Memorial book for the towns of
Old Rafalowka, New Rafalowka, Olizarka, Zoludzk and vicinity
(Rafalivka, Ukraine)

51°19' / 25°59'

Translation of
Sefer zikaron le-'ayarot Rafalowka ha-yeshenah,
Rafalowka he-hadashah, Olizarka, Zoludzk veha-sevivah

Edited by: Pinhas and Malkah Hagin
Tel Aviv 1996


 

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Mark J. Schwartz

Our sincere appreciation to Ms. Shlomit Mizrachi, of the Organization of Rafalovka Émigrés,
Israel for permission to put this material on the JewishGen web site.

Our sincere appreciation to Jay Snider for the submission
of translations for placement on the JewishGen web site.

Our grateful thanks to Stefanie Holzman and Sondra Ettlinger
for obtaining the pictures to be included in this translation.

This is a translation from: Sefer zikaron le-'ayarot Rafalowka ha-yeshenah, Rafalowka he-hadashah, Olizarka, Zoludzk veha-sevivah
(Memorial book for the towns of Old Rafalowka, New Rafalowka, Olizarka, Zoludzk and vicinity),
Editors: Pinhas and Malkah Hagin, Tel Aviv 1996 (H,Y, 530 pages).

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Rafalowka

Purchase details for a printed copy of this translation can be found at http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/ybip/YBIP_Rafalovka.html


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Hebrew TOC translated by Sara Mages

Yiddish TOC translated by Gloria Berkenstat Freund

 

Eternal Flame    
Map of the region    
The editors, the planning team, the names committee, and the final setting    
 
With the publication of the book Arye Pinchuk א  – I
Words from the editors Pinchas and Malka Hagin ג  – III
A Vow Avraham Shlonsky ז  – VII
These I will remember and for these I will yearn   ט  – IX
Words from a commemoration event Yaakov Wiener יא – XI
Words from the unveiling of the monument at Kiryat Haim Mordechai Menin יב – XII
Testimony Leah-Lilli Rog יג – XIII
Testimony Malka Lederman יד – XIV
Protocol, the Rafalovka Area Committee   טו – XV
A Ukrainian journalist wrote about the murder of the Jews of the Rafalovka ghetto Shlomo Efrat טז – XVI
 
The Visit
Rafalowka of 1988 Aryeh Pinchuk 3
The visit Yehudit Mutznik 10
That Hill Ada Sidelman 12
One day in Rafalovka, and a few words to its lovers Yael Yisraeli 14
The visit to Stara-Rafalovka Shmuel Efrat 16
A special meeting Arye Pinchuk 18
My visit to Rafalowka and closing the circle Penina Shavit 20
 
Escape – In the shadow of the German occupation, in the villages, in the forests and in battle
A ray of light in the darkness Malka Hagin 25
Survival A. Schwartzblat – Sarid 27
Massacres, resistance and escape in Vohlin, August 1942 (map)   28
An event engraved in my memory Sara Amas 29
On the road from Rafalovka Ghetto to Sopachiv Avraham Appleboim 30
In the forests and in the villages with people from Rafalowka and the surrounding area, in the years 1942-1944 Sender Appleboim 48
The story of the rescue Shmuel Efrat 54
I escaped from Ukrainian policemen Shmuel Efrat 59
An explosion in the forest Shmuel Efrat (Appelboim) 63
Bereavement and wandering Yakov Bas 67
Memories of running away from the ghetto Haim Ziskin Brat 93
We didn't find a survivor Meir Goldverin 95
The Escape Ahuva Hendlsman 98
Fania, My Angel Masha Wolsptel 99
Memories of Our Stay in the Forests Chana Windrowich 101
I didn't go to the“station” Arye Weisblat 106
Escape from the forest Shlomo Weisblat 107
Persecuted Zipora Zalzman 108
Childhood in the shadow of death Malka Lederman 109
I parted from my mother Sheindil Leiserov 114
Wanderings, separation and reunion Reuven and Leah Portnoy 115
Two orphans in the villages and in the forests Rachel Fliegelman, Chaya Meshulam 117
In the shadow of the German occupation Tzvi Kreizer 119
Survival Tzvi Kreizer 121
The escape from the Ghetto Rivka Rozman née Swarcblat 125
In the marshes and forests of Polesie Alexander Sarid (Schwartzblat) 127
 
Testimony
I am here in Germany Sara Amas née Burko 141
Testimony Sara Amas née Burko 143
Grandma Fanya tells her grandchildren Fanya Bas 161
Rafalowka, the Ghetto and the escape to the forest – A testimony Gershon Gruber 176
Testimony Leah Tziger 179
Testimony of Penina Shavit née Brat from Rafalovka Penina Shavit 187
 
There were towns - Old Rafalowka, New Rafalowka, Olizarka, Zoludsk and the vicinity
 
Old Rafalowka
Old Rafalowka Moshe Appleboim 213
Memories from Rafalowka a recorded conversation with Yaakov Sarid Schnieder, written by Aryeh Pinchuck 215
In memory of the Jews of Bil's'ka Volya Zev Lufta 226
 
New Rafalowka
Rafalovka – for the day of commemoration (poem) Moshe Murik 231
The home that was and no longer exists Ajzik Bret 232
My Rafalovka Hadassah Avtalion 233
About Rafalovka the Station, when it just began Michael Gilboa 234
Rafalovka the Station, before and after WWI Rifka Oyra 249
A few lines to the image of Rafalowka-Station in the period between the two World Wars Yitzchak Brill 251
The old home – the landscape of youth Yakov Wajner 257
Memories of a Rafalowkian in America Yosef Barat 261
Education and Culture in Rafalovka – the Station Rachel Gilbo'a 264
I Sang with the Cantor Bulba Mote'le Hevroni 265
The BEITAR Movement in the Two Republics Aharon Shavit 266
Rafalovka Lipa Goz 268
Rafalowka, a Jewish-Hebrew town Ziskin Chaim Bret 268
The Martyrs of Rafalovka, Zhlotchek and Olizarka Aizik and Baruch Bart 270
In Rafalovka in the Years 1937-1941 Sender Appelboim 271
 
Olizarka
My town and my home Henya Burko 277
Olizarka Tamar Zuc 279
My town Olizarka Sara Rozenfeld 280
 
Zoludzk
You were pleasant to me Zoludzk Aharon Goz 287
My town Zoludzk Arye Galon 289
Figures in Zoludzk Arye Galon 290
Industrious and Kind Rachel Tzur 296
 
Our Families – For our children and for future generations
Memories from my father's home Lipa Goz 299
For my family Tzila Gorodinski 300
The Gruber family, Meir and Chaya Sara Rachel Gilboa 301
A warm Jewish home Rachel Vitas 303
May their memory be blessed Henya Zlishnik 304
The Reizil Dichter family Sheindil Leiserov 305
In their memory and for the sake of future generations Tzvi Lesnik 306
The Lechetz family Yehudit Mutznik née Lechetz 308
The family of Shlomo–Yakov and Batya–Leah Gruber Bella Mendelson née Gruber 309
In their memory Ada Sidelman 310
Memories Miriam Plum 314
My family – My parents Bracha and Nachman Friedman, my sister, Freidka Yosef Friedman 315
 
Our Beloved Ones, May Their Memory Be Blessed
Menachem Sossel z”l Sender Appelboim 319
The Aunt that I didn't Know Penina Besserglick nee Menin 320
My grandfather Isaac Meir Zuk Pnina Beserglick 321
In Memory of R'Yitzhak Meir Zhuk Arie Yadoshlibi 322
Rabbi Isaac Meir builds a 'small temple' Haim Fikersh 322
In memory of my grandfather Yakov Bass z”l David Brill 326
My brother David Bass z”l Rivka Brill 327
Shaul Katz – the preacher at the gate Yitzchak Brill 328
Yosef Gadish z”l   330
R' Mates Gayer Sheines of Olizarka z”l Lipa and Leibel Goz 331
To Chaim Bratt z”l – a member, brother and friend Yitzchak Gurfinkel 332
My wife Natan (Neta) Dov Velman 333
The life story of Yakov Shmuel Wiener z”l Ziva Wiener née Resher 334
R' Michel Bebchuk z”l Yakov Wiener 336
In memory of Yakov-Bar Zalzman Arye Yedushlivi 337
Words in memory of our father, Yosef Goz z”l Ma'anit Levinger, Bracha Zilberstein and Nava Spenov 338
My brother Moshe Dichter (Moshka) Sheindil Leiserov née Dichter 339
My wife Rachel Mordechai Menin 340
In memory of Reizil Dichter Mordechai Menin 341
In memory of my son Rivka Rozman née Schwartzblatt 342
My Brother Penina Shavit née Brat 343
Herzl Dudik z”l Penina Shavit née Brat 344
Leah and Aharon Goz z”l Zipora Shazar, Sara Friedman 344
 
Yiddish Section
 
To the Memory of the Shtetlekh [Towns] Old Rafalovka, New Rafalovka, Olizarka, Zholudsk (Zhelutsk) and Vicinity
 
They Live With Us Yitshak Brat 349
The Horrific War Years Arye Yadushvili 353
The Old Rabbi Issues a Kherem Arye Yadoshivli 366
What I Have to Tell Yitzhak Meyer Shzuk 372
A Sole Survivor from an Entire Family Eliezer Schwartzblatt 376
The Chaim Goz Family from Rafalovka Arie (Leibl) Goz 378
Almost a Last-Will-and-Testament from my Mother z”l Penina Besserglick 379
Jews from Old Rafalovka Arie Yadoshlivi 381
The Village-Jews Around Old-Rafalovka Arie Yadoshlivi 387
The Rudi Family from Olizarka Baruch Smali 389
My Small Town Olizarka Esther Mazur 392
Olizarka During Two World Wars Esther Mazur 403
Yortsayt Sara Ams (Burko) 417
 
Yizkor
And these are the names of our beloved martyrs, residents of our towns - Old Rafalowka, New Rafalowka, Olizarka, Zoludsk and the vicinity, who were annihilated in Rafalowka's Ghetto, murdered and slaughtered in the neighboring villages and forests. 421
 
In memory of our heroes, residents of our towns, partisans and fighters in the Red Army and the Polish Army, who fell in the battle against the Nazi enemy and its helpers during the Second World War or passed away after the war 432
 
To Safety
From Olizarka to Rishon LeZion Penina Holland nee Bart 435
Memories Zipora Goldberg 436
I survived Motale' Hevroni-Portnoy 439
My Parents and My Sister Did Not Come Nisan Chizhi 441
Two stories Arye Pinzuk 442
 
Photos
People of Rafalowka and the surrounding area   449
The visit to New Rafalowka   483
Next to the mass grave   486
The old cemetery in New Rafalowka   496
Heder” in Old Rafalowka   500
Tarbut” School in New Rafalowka   503
Pioneer Youth Movement in New Rafalowka and the vicinity   506
Youth and young people   512
Buildings and Streets   517
Fighters   523
On the way to the land of Israel   528

 


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