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The network of charitable and support institutions had been spread across the face of Jewish Volkovysk for hundreds of years already. Chapters of Gemilut Hasadim, and various other support institutions existed already in the 19^th century, but they operated on a voluntary basis, and did not leave behind them any records from which it would be possible to evaluate the effectiveness of their work. The institutions that stood out especially, were those that were active before Passover and during the month of Elul, preceding the High Holy Days and Festivals. We are aware of the Maot Khittim collection that was organized by donors to provide for [Passover] holiday needs for the poor, as early as 1870, and there is reason to believe that this activity existed earlier in this connection. Because a great deal of emphasis was made on discreet giving, in order not to embarrass those in need of help, there was no record kept of the donations, but the general principle seemed to be: “either give, or receive,” meaning that no Jew was released from this obligation, either having to help others, or he himself received help. There was no middle ground.

It is proper to recognize Dr. M. Einhorn who gathered togther inputs on the these various institutions of aid that existed in our city, on which this summary is based. In a similar fashion, we found descriptive material in the pages of the Volkovysker Leben, notices about Loan Societies, the orphanage, etc. The diaries of E. Shykevich contain much material on the orphanage , for which he was one of the core supporters.

The Linat organization is one of the oldest of the Jewish institutions. It was active towards the end of the 19^th century, but began branched activity at the beginning of the 20^th century. Its role was manifested in sending volunteers to the house of the sick, particularly those without means. The custom was – to send two men to the home of a male who was ill, or two women to the home of a female who was ill. These volunteers would spend the night at the bedside of the sick person, and in this way, relieve the members of the immediate family, if there were any, and permit them to get some rest, or grab a light nap. In the course of time, Linat assumed an additional obligation, which in this period was exceptionally important – providing ice to those who needed it. For this purpose, they rented a storage facility on the Mitzrayim Gasse, not far from the Wide Boulevard (Szeroka), and in addition to ice, they also stocked other medical supplies, bonkes^[1], thermometers, hot water bottles, and the like.

Hona the Teacher was apparently the central personality in the Linat. He was a good man, and a helpful person, who dedicated all his time and energy [to this]. He kept the list of the volunteers and he would recruit them as needed, however in the case of ‘no-show,’ he personally would take the place of the volunteer. There were times when weeks would go by and Hona would not spend the night in his own home, and one could only locate him at the bedside of someone who was sick. Hona also kept control of the list of loaned medical supplies. Those that had a need for these instruments needed to provide security: a silver spoon, a gold cup, or a set sum of money – all according to the value of the loaned instrument.

Benjamin (‘Nioma) Schwartzbuch, known by his nickname, ‘Tal U'Mottor,^[2]’ assisted Hona in this work, and took over for him when he passed away. He too, dedicated his time to Linat, and during the night hours, approaching midnight, he would make the rounds of the homes of the sick, in order to verify that the volunteers that had been designated to watch the sick were indeed at their posts. Is one of them had not arrived at their designated place – Benjamin would go to his house, wake him up, and insist that he fulfill his responsibility or redeem his place with

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money, that could be used to hire someone to take his place. Zvi Leibowitz, one of the people from Volkovysk who was also active in Linat, and who made aliyah to Israel (he lives in Rishon LeZion) told, that Tal U'Mottor was the one who acquired the parcel on the Mitzrayim Gasse, for the construction of a large ice house, and he personally used to ride around the city in a wagon and collect stones and boards, that served as building materials for the creation of the cellar, in which five hundred wagon loads of ice were stored. In time, ‘Nioma began to provide the sick with various medicaments and foodstuffs, which the poor could not afford: butter, sugar, milk, and the like. It should not come as a surprise that ‘Nioma's name was on everyone's lips, and everyone praised the goodness of his heart and his dedication to Linat.

When the First World War broke out, the [bitter] cup was also passed to this institution, which disintegrated along with other charitable institutions. Illness and various epidemics that broke out amidst the populace, placed the bedridden in deteriorating conditions, in imminent danger of dying, because there was no one to come to their aid in the time of their illness. A number of activists assumed this responsibility themselves, headed, as described in Dr. Einhorn's book, by Rabbi Zalman Kurtz, Joseph Rudy, and Shepsel Gordon, and in the year 1918 the Linat Kholim organization began to function, which succeeded in attracting young people to join in the work of the group. The expansion of the activities of the group drew praise from the Jewish community, and especially, as you can understand, among the ranks of the needy. Among these, the group opened a dispensary, and for a nominal charge, it was possible to obtain medical assistance from one of the local doctors. It didn't take much time, and a pharmacy was opened adjacent to the dispensary, which also served the populace without means. Many received prescriptions free of charge. With the help of the ‘Joint’ and various support institutions in the United States, the group initiated other lines of activity. The effectiveness of the work of the dispensary can be assessed from the 1927 record, when 6,441 patients were assisted, and this is not a trivial number relative to the population of the city. In that same year, the pharmacy, which was open 8 hours a day, dispensed 24,183 prescriptions. The institution did not content itself with providing medical attention to those that came to it, but also looked after sending doctors to call on the sick who were unable to leave their homes because they were bedridden. Nurses and doctors were sent to them, and in instances where it was necessary to send them to see a specialist in Warsaw, or Vilna, the institution would budget a on-time stipend to make it possible for the patient to see a medical specialist. It is also worth noting the laboratory that was opened beside the hospital, which also served the needy sick, sent by Linat Kholim, This laboratory eliminated trips to Bialystock or Warsaw, which took a great deal of time and money.

In a much later time period, Linat Kholim opened a pediatric clinic. The ‘Drops of Milk’ organization was also established, which was of great assistance to mothers in providing suitable nourishment to children, and prevention of childhood diseases. The organization also initiated activities in the area of disease prevention, especially in the days when various epidemics spread throughout the city. Children that required convalescence were sent to various sanatoriums during the summer months, and this also was accomplished with the assistance of the TO”Z organization, which had, after a while, initiated a branch of activities in Volkovysk and its vicinity.

In summary, it is possible to say that Linat Kholim was one of the most important institutions in the city, and was held out to praise by various settlements in the vicinity who also required help.

It is interesting that until the last years of the 19^th century, there was not a Jewish hospital in our city, and there only existed a mobile military field hospital to which the Jews were practically never taken. The custom in those days was, for Jewish person who was sick, to be taken to Dr. Mintz, who was very popular in the city, and if his illness was more serious – he would be taken from Volkovysk to another city. It was only in 1898 that the well-known Jewish

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philanthropist, Nachman Heller, donate a sum of between 20-25 thousand rubles for purposed of constructing a Jewish hospital – the institution was put up, and equipped with all the required equipment. Heller also provided ongoing support to the institution with set annual contributions. Oversight of the hospital was in the hands of two of the philanthropist's brothers, Schraga-Feivel and Leib, and Shmuel David Yunovich. Along with them, Shmuel Feinzilber served on the committee, who was then the only Jewish elected official in the municipal government, and the lawyer, Israel Efrat. The women of Volkovysk came to the assistance of the hospital and all those who had need of its services, who formed a Bikur Kholim Society, whose purpose was to assist the sick person without means in entering the hospital, to arrange visitations to the sick, and to provide them with candies or other necessities. The division of labor among the women was as follows: one group would visit the various stores and wealthy Jewish homes and solicit chocolate, bottles of wine, baked goods, fruits, etc. A second group would go to the hospital every Friday and Saturday, and distribute the things that the first group had solicited among the sick. The important thing to gather, is that the hospital principally served the needy Jews. To this end, the well-to-do Jews would avoid the use of the hospital, and receive their medical attention at home. In general, this was the situation up to the First World War. Because there was no Jewish hospital in the surrounding towns, the Volkovysk hospital also served the Jewish populace of the vicinity.

After the outbreak of the First World War, this hospital passed from one hand to the other, from one authority to another, according to the changes of the regime in the city, and mostly was under military control, who would billet their wounded in this institution.

And it happened, that this institution, which originally was owned by the Jewish community, was literally stolen by the Polish regime. The Poles never succeeded in establishing an institution of this kind themselves, and consequently, they extended their interest and control to the institution that was established by the Jews, for the needs of the Jewish community. The demands of the Jewish activists, that the institution originally founded by Jews be returned to Jewish hands – were to no avail, and for a long time, there were many trials on this subject in the municipal court, and only after a great deal of pressure and the involvement of different influential people, they agreed to return it to the Jewish community, although in a much worse condition than before. There was a need for a fundamental renovation before it could serve the Jewish sick, whose numbers had recognizably grown during this time.

Large sums of money were needed for this purpose, and with all the good will and donations of the Jews of the city, who gave with a willing heart to this important purpose – their resources were not sufficient to meet the required budget. It was open to question whether the goal was attainable, and would have been unlikely without the financial support of the Volkovysk émigrés in the United States, who were enlisted in this cause, and the help of central Jewish institutions, like TO”Z, the Joint, and others. The renovation was completed in 1924. The institution was recognizably expanded, and it now had separate departments for surgery, internal medicine pediatrics, etc.

The required resources to provide for the institution were obtained through set monthly fees of the Jewish residents in the city, and also support from the local institutions: the municipality, the community, and in particular, the donations of the Volkovysk émigrés in America. Beginning in the month of July 1925, the institution began operation, and it is possible to say, without fear of contradiction, that thanks to its efforts alone, hundreds of sick people were restored to health, and especially among the needy people of Volkovysk. Dr. Einhorn, and other sources, especially note the role played by tow of the city's local activists in the establishment and ongoing operation , and they are: Sioma Gallin and Archil Markus. Two tireless workers, that took every opportunity to assemble resources for the institution, and that there would be no cessation in its normal operations. At the same time, the more well of

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members of the community began to use the hospital, after it became known that even the best possible attention that a sick person could receive at home was not as good as that in the hospital. This fact lightened the budgetary issue for the hospital in a significant way, and indeed the better off Jews were taken into the hospital for a set fee.

Dr. Galai served as the head physician of the hospital until the First World War, assisted by Lovich, a feldscher from Grodno, who also served as a pharmacist. After the First World War, Dr. Weiner served as the head physician, who had previously served as a Rabbiner. After a time, the direction of the hospital passed to Dr. Yaakov Sedletsky, who held this post until 1932, after which Dr. Menashe Niemchik assumed this distinguished position.

Translator's footnotes:

1. The cups affixed to various body parts believed to extract ‘evil humours,’ but of dubious medical value. Return
2. This is from the prayer for Dew and Rain, although the reason for this nickname is not clear. Return

The Jewish Hospital, a memento of its opening on Lag B'Omer 5685 (1925)

At the same time, the appointed leadership, headed by [Engineer] Ephraim Barash, Lawyer Bliakher, Engineer Shipiatsky, and Sioma Gallin, branches of TO”Z activity, led by the establishment of a pediatric clinic for kindergarten and school-age children, ‘Drops of Milk,’ convalescence of poor children during the summer months in the Burkehs, and at sanatoriums in Chekhotchinek, Druzgenik, and other places. For this purpose a separate free kitchen was constructed for needy children, and more than one hundred children received meals there at no charge. It is worth also noting the efforts of the TO”Z in connection with monitoring community hygiene, and municipal sanitation.

In the weekly newspaper, Volkovysker Leben of 16.6.1939, an article by Sioma Gallin was published that summarizes the details of the TO”Z activities as follows:

• TO”Z rented a substantial home in the center of the city, and all of its equipment that had been stored at the hospital was transferred to these premises.
• In the last few months, 342 people received attention in this new dispensary.
• Establishment of an office to offer advice to pregnant women.
• There were 76 children under pediatric care, and in the past three months 422 cases were seen. Approximately ten thousand portions of special milk was distributed for nursing infants.
• TO”Z purchased a large house in the Burkehs with a perimeter of 1700 meters for the establishment of a sanatorium for frail needy children (the organization did not succeed in putting the sanatorium into

operation because of a variety of difficulties).^[1]
• During the prior budget year, the hospital provided care to 998 patients, offering 7,444 days of confinement; 210 children were sent for convalescence during the summer to the Burkehs, not counting the children sent for recuperation to Otvotsk and other sanatoriums.

Translator's footnote:

1. The Second World War broke out on September 1, 1939. Return

Residents of the Old Age Home before the Second World War[1]

In the period when Meir Shiff was the Chairman, the quality of nutrition and clothing for the elderly residents was significantly upgraded. Even the building was renovated, and the rooms got ‘a different look,’ according what our town seniors tell, to the point that even wealthy families turned to the institution with requests that they accept their elderly at the institution. After the institution became crowded from accommodating everyone that needed it, Meir Shiff decided to put up another building beside the old building in order to be able to respond to the many requests. Thanks to his good connections with the people in the government, he was able to obtain a set amount of building materials free of charge, and not many months went by before the new building was on its site, with a sign above it reading, ‘Cast Us Not Into Old Age.’

In a piece of writing by Eliezer Kalir, that was published in Volkovysker Leben in September 1938, the author tells about a visit to the new building of the Old Age Home. We will reproduce only the introduction here:

“A clean, neat yard with the old building of the Old Age Home on one side, and on the second side – a spanking new, just-completed wooden building, with an attractive porch, a regal facade, which brings to mind an inn or a pension in Otvotsk or Schvieder.

We go inside. Through a corridor, we come into a wide, open and well lit eating room: three large, long tables are arranged in a “U.” An eight branched candelabra hangs over them – on the wall is a large circular clock. A large coal stove spreads an inviting warmth [throughout the room]. A spigot juts out of the stove that dispenses tea all day long. At a side – in a wall, is a square little window, through which food is served from the kitchen.”

The large article concludes with the details of the sources of funds that made the construction and ongoing maintenance of the new building possible:

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“…the foundation was donated by the recently deceased Reb Sholom Barash; 500 dollars – Horaczy Heller (the House is named for him); Volkovysk Ladies Auxiliary of Chicago -- 100 dollars; the Grafina Bronitska – nine square meters of lumber; the well-known alderman Shirayev – the fence; The Rozher Cement Factory – 15 ‘rounds' of cement, A Warsaw Company, Degenschein – a case of glass; Mrs. Fradl Shiff – the Candelabra; A Warsaw Company, Applebaum – the clock…

Everything was acquired through the efforts of President Shiff, according to the secretary [Offenberg] who traveled everywhere personally, and at his own expense, until he got everything he needed to put up the building.”

During the time of the Soviet occupation, the institution continued its normal operation, but it went up in flames during the initial German bombardment. The infirm residents of the institution were then transferred to various locations, and part of them were sent to the homes of their relatives. With the expulsion of the residents of the city into the bunkers, on November 2, 1942, the Germans rounded up the infirm who were unable to go under their own power with the rest of those expelled, put them in the Talmud Torah building, and then took them out and shot them.

Translator's footnote:

1. This picture also appears in Dr. Einhorn's Book, however even there, it has no further details on the people in the picture. Return

The Children of the Orphanage and the Leadership of the Institution (1929)

E. Shykevich with residents of the Orphanage		At a Movie Fund-raiser for the benefit of the Orphanage

The first general meeting took place on April 6, 1921, with the participation of may activists, and at this meeting, the first order of business was the issue of the orphanage. After presenting the issue to the gathering, a committee was selected consisting of: Eliyahu Schlossberg, (Chairman), Eliyahu Shykevich, (Vice Chairman), Dr. Rosa Einhorn (Treasurer), Anshel Bliakher (Honorary Secretary), Rabbi A. Z. Kurtz, Eliezer Kapelyushnik, Chaya-Sarah Yudzhik, Pearl Lev, Boruch Yunovich, Mordechai Giller.

At that time, there were emissaries in Volkovysk representing the Volkovysk Organization in the United States (Abraham Berg, Avigdor Perlmutter, Hannan Nakhumovsky, and Berel Domovsky), who took an interest in the issue of the welfare of the orphans, and allocated a sum of four thousand marks toward the construction of an orphanage. They assured us that they would take up this issue in earnest with the Volkovysk landsmanschaft in America. This sum of money was barely enough to renovate the Guest House that had been wrecked during the war, that consisted of two rooms and a kitchen. We immediately admitted 25 destitute orphans. It is difficult to communicate what we first went through upon opening this orphanage, so urgently needed at this time. The children were brought in singly, dressed in rags, and in horrifying sanitary condition. I immediately traveled to Bialystock, where I obtained a bit of goods, and light

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clothing from the “Joint,” for the children, and a certain amount of foodstuffs. We also distributed a request to our landsleit in America and asked for their help in erecting an orphanage worthy of its name, that would be able to admit the many children that were left without father and mother, and no walls and a roof [over their heads].

After a great deal of searching, we found a place in the city, on which there stood a destroyed, burned out building that had belonged to Noah Lev, who lived in America at that time. We decided to write to Noah Lev in America, and approach him with the proposition to donate this piece of unused property to us, on which stood a burned out house, and we would build the first orphanage in Volkovysk. His positive response to our proposal overwhelmed us all. In addition, Noah Lev underscored his great satisfaction in his reply to us, that he had been accorded the privilege of providing this parcel and the burned out house, for such an important purpose as constructing an orphanage in the very home town, where he himself grew up as an orphan. As a supplement to his great gift, he also sent along a substantial sum of money. With the arrival of this answer, we knew that the goal was attainable, and in September 1921, the cornerstone for the new building was laid.

This was the first day of Selikhot, when in response to our invitation, many Jews assembled at the parcel, for the ceremony of laying the cornerstone. Rabbi Borukhov welcomed the guests, and afterwards, members of the committee spoke to the assembly, and made an emotional appeal to the invited assembly to make donations. The assembly responded to this appeal very effusively, if measured by the degree to which the donors, en masse, streamed to the table.

After a full year of very strenuous work we reached the point of celebrating the dedication of the newly constructed building for the newly established institution of the orphanage, on the donated parcel provided by Noah & Bayl'keh Lev. The beds And furniture in the rooms, the equipment and materiel for the house, all were donated by the Jews of the city and landsleit from Volkovysk in other countries. In a word – this was a huge collective effort for a noble cause. For hundreds of abandoned and solitary children this was relief – they were rescued from the danger that they would flounder in the streets and become a burden to the public.

In addition to the donors and contributors, the dedicated and loyal workers, who carried out their roles superbly, literally with total commitment, also deserve recognition, especially the head of the orphanage, Shabtai Gordon, and the teacher, Sarah Bibergalik.

For the occasion of the dedication of the new building, many guests attended from the surrounding towns, from the ‘Tzentas’ central committee in Warsaw, and many community organizations. It was a wonderful sight to behold, when the orphans themselves stood on the steps of the three-story building, dressed in holiday finery, welcoming all the guests with a singing of “Let Us Sing a Song of Dedication.^[1]” It is proper to note that there were also Christians among the donors, and even the government officials were not stingy with their praise, and promises to come to the support of this important institution.

In time, it was no longer possible to distinguish between the orphans and the other children in the city. In their dress, their nutrition, and their general demeanor, it was not possible to distinguish one from the other. The children of the orphanage studied at the Tarbut School, and the Tarbut gymnasium. These institutions released the orphans from any obligations to pay tuition, thereby making it possible for the committee to enable the intellectual development of the orphans, many of whom excelled in their studies, and returned back to the community what they had received from it, and then some. The same was true in the area of the trades. Every boy that exhibited skills that implied potential in a craft was sent to an appropriate craftsman, and the committee maintained oversight to assure that the young person was not exploited by the craftsman. The committee members would visit the workplaces, review the agreements

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with the owners, protect the rights of the orphans, etc.

The wages of the orphans at the factories amounted to between 6-10 rubles a week, and these wages were set aside in special accounts. When the orphan reached the age of 18, a significant amount of money was already in the account, which was a help to get him started in life. Before leaving the institution, the leadership would provide the orphan with suits of clothing, bedding, and white goods. A special festive party was arranged for every young person that left the orphanage on attaining the age of 18, and occasionally, an orphan would receive assistance with procurement of furniture, or a suitable place to live.

There is insufficient place to describe all that the leadership dis for its residents, but we would not exaggerate by saying that every Jew in Volkovysk took pride in this institution, that earned the recognition of all segments of the population, Jewish and non-Jewish alike.

In an attachment to issue Number 64 of the Volkovysker Leben, an announcement was made public by the leadership of the Volkovysk chapter on behalf of the orphans in Bialystock (Chairman – A. Schlossberg, Vice Chairman – E. Shykevich, Honorary Secretary – Sh. Feinstein, Treasurer, E. Eliyovich). This proclamation was directed at the Volkovysk landsleit out of the country, and said among other things:

“The Second^[2] World War has bequeathed a bitter and difficult legacy to us – thousands of orphans, abandoned and hapless, that were left without a father and mother, and no care. The Jewish people, who have always been sensitive to the needs of the stricken and oppressed, and especially that of the orphan, have not succumbed to the mood of resignation, and has come to the aid of these unfortunate children. Committees have been organized in all the cities and towns of Poland, to Assist orphans, which have set themselves the goal together with the assistance of The Joint, to establish houses of refuge for orphans. Our Volkovysk has not shrunken from this demand as well. People were found, whose hearts were touched by the fate of the orphans, and after many strenuous efforts, and with the help of our Volkovysk brethren in America, an orphanage was built in our city, in which many of the orphans found refuge and a home. Even those who could not be taken into the orphanage because of a lack of space, were settled in ordinary homes, and the activists took care to assure that they would not become a burden to the community, and that their future would be spoken for.

It is eight years that we are working without respite, and to this date we have succeeded in overcoming all the difficulties in collecting the support for the orphans that we need to arrange annually, but now we have reached a crisis, because the Joint, on whose assistance we had depended, has decided to terminate its support, and the burden has fallen solely on us. Despite this, the situation of the children taken into the orphanage is more or less assured, what we have not covered are – those orphans who are being held in ordinary homes, which expense had been born by the Joint up until this time. They are now left without any protection and support.

Is it conceivable that we would discriminate among children united by the tragedy – of being an orphan?”

The proclamation ends with an emotional appeal to all the Jews of Volkovysk, to the Jews of surrounding towns, and to Volkovysk landsleit out of the country, that they should help with attaining the goal of enlarging the present orphanage, creating an added institution, and also a trade school in which the orphans can be trained and learn a skill that will assure them of a livelihood in the future.

Shmuel Fuchs of Rehovot tells about youth volunteers for the benefit of the local orphanage:

The youth of Volkovysk had a strong disposition in favor of participating in parties and dances that were mostly organized and held in the hall of the firehouse on Kosciuszko Gasse. These parties were referred to as “Five O'clock,” implying by this name that it was not necessary to get dressed up in party clothes. The group of young people that were graduates of the high school took an interest in participating in one of

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these parties, and we were certain that our graduation diplomas would be sufficient qualification for us to attend a party of this nature. We appeared as an organized group at the entrance to the hall, and we asked to buy tickets to one such party, organized by a Ladies Auxiliary, and the proceeds would be for the benefit of one of the city institutions, but we were told, that we were too young to participate in such a party, and they refused to sell us tickets. This angered us considerably, and we decided to demonstrate our maturity by organizing our own dance gala. We turned to the secretary of the orphanage, Mr. Gordon, and we proposed a schedule of parties in the hall of the orphanage, all of whose proceeds would be dedicated to the orphanage.

Our proposal was accepted, and the success was beyond our expectations. We, ourselves, were surprised by the hordes of people that came to participate in our parties. The leadership of the orphanage (Shykevich, Zelitsky, Schlossberg, and others) were understandably pleased with the additional income that the orphanage earned, and encouraged us to continue and enlarge on our efforts. We attempted to put on a theater production at Botvinsky's Cinema, and this too was a great success. I cannot recall the name of the play any longer, but I remember the names of those of my comrades who gave special effort to this undertaking, and they are no longer alive: Brunk, Einstein, Leibl Kalonsky, and Yitzhak Goldrei.

E. Shykevich covers two other forms of mutual assistance in his diaries, several chapters of which are covered in Dr. Einhorn's book, one – “The Offering of Wood,” called this because of its objective of providing wood for the winter to those families that did not have the means to buy firewood to heat their homes. Several activist took this responsibility on themselves, and saw the fulfilment of a mitzvah in it. Just as the cold became more severe – so did the intensity of effort by these activists grow, who went from house to house to collect donations. Yaakov Winetsky was the living spirit behind this initiative, and also behind “Secret Charity,” which , as its name indicates – was discreet charity to people who had lost their station in life, balebatim who had been financially ruined, and whose source of income had vanished. It is natural that these people were embarrassed to turn to a charitable institution to ask for help or support, but they knew they could turn to the pocketbook maker from the Szeroka Gasse, Yaakov Winetsky, and ask for help, because he would not reveal their secret to any man, and their straitened conditions would not become known. Winetsky himself was not a man of means, but he dedicated many hours of the day on behalf of women who were in distressed circumstances.

Shykevich tells, that after Rabbi Borukhov asked him to assist Winetsky, he offered him his help, and he was literally astonished by the list that Winetsky showed him of the people receiving “Secret Charity,” since on the list were included Jews who were thought to be wealthy people, and no on would have even thought that they were in need of economic assistance.

Yaakov Winetsky was killed in the Holocaust.

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Child Welfare

The Child Welfare Organization with Dr. Sedletsky and A. Novick in the center

In the house of Yerakhmiel Daniel on the Kosciuszko Gasse, the Kinder Schutz had a small premises in which the organization carried on its business. The Chairman of the organization in the ‘30s was Dr. Sedletsky, who was killed by the Nazis along with the other Jewish doctors [in Volkovysk], and his deputy was Abraham Novick, whom we hold apart with blessings for long life, who is active to this day in community affairs where he lives, in Hadera. Also, Sioma Gallin, the dynamic and dedicated public servant, who was the Chairman of TO”Z, supported this group before the outbreak of the Second World War.

Translator's footnotes:

1. Psalms 30 Return
2. Perhaps a Freudian slip: The context of the writing, clearly indicates that this refers to the period after the First World War. Return

A course in fire-fighting skills

The proposal to establish a fire fighting brigade in Volkovysk went up on the Jewish community agenda the day after the first fire, and according to the telling by one of the city elders, this proposal was put forth at a meeting in the garden of Jesierski's home, in the presence of the authorities of the place, and public servants. The tone of this organization was set from the beginning, with practically all its members being Jewish. However, two Christians stood at the top rank, who had some competence in this area, but they were followed by Jewish officers in the order of: Abraham Neiman, Abraham Galiatsky, Mottel Kilikovsky, and Melekh Khantov.

Mottel Kilikovsky was the first Jewish young man to sign up after the announcement was posted by the municipal administration calling for citizen volunteers, and at the first meeting of the organization, 45 men showed up, almost all of them Jews. An officer of the 16^th Brigade (Infantry) was invited in order to train the volunteers that were divided up into the following groups for different missions: drivers, water handlers, rope and roof climbers, etc. Support was initially very poor, but in a short time, pumping machines were brought in from Warsaw, and the number of tanks went up to 15, and in a similar fashion, wagon drivers were recruited along with vehicles, that were required to place their conveyances and horses at the disposal of the organization at the sounding of an alarm.

There is no doubt that the citizens of the city breathed a little easier with the knowledge of the founding of this organization. The first fire station was in a small building, but after a while, a large building was

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constructed with a tower, and a large storage area, where the large fire wagon was garages, along with a hose that could point in all directions. Eight people, four to a side, operated this machine, which was able to spray water from a reservoir of four to five barrels.

Naturally, there is no fire department without an orchestra, and this was also the case in Volkovysk. It was the previously identified Mottel Kilikovsky, who organized the orchestra, and for this purpose, he recruited musically talented young people from Volkovysk and all the way to the town of Volp, in order to get a cornet player. The first bandleader was Israel Nakdimon, and he was the one who marched in the front of the ranks of the fire-fighters after the short training season. ‘The whole city,’ came out to see and listen to this orchestra. For a time, the orchestra would tend the garden beside the Jesierski home, and during the summer months would give performances twice a week. Hordes of young people would come to hear these concerts. At a later period, the orchestra performances were given in the municipal park, on the way to Piesk, in the direction of the Zamkova Forest. Entertainment from out of town would also stage their performances in this park, such as the circus, etc.

The first three heads of the fire brigade were Christians, and afterwards, the heads were Jews: Abraham Neiman, Abraham Galiatsky, and Mordechai (Mottel) Kilikovsky. During the tenure of the latter, intensive training was conducted , and when the fire fighters would clamber up Poliachek's three story building for training purposes, crowds of people would come to observe these exercises. Them membership of the fire fighters reached and then exceeded two hundred, and this was one of the organizations most favored by the Jewish community. In the weekly Volkovysker Leben of 21.6.1929, a notice was published that the General Fire Fighters Association in Warsaw had awarded a Certificate of Honor to the Volkovysk Organization, in honor of the 30^th Anniversary of its founding, and in the instance of this opportunity, it awarded 15 Awards of Distinction to the people who had done significant work for the organization. At that time, the head of the organization was Melekh Khantov, he, who was the one who raised the organization to a high level in every respect. The popularity of Khantov, and the recognition of his good qualities reached the point where he was awarded a gold medal from the Mayor of Volkovysk, who underscored at this occasion, that the citizens of Volkovysk needed to consider themselves fortunate in having been afforded the privilege of having a man with the talent and energy of Melekh Khantov in his capacity of head of the fire department, and who guards the city from all danger of fire.

The orchestra of the organization also developed significantly under Khantov's tenure, appearing under the leadership of M. Zilberman at festivities, parades, and various celebrations. On Saturday nights, events were organized that attracted many local young people, and the income so derived was earmarked for the fire department. The orchestra was frequently invited to perform in surrounding cities and towns, and these appearances also increased the income of the organization significantly.

It is proper to note that the fire fighters also performed important security duty at the time of changing regimes, and when the city was abandoned and the danger of anarchy hovered overhead – it was the fire department that stood watch in order to prevent pogroms and disruption of public order. More than once, the Polish authorities attempted to undermine this organization, which was composed entirely of Jews, and there were attempts to disband it, but the Jewish fire fighters, among whom there were many ‘common folk,’ (porters, butchers, carpenters, etc.), nullified these attempts, and protect both the prerogatives and continuity of the organization.

Even in September 1939, when the Poles retreated from Volkovysk before the Soviet Army entered the city, the security of the Jewish populace in the city was placed in the hands of the fire fighters, and they discharged this duty faithfully.

(After the sketches from Dr. Einhorn's Book)

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