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To the Mohilever Compatriots! We find it important to send you these photographic pictures of the Jewish agricultural collectives. We find it important for your twenty-fifth anniversary of activities for the good of the public, to reveal the facts for the brothers, who are known to us through your work for the needy in Mohilev and past Mohilever province (which became a county about ten years ago,) the material help that you gave us during the time of war after the revolution. In the year 1916 when the great masses of homeless spread throughout our area, without mercy under great pressure by the past Czarist regime, causing incredible need and hunger with all the decrees and persecutions, the Mohilever committee of “Yekopa” (provincial committee to support the homeless) received from you 6,000 dollars for the good of the homeless, that saved many unfortunate people from death, exhausted people till the incredible hunger of 1921-1922 in Russia, you assisted greatly the starving and naked citizens, and more so with the cultural institutions through the children's home, kindergartens, schools, with a large sums of money. Thanks to this, many starving, naked and neglected children had the ability to stay alive, get an education and with time play an important part in the revitalization and rebuilding of our large socialist organization. For us Jews here now begins, in the Soviet Union, a new era of revival and making the body and spirit healthy from the exhausting folk's organism by transferring the masses to productive work in the factories and stores, in the areas of great industries and specifically moving Jews to work with agriculture. You probably already know, that besides the vast stretches of land in North Crimea and North Kavkaz - Caucasus, stretches of lands are also being distributed in any area where Jews can be settled, in the former designated Jewish areas, and also with us in Mohilev were given out parcels of land for collective settlements like “Emes” “Red Bush” and “Soltanevkeh” in addition to the old settlement “Seletz” which is about 10 kilometers from Mohilev. Besides the above-mentioned settlements, in Mohilever county was organized 8 collective colonies of various sizes and inventory. In total the government provided for the Jews and settled in the Mohilever county over 1500 hectares of land during the past year of 1925-1926. The work on the land was set up reasonable not too difficult. The collectives conspicuous not far from the town, most have a good outlook as the accomplishments of the first year were significant, as is noticeable from the following accounting: For the first year of their existence, with very difficult unfavorable prices, the collective Emes was able to obtain: 9 horses, I threshing machine, 18 cows, I sewing machine, I plow machine, 6 single horse buggies, 2 double horse buggies, 3 fleecy sheep, 12 simple sheep, 1 stall, 1 building for living, 180 harrows, 25 lawn rakes. “Soltonovka” owns one tractor, that is also used by neighboring peasants, with whom the Jewish colonists in general have a very friendly relationship. The collective “Red Bush” has: 5 horses, 2 colts, 18 cows, 5 calves,1 buggy, I sewing machine, 1 dress machine, 1 zip machine, 4 fleecy sheep, 4 buggies, 1 cheese cooker, 5 buildings, 32 harrows, 12 lawn rakes. The collective “truth” and “red bush” are situated near Shosai, not far from the town and therefore they have the best market outlet for their products. But for now, they are living in a difficult time with deficiency and making ends meet, credit for live and dead inventory, and mainly for buildings. The collective “Truth” received forest terrain and have already cleared many of them from the big and heavy tree stumps and roots, but they have a lot of work ahead of them that demands a lot of money and assistance. The credit that was received from the government has all been spent and with the deficiency in funds, it would really be a rescue if you would send them an appropriate amount of money. The help of $100 that we received from you for them is a meager part of what they need, just for the “truth” alone. The need of the red collective “Soltanavka” and other Jewish settlements in Mohilev county is also very dire. As you probably know, in the entire territory of the Soviet Union have been established societies to support accommodation of Jews in agriculture, so called “Gezerd,” through which

Each person has to have a large cemetery where he can bury the faults of his friends.

Henry Ward Bitcher

It is a greater pain to bury a friendship than it is to bury a friend.

H. Black

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is accomplished in the various places the entire practical work to help the new colonists. We the undersigned, are representatives of the Mohilever “Gezerd” (Gez is short for gezelshaft meaning society for organizing Jews on the land - erd) that are adapted to the colonies to effect their current situation and organize the appropriate grasp of their economic situation. We turn to you, as an organization, that always took close to heart the interests of the Jewish masses in general and Mohilever Jews in particular, with a call that you should personally come to help us and popularize the idea, establish firm organizations in other cities of the United States of North America. We have to talk less of the grandiose task, that our government and “gezerd” has taken on to settle Jews in the land, of which there is no comparison to in the entire Jewish history. We do not doubt your readiness to come and help us, just that it needs to be rushed so that the help does not come too late. This will be the greatest memorial for the 25th year celebration of your useful and fruit bearing activities. We thank you the past help and in advance for the help that you will undoubtedly show us. Members of the organization of the Mohilever “gezerd” M. Chavkin Peshe Avitkin Z. Kritchver P.S. our address to send money is: To the member of the governing body M. N. Habkin, Mogilev, Belarus, Union of Jewish land management - Ozed.

Red Collective A group of men and women who work on the earth that the Soviet government gave them.

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Team Emes (Truth) but on the photo is written the Collective Emes. (The farms or groups were commonly called collectives) A group of men and women who work on the earth that the Soviet government gave them.

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To the Mohilever society in Chicago: I turn to you with the following request: since I administer a Jewish children's home in Mohilever county, in which there are 40 children, mainly orphans, of the 40 children 30 are boys and 10 are girls between the ages of 10-15. They are all in dire need for clothes and footwear. And since I became aware that you send for the poor Mohilever population money, therefore, I am coming to you with my request: to send, if it is possible, money for our children, or clothes, to my mother's address: Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, Mogilev Village, Pese Obeskina And with this, to ensure you that the money or clothes was distributed among the children, I will be able to send you a letter signed by the representatives of our city. The pedagogue collective and the children will be extremely thankful for your help. We await with great impatience for your response. We salute you for the 25-year anniversary of your society's achievements, we wish you success in your continued work. Meche Tamarkina (previous name Avezkina) Collective. Zlata Gutina N.B. we will speedily send you our card from the children's home.

Honorable friend Tzvi Hirsch, H, Levin and all the family, We are all members of the agricultural union “emes” (truth), we thank you for your thinking about us and requesting that we send you a collective photo. That is what Madam's Yerman and Avezkin told us. We took a photo, and in the next few days we will send it out. We wish you and all your members of the society for the 25th year celebration that everyone should be healthy and live long and G-d should help you in everything, that you should not forget your brother's needs that comes with sweat and especially your brother's that are here in the Soviet Union, who have a very difficult life, and their small needs is very difficult to get with sweat and pain. We write to you, because we know you, and you also know some of us, your mother and brother Reb Mendel, we know well. They all me Yosef Michlin. Noach Heller was my milk man, so you know me well. Motte Avrunin from Lopelev. In addition to us are 14 men who with two years ago had their own businesses, and they were self-supportive, and now we can say about each one that at very best they are all earth workers. But for the first year of work, it did not give us anything to live off, and we lived this year from the personal belongings that we were able to sell, things from the house. The land that they gave us was a forest only 4 years ago and now we must rip out the roots and plow. The work is extremely difficult, and we have too few horses, only 9. Cows we have 18. The government gave us 5,000 rubles last year and with that we had to run our small economy. Now we have to pay the interest and there is nowhere to take it from. There are no houses on the land, everyone lives in houses in town and has to go to work outside town. We have to have a well because there is also no water on the land, we need help, help and help, and we ask of you, not to forget us and God should give you all good. Signed Yosef Michlitz Mordechai Arooin Mordechai Shapiro Solovitzki Leizer Marzover Dov Ber Cohen Eizik Tzolkart Zalman Elkin Hirsh Leib Horodetzki Lurie Leibka Milgotin – Leib Luria Leizer Machover Simcha Shapiro Gedalia Brusovonik

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Worthy committee: As you are going to observe the great celebration of the twenty-five-year anniversary, we wish you to live to the fiftieth-year anniversary, you deserve to continue living from God, for your good work that you did just for Mohilev. Since we are invested what can I write to you: There were people who would have died long ago from their sickness and your money saved their life. Many houses were freezing cold and hunger, children asked for at least a piece of bread and the parents answered full of tears: there is no bread! Your money brought joy to those places, in the walls of the houses, and we satisfied with everything. Also, the fallen “Nobles” and all those who could not use their hands to do business, your dollars opened their blind eyes and fed them till today. The good that you have done is immense, too much to write. Today the collection. They showed me what they were able to do with 100 dollars and the one hundred dollars for the home of the elderly. This week I walked in the street, a woman passes by and takes my hand and kisses it. I took my hand back and asked her who she is and why is she doing this. She answered: you do not know me, for the rest of my life we will never forget America with my “Noble”. You remember that you brought me some dollars, and we made a small business and from it we were able to support ourselves till this day. If not for your dollars we would have died long ago. What she wished should happen to you and me, for your good the Almighty should give that you should live to the 50th year anniversary and God should continue helping you further. We also cannot pour out our bitter hearts to you to help us with a much as you are able to. The people who write this letter, are the committee. The writer is a strong accomplisher, we are all in one saga, and whatever is done is good, respectable and with complete truth. And whatever you request will be carried out, and everyone will answer you with the questionnaire correctly. Like with Mr Flitesin it is difficult to meet. He lives far from me and he does not have a house so it is difficult to get together. With the rest of the people, we meet daily, there is no greater mitzvah in the world than to help them. You must understand that Jews were not dependent, but now that we need bread, and there is nowhere to get it from, they became dependent. Even the wives and children are working in the fields. It would be very good but there is lacking tools to work with, and “food” is limited, so it is very difficult to live. Help with what you can, the need is very great, that they should be able to be helped through you like many others were helped and ask you for money. There is also a third colony that we were asked to photograph. They are in Suviarst. It could be that this week I will go photograph them together with the committee. The members are also with them on the cards. The things we help for are very big thing but to help them there is nothing like it. When our work concludes there will be nothing left for us but to join the work on the earth and “Pravitelste” gives everyone a parcel of land, but that by itself is not sufficient. The city chair committee is angry at me, that I did not give them the entire 300 dollars. I like when my own people can see where the money is going to and with me people know that every dollar is accounted for by those who are interested where the money is. Even “treasurer” also tried to push me, and I was very calm when I gave everything over to him.

The day that we lost most was the day that we did not live.

Shampar

People are similar to insects who eat one another just for a small parcel of land.

Walter

Men get married because they are tired, women because they are curious, and both end up disappointed.

Oscar Wilde

A person is never so lucky or unlucky as he imagines himself.

Lew Rafikal

It is sorrowful to be an exception but even more sorrowful not to be an exception. When you don't kill yourself, then you continue living, or do you really continue living?

Uncle Altenberg

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Mr Avedkin, a representative of the assistance committee in Mohilev		Mrs Avedkin, an activist in dispersing the money that comes from America to the needy in Mohilev

A co-operative group from villages around Mohilev with their families

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Z. Libin (representative of the American Jewish drama fiction writer Yisroel Horowitz) was born in the year 1872 in Harki, Mohilever province. In his hundred brief sketches and narratives of complex veracious and simple the bitter life of the Jewish worker, who leave behind their health and strength in the dark sweatshops of the New York ghetto. “The life of the Jewish worker” writes Libin in his autobiography is the life he knows best. “This life, that is merged with my personal life.”)

Tanya, Mirkin's wife started to get herself ready with make up for the ball.

She was drawn to the ball not so much because she wanted to enjoy a few hours but to get her husband upset.

The Mirkins have several children whom the oldest is a girl of seven and the youngest a nursing child.

Since the Mirkins got married, the poor Tanya finds herself in a situation where she cannot see the bright world with her eyes. Before one child finishes breast feeding, she feels another child under her heart, and the young mother is all her days and years homebound liked an arrested person.

Mirkin the father of the children, is not as enslaved, we cannot say, that he is totally unconnected with the yolk of his family, but he is freer than his wife and he uses his freedom as much as possible.

When the Mirkins are invited to a celebration, then only he goes and enjoys himself while his wife stays home with the children.

When it comes to go to a theatre or a ball, it is the same story; Mirkin goes to enjoy himself while Tanya stays at home with all the problems.

At all the balls and simchas Mirkin is the relative and Tanya is nowhere. Tanya is like dead to the world. There is no Tanya! She is not seen anywhere; Tanya sits at home and raises children for the world.

When Tanya's bladder explodes and when her heart becomes blocked from deep, deep pain, and she begins to protest, then Mirkin responds brief and sharp:

What do you want? I cannot nurse the child.

And there is always a child in the house that feeds from the breast.

Tanya remains with her protest, nurses the child, and Mirkin gets dressed and goes out the door, to where his poor buried alive wife wants to go as well.

There was a ball, and not a regular ball, but a grand ball, that the people who go there are members and it only happens once a year, and Mirkin started preparing himself for the great celebration.

The celebration coat he gave to be pressed, his best shirts were given to the cleaners, and when the day of the ball arrived, Mirkin was very busy. He ran to the barber and took a beautiful haircut, then he took a bath, then he began to prepare his clothes, and suddenly Tanya asks him:

What are you preparing yourself so much for?

What do you mean for what? For the ball, Mirkin answered leisurely.

Tanya then said, “I am going to today's ball.”

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Mirkin looked at his wife with two eyes in wonderment.

Only you?

Me, me, Mr Mirkin!

And when Mirkin looked a little at his wife's face, he saw, that Tanya is not joking.

Mirkin lost himself.

For a while he was like a person rejected by a loud thunder, but when he recovered, he repeated the eternal question to his wife:

And the children?

With the children Mr Mirkin will stay! responded Tanya in a few words with her eyes enflamed.

Mirkin was once again discouraged, but he soon hardened himself and retorted his strongest sure argument:

And what about the nursing child?

I don't care about the nursing child! Tanya responded with a voice full of hate and wickedness.

Mirkin remained standing totally confused.

And hearing a strong voice like from a not good person, Mirkin laughed on the bitter end:

You are in trouble Mirkin, woe is to your simcha!

Mirkins heart became blocked, but soon enough he came back with a retort to his wife:

But the child needs to be nursed.

Then you will do the nursing! Tanya answered.

What? Mirkin desperately screamed.

When I nurse him before sleep – Tanya explained precisely – I nurse him for the night, he sleeps for four or five hours and if he wakes up just give him a little water.

Mirkin was ready to tell his wife that a little water will not answer the problem, because the child will cry so much all the other children will wake up, etc, etc.

But he saw that his wife is truly depressed, and he knew very well, that she is alarmingly correct. Quietly he swallowed his pain, and deep in his heart he separated himself from the pleasure that he was supposed enjoy that night.

Tanya put the children to sleep, got dressed and went to the ball.

Soon Mirkin fell into a bad mood, as if the entire world was about to explode. An entire night – alone with the children!

After Tanya left the house, she imagined that the child was crying. She stood rooted to the spot, listened and wanted to return home. But then when realized that this was just an imagination, she continued to the ball, but her heart was bothering her.

To get to the ball Tanya had to go with the tramway (trolley car). After walking a few paces, she stopped to think. Did she leave a stool next to the child's bed, so that the child will not fall, she could not remember and wanted to return, but was afraid, maybe a child will wake up and when the child will see her then it will become very difficult to leave the house. She paused her thinking walked a few more paces but her heart was still bothering her.

As she walked a few more paces she remembered that she forgot to tell her husband which water to give to the child, soda water or regular water, and she was afraid that the infant will drink regular water. Tanya heard many times from other mothers that from drinking regular water a child can get very sick, no-one should have such an experience!

The scared mother is suddenly envisioning the fantasy and she sees her disturbing thoughts how her child is drinking regular water and becoming sick, he is becoming sick, he is burning with fever, she sees it, how her child dies in her hands.

The anger, the painful resentment, the accumulated malice that drove Tanya hastily to the ball, are slowly fading,

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their place takes the place of the mother's love and heart, and it becomes more blocked and hurtful, in terror for her small children.

And then Tanya starts talking to herself with a mother's knowledge; what are you doing? You leave over four small children weak nursing ones and run to a ball, they will wake up, they will look for their mother, their hearts will become scared and yearn for their mother who is not there, they will cry, and they will continue crying and you will be dancing at a ball.

Tanya's steps are slower, she is still going to the trolley, but more like a robot. Her soul is at home with the children.

Here she is now by the tramway!

Ding! Ding! Ding! A firetruck just raced by like a wind and went in that direction where her house is, where she left her children.

Tanya's heart stopped out of terror, another fire truck races by, the air is cut with a whistling sound and Tanya begins to run, confused, in the direction of where the fire trucks are going, she runs a while till she recovers and realizes that her fear is unfounded. The fire trucks went very far away, past her house, but now she became bothered by another thought. Her heart started telling her that if she goes to the ball, then while she is there a fire will break out in her house and all her children will get burned.

Tanya returned home to her sleeping children and Mr Mirkin ended up going to the ball.

1. Why did the first man live so long? Because he did not have a mother-in-law.
2. Why do men have to support their wife and not the other way around? Because one-time Chava, the first woman, tried to give her husband to eat and we are still suffering from it today.
3. Who with one hit destroyed a quarter of mankind? Kayin.
4. When did all the people of the world hear the crowing of one hen? In the time of the flood in Noah's ark.
5. What was the dove that Noah sent out of the ark, a male or female? For sure a male, because it states explicitly in the Torah that the dove returned and brought back some broken branches in its mouth. If it would have been a female, it would not have brought back branches since it would not be able to hold its mouth closed for so long.
6. Why did Lot's wife burden the visitors with salt more than anything else? Because salt gives you an appetite to eat.
7. Why was Lot so drawn to drinking? Because his wife became a pillar of salt.
8. Why do we say, “Drunk like Lot” and not like Noah, who became drunk before Lot? Because Noah a father of three sons, was allowed to drink, but not Lot, who was a father of two grown unmarried daughters.
9. Where in the Torah can we infer that Avrohom wore a yarmulka? It states explicitly in Chumash “And Avrohom went,” Nu, will Avrohom go without a yarmulka?
10. From where did Yaakov know to say that this is the house of God? Because the stones argued there, so Yaakov figured that this must be a Jewish shul.

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It is maybe not so pleasant to mention now at the celebration of our 25^th anniversary the first newly created institution of the “American brotherhood of Mohilev.” It is not pleasant because the institution reminds us of bitter thoughts, it reminds us of our not being, it reminds that at some point we will have to leave this world which to us appears that it is so beautiful and good, we want to merit to survive more anniversaries, celebrate more simchas, since this is the only luster in life, but (ethics of the Fathers chapter 4 mishnah 29) “against your will you are alive and against your will you die,” when a tragedy would occur God forbid, when a member of the Mohilever Society or his wife would die, it was very difficult to get a plot of land. The question arose several times at various occasions, but it was never resolved in a proper manner. At a meeting June 26, 1922, a proposal was made that the Society should form a committee that will try to approach the work and see what possibility there is to buy land for a cemetery.

After much work, the writer of these lines was able to acquire with the “Woodland cemetery association” 170 lots for the price of $9583.34 after it was reported to the society. The committee composed of B. Shapiro, H. Levin, S. Neumark, H. Appleman, S. Zimmerman, S. Revzin, and S. Wexler gave an accounting that the price and conditions are possible for the society, so the matter was decided. 2,400.00 was paid with the rest to be paid over a period of 9 years. The society decided to make a gate and several brothers of the society did the work gratis. They are the brothers Entin, Harry Cohen, Appleman, Adland and many other who helped in the work.

On the 14^th of October 1922 was laid the cornerstone for the gate. There was a gathering of society members at the cemetery, where appropriate speeches were given, a few members bought lots, some contributed for the cause and after 3 years of work the cemetery institution was secured.

The financial account till today is as follows:

Cost of cemetery	$9,583.34
Paid till October 10, 1926	$8,404.17
Remaining for payment	$1,179.17
Sold 27 lots	$2,120
Sold 5 graves	$125
Sold 3 graves	$60
Sold 1 grave	$10
Total sold	$2,315.00

In the cemetery are 26 dead people:

10 men
12 women
3 children
There are 12 monuments

A wife is a ladder through which a man's soul can if worthy climb to heaven or climb down in hell. We reason that when the world will be about to destroyed, it will have to wait a while till the women will put on their corsets.

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It is known to all – the entire world knows, that the Rebbe of Nemirov served the master of the world with joy.

Lucky is the eye that merited to see such joy, the fire, the burning, truly pure joy, that shined from him of blessed memory, like from the sun, and he shined and poured into the entire world like with golden fiery lights! What a pleasure it was!

In his presence a Jew forgot about the exile, the problems and the greatest afflictions. A person even forgot about himself. All the souls united in one flame with his blessed memory's soul. Aye, how we rejoiced. How the lively fiery rejoicing was gushing like from a spring.

There are tzaddikim who merit the joy of Shabbos and Yomtov, the Vonvolitzer of blessed memory, prided himself that his soul sticks out from the joy of Yom Kippur. Others only have the joy at a meal of mitzvah, a siyum, a bris, etc.

But our Rebbe of blessed memory had the joy of “blessed is Hashem every day” and until the last moment when he passed away may his merit shield us.

And today, his singing, his dancing? His melodies and his dancing were soaked with Holy spirit.

I am revealing, he once announced, and his eyes we could see were shinning, truly the shine of the Divine presence – I am revealing, that the entire world no longer exists, only a song and dance for the Holy one blessed is he! Everyone is a singer and sing his praise! Every Jew is a singer, and every letter of the Holy Torah has a musical sound, and every soul in every individual body is a musical sound, because every soul is one letter in the Holy Torah. Together all souls are the Holy Torah in totality, and both are one song in front of the King of Kings the Holy one blessed is He!

And additionally, he said, that since there many different types of music, and all different type of musical instruments, and every tune is associated with the instrument that plays that tune, because the instrument is the body, while the tune is the soul of the instrument.

And every person is a vessel for music, and a person's life is a song, whether joyful or bitter song, and when the song concludes the soul flies away from the body and song. The soul reconnects itself with the great song of the seat of Glory.

And he said, woe to the person who lives without a song, that is life without a soul, it is a groan, and a groan is not a life.

Every community has a separate song. The tzaddik stands above the community, he is the bandleader for the community, each individual of the community knows his part of the song and he has to sing his part properly and in the proper time, and when he does not do so then he ruins the song, but the bandmaster has to know the entire song and make corrections when necessary and repeat parts when needed, and when he hears a foreign sound in the song, he has to remove it like a dybbuk – an evil attachment may God save us, so that it does not spoil the song.

And happy, he said, it is for a person who is destined to have a joyful song!

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And he of blessed memory spoke at length about this topic.

The scholars, he said, who can only learn superficially, they are strangers who enjoy looking from outside at the king's palace but can never enter to see inside. They do not even have the audacity to knock on the door, they are afraid maybe they will open it for them. They only know the walls with the windows and the chimneys with the high fronts around the rooftops of the King's palace. Sometimes they see the smoke that is emitted from the chimney, and sometimes they hear the voices of the servants and maidservants, who are walking around in the anterooms of the palace. But those who go deep into the inner part of Torah, they enter the palace, they see the entire honor of the King and hear how they praise and sing the praises and join with the song for the King.

And those – he said – that circle the palace, are sometimes just compared to craftsmen who make musical instruments and know how to fix them. But to play on the instrument they do not know how. They may sometimes have very good hands to make an instrument but have blocked ears. When someone plays on the instrument they made, they do not hear or they have a blocked heart and do not understand and do not feel, and a good craftsman who can put an instrument to his mouth can only make sounds or copy someone else, stones play from themselves, this they cannot even the great ones.

But I blessed is Hashem, he said, even though I am not a scholar, which means I am not a craftsman and cannot make an instrument, cannot fix one, but I can play all instruments.

They, he said, are the instruments and we are the song.

They are the clothes, and we are the people; they are the bodies, and we are the souls.

Happy is the eye that saw all this. Happy are the ears that heard all this.

Happy is the person who saw the joy by the Rebbe in his courtyard. But all this is like a drop in the ocean in comparison to the joy at his daughter's wedding!

Someone who did not see Feigeles wedding, never saw what real good is.

At that wedding the Divine presence rested on everyone and everything, a brilliant Holy spirit wrapped around everything, from old to young, everyone was uplifted and crowned. People actually saw and experienced it, even the cooks, servers, and wagon drivers who brought the relatives, even the peasant he said were elevated to be chassidim of the nations.

The oldest person there Reb Tzitz told me, (and Reb Tzitz never spoke just to say something) that this is the first simcha since the six days of creation.

Just imagine, what type of commotion was in the upper worlds, when the Rebbe went to dance with the bride! Oy, how I wished, how do we bring here all the heretics and scoffers, all those who scream and jokers. They should see the pleasure, the greatness, the joy! They want this world. They should see how from the future world this world happened, how the entire world with joy came into our house and shone like the sun! They would have kissed the feet, they would just begin to know what their, this world is worth!

Because simply the Rebbes dance, even a weekday dance, around the house is also one sixtieth of the Garden of Eden; at the wedding it was a third and maybe even half of the feeling of the Garden of Eden!

The band played a joyful wedding song. The crowd, just like at the wedding, was spread out into all corners. Some danced on the side, in pairs, in three or a small circle. Others sang, resembling the wedding.

Suddenly, the Rebbe o.b.m. stood up, went into the middle of the house and stopped. With a finger he motioned the band and they stopped playing.

The Rebbe stood in the middle of the house, his face aflame with Holy Spirit, his eyes shining like the stars in heaven, the prolific captain played and flashed, the shtreimel shot out hundreds of silver arrows that grabbed the heart, it captivated the eyes.

It became quiet. All eyes were drawn to the Rebbe and united in his figure. We held our breath. We heard the movement of the clock from seven houses away and in the sweet quiet the Rebbe began his gentle song.

In the middle of the song, he paused and let out various strange sounds and the people immediately understood what the strange sounds were! They were good tidings, that he was sending out into the world. Tidings and to know that Feigeles chuppah will bring good luck and be in an auspicious time. And I thought that I actually saw doves white as snow flying from the Rebbes mouth and leaving through the window and spreading themselves out in the sky in different directions to the four corners of the world.

And a while later he o.b.m. also had to admit that the sounds were assistants, messengers sent to the entire world. To all wild animals, all trees and grasses, to wildernesses, seas and rivers, to the heaven and earth, to hell and the Garden of Eden, to the fathers, to the heavenly hosts, and he invited all to the wedding.

And when the crowd felt the heat in the house, he suddenly became much stronger, we understood that they all came. And when he o.b.m. saw that the guests arrived, he returned to his sweet song and began to sing with words, Holy words! And with this he began to dance, and all eyes dropped and connected with the Holy feet.

Happy is the eye that saw all this.

It is known to all, that immediately after the passing of the Rebbe it happened, that should not be allowed to happen, with his son-in-law, with Feigele's o.b.m.'s husband, and I was left as a sheep without a shepherd. I then travelled through many Jewish communities searching, and what I wanted was something that my heart desired and I could not find it anywhere. I saw many things, very spiritual, awesome things. My hair stood up and my nails turned, but I did not see anywhere my place.

Sadness, depression, crashed hearts, and if I did find a little joy it was joy of Adar or a simcha meal. As long as the bottle has something in it. The songs that I heard, none of them took me like the Rebbes song, so the world is grumbling, who is even talking about dancing!

It does sing itself, wooden voices; it does not dance, the feet do not want to seperate themselves from the ground. Clumsy hands, a lazy body, I have become cold. When we do sing and dance, it is once a year on Simchas Torah, it rips him; the words enter one side and the tune in the other side and the feet do their own; they do not have any connection between each other, three strangers have met and each one goes his own way.

With the passing of the Rebbe also died joy, the soul of dancing, the tune and sing. Only he knew which movements of the body go together, and which the tune and sound was needed for it and the appropriate words.

[Page 64]

The life of our society is composed mainly of societies. There is no Jewish community like in Europe, there is no management, to which the leaders of the city belong, and there is no common beis din, that can speak out with strong words regarding a general Jewish society matter. Also, there are no cultural centers from where people can nurture some of the feeling from back home, and there is no central administrative body that concerns itself for American Jewry.

Therefore, there is no other place, where our society life should be able to express itself, only in these societies; where people get together after a hard day's work, there they meet an old friend, there they talk about the old home, and there they spin the plans for the new home, how to organize it, in a way that we should not need to become wanderers again.

In the society we care for the needs of the sick, we make sure that a person has a burial plot when they die, and often we help a fallen member. In one word the society is the place where people can come over, whether with loved ones or those who just wander in. They find a restful place for a few happy hours, to get together in a homely, pleasant surroundings.

How then does it truly look like in the society? What do they do besides raise money for the sick benefits and the four cubits of earth after a person dies? Should we only be concerned about our sick and dead body? Why should we not be concerned about the living people and even more so for the living soul? Why not create from the societies a center with branches to expand Jewish culture? Why not become interested through the society in Jewish education and personally take part in the education of our flesh and blood and not let our children forsake God or at most at the hands of our providers, who could give us new schools and Talmud Torah's, but not a modern Jewish education?

From the depth of my heart, I ask why should we not personally develop through our Jewish societies Jewish schools that would be in accord with our spirit, and with our feelings, according to our Jewish feeling and spirit? Who will look after us if we don't look after ourselves? Is then everything in life only a bit of land and benefits for the sick? And if we cannot create true joint help, why can we not create a commonwealth bank that would really help one another in an extensive manner, so that we should not have to need the help of charitable organizations, who help people when they lend them a few dollars?

Why not expand somewhat, why not institute lectures in the societies on various Jewish themes that relate to life? Why not rejoice in a national Jewish way, make the balls lively homely Jewish simchas and not dead balls with dead programs?

There are tens of questions that we could throw out and it is seriously worth to entertain them. These are questions that belong to the most important in our society life and unfortunately, unfortunately the Jewish press has till now not even approached this matter. For us it is a matter of life, that we should touch upon it, meaning to uncover the wound, and deliberate these questions till the bottom. And coming from the painful place, we can find a way to jointly find a way to establish our society life, our compatriot union, that they should be more than a sick benefit and land society.

We can without a doubt give the load a push. There just has to be good will with it, and the will, we believe from the depth of the heart, begins to slowly unravel.

[Page 65]

The intake of the twenty-five years from the dais, assessment and profits from undertakings come to $52,238.19
The outlay was as follows: Organization outlay for printing, postage, rent for hall solarium, for officers etc., are:	$10,091.41
Sick benefit paid out	$13,699.00
Support for brothers in need:	$5,408.00
Support to various organizations:	$3,182.85
For funerals of close relatives of our brothers, for shiva, carriages, etc.:	$1,464.28
Dead benefit to widows and orphans of various brothers:	$5,438.20
Gifts to brothers for good work as well as wedding gifts was given out:	$1,429.00
For Mohilever fire:	$1,000.00
For the “people's relief” was paid out:	$4,442.15
For those suffering from war in Mohilev was sent:	$1,537.15
Besides this was sent out to Mohilev a lot of clothes and shoes worth many thousands of dollars, the outlay for sending the clothes comes to the amount of:	$400.00
On hand cash and treasury we have:	$4,426.15
Property in the cemetery:	$8,500.00

The following societies were supported by “The American Brotherhood of Mohilev:” N V. Socialist Branch, Streikand Ladies Garment Workers, Unites Garment Workers, Jewish public schools, National Radical Schools, The Socialist party, Jewish Mechanism union, Political exiles in Russia, Alexandrover Ladies charities, The Jewish Workers World, Workers Institute, United Hebrew charities, Los Angeles Sanitarium, Denver Sanitarium, Hebrew Immigrant aide society, N.V. Co-operative association, Streikand Cigars maker, People's relief volunteers club, Strikers in ship's bank, N.V. drama association, Palestine Workers fund, Norway hospital, Bnos Tzion day nursery, Douglas park day and night nursery, Jewish congress, Mohilever Ladies Charity society.

[Page 66]

Be greeted compatriots and brothers of “American Brotherhood of Mohilev,” to your 25th year of existence, we assure you that we all Mohilever and Dnieper support union of New York, when we read your invitation to your celebration, we became very excited, especially as we already had our 25th year anniversary a year earlier, and glancing at our work for the 25 years that we exist here in New York, we understand what it means to celebrate a 25 year anniversary, we are certain that you in Chicago have achieved a lot of good and useful work during the time of your existence, specifically for your members as an organization, and also for worthy causes besides your union in general. We wish you luck and success in all your endeavors and much blessing in your future undertakings, we wish you that your union should be an example for work, activity and justice for all Jewish institutions. In the name of Mohilever and Dnieper support union we greet you again a heartily to your celebration, we wish you that you should all live to celebrate your golden anniversary your 50th year jubilee. With friendly greetings Mohilever and Dnieper Support union New York City

The X patient tubercular home of Denver Colorado greets the “American Brotherhood of Mohilev” to its twenty fifth year anniversary. In the time of your existence, you did good work and gave the needy support to each organization, that turned to you for help, you are a member of the “x patients tubercular home”, a national institution, and the unlucky “Consumptive”, who are helped through you, they thank you and wish your officers and members of your worthy organization, you should all be healthy and live in tranquility and greatness, and impress your noble worthwhile work. The x patient tubercular home of Denver Colorado

I greet my beloved Union the “American Brotherhood of Mohilev” at its 25th year anniversary, the name and the themes that the Union achieved during the time of its existence speaks for itself. I wish success in all details that the union will do in the future. Past recorder and finance secretary for many years. Brother S. Zimmerman

[Page 67]

We received your message that the American Brotherhood of Mohilev is going to celebrate its 25th year of existence and the all the members during the course of the many years will be reflected in a souvenir book, that will be given out in honor of the celebration. We the federation of Polish Jews in America look with pride at the compatriot union, who know how to evaluate the past and make from it a celebration to gather new energy for the future. Disregarding the fact that we bear the name “Polish association,” we would like to say to you, that we are deeply and seriously interested that all the compatriots in America should be united and from one side be able to support our brother in Eastern Europe, who are living through terrible times, and from the second side to gather a strong visible unity from all parts of American Jewry, who would want to see the development of Jewish life here in such a way that the cultural content will not be eliminated, that we have gathered since we became a nation. The American Jews have in this moment great responsibility for their brothers on the other side of the sea. It is not just a matter of gathering relief money, but it is also a matter of life. They and they will still need it for a long time to come, the moral support, in general they need to have a clear open eye that will constantly look after them. In your celebration have this in mind and especially by your beautifully covered tables should be heard this message: we, who live in abundant, have till now have only thrown a bone to the unfortunate of our old homes; we here carry with pride the name of our hometown, have not responded properly to their call. The compatriot organization in America must involve the above in American Jewish life. We are many in general parts of which the American Jewry sees itself. But regretfully we have not till now understood the role that we need to play. The idea is crystalizing itself now and we think the Mohilever belong to the intelligent organizations, who will not only stand up to the task of patriotic unions but will also help to make the idea clear for others. Great luck in your work, dear friends of ours: Accept to your 25th year anniversary our sincere greetings in the name of all our branches in the various cities. The federation of the Polish Jews in America, 32 Union Square, NY NY Benjamin Winter – President Z. Tigel – executive director

A beautiful picture One Jew show the other a piece of canvas clean and empty, and says to him: You see, here you have before your eyes a beautiful picture: “Jews are going over the reed sea.” Where are the Jews? Ask the other man. The Jews? Responds the other, they already left the sea of reeds and have travelled on. And where are the Egyptians? They are still chasing but have not reached the sea of reeds yet. Nu, and the sea od reeds where is it in the picture? What do you mean? the sea split and left both sides of the canvas.   Living rights A Russian tried in the proper offices to receive permission to live outside the “Jewish boundaries” as a craftsman. What type of work are you able to do? Asked the officer. I can make ink, replied the Jew. Since when is making ink a professional work? Everyone can make it, even I cook it. What do you think Mr. Officer, you also have living rights outside the borders?

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