Mezirich, Ukraine

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ANNUAL MEMORIAL

We have come today to the Hall of the Jews of Wahalin to commune with the memory of our dear ones, members of our families, the Congregation of the Jews of Meziritch and its region who died in the awful Holocaust, in the course of two brutal "actions" on Shavuot and on Succot, 1942.

We have come today to commune with those who were and are no more, for we are the generation of survivors of the sword, of the wave of blood of our people in the years of the Holocaust - we have set by a day of remembrance, once a year.

There is great value, of course, to the experience of the communion, which gives expression to the pain and each time renews the heart to heart connection between us and our dear ones. The memorialisation of the Holocaust is a complex and multi-faceted deed: it is private and communal at one and the same time. It arouses feelings of brotherhood, but also of solitude.

With each memorial day, the danger increases that the tragic story of every man and every woman who has survived will be lost with their passing. We must document, remember and convey information about the period of the Holocaust which uprooted from among the Jewish People centers of inspiration and creativity, a focus of hope for the nation. It tore limbs from the living organism! The people is no longer what it was before. The Holocaust has crippled the nation!

We must therefore continuously remember and remind others of our great rending, because the historical revisionism spreading among the nations is daring in its denial of the Holocaust or in the diminution of its monstrous image. It is imperative that we bequeath to our children and to our grandchildren of the coming generations the historical adhesion of the lessons of the Holocaust visited upon the Jewish People in the countries of dispersion conquered by the Nazis in the decade of the 40s of the twentieth century, and tell the bitter truth.

The Germans and their criminal followers murdered the Jews of Europe because they identified with the idea of the total destruction of the Jewish People. The "final solution" was the product of deep-rooted hatred among the peoples of Europe which preceded it by hundreds of years. The gentiles maintained: "the Jews are an alien planet whose place is not among us".

The astonishing revelations of the Israeli and international communications media of the behaviour of allegedly neutral Switzerland in the Second World War as well as the very uncomplimentary tales about Sweden and other countries make us aware of the most awful stories of theft, deceit and plunder that human society has ever known.

The passing years since the events of the Holocaust increase the interest, the curiosity and the astonishment among enormous circles of adults and youth in Israel and in the Diaspora to learn of each revelation, story and object related to the most awful of the "human" atrocities of all times.

There is more powerful desire to give perceptible form to the roots of the Holocaust. Pupils travel to the sites of the destruction and to the remnants of the Jewish communities of Poland and Ukraine. School children write end of term papers on the Holocaust and hold memorial ceremonies. It can be said that the study of conclusions to be drawn should serve as a foundation stone of Jewish culture, giving expression to the collective memory.

This year, the Organization of Meziritch Survivors has set for itself a number of objectives of great importance for the memorial:

On May 5th, 1997, on the Holocaust and Heroism Memorial Day, a delegation of Meziritch survivors was invited to Remez Public School in Holon. We participated in the events of the Holocaust and Heroism Memorial Day presented by pupils of the Junior High School on the initiative of the Principal, Mrs. Dorit Gan-Mor, who was also the initiator of our meeting with the student council, who recorded interviews to document stories of the survivors. Our presence in the school was important, because its purpose was to renew the contact which for many years served as a wonderful educational tradition, in that the Remez School of Holon had "adopted" the Meziritch community. This had been done for many years in the past under the guidance and dedication of one of the sons of our city, the late Moshe Arion of blessed memory. We express our desire that the pupils of the Remez School of Holon come to know the Meziritch community in the past and in the present, to develop ties with the people of Meziritch in order that together we may establish a memorial to the Jews of Meziritch and its region - victims of the Holocaust.

This past July (1997), a group from Israel and Canada visited our ruined, eradicated town of Meziritch. We came to visit the great graves of our brothers interred in foreign soil, in the gentile villages Nevirkov and Divan. In an atmosphere of sanctity we communed at the memorial monument which we erected in the valley of the killing in memory of our parents, our brothers and sisters, women and children killed at the hands of the defiled Nazi troops, may their name be erased forever!

Our children - the next generation - who had accompanied us on this journey back to their roots, expressed their feelings with pain. At long last they could say that which was dear to them : " Grandfather... Grandmother ... Uncle and Aunt" whom they had never known in life. In the length of days our children are called by their names for eternity!

In perceptible moments of memory we surrounded the carefully tended memorial site, cared for by a family who helped to save the victims, one of the "Righteous of the Nations". I am proud to speak their praise, for they saved my life and the lives of Mirale Schreiber and Moshe, may his memory be blessed. And there were other saviours, exceptional individuals, thanks to whom Rachel, Esther, Monique, Shmulik, Moti, Haike, Srulik, Yaakov, Hessia and Fanya found hiding places in the days of the evil regime among those wonderful saviours, who took their lives into their hands to save us from the claws of the hangman.

In their honor we held an emotional festive evening - to give them our thanks "for giving us life!" We did the soul searching of fifty years. Forced to part, we celebrated together the "victory of life". Our "Righteous Gentiles" are the original testimonial which tells of our survival. For us they are the backbone of our ties with the local government in Meziritch and Rovno, in the matter of raising a memorial site in Nebirkov, in erecting a fence around the ancient cemetery of Meziritch and in the creation of a monument to the memory of our fathers' fathers.

This year, on July 16th, on our latest visit to Meziritch, we held an impressive ceremony for the unveiling of a relief sculpture designed by us in memory of the destruction of the Great Synagogue of Meziritch and its splendid Holy Ark.

At the end of the memorial service, we watched a short film documenting our visit to Meziritch.

We hope that many of our children and descendents, the next generation, will visit Meziritch and come to know their roots and origins. In this will be the realization of the vision and prophecy: "And He turned the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers".

Dear friends,

I travelled to Ukraine, although my relatives tried to dissuade me from going, saying:

"There are beautiful places in the world. Why do you have to go just to Ukraine? What have you left behind there?"

I returned from Ukraine and even dared to enjoy the trip.

Everyone responded in chorus: "She's gone crazy!"

During the week I was in Ukraine, particularly in the area where my father was born, the scenes and voices of Jewish literature and descriptions I heard at home all came flooding back to me. Hardly surprising. My roots are in the plains of Ukraine. The landscape, aroma of its cooking and the sounds of its music - I grew up with these.

My trip to Ukraine was hardly an expression of forgiveness! I went there to remember. To remember everything and not to forget - especially today when those who wish to deny the Holocaust are increasing in number.

The story of the of the exodus from Egypt is recalled at our table each year and in this way the memory of the exodus from Egypt is preserved from one generation to the next. You who sit here have an obligation to us and to the coming generations to relate the whole story, over and over again, without, God forbid, cutting corners! The Nazis murdered our dear ones and those who would deny the Holocaust deny those dear ones their rest - don't remain silent!

In the past, when the Jews of Meziritch were asked exactly where the place was, they tended to answer, 700 kilometers from this place and 2,000 kilometers from that place, to teach you that Meziritch was the navel of the world. In my search for that navel I was helped by survivors, dear warm people like Ze'ev Portnoi, Martin (Moti) Tannenbaum, David Kremer and Israel Zinman, all of whom, are engaged in a sacred task - to describe and relate. I send you my blessings from this dais. I will remember our acquaintanceship with deep respect.

It's hard for me to be a Jew. At the age of five, my first born child asked me, "Why are we Jews? Let's be something else. Look - at Chanuka the Greeks tried to kill us, at Purim, it was the wicked Haman, at Pesach - the Egyptians, in the Holocaust - the Germans, on the Day of Independence - the Arabs".

Then, as now, I had no answer. You're born into the world and you're defined a Jew -you didn't ask to be one. If that's to be our fate, at least let's make the most of it.

In this hall there are people younger than me, the future generation, which must understand that without the past and without remembrance, there can not be a better future.

Exactly one year ago, my first-born son was drafted into Tzahal, the Israeli army, and I stood forlorn. When I was a child, I was frequently told that by the time you are grown up, we will be living in peace. As my own children were born, I greeted them with this blessing: Two generations have now passed -- where is our peace?

My visit to the Wohlin region strengthened my conviction concerning the necessity of sending eighteen year olds to defend their country -- yet, if only that mission was unnecessary!

On returning from the soil of Mezeritch and the landscape soaked in the blood of dear ones, I was filled with pride in the shadow of my sorrow. We have learned the lessons of the Holocaust:
Lesson Number One: The Jewish people have a home.
Lesson Number Two: We have built an army of defense. Never again will we walk like sheep to the slaughter.
Lesson Number Three: Social and economic unity and strength. Regrettably, realization of this lesson is only in its infancy!

There must be no debate over the necessity and value of sending groups of our youth to visit the killing fields. This is a national obligation, with differentiation based on national origin or religious or secular conviction--we are all Jews.

As part of a trip or tour of the world--this trip must be taken!--to visit the site, to place a stone of memorial on the grave, to say: we have not forgotten you, our loved ones, we remember you--so that our dear ones will know that they have not been forgotten and their graves have not been neglected. To return immersed in pride that they did not defeat us. Immersed in the pride of our people (yes, this is no embarrassment) and the desire to build a better world!

Unfortunately, we draw our strength from our tragedies.

In the killing fields we have been reborn.

The People of Israel Live!

Written and delivered by Margalit Lempel, daughter of Meziritch survivors--the next generation--of the Fershtman-Finkelshtein household, at the Memorial Communion for the Holy Ones of the Town of Mezeritch and its region, held on October 20, 1997, in the Hall of the Jews of Wohlin in Givataim, Israel.

On July the 19th 1997, in the town Rovno, 55 years after the event, a historical meeting took place between survivors from Mezeritch and their saviours who are one of the righteous of the nations.

Holocaust survivor, Israel Zinman, tells:

In 1992, 50 years after all this happened, we finally were able to visit the graves of our dear ones, who perished during the terrible period of the holocaust. We erected a memorial site bearing their names, and put a fence around their graves. At the same time we were able to meet at last with our saviours who are one of the righteous of the nations and on that occasion which was the greatest and happiest moment in our life we were able to exchange memories and try to summarize those fifty years even if only on a small scale to make up for the fifty years of silence in which we lived our separate lives, a situation which was forced on us. .

Let me dwell on some historical milestones so that our children, their children and all the generations still to come, will be aware of their roots and the source of their heritage, and about the fate which befell their ancestors during the period when the 'evil ones' were at rule..

No precedence was found in history in which one nation tried systematically to eradicate another nation, physically as well as culturally.

No greater beastly crime exists in the history of murder in cold blood than the slaughtering off of millions men, women and children, babes which had no time to taste at least some joy of life, and never committed a sin in their young lives.

Out of the darkness of destruction, the sombre years of despair, a small spark of light began to brighten our lives, igniting a sliver of hope to be rescued out of the talons of those Nazi beasts..

Our spirit held on to the Jewish hope , that we would not be erased from this earth. We, a minority, refugees and survivors from Mzhiritch, choose to stay alive! In order to raise our families in the state of Israel, to build our lives and to cherish the memory of our saintly dear ones. With their death they commanded us to live! Like the words of the prophets in the bible: " The Eternity of man will dwell forever on Earth"

- Despite those 55 years which separate between now and then, I remember everything as if it happened yesterday, and those memories will never get stale and will not be forgotten.

- On June the 22nd, 1942, at 4.00 am, the Germans attacked simultaneously, at 17 different border sites. On the 3rd of July 1941 the German army had conquered brutally the entire Wohlin district and the province of Rovno. A wall made of human beings, refugees, tried to save their lives, fled towards the interior of Russia. Most of them did not make it. The few who did succeed, reached the forest, joined the Partisans and joined forces in attempt to overpower the German army. Those who were recruited to the Red Army even reached the outskirts of Berlin. The ones who were left behind and did not make it, hovered between life and death.

And we, the few who survivors out of our whole family, were kept alive because of you, dear ones, our one of the righteous of the nations saviours..

The Holy Scriptures tell us:

"Whoever saves a single life is as if one saves the entire world"

During a split second, the fate of a single human being, or the fate of a whole family was being decided on, through the actions of another person. who was able to assure the continuance of life, or to cause an almost certain death, during that split-second.

The fateful decision to save life, which was taken so many times, without the chance to think about its outcome, not even having the chance to think a little while about the deed. This is maybe the most pure and significant revelation of the humans urge in it most basic kind.

Others felt a divine wish, dictating its way toward their actions, and still others were enveloped by an all humane feeling of responsibility, which forced them to protect the life of every human being, without differentiating between race, religion, nationality or belief.

This decision had been made in conquered Europe during the holocaust, by almost 14,000 men women and children, who were the ones to receive a formal title bestowed upon them by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, in name of the Jewish People and the State of Israel, the title of "one of the righteous of the nations".

Since 1962 Yad Vashem honoured a few outstanding people who came from all the countries in the world, endangering their own lives for the sake of others, who rescued Jews during the Holocaust.

Those saviours receive a medal and a certificate of honour.

Their names are being engraved on specially monuments of honour in the garden dedicated to "the righteous of the nations ". The garden is divided into regions according to the countries of the world, and was planted among the trees of the Memorial Mountain in Jerusalem the Holy City, the Capital of Israel

And you, families of "the righteous of one of the nations", Family Khartchuk, family Ribatchuk, family Zazula, family Ozartchuk and family Frantchwk, you, "who gave us life", No words can describe our feelings and those of our families, the honour and esteem which we feel towards your parents, your brothers and sisters. who did not live to see this day, blessed be their memory!

Most of you and most of us were children at the time in which we passed this terrible period in our lives. You endangered your lives, in order to bring us food and drink to the hiding places located in your houses, in cow sheds and courtyards.

The Jewish People honours and values your deeds of bravery.

We are happy that at least the majority of you receives financial humane aid from the esteemed Jewish Institute ADL in New York. and in this way, we survivors of the holocaust, express our thanks and appreciation to the institution..

We renewed our acquaintance after fifty years and you became an inseparable part of our life. Now, after 55 years we sit together and celebrate the victory of life".

One short sentence I would like to add: 5 years ago my daughter Rachel accompanied me when I visited my saviour, Vira Ribatchuk, in the village of Nevirkov, for the first time after the war. My daughter, a teacher since 20 years, said to Vira: "thank you for giving me my dad" and tears made me choke on my words as I had to translate..

In my own name and those of my fellow citizens and my friends: Motti, Monique, Rachel, Esther, Fania and Joseph, we came today to tell you:

Thank you for giving us so much pleasure on this very festive night, so that we could tell you our innermost thoughts and feelings which we felt during all our lives in Israel and in the Diaspora. In all what is precious to me,

We love you - we wish you good health and good-bye!!
Israel Zinman.

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