell meetings took place, and technical work continued, such as distribution of illegal literature and hanging red banners from the telephone wires.

The Communist youth of Hrubieszow was willing to make sacrifices, and believed they were working in order to free all mankind. The young people saw the USSR as the realization of their hopes and dreams, and the symbol of freedom and justice. Many were willing to risk their lives and freedom, in order to reach the border of the longed-for land.

A group of comrades from Hrubieszow, including Avremele Lere, Leyzer Getz, and others set out for the border, and crossed over to the Soviet side with the aid of border-smugglers. They immediately approached the border guards and informed them of the reason for their arrival. They were arrested, and an interrogation began. They were held under appalling conditions. Their request not to be sent back to Poland, as they would be subjected to heavy punishment, was in vain. One dark night, the entire group was transported to the Polish border. Luckily, they were not captured by the Polish border guards. They arrived in Hrubieszow safe and sound, though they were dejected and discouraged. They dropped only hints about their painful experiences on the other side. They gradually moved away. One went to Warsaw, another emigrated abroad, and the third moved to a different town and was married. This incident left a discouraging impression on those who knew of it.

In the early 1930s, the Party in Hrubieszow had relatively modest ambitions, and was very active. Lazer Ayzn was the secretary of the town's committee; he was especially concerned with youth education.

In 1931, the police undertook the liquidation of the Communist Party in Hrubieszow. The Lublin Secret Police arrived for this purpose; it was famous for the inquisition-like measures it used in order to extract confessions. A party member from a village was arrested; he broke down during the interrogation and informed on a great number of comrades. All of them were immediately arrested. One arrestee, from a village, went to pieces during his interrogation and informed on a number of other members, all of whom were immediately arrested.

The “Rusalka” movie theater was turned into a detention center. At night, the arrestees were brought out one by one and taken to interrogation. They would return a few hours later, whipped and exhausted. Many could not withstand the terrible torture, and signed everything they were asked to. Those who stood their ground were tortured night after night. Some of those arrested were innocent, but – poor souls – did not know what their interrogators wanted of them. They confessed, unable to stand the torture.

The “Rusalka” detainees suffered terribly at night. The moans of those who returned from the interrogations terrorized everyone. They hardly ate, though their families sent them packages. The nightmarish interrogations finally ceased, and all the arrestees were taken in chains to different prisons. One comrade, “Jan,” was able to escape to Warsaw, and temporarily avoided arrest. However, a certain “Pantl,”, whose past was morally dubious, gave the police “Jan's” address in Warsaw, and he was arrested there.

The entire professional movement in Hrubieszow was liquidated. Comrade Rivke Erlikh, who had avoided arrest, gave all the books and inventory to the Peretz Library. The trials that took place some time later revealed the terrible police methods during interrogation, and all those accused withdrew their confessions. The trials resulted in a six-year prison sentence for comrades Lazer Ayzn and “Jan.” The others received shorter sentences. All had their citizens' rights revoked for a period of ten years, and were required to pay trial costs.

[Columns 267-268]

The Party's work in Hrubieszow suffered considerably as a result of the arrests, but it did not cease. The cells were reorganized. The work was headed by Shi'e Fraynd, who had been released from prison that year, Shi'ele Ayzenberg, and Yekl Goldhur. Cells were formed in the Gymnasiya, under the leadership of Leybele Erlikh, and attracted many members. A Communist cell was also organized in the military.

The frequent arrests greatly hampered the dissemination of literature. The Central Committee decided that each local club needed to take care of its own needs. The Hrubieszow club therefore needed to obtain a typewriter and type its own announcements.

Motele Gertl, who worked as a bank clerk, was ordered to remove a typewriter from his workplace. As the typewriter had distinctive keys, the police immediately realized that the announcements had been typed on the machine that was missing from the bank. The police carried out searches and arrested suspects. Many members fled from the town and hid elsewhere.

After a long time, the Party began to send members to Russia. Two groups were formed. The first consisted of Shi'e Fraynd, Yekl Goldhur, Shi'ele Ayznberg, and Motele Gertl. The second group included Leybl Erlikh, Sholem Korn, and others.

The second group was the first to cross the border, but due to bad navigation they were caught by the Polish border guards. After prolonged interrogation and torture, they were chained and sent to the police in Hrubieszow, which had sent letters demanding their return. The first group, which left later, had better luck, and crossed the Soviet border safely.

Poor things! They didn't know that they were fleeing from the flood into the fire. Fate decreed that some members of the group that fell into the hands of the Polish police should remain alive to this day. On the other hand, all the members the group that crossed the Soviet border are gone. Stalin's “justice” murdered them horribly, along with dozens of other faithful and devoted Communists who gave their lives for the Communist ideal.

In later years, the Hrubieszow Communist party continued its activity, but on a smaller scale. Regardless of all the setbacks, the young people once again devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the work. Leybl Erlikh was released from prison and threw himself into the work again. He became the town club secretary, and later moved into higher party positions. At first, the secretary was Shimen Ginder. He was an ordinary worker, but very devoted and honest. He did his work responsibly until the outbreak of the war.

This was how the young people of Hrubieszow lived and fought. They were impelled by idealism and ready for sacrifices, thirsty for knowledge and education, and eager to break free of the old ways of life.

The young Jews of the towns saw no future for themselves, and could not make peace with that fact. They therefore threw themselves into battle, a battle for life or death, to change their conditions. These were Zionist youth who left their homes and families to tread difficult roads and drain swamps, in order to prepare the ground for the future home of the Jewish people; and Communist youth, who sacrificed their freedom out of the conviction that, thanks to their heavy battles they would build a new world of justice and integrity, in which the Jewish nation would take its place among the freed nations of the world.

When we remember the young people of Hrubieszow, who were murdered by the bloody hands of the Nazis or in the taigas of the Siberian exile, we are struck with reverence and awe. Their memory will survive forever, along with the memory of all the warm-hearted, sincere, and folksy Jews of Hrubieszow. We honor their memory!

A popular image by E. M. Lilien, depicting the employer's exploitation of his worker. It was widely distributed among Jewish workers in Hrubieszow during the 1920s and 1930s.

  Hrubieszów, Poland     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 21 Sep 2022 by LA