[Page 199]

Anchel and Malka Feiga Frank

He related to well to people and was liked by them. He was a member of the loan and savings fund of the small scale merchants. He occupied himself in business throughout his life, and sustained his family in an honorable fashion. He educated his children in the spirit of the times.

He arrived in the Land with his wife in 1934, approximately ten years after the aliya of his son Mordechai. They established their home near their son in Kibbutz Gan Shmuel. Despite their old age, they quickly got used to Kibbutz life. They reorganized their lives and made every effort to not be a burden upon others. Malka Feiga kept their small home orderly and clean. She ran a kosher kitchen and often prepared meals for the other parents in the Kibbutz. Reb Anchel became involved in handiwork. He filled every task in building and agriculture that was given to him by the work office of the Kibbutz. They did not succeed in arranging for the aliya of their son Yeshayahu who remained in the Diaspora.

They died in Gan Shmuel and were buried there.

May their souls be bound in the bonds of eternal life.

[Page 199]

Rivka Dacha Frank

Dear Dacha was taken from us while still young and full of promise.

She decided at a young age that, for a girl, the study of a trade would ensure her independence in life. She studied sewing.

In addition to studying a trade, she helped her mother with her housework.

At times that she should have been free, she dedicated herself fully to work in the movement.

She worked with great dedication in the activities of the Keren Kayemet, publicity, fundraising, organizing celebrations, etc.

She saw her future in making aliya to the Land along with the entire family. When M. Usishkin visited Kishinev during a harsh winter in the 1920s, she traveled with her friends to a large meeting that was arranged by the Keren Kayemet in Kishinev. During this journey she caught cold, took ill and never arose.

Thus did Dacha leave us, the dear and dedicated soul, the pleasant girl, at the young age of 22.

She did not succeed in realizing her dream of making aliya to the land and dedicating her activity to the upbuilding of the homeland.

Mordechai in Gan Shmuel

[Page 200]

Mordechai Katzap was born and raised in Orheyev. He received a Hebrew education in cheder during his childhood, and absorbed love and longing for the Land of Israel.

The event took place in 1906. I recall that I saw him for the first time in Petach Tikva. He was a strong youth with broad shoulders. The good and fine fields of Bessarabia were recognizable on his face and in all his action. Might and health exuded from Mordechai's face.

Mordechai Katzap took upon himself a particularly difficult task. He was responsible for cleaning out the abandoned valley, softening the hard roots, clearing the thorns and removing the stones. He worked for many hours during the day and night without tiring.

The group worked at the Kinneret and was full of contentment. The area was full of bogs and some people got a fever. However, not so much, and the main thing was: not all of them at the same time… The work progressed. Each day before eating they took quinine, which prevented the fevers from recurring at short intervals. Months passed, and life was conducted calmly, until an unexpected accident took place to our friend Mordechai.

The agronomist Berman brought horses and donkeys from Damascus, who had never had a yoke placed upon them. It was difficult to get the horses used to going along the furrow and pulling a plough or wagon. They got them used to this somehow, and the wildest horse was given to the strongest youth among us, Mordechai Katzap. He approached the horse every day and pushed it to drag wagons full of stones from the valley at the banks of the Jordan, to the point where sweat dripped from it and white foam was seen on its skin. Thus did he bring it to a point where it was comfortable walking with a wagon. However one day, the horse got upset, and when Katzap began to harness it, it kicked him in the abdomen. Strong Mordechai did not tell anyone about this, and went out to work again the next day. He hoped that everything would pass safely. Later he told us about this, and some of us took him to the hospital in Safed in a stretcher, for it was forbidden to transport him in a wagon.

His consciousness was not disturbed even a few hours before his death. He did not think about death, and asked endlessly about the details of the work in the farm. As death approached he moved his hands, supplicated and wept. He lifted himself from the bed, spoke some things toward Heaven… fought valiantly against the bitterness of death, and expired.

The news struck us all like thunder…

[Pages 200-201]

Fishel Rozen

Zvi was sent to the modern cheder “Cheder Metukan” of the teacher Fishel Rozen when he was about seven years old. The “teacher” was not called a “melamed” and this was not a “cheder” but rather a school with several classes, benches and desks. Hebrew and Russian were taught, and the teaching style was “Hebrew in Hebrew.” However, the greatest innovation was the teacher himself. Fishel was a stout man of splendid stature, with a pleasant face and a well-kept beard. His intelligent eyes exuded nobility and internal calm. He talked calmly and enthusiastically, at times with stifled excitement and convincing self control – everything exuded honor. A new world opened up for Zvi in the home of the teacher Rozen. Zvi attempted to recall the spirit that pervaded that home, and only one word came to mind: love. The teacher gave his entire heart over to instilling into his students a love of Hebrew – the new Hebrew, pleasant, with clear expression and proper intonation, the stories of the scriptures and the images of the Bible; a story in the playground, the material in the Olam Katan and Hechaver children's publications, the national Hebrew poem in recital and song, and the dream of the revival of Zion. When he was still a child of eight or nine, Zvi started to long for the real Land of Israel, a desire that was not relegated to the far-off Messianic era. Fishel Rozen was an active Zionist. He lectured splendidly in the synagogue and at gatherings. A picture hung in Rozen's school, the picture of the noble, splendid, enchanting Dr. Herzl. Zvi recalls, as if it was only recently, one summer day when Uncle Yisrael came to the home of his grandfather, and fell upon grandfather with bitter weeping, lamenting: Dr. Herzl died! Everyone was enveloped in gloom. Even grandfather, who maintained tradition but also regularly read Hatzefira, Hatzofeh, Hazman and Haolam; even Uncle Efrayim, even Father who had no time for issues of Zionism although it was always in his heart. The entire house of the teacher Rozen was enveloped in mourning.

“The entire house of the teacher” included his wife Gutcha. She was talkative, and imbued with love and friendship. Zvi quickly became at home with her. There was the son, the healthy, strong, diligent son who disappeared from the house one day, and after some time the news reached us that he made aliya to the land of Israel and was working in the orchards on a Moshav. There was the daughter Miryam, a young teacher, with charming beauty, who also expressed great love to Zvi. There was the younger daughter Riva, approximately Zvi's age, a beautiful girl whom he made efforts to look at whenever she was in the classroom or the yard. Later he would think about her also in school during studies as well as at home. There were winter days when frost covered the windows at home. Zvi would run his finger along the glass and without paying attention, he would draw the letters Reish Yod Beit Ha, and would whisper to himself “Riva.” The feeling of love that filled the Rozen home warmed the heart. Rozen's home enchanted and pampered Zvi, praised his talents, and treated him as a son. Miriam, his young teacher, would joke and say: I will wait for Zvi to grow up… However Zvi was thinking about Riva. One day the teacher surprised him during Bible class and asked: Where are we? Zvi was lost in his thoughts and did not know where they were, and his world suddenly darkened: He received a slap on the face from his teacher, from Fishel Rozen!

The matter was forgotten with the passage of time. For Zvi, the house of Rozen remained a house of friendship and love. Throughout his life, he still met up with that house – a dear Hebrew house in the Land of Israel.

Ch. Sharer

(A small section from his book)

[Page 201]

Zipora Rotkov

She was noble, modest in her manner, a dedicated mother and faithful wife, prepared at all time to help her fellowman from the breadth of her heart.

From her childhood, from an internal sense of duty she bore the burden of helping her children care for the large family.

When she set up her own household, she put herself with a full heart at the right side of all members in the family, with regard to sustaining them and educating them. Her first concern was about national education, in which she herself was educated in her father's home (he was the teacher Matityahu Globman). She extended a hand of assistance to the group of parents in setting up a kindergarten and the Tarbut School, and was a faithful assistant to her husband in his communal work.

She dedicated her entire essence to her family. When the eldest daughter joined the Gordonia movement and Zipora realized that the time for her aliya was drawing near and that the integrity of the family would be impinged upon, she hatched the idea of the entire family making aliya to the Land in order to prevent this split up.

This brazen decision took place at the beginning of the disturbances of 1936 – when the bloodshed in the Land was at its height and the danger was great. Nevertheless, Zipora was not fazed. She accepted everything upon herself with the hope of a future in settling in the land. The family made aliya, and felt the pangs of absorption and all the difficulties involved with it. Even then she bore what fate decreed upon her with calm and love, as she supported and encouraged the members of her family.

It was 1948, in the midst of the War of Independence. The daughters were with their families and the son in the farms (in the Negev and in the valley of Beit Shean), and the list of victims arrived daily. Only Zipora herself knew what she felt during those awesome days… and the terrible news reached her. Her son Menachem was among the victims. Her heart was broken inside, but the family behaved with restraint.

The wise, patient Zipora, to whom complaining was foreign, drunk from the cup of agony to its full extent, with the strong hope and desire to merit a peaceful and contented life among family. She did not merit thus… She died after terrible suffering.

[Page 201]

Yisrael Yechieli

From his childhood, Yisrael excelled in his diligence and love of work. When he was still a student in the gymnasium, he assisted his father in the store, and did any work that was necessary to help the family. He made aliya to the Land in 1929. He became involved in various tasks to cultivate the Land. He was a member of the Bnei Yisrael group in Nahalel, and he later joined Kibbutz Gan Shmuel. He did not get accustomed to farming life, but rather preferred life in the town. He did not seek out an easy life after he left Gan Shmuel, but rather joined the founders of the town of Brandes (his place of residence until his last day). He set up a small farm with his own hands and the assistance of his family.

He also worked as a builder in Hadera and the region. In his latter years, he worked as a driver in the porting office of the drivers of Hadera, and was also a member of its leadership. He excelled as a Hagana man in the town. He dedicated all of his free time to his family and his fellow. He had now free time for himself, and he even continued to work when the accursed illness overtook him. Only when all of his strength failed him did he lie down and not get up anymore.

Woe over the loss!

[Page 202]

Aizik and Leah Shander

Aizik was one of the first activists of the community of craftsmen in our city and one of the founders and members of the loan fund for assisting craftsmen. His son Yosef and daughter Malka were educated in the spirit of the times. After the Balfour Declaration, Yosef decided to make aliya to the Land with the first group of chalutzim.

Aizik and Leah did not hesitate to uproot themselves from their roots, and the entire family made aliya in 1920. Aizik and Leah bore the difficulties of absorption and the Arab disturbances of 1921 with strength and patience. They accepted everything with love, with the hope for better days to come… Although Aizik's spirit was strong, his body was crushed under the suffering. He took ill and died before his time.

Leah died at an old age and was buried in Pardes Chana, where she lived for her last years with her daughter Malka.

[Page 202]

Dr. Eliyahu Shpitzberg

Eliyahu (Elik) was born in Orheyev. He chose the path of Zionist actualization, even though the national movement was in decline during that time. When he was a student at the technical school in Kiev, he suffered from the relations with the teachers. This gave him the urge to make aliya to the Land. He spent some time in Beirut on his way to the Land, where he completed the faculty of medicine. From there, he came to live here. He was active in communal affairs in the Land. (As a token of appreciation, his photo was hung in the Kupat Cholim infirmary in the Borochov neighborhood.) He was drafted into the army at the outbreak of the first war, but death pursued him. He became ill with typhus and died in his prime.

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