Vawkavysk, Belarus

Volkovysk
(Vawkavysk, Belarus)

53°10' / 24°28'

A Trilogy Comprised of

Wolkovisker Yizkor Book - Edited by Dr. Moses Einhorn, New York 1949

The Destruction of Volkovysk - Published by the Committee of Volkovysk Émigrés, Tel-Aviv 1946

Volkovysk - Published by Katriel Lashowitz, Tel-Aviv 1988

English Translation Prepared and Published by

Jacob Solomon Berger

Mahwah, New Jersey, USA 2002

Acknowledgments

Our sincere appreciation to Jacob Solomon Berger who has kindly donated
his original book to JewishGen for online presentation

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fulfilling our mission of disseminating information about the Holocaust and destroyed Jewish communities.
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JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.

The complete translation of these books are also available here:

Introductory section
Wolkovisker Yizkor Book
The Destruction of Volkovysk
Volkovysk

Part III
ספורה של קהילה יהודית-ציונית

Volkovysk
The Story of a Jewish-Zionist Community
by

Katriel Lashowitz

Tel-Aviv 1988

Table of Contents i

Foreword Katriel Lashowitz v

The City, In Changing Times 1

Notes on the Origins and Development of Volkovysk 1

The Jews of Volkovysk and Environs 3

Volkovysk After The First World War Eliyahu Shykevich 6

Experiences and Memories 9

A “Tour” of Volkovysk Noah Tzemakh 9

A Home in Volkovysk Eliyahu Rutchik 14

The Porters and Wagon Drivers of Our City Eliezer Kalir 18

Mutual Aid and Support 20

Mutual Aid and Support 20

TO”Z 23

The Old Age Home 24

The Orphanage According to the Diary of Eliyahu Shykevich 25

Fire Fighters 29

Education, Culture and Journalism 31

Jewish Education David Niv 31

The First Rungs Yehuda Novogrudsky 32

Between Belz and Volkovysk Israel Scheib (Adler) 34

A Jewish Girl Student in a Polish Government School Shifra Hakla'i (Langer) 37

Teachers and the Heder Ben-Israel 38

Activities in Theater Arts 39

Jewish Newspapers in Our City 41

Volkovysk 42

Organizations and Youth Movements 43

General Zionism 43

The Revisionist Movement 44

The Left Wing Zionist Camp 45

Sixty Years with the HaShomer HaTza'ir Movement Gedaliah Pick 47

Betar David Niv 52

The Gordonia Youth Movement A. Novick 55

Maccabi 57

The Bund 59

Jewish Activity in the Communist Party Nechama Schein-Weissman 60

Religious Life 64

Rabbis and Dayans 64

A Visit with Rabbi Borukhov Eliyahu Shykevich 67

The Dayans 67

The Volkovysk Community, Its Rabbis and Personalities Rabbi Yitzhak Kossowsky 69

A Wellspring of Zionism and Halutzim 74

Volkovysk Jews and The Holy Land 74

Eliyahu Golomb 77

Eliyahu, A Son of My Hometown Azriel Broshi 78

Yaakov Rabinovich 79

Moshe Saroka Ben-Yisrael 80

Hanokh Saroka 81

Raphael Klatshkin 82

Yaakov Einstein 84

Yaakov Einstein as a Friend Katriel Lashowitz 85

Abraham Makov 86

Shimon Rogov (Reznitsky) Katriel Lashowitz 88

Azriel Broshi Katriel Lashowitz 89

In Memory of Noah Tzemakh Katriel Lashowitz 89

The Story of Giora Epstein 90

The Surrounding Towns and Villages 91

Zelva Yerakhmiel Moorstein 91

My Town, Lisokovo Jonah Borukhansky 93

Fragments of Memory from Lisokovo Tova Shantal (Kravchik) 97

My Town, Volp Shmuel Sidransky 98

With the Mosty' Jews on Their Last Journey Dr. Noah Kaplinsky 100

Svislucz Shimon Finkelstein 103

My Town, Piesk Chaim Shevakh 104

Krzemienica Nakhum Reznitsky 107

Porozovo 108

Personalities & Portraits 109

The Barash Family A. Novick 109

Dr. Moshe Einhorn 110

David Einhorn 111

Dr. Raphael Lemkin 112

David Hubar 112

Meir Shiff Yitzhak Bereshkovsky 113

Tuvia Fenster 113

Nakhum (Nakheh) Heller Dr. M. Einhorn 113

Rabbi Abraham-Zalman Kurtz 114

Israel Novick and his sons 115

Reb Abraham-Eliyahu Markus Zahava Graf 115

Grandfather Meshel Katriel Lashowitz 116

The Holocaust 118

Table of Dates 118

The Russian Occupation at the Beginning of the War Eliyahu Rutchik 118

The Initial German Occupation (According to Dr. Einhorn) 121

The First Miracle Dr. Yitzhak Goldberg 123

With the Doctors Who Were Taken Out to be Killed Herschel Roitman 125

That Children and Grandchildren Might Know Mira 129

The Path of Suffering and Heroism Eliyahu Kovensky 131

Thanks to a Broken Machine Gun Katriel Lashowitz 136

The Tribulations of Ida Mazover 140

From the Memories of a Partisan Katriel Lashowitz 148

With the Last of the Jews in the Volkovysk Bunkers Dr. Noah Kaplinsky 153

From the Birkenau Camp – To Israel Chaya Weiner 159

That Long Day Dr. Noah Kaplinsky 160

Concerning the Volkovysk that Is No More Yaakov Rabinovich 164

Pages from the Album Mulya Schein 165

Efforts to Create Permanent Memorials 167

Memorials to the Volkovysk Community in Israel 167

About the Memorial and its Creators Aharon Podolinsky 169

Critical Acclaim for Dr. M. Einhorn's Book on Volkovysk 169

At Daniel Lemkin's Fresh Grave Katriel Lashowitz 170

Volkovysk Organizations Abroad Katriel Lashowitz 173

With the Completion of the Book 175

There – and Here 177

Yizkor Book Project JewishGen Home Page

Yizkor Book Director, Lance Ackerfeld
Emerita Yizkor Book Project Manager, Joyce Field z”l
This web page created by Lance Ackerfeld

Table of Contents		i

Foreword	Katriel Lashowitz	v

The City, In Changing Times		1
Notes on the Origins and Development of Volkovysk		1
The Jews of Volkovysk and Environs		3
Volkovysk After The First World War	Eliyahu Shykevich	6

Experiences and Memories		9
A “Tour” of Volkovysk	Noah Tzemakh	9
A Home in Volkovysk	Eliyahu Rutchik	14
The Porters and Wagon Drivers of Our City	Eliezer Kalir	18

Mutual Aid and Support		20
Mutual Aid and Support		20
TO”Z		23
The Old Age Home		24
The Orphanage	According to the Diary of Eliyahu Shykevich	25
Fire Fighters		29

Education, Culture and Journalism		31
Jewish Education	David Niv	31
The First Rungs	Yehuda Novogrudsky	32
Between Belz and Volkovysk	Israel Scheib (Adler)	34
A Jewish Girl Student in a Polish Government School	Shifra Hakla'i (Langer)	37
Teachers and the Heder	Ben-Israel	38
Activities in Theater Arts		39
Jewish Newspapers in Our City		41
Volkovysk		42

Organizations and Youth Movements		43
General Zionism		43
The Revisionist Movement		44
The Left Wing Zionist Camp		45
Sixty Years with the HaShomer HaTza'ir Movement	Gedaliah Pick	47
Betar	David Niv	52
The Gordonia Youth Movement	A. Novick	55
Maccabi		57
The Bund		59
Jewish Activity in the Communist Party	Nechama Schein-Weissman	60

Religious Life		64
Rabbis and Dayans		64
A Visit with Rabbi Borukhov	Eliyahu Shykevich	67
The Dayans		67
The Volkovysk Community, Its Rabbis and Personalities	Rabbi Yitzhak Kossowsky	69

A Wellspring of Zionism and Halutzim		74
Volkovysk Jews and The Holy Land		74
Eliyahu Golomb		77
Eliyahu, A Son of My Hometown	Azriel Broshi	78
Yaakov Rabinovich		79
Moshe Saroka	Ben-Yisrael	80
Hanokh Saroka		81
Raphael Klatshkin		82
Yaakov Einstein		84
Yaakov Einstein as a Friend	Katriel Lashowitz	85
Abraham Makov		86
Shimon Rogov (Reznitsky)	Katriel Lashowitz	88
Azriel Broshi	Katriel Lashowitz	89
In Memory of Noah Tzemakh	Katriel Lashowitz	89
The Story of Giora Epstein		90

The Surrounding Towns and Villages		91
Zelva	Yerakhmiel Moorstein	91
My Town, Lisokovo	Jonah Borukhansky	93
Fragments of Memory from Lisokovo	Tova Shantal (Kravchik)	97
My Town, Volp	Shmuel Sidransky	98
With the Mosty' Jews on Their Last Journey	Dr. Noah Kaplinsky	100
Svislucz	Shimon Finkelstein	103
My Town, Piesk	Chaim Shevakh	104
Krzemienica	Nakhum Reznitsky	107
Porozovo		108

Personalities & Portraits		109
The Barash Family	A. Novick	109
Dr. Moshe Einhorn		110
David Einhorn		111
Dr. Raphael Lemkin		112
David Hubar		112
Meir Shiff	Yitzhak Bereshkovsky	113
Tuvia Fenster		113
Nakhum (Nakheh) Heller	Dr. M. Einhorn	113
Rabbi Abraham-Zalman Kurtz		114
Israel Novick and his sons		115
Reb Abraham-Eliyahu Markus	Zahava Graf	115
Grandfather Meshel	Katriel Lashowitz	116

The Holocaust		118
Table of Dates		118
The Russian Occupation at the Beginning of the War	Eliyahu Rutchik	118
The Initial German Occupation	(According to Dr. Einhorn)	121
The First Miracle	Dr. Yitzhak Goldberg	123
With the Doctors Who Were Taken Out to be Killed	Herschel Roitman	125
That Children and Grandchildren Might Know	Mira	129
The Path of Suffering and Heroism	Eliyahu Kovensky	131
Thanks to a Broken Machine Gun	Katriel Lashowitz	136
The Tribulations of Ida Mazover		140
From the Memories of a Partisan	Katriel Lashowitz	148
With the Last of the Jews in the Volkovysk Bunkers	Dr. Noah Kaplinsky	153
From the Birkenau Camp – To Israel	Chaya Weiner	159
That Long Day	Dr. Noah Kaplinsky	160
Concerning the Volkovysk that Is No More	Yaakov Rabinovich	164
Pages from the Album	Mulya Schein	165

Efforts to Create Permanent Memorials		167
Memorials to the Volkovysk Community in Israel		167
About the Memorial and its Creators	Aharon Podolinsky	169
Critical Acclaim for Dr. M. Einhorn's Book on Volkovysk		169
At Daniel Lemkin's Fresh Grave	Katriel Lashowitz	170
Volkovysk Organizations Abroad	Katriel Lashowitz	173

With the Completion of the Book		175

There – and Here		177