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[Page 183]

There are Ba'alei Tefillah [Prayer Master] who are respected only in their town, and there are those whose name precedes them in any location, even far away places. Such a Ba'al Tefillah was Vava from Kozova.

His family was among Brzezany residents for generations, and he grew up in the town and studied in the Yeshiva, where he received his rabbinical ordination from the Maharsha”m. When he got married, he moved to Kozova, a town near our Brzezany.

The gabbaim of Rabbi Yudel's Beit HaMidrash would invite him to serve as the “Shli'akh Tzibur” [leader of the congregation in prayers] because of his agreeable, clean, and tonal voice. The gabbaim would bring him from any location where he served as the head of a Yeshiva (Kozova, Buchach, and in 1918/19, they brought him from as far as Stanislawów).

Not every synagogue could afford the service of a distinguished Ba'al Tefillah like him. Only the homeowners of Rabbi Yudel's Beit HaMidrash could pay his price. They basically “owned” him.

I recall him serving as a Shali'akh Tzibur at Rabbi Yudel's synagogue before WW I. The synagogue was crowded since people came from other synagogues to enjoy his praying and majestic appearance. His prayers penetrated the hearts of his listeners, as people felt them coming from a deep and sincere religious feeling.

Not only Jews came to listen to the amazing Ba'al Tefillah on Yom Kippur. The Gentiles, too, came to enjoy his heavenly voice. They marveled at the prayers, although they did not understand their content.

He died in Vienna on 23 Nisan 5,690, 1930.

[Page 184]

Dr. Bernard Felk

After the required preparations, we went to work, and at 8 am, we completed the surgery. Dr. Felk, a man of 82, breathed deeply, took off the robe, sat down with his eyes half shut, and sighed. “Tired?” I asked. “Not quite” he responded. “Do you feel weak after the surgery that lasted more than an hour?” “Not even that!” he answered.

After a break of a few long seconds, he breathed air into his chest through his open mouth and said: “Strange, I turned eighty-two today.” “To a hundred of twenty!” I said, and he continued: “And I feel myself like a man of forty, full of vigor with a strong will to live. My ability at work is as good as it was at any time. Today, my youthful dreams and ambitions of many years are fulfilled. I was stubborn!”

In the meantime, the nurse prepared tea from the leaves of a plant without sugar (we did not have that), served us, and returned to the patient to watch over him until he recovered and woke up from the anesthesia. Sighs of the sick could be heard from the adjacent room. It was suffocating in the room and warm, and we were tired, facing another long day of work.

After taking a few sips, Dr. Felk stood the cup, looked at me, lowered his stare, and continued: “Yes… I was stubborn… and this is my life story.”

“I have a few memories from my childhood. One of them was the yelling argument between my parents about the older son (this is me). I do not remember the reason for the argument. But I do recall that my father z”l said: ‘But he is stubborn. Where would that lead him in life?’ I did not know then what the meaning of the word stubborn was, but I felt its implication throughout my life.

“My father was a tailor. He worked hard to make a living for his family. My mother helped him with the sewing and also managed the household. I decided to study. To fulfill my decision, I earned money by giving private lessons in high school and during my studies at the university. I graduated with honors. I had big ambitions. I believed in my abilities and dreamt of being a surgeon in a large Jewish hospital. That was why I accepted a job at a hospital.

“It was not easy for me. I had my own plans and did not want to give up. Not everything I dreamt about was possible. Today, I look at everything with different eyes. I did not understand then and fought with colleagues at work.”

Then he stopped. “I did not achieve what I was looking for.” He threw those words in the air as if he was talking to himself. “After a few years of work, I was forced to leave the hospital. It hurt me a lot.

“I married. Luckily, my wife helped me. We had two daughters. I began working in a private practice and earned nicely. I worked hard, but I was not satisfied. I did not feel gratified at that work.

[Page 185]

“I had the ambition to achieve more. Man shall not live on bread alone. Was I an honor chaser? I do not think so. I was restless. There was a demand and desire for action.

“Public work was the second endeavor where I tried my skills. I thought of taking the management of the community into my own hands – there was a wide field of action there. I approached the work with vigor and will. I did not spare my precious time or money. However, I did not consider that I was not alone in the community, and not everything I thought was good was also good in the eyes of others. Not many days passed before a conflict erupted between me and the rest of the elected people. I was stubborn and did not give up, but they ganged against me, I was alone and was forced out.

“Years passed, and the First World War was over. I saw our youth, how they progressed, and new horizons opened for them. I said to myself – the time has come to build a house for them. That time, I also decided to stick to my opinion until the end.

“I got money from my relatives in America. I bought a plot on my own initiative, organized the plans, and began building. I knew if I had to consult with others, the house would not be constructed. They resisted me there, too. All of a sudden, everyone became a construction expert. Everyone knew how, where, and what to build. They did not like the location, and all so more the plan! I did not give up that time. It cost me energy, health, and money, but I completed what I had started.

“The house – the ‘People's House’ exists and stands. But they took revenge on me. They called for a general assembly and elected a committee to manage the house without me, Dr. Felk. They took something dear to me, my ‘dandled’ child, and rudely drove me away. They told me – you completed the work; now you can leave. I left with a pain in my heart.

“I am at the end of my life now, and everything changed in my eighty-second year. They turned to me today, gave me my honor back, and the possibility to act, do, and help. I am a member of the ‘The Committee of the Jews.’ I got back to the People's House. It is all mine now. I am responsible for the health of the Jews in our city, and I manage the Jewish hospital.

“The conditions in which we live today are harsh and require effort, wisdom, and goodwill. I am ready to accept any task. If that is the reward for my ambitions of all those years, I am available to commit. I am not tired. This time, I would stay until the end.”

“Well done!” I said, adding I am available to help you.

I got up, and I moved to help him wear his robe. He refused. “I am still young,” he said. I looked at him from the side, the 82-year-old youngster. He was always dressed well. He was meticulous, a bit plump, with broad shoulders, average height, round face, wise burning eyes, short nose above thick lips, full of vigor.

One small bullet from the Gestapo put an end to his ambitions and plans. Dr. Felk fell on his way to the hospital. I was near him when he was hit, I admitted medical help, and he said to me – “continue in my way!”

“Yes, I will do that,” I said, and at that moment, I thought – “he was stubborn all his life until his end. He died stubbornly.”

His grave is in Litiatin Forests. May his memory be blessed.

[Page 186]

Dr. Khaim Vilner

After the First World War, Dr. Vilner began his Zionist activity as a member of the “General Zionists” movement. He was a member of the local “Zionist Committee” and a brilliant orator, giving speeches to Zionist gatherings. He served as the chairman of the “Ezra” [“Assistance”] charity organization. He had an open hand and a generous heart to help others. He preserved the pioneering character of the “Ezra” organization. When a pioneer was about to make Aliyah and needed financial assistance while the fund was insufficient to cover the costs, he handed him his own money so as not to delay the departure of the pioneer and thus lose his turn for an Aliyah certificate. Because of his steadfast masculine appearance and roaring voice, everybody liked him, old and young. He remained popular and did not look down on people because of his status and wealth. He was an enthusiastic fan of the Jewish theater and did not miss any Yiddish plays. He used to travel to Lviv to watch the shows by the “Vilna Band” or the “Vict” theater [“Warsaw Jewish Artistic Theater”].

Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, he escaped to Romania, from where he was deported to Russia, where he suffered from oppression by the authorities in faraway Siberia and from harsh financial hardship. At the end of the war, he returned to liberated Poland but did not find his family, his wife, and his daughter, who perished in the Holocaust.

He made Aliyah in 1950. In the beginning, his absorption in Israel was tough. He worked hard to make a living. However, he overcame and returned to his profession as a lawyer, dealing with German reparations. He died alone in Tel Aviv in 1958.

He left part of his estate to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

May his memory be blessed.

I always tried to fulfill the sages' proverb “buy you a friend” through the years – on the school's bench, work, and daily life. I had many friends and some real buddies, among them, I connected with my body and soul. Dr. Aryeh Feld Z” L was my friend, buddy, and brother. We connected as friends, loving each other like David and Jonathan. Our love for each other was not affected by external or material factors.

From the day we met until the moment we parted ways (knowing that it was our last conversation) we went on our ways in the same direction, course, and objective with unified forces. He was always ready and willing to help. It was like that on the study bench, throughout our entire life, until those critical moments during the Holocaust, when fate intervened and separated us.

[Page 187]

Dr. Aryeh Feld

The second brother, Yehuda, did not complete his studies. A malignant disease put an end to his young life. I worked with my younger brother; he helped me tremendously with responsible and arduous work during the Soviet regime.

The parents were educated people and worked hard. They aspired to provide a solid basis for their children. I often visited that home. I loved to listen to the father's stories spiced up by jokes and phrases. Despite always being busy with his work, he found free moments to talk to me.

My friend, Aryeh Feld, was a man with many skills, educated, a solid and stable character, reserved, quiet, self-assured, and friendly with people. He was dedicated and responsible, loved people and was loved by them, and gave respect and was respected. He went through several crises in his life, but nobody knew about them. He never told anybody when he faced a problem. He thought about it and often fought with himself until he arrived at a decision, and he always realized his decisions.

He was one of the members of “HaShomer HaTzair” [“Young Guard” – leftist youth movement], one of the founders and central pillar of that movement in our city. His wish in life, the dream of his youth, was to make Aliyah, and he aspired to achieve that goal until his last moment. He was a worker – active in anything related to Judaism, particularly the land of Israel. He established a family in our city and lived an exemplary family life. His fate had another opinion and ruined all his values with one sweep.

The Germans first caught Aryeh on the second Yom Kippur during an Aktsia. He sat with many others at the collection square and was the only one that [the Gestapo's] Miller [may his name and memory be blotted out] freed. He left the square with hesitant steps. Was he allowed to leave conscious-wise? He was walking and thinking and debating. Would he do good by his acquaintances in the square slated for the crematorium, getting out of there alone, back to life? It was not an easy decision for him to make! He experienced agonizing days and hours in self-deliberation – did he act appropriately? But then he realized that he had another role in life - his family was waiting for him at home. He must continue to live to protect them.

It was different from the last time when he was led with his family and many others on their final way. I heard his confession from him two days earlier, in our last meeting, after which we parted ways with a handshake. A quiet and painful scream burst out from the depths of his heart: “I blame the entire world for our situation. Who would tell what we have experienced?” That scream penetrated my heart and shook me … I could no longer hold back and burst into tears … I gave vent to my tears, not to the words. I only shook his hand, and we parted ways. I still see him in my mind, marching toward the cemetery, holding the hands of his daughter, his wife by his side, supported by his other arm, and holding the son in her hand, covering his head with her dress. They are marching, step by step, to the cemetery toward the mass grave.

[Page 188]

The thoughts that bothered him so much during these days must have accompanied him on that long and tiresome road: who would tell the world, and who would believe what happened? They arrived at the mass grave. At first, they shot the children who fell into the pit. After them, the mother. His turn came. He approached – and stepped forward with his face to the pit. He threw a last look at his dear ones in the dark pit and waited for the bullet. But the bullet was late in coming; the seconds were long, but the bullet did not come!

Suddenly. the Gestapo order broke his heart like thunder: “Leave this place, leave the cemetery, and go back to the city! We still need your work. Go now, Jew! Your turn will come! Fast; do not just stand there! Bless your luck, Jew, and continue to carry your poisoned life until your turn comes … Go! Don't you hear the order? Ha, Ha, ha.”

But he did not hear the order. Only the yelling and hellish lough of the Gestapo work.

“Do not judge your friend until you get to his place,” said our sages z”l.

Shock-stricken, Feld obeyed the order, and with slow and stumbling steps, he lived in the cemetery. He was walking, but did he see the road? Did he understand and know where he was going? His being led him away from the cemetery. But at the same time, they freed him from the order. He became more aware of his surroundings. He recovered and began to think. He began to comprehend what happened. The farther away from the cemetery, the weaker the screams emanating from there, but they became more painful, and they gave him back the ability to judge. His heart was beating hard. His legs still carried him away, proceeding by the force of habit, but the pace was slow.

He stopped and thought: “Whom and what am I running away from? Where am I going? Who am I doing that for? Who did I leave my family with? Do I still have a purpose and a goal for my life? No.”

He decided that it was not his way to leave. He returned to the cemetery. He ran; he was in a hurry to return in time for the mass grave to be still open everyone knew and felt that he was still with them? He did not abandon them, G-d forbids! He must show the murderers that no order would separate him from his family! There is one fate for everybody. He ran and finally achieved his goal! He was inside the mass grave together with his family and his brothers, the Jews.

I had a friend. I got him as a gift from the heavens, and there where he was taken to. May he rest in peace!

[Page 189]

Dr. Moshe Schumer

He was born in Brzezany on 1/27/1890 to his parents, Ester and Aba Schumer. Upon the outbreak of the First World War, he went with his parents to Vienna, where he was accepted to “Vindobona” University [The old name of Vienna University was “Alma Mater Rudolphina Vindobonensis”] where he was active in all areas of the student life. He graduated medical school in 1921 and returned to Brzezany as a general practitioner. There, he became involved in all areas of public affairs. He served for many years as the chairman of Keren Kayemet [JNF-KKL], and, through that position, maintained a tight relationship with all the Zionist Youth movements in town. He was also active for many years at the Jewish orphanage. Although officially he was a member of the “General Zionists” [centrist Zionist movement], he did see it as a conflict of interest serving the representative of “HaShomer HaTzair” [“Young Guard” - leftist youth movement] and “HeKhalutz” [“The Pioneer” pioneering labor youth movement] toward the authorities.

He visited the summer camps of the “HeKhalutz.” He also actively assisted the pioneers of the Hakhshara [Agricultural training] company in the movement in the city. He was the driving force in all national funds and contributed generously to anybody who turned to him for help.

He was registered at the Golden Book of the JNF-KKL when he reached 50. By all the Zionist movements in the city as a token of appreciation for his fruitful activity.

He treated anybody who turned to him and did not demand payment from the poor; on the contrary, he often helped to get the medicines for them.

The Second World War took him to Russia. He was recruited by the Soviets as a physician for the Soviet army, and he passed the entire war on the front as a medical officer with the rank of Major.

He experienced a harsh mental crisis while serving in the Red Army. Somehow, the Russians discovered his Zionist past and began harassing him and restricting him. He was placed under continuous surveillance by the NKVD [The Soviet secret police], who made his life unbearable. Under that situation, he reached an atrocious state of mind. Only thanks to the encouragement from another Jewish physician who worked with him, did he pull himself out of that crisis.

At the end of the Second World War, he returned to Brzezany. However, since he did not find anybody from his family, he continued to Germany, aiming to go to Israel. He stayed a long time in the refugee camps of UNRRA and practiced medicine there. That was when he met Regina Ast and finally established a family in the twilight of his life.

In 1948, he fulfilled his life dream – and finally made Aliyah. He settled in Hadera, where he worked as a physician for a short period for Israel's labor HMO and the Jewish Agency. He lived to enjoy the sun's brilliance in Israel.

He died on 5/10/1955

[Page 190]

Dr. Shlomo Glazer

His initial work began in high school. He, several other students, and his elder brother organized themselves in a Zionist club. They studied Hebrew, Jewish, and Zionist history and utilized the knowledge they had acquired to teach others in Zionist circles by giving lectures and lessons and organizing “Oneg Shabbat” parties. That work continued until the outbreak of the First World War.

In 1915, he and his brothers were taken by the Russians as hostages to Russia. They returned home only in 1918, after the Bolshevik revolution.

Dr. Shlomo completed his law studies and continued his Zionist work, which he had temporarily ceased during those years. I came to know that modest and shy man while working for the Zionist cause. He always had a smile, liked gentle humor, respected old and young, was loved by people, and was friendly. He was always very busy. At home – he was establishing his family in the harsh conditions of the years after the First World War; in his professional work – he had a lot of work despite being a young lawyer. In all of those situations, he always found time for public work. He left the speeches and honors to others while doing the actual work. In his Zionist work, he was unaffiliated. We saw him at all Zionist youth movements. We met with him at gatherings and went together to collect money for the JNF-KKL and “Keren HaYesod” [“United Israel Appeal”] or at the support activity for youth who were making Aliyah. He did his work perfectly, willing and alert.

A relative wrote about him: “Many of our city natives, spread throughout the country, surely have many memories related to the branch of “HaShomer HaTzair,” which together with the “HeKhalutz” movement concentrated the best of the Jewish Zionist youth in the city. For many of us, it served as our second home. Within its walls, we were free from the troubles at home and from the pressure of the school's antisemitism.

We found innocence and friendship at the branch, like in a bird's nest. We grew up there without a feeling of inferiority, and we had woven a youth life, full of content. That was where we dreamt about making Aliyah the Land of Israel.

[Page 191]

Everyone who raises the scene in front of their eyes of the “HaShomer HaTzair's” branch from its beginning until the days of its flourishing could not pass over to prominent figures: Dr. Schumer z”l, who died in Hadera, and lawyer Dr. Shlomo Glazer, who perished with most of his family in the Holocaust.

The members of the branch did not know these figures. They operated modestly behind the scenes. They were the “OPIEKA” (“patronage'), the committee responsible for the authority for the legal existence of the movement and the fulfillment of the by-laws. That was a heavy burden and tremendous responsibility. Not many people among the distinguished people of the intelligentsia were willing to be a guarantor for the passionate and rebellious youth. In particular, the atrocious period of the “Red Assimilation” must be noted. Many movement members left for ideological reasons and joined a rival camp, which was oppressed by the authorities. The threat of the closure of the branch was not late. Only because of the intervention and stability of these two figures did the authorities approve the continuous and stable existence of the branch. Thanks to them, we received permits for the summer camps (“colonies”), where we could maintain the life of a Shomeric Colony in the "bosom of nature” encompassing tens of branches from throughout the Ternopil district.

I did not know Dr. Schumer well. However, I frequently visited my relative, Dr. Melu ?] [Shlomo] Glazer's home. Despite the age difference, I was invited to his home as a friend. I particularly loved to come to his home because of the warm and friendly atmosphere he knew to induce in his family and guests. I felt equal among equals at his home. It was where I drew strength and belief in humans and the goodness of people.

He was an educated man with high virtues and reserved. He listened more than he talked and hid more than he revealed. He never preached morality to others because he believed that tests that people experience in life determine man's way. He did not like to stand out. He shied away from publicity and chose to be away from the limelight. From a distance of many years and periods, he remained in my memory as a simple, warm-hearted man, unformal, graceful, and fatherly. He understood the soul of the youth, as was expressed in his relations with his children and relatives. The house was full of fatherly love for his family.

He loved to stroll around with young people in an atmosphere of friendship and open heart. He behaved toward us joyfully and engaged in pleasant conversation. That joyful atmosphere could have become deep and thoughtful seriousness in a moment while maintaining the feeling of being equal in his company.

That was the man, and that is how I will always remember him. May his memory be blessed.

[Page 192]

Ozer Rot

Before I prepared to edit this book, my first thoughts turned to Ozer Rot, my teacher, and rabbi z”l. The image of my teacher-friend accompanies me until today. I drew my initial Hebrew and religious knowledge from him, and I learned from him about the Land of Israel, building it, and its past and present heroes. His intellectual level was high. His knowledge of religious studies and his unexhausted vigor in his work for the pioneering-Zionist movement placed him on the first row of the movement leaders.

Ozer was a speaker par excellence who knew how to enthuse his listeners. He served as a personal example in fulfilling the pioneering idea of Torah and work. That's how he acquired his name among his students and friends, and even his opponents. Whoever knew the warm-blooded Ozer respected his views even if they objected to them and knew that the views came from his heart and that all his motives were true and sincere.

I have decided on the article “The Fulfilling Zionist” because that was what he was.

When he died, I lost a relative, friend, and teacher. However, we all also lost a symbol of a dedicated and sincere Zionist, a symbol it would be hard to find elsewhere today.

As such, he is worthy to be remembered for generations. May his memory be blessed.

On behalf of the daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren, who were loved so much by my parents, and were their pride.

My father was born in a small town, Pomoriany, near Brzezany on 11 Tevet 5,656 (1896) to his father R' Nathan z”l, a ritual slaughterer and a Mohel, and his mother Bluma z”l.

He spent his childhood among the antisemites and violent Gentile children. Already in his childhood, he knew that he would need to better them in wisdom and physical strength. He says: “As a Jewish kid, he felt that I always needed to win against the big ‘Shkutzim’ [deragetory term for hateful Gentile children],” and that was what happened. “Me, the little Jew, stood my ground against the big ‘Shkutzim’ and won against them.” That fact was the basis for his national Jewish views and the foundation for his strong character, required to withstand tough undertakings, not yield, be consistent, sincerely strive for justice, and deplore injustice.

Like many of his generation, he was educated in a Kheder and Yeshivot, for which we do not have any details. He served in the Austrian military in the First World War.

He arrived in Brzezany after WW I at the end of 1919, when the first pioneering groups began to organize to make Aliyah. Already then, he began to plan to make Aliyah. On 10 Kheshvan 5682 (1922), he married Shifra, the daughter of R' Israel and Khana Kalman (whose families lived in Brzezany for generations). He worked as a small merchant for a living, with my mother helping him. Her involvement enabled him to devote time to public affairs, to which he dedicated most of his time, strength, and vigor. As a national religious Jew, on one side and a Chortkiv Hasid on the other, he was a member of “Tzeirei Mizrakhi” [“HaMizrakhi Youth”]. He participated in the leadership of the local branch and represented the movement in the district and province. He was also a representative of movement conferences and in the 12^th and 13^th Jewish Zionist Congresses (1921 and 1923 respectively, in Carlsbad-Karlovy Vary).

[Page 193]

Ozer Rot as a British guard (sitting fourth from right)

A group of Jewish guards, guarding the airport in Kibbutz Afikim, 5699 – 1938. Rot is fourth from the right.

As an educator, my father maintained a religious-national orientation. To realize that philosophy, he thought he must provide a personal example by educating his daughters according to that orientation. He, therefore, created the appropriate conditions that would complement the education at home. In parallel to enrolling us in the public Catholic Christian school, he made sure we also studied at the “Tarbut” [“Culture”] school (He was one of the activists in its founding and management). There, we studied Hebrew, the official language at the school, Zionism, etc. He also paid a Melamed to teach us reading in the Sidur and the prayers. When I entered the first class in school, he took me every Saturday to the branch of “Bnei Akiva” [religious youth movement], despite the objection by my mother and grandmother Z” l. He explained: “If I would not take her to ‘Bnei Akiva’, she would go tomorrow to “HaShomer HaTzair” [non-religious Marxist youth movement]. He valued the educational contribution of the youth movement in forging character and shaping our personality starting at a young age. In educating his children, he arranged for the three worlds to be merged – the general, religious, and national.

The stories told by my father, as they were etched in memory, concentrated around two subjects: 1) the relations between a people and the honoring of a father and mother;2) the Land of Israel, love of the nation and its land. Due to family and political reasons, he made Aliyah only in 1934. He joined a large group of Brzezany natives from the city. Like every new immigrant, he experienced a crisis that manifested itself in the decline of social and economic status. That lasted about half a year. Father, the joyful and smiley man who had a story for every situation, walked around in a serious and depressed mood. Since most of the Brzezany natives settled in Haifa, he, too, settled in that city. They constituted an economic and social support system for each other – that enabled him, like others from that city, to overcome crises and absorb the new reality.

For Father, the building of the Land of Israel and the Hebrew language were intertwined. He was already fluent in Hebrew in Brzezany. From the moment we got off the ship in Haifa, he did not allow us to speak Polish. He said: “In the land of Israel, we speak Hebrew. We no longer speak the language of the diaspora, we had just left with G-d's help.” He even pushed aside Yiddish, even though he loved the language, and always pointed at its juiciness.

From the Aliyah until his death (28 Kislev 5723-1962), he resided and was active in Haifa. As a member of the “Hadar-HaCarmel Committee,” he worked on constructing the first water system, which was hard physical work. He was also a member of the “HaMizrakhi” district office, the executive committee, party headquarters, and a representative of various conferences. In his activity, he concentrated on two important projects of the branch: 1) as a man of books, he volunteered to establish and manage the general and Torah-based library; 2) he was active in the charity fund and a member of the management team.

He self-taught and acquired his general education by increased reading. He was particularly interested in the relationships between people, Hebrew and general literature, and everything associated with Zionism and religious Zionism. He considered geography and Jewish history as complementary to the vast knowledge he had about Judaism.

[Page 194]

With the riots in 1936-1939, he volunteered for defense and guard duties, serving directly under Chief of Staff General Dori. We do not have details about his military duties. Everything we know is what we saw. He did hard physical work during the day, and at night, he trained in using weapons and guarded in various locations. He was sworn in as a “Gafir” [British mandate's auxiliary policeman] and as such, he guarded the first airport of the “Haganah” in 1938. He also served as a guard in other locations under the disguise of a fireman. Those roles allowed him to carry weapons approved by the English mandate authority – which, in turn, enabled him to hide additional weapons of the Haganah at home, despite the danger,

As a religious person, he despised using religion for personal benefit. When he was assigned guard duty on Shabbat, he tried to get a permit from the Rabbinate based on the principle of “Pikuakh Nefesh” [the preservation of human life overrides any other religious rule, including Shabbat rules]. Since he did not receive a clear-cut answer, he walked on foot to the guard location, endangering his life, and refused to be replaced by his non-religious friends. His concept was that “If there is a prohibition [of traveling by car], it should placed on everybody, since all of them were Jews. On this subject, he knew no compromises. He claimed that the problems of “the state in the making” must be solved by religiously-acceptable solutions equal to all.

The Jewish population in the Land of Israel experienced a severe economic crisis during the Second World War, which led to unemployment and dismissals. Among those who were dismissed were some of his closest friends. He offered to split his days of work with his friends. He worked only three days a week for several months and donated the other days to one of his best friends.

Despite the economic distress, my parents saw it as their utmost duty to provide their children the broadest education possible.

At the end of WW II, my cousin David Goldshield z”l, the son of my father's sister, arrived in Israel. His parents perished in the Holocaust. He was only 16 and was sent to Mikveh Israel [agricultural boarding school] by the “Aliyat HaNoar.” When he was not absorbed at that school, we took him in, and he grew up at our house like a son. David was killed near Jenin during the Independence War when he was only 19. That disaster had an enormous effect on my father. He joined and harnessed himself to the activity of the committee of grieving parents, “Yad LeVanim.” He was instrumental in strengthening the committee and took part in its activity of memorializing the fallen.

The tragic events of the Holocaust were always on his mind. The loss of most of the nation did not let him rest. For that reason, he harnessed himself to the effort of establishing the landsman-shaft committee for Brzezany natives aimed to memorialize the fallen. As a secretary of the committee, he spurred and whipped to ensure the publishing of this memorial book. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the book published.

I mentioned that he was a thinker with original reasoning and a man of personal example. I will bring here a portion of the many letters he wrote to me: “You are reaching maturity and independence. I congratulate you and wish you that your way will not be paved with roses, thistles, thorns, and big rocks and that you will have the strength to overcome all of the obstacles and choose and pave the right way that fits you on which you will able to march safely with your head held high.” Those words encapsulate his personality, his being, and way of my father's life. He was an “institution” not only for his children but for everyone whom he worked and acted with. When he was still full of vigor, he went on trips throughout the country, the whole width and length, swimming at sea in the summer and winter, always smiling, joyful, a man of humor and good words.

He died suddenly on 28 Kislev, 5723 [1962], when he was only 67.

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When we talk about my father z”l, it is impossible not to mention my mother, Shifra z”l. She was born on 7 Av 7/11/1892 and died on 4 Elul 5731 (1971).

She was a modest woman, very clever, practical, gentle, independent, and aspired to reach every objective alone without the help of others,

She helped Father loyally, modestly, and quietly. She worked hard at home and outside to help make a living. She was always by his side, enabling his activities while hiding behind the scenes. She was proud of his contributions to others. Our home was always open to friends, relatives, and Brzezany's natives. When the latter arrived in Haifa, they had a place to stay. It was never too small. Like having taken an active role in making a living, she had a role in our education and the direction of our studies: “Whatever I did not receive from my parents, I want my children to get.” She excelled in her practical and artistic skills, which she did not have the opportunity to develop. She was sorry about that throughout her entire life. Mother was an” Inner King's Daughter,” and that's how she remains in our memory.

Shlomo Redlikh

The German army progressed eastward.

We are approaching annihilation, I said. I do not see any possibility to get out of this mess. Hi…r (may his name be blotted out) is ruling the whole world. He has already conquered Ukraine and is standing at the gates of Moscow. What will be the end? Do you think England will be able to withstand the pressure and hold on until America is ready to join the war? Besides that, isn't America busy with Japan? Everything was black in my eyes, without a glimmer of hope.

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“Why?” – he answered – “I see things differently. I can see now the defeat of Hi…r. Do you know where his demise will come from? – it will come from his win. He will be buried here. Here in the East. Here, in the snow, cold, mud, and the vast areas. They will defeat him. We will return to Zion. I already see our joyful day, the celebration after his defeat. Not everybody will indeed be there as the bride's parents, but the wedding will take place. I am sure that you will also be there. Remember!”

The clock showed five-fifty. “Go” – I said – “the gates are closing at 6, and Jews are not allowed to get out of their house!” He went, and I was left with my thoughts. Is it possible that this man is right? Perhaps he came to comfort.

Days passed, the summer ended, and every day brought a new victory for the enemy. Every victory resulted in brand-new troubles and decrees. Every trouble brought depression, bitterness, and spiritual and physical weakness. Winter 1941 arrived, and with it, a glimmer of hope. We secretly listened to the radio and read German newspapers. We read between the lines and found a partial comfort: H…r has paused. H…r cannot withstand general “cold” and general “mud.” We met him again at the “Judenrat.” And his face was filled with joy.

The winter passed, and with it – our hope. The 1942 offensive brought our enemy additional victories. The Germans conquered Crimea, penetrated the suburbs of Stalingrad, and stood in front of Moscow. They held most of Stalingrad, and the German army crossed the Volga River. In the meantime, we moved to the ghetto. Many of us were not alive any longer – our people died from hunger, were killed in forced labor camps, and murdered in Belzec. The rest of us waited to die.

On one of the days, I met him accompanied by Ukrainians, who led him to work. His face was pale, his back bent, and he was weak and tired. I hinted at my question – “What will happen?” He answered with a small smile at the edge of his mouth. I understood …

A big turn took place in the winter of 1942/43. Hi…r suffered one defeat after the other. The Soviet Army conquered back one area after the other, city after city, and approached us from one day to the other,

The Ghetto's residents disappeared by the day. We remained just a few. Hi…r was adamant to finish us all. There were victims every day. Every day, the Germans caught some of us and killed them. Every day – there were fewer people in the ghetto. A little comfort was the thought that Hi…r would eventually be defeated, however, who among us would live to see it?

On one of the February 1943 days, when I passed through the border of the ghetto, I heard his voice calling: “Wait, don't run away. Did you hear that Kyiv is in our hands? Did you hear what is happening in North Africa? You would live to see Hi…r's defeat. Another day, another month, and he would not last. Now I can see the voice of the people singing our victory song. I only want one thing from you. When salvation comes, and you will survive, then…”

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I did not see them, but I felt that they were coming and approaching. I did not say goodbye and continued on my way. My heart stopped beating, my face paled, and only my legs continued to carry me forward. I wore a band on my left arm, with a red Star of David and the word “Physician” written on it. I opened the door of a pharmacy located in front of me. I stood there catching my breath and waited. The moments lasted forever. One moment seemed like a whole year. One more moment and another, and another, and suddenly – shooting. “What happened? Was he killed?”

A few more long moments passed. I knew I could not stay in that location and needed to run away. When I opened the door, I met two Gestapo people. They recognized me and asked mockingly: “Are you going to determine the cause of death?” “No,” I answered and went to where my friend lay to say goodbye. He lay there with his eyes half opened. Blood poured from his temples and colored the snow with a crimson stain.

I stood there for a short while and looked at him. His face did not change, but I saw his lips murmuring and whispering: I put my ears close to hear his last words. I heard his voice during his visit two years ago. and again when we talked ten minutes ago: “Our joyful day will come. You will survive, and then, don't forget me!”

I kept his memory with me. I did not forget him, as I did with some others with whom I spent time together.

When I used to return to Brzezany during the breaks from studies, I and several other friends spent the evenings together and on trips outside the city. Among the regular people on these trips was, this man, Shlomo Redlikh Z” L, a man who was older than us by many years but was young at heart, perhaps the youngest of all of us. He was full of vigor and love of life despite his physical pain and his worries, which he tried to hide from us. He was a bachelor. His friends had already grown children and even grandchildren. He distanced himself from his peers and remained young. He looked for and found his place among the young. His face and body testified to his years and physical suffering. Thin, bent, and with crooked fingers, he pulled his legs and breathed heavily. But in conversations, he was the opposite of that – young and fresh. He was educated, learned, and clever. He left the “Beit HaMidrash” to study general sciences. He disconnected from his past but, like many others like him, was unsuccessful in adapting to modern life and remained outside the fence. He was a Hebrew teacher par excellence, and I am not sure why he did not work in his profession. He was a gentle soul, sensitive to other people's suffering, had humor, was a storyteller, and knew to sing and joke. He understood the young soul, knew how to live with them, and understood when he needed to live alone with themselves.

We respected and loved him and learned from him life wisdom. His hobby was theater directing. In those moments, he forgot the entire world surrounding him, the worries and suffering, and found himself in a different world - all his. That was the only pleasure in his life, where he drew some satisfaction.

He experienced tremendous suffering during the Holocaust, but his spirit remained strong. He truly believed in Hi…r's defeat and Jewish salvation. His dream was eventually fulfilled. We will keep his request and will not forget him.

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Benyamin Te'eni

When he reached the age of high school, he moved to Brzezany, where he studied at the high school and was involved in the life of student youth in the city. From among the many political currents that flooded our town after the First World War, he chose the Zionist movement. Since he viewed the Zionist idea as a way of life, he began to fulfill it in practice.

I heard about his young adulthood and first Zionist activity from his landsman, Moshe Bar David. “He was tall, good-looking with broad shoulders.” That is how the story began. “It was in one of Saturday afternoons in 1918 when we went out on an ‘activity’ as members of the “HaShomer HaTzair” movement to the ‘Roriska Forest,’ to nature, to discuss the subject of Zionism and pioneering.

The discussion and the game we played progressed pleasantly until a group of “Shkutzim” [a derogatory term for Gentile children] appeared suddenly and began to harass us. Frightened due to the surprise and the size of the attacking group, we gathered around Benyamin. Without a hint of panic, he tried to convince the “Shkutzim,” in a pleasant but firm language, to leave us alone. The “convincing” was not very effective, so Benyamin broke a branch from a tree and went alone to teach the “Shkutzim” a lesson about “the desired course of behavior” toward Jews. Not that many moments later, they ran away, yelling in pain. We completed our “action” safely and returned to the city.

“He was a ‘leader in the making’ who succeeded, early on, in gathering around him a large group of youths who flocked after him and listened to him without any complaint. His sturdy figure, good heartiness, and natural leadership instilled in us self-confidence, assurance in our way of life, physical safety, and feeling in our surroundings, which was missing so much during those days.”

He first connected with the “HaShomer” movement and acted as a guide for the young generation. In 1919, he was among those who organized the first group of pioneers for Aliyah. When the date approached before completing high school, getting the matriculation certificate before making the Aliyah became problematic. However, the high school management considered his vigor and skills and granted him the certificate before the end of the year in order not to interfere with the date for his Aliyah. He made Aliyah in the same year, 1920, as a pioneer, together with two young men, Yosheh Haber and Libling.

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As his first step in Eretz Israel, he took to fulfilling the principle of Hebraic work in the homeland. He first worked as an agriculturalist in Rosh Pina and Metula. While wandering around in the Galilee, he moved to Tiberias. He worked there as a carpenter and a guard in nearby Mitzpa and surroundings. As the pioneering spirit never left him, he joined “Khavurat HaEmek” [a pioneering group of road pavers and public works workers] and worked in road construction. In 1922, he moved to Haifa with his friends to promote Hebraic work, where he worked until the dissolution of the workgroup.

At that time, he transferred to the public works department, where he managed the construction of various public buildings. In parallel, he completed his studies at the Technion [University].

His affinity for the public interest and his tremendous vigor brought him quickly to the management of public works. In 1925, he was elected a representative of Haifa workers to the “Hadar HaCramel Committee” [the municipal council for the Jewish section of Haifa]. In 1928, he was nominated to manage the water project of the committee, established as the “municipal authority of the city's Jewish population,” which competed with the municipal council of the [British] Mandate. He demonstrated tremendous workability, skills, and expertise. Thanks to those attributes, he succeeded in establishing an exemplary water system, which successfully competed with other water systems in the city.

Besides his work activity, he was involved in other diversified public affairs activities. He was a member of the Judging team of the Magistrate court and of the “Histadrut labor union.” He was also a member of the committee for housing disputes and other public committees.

With all of his public activities, he did not forget about his family and landsmen. Before 1937, he succeeded in receiving [Aliyah] certificates and brought his entire family from Europe to Eretz Israel. The Feigenbaum family was the first such family from Brzezany who made Aliyah. Before the Second World War, he visited his native city twice and convinced many people there to follow his steps and make Aliyah. With the increase in the number of people who made Aliyah during the 1930s, he did not neglect his landsmen. He invested precious time, despite his busy schedule, to help every immigrant from his native city. He advised, guided, and provided assistance. He handed real help to some by arranging for a job, others by writing a recommendation, and even by hiring for a job at the committee he managed.

He dedicated his vigor to the “HaPoel” [sports organization] and acted as an arbitrator in various opportunities. During the Second World War, with the formation of the Jewish Brigade, he devoted his time to the recruitment office. He was also active at the “Haganah,” and fulfilled essential roles on its behalf on defense matters. Throughout his life, during calm days and in days of war, he believed in the path he chose for his life. He stood on guard, always self-assured in his way.

He was on a mission during his last day on 22 Shvat 5708, 2/2/1948. Despite warnings about sharpshooter shooting on the shore highway [between Haifa and Tel Aviv], he traveled with two of his friends to Tel Aviv to discuss the construction of security roads in Haifa. Opposite the [Arab] village of Tira, a bus hit their car purposely, a few shots were fired, and he was killed. He was brought to be buried at the military cemetery in Haifa.

Not only the members of the family who lost a father, husband, and relative, but the entire city of Haifa lost a leader. Our public lost an outstanding advisor and activist in public affairs, and his landsmen lost a loyal friend. These words here will serve as an eternal memorialization and recognition of his multi-faced activism and dedication to the needs of the individual and the public. May his memory be blessed.

The editor

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The only Yiddish bookstore that sold both Hebrew and Yiddish books in our town was operated by the “bookseller”, Yoshe Ast. He was not just any old bookseller who sold books to others without himself reading any of them, but to the contrary he read them before he sold them. At one time Yoshe Ast had been a grain merchant, and later he began to deal with books. He was a devout Jew, well grounded in [Torah] learning, and, yet, was also enlightened, loved a Hebrew scholarly text as well as a modern Hebrew novel and good Yiddish literature. He read every book and knew all his customers and knew what to offer them. He also had Holy Books [religious literature], tales of the Sages, and occasionally a rare manuscript. He knew a great deal and was familiar with the families of many previous generations who lived in the city, their pedigree, their rise and fall, and the complicated branches of the families, as well as a bit of local gossip. One could say that he was a living encyclopedia of the town. He was a friendly and upright person. The young people would happily patronize his bookshop and would listen to his talks about authors and their works, Rabbis and good Jews from the past and the present, a deep well-spring with much knowledge. His shop was in Yerucham Leber's house and he lived on the Bernardine Street near Shloimele Prisant's house. He had two children, a son Yehoshua (Shike) and a daughter Dvorke, both well educated as teachers. Both, while living in Brzezan, were members of Zionist youth organizations in which they were actively engaged. In later years they lived elsewhere having taken educational posts in Congress Poland.

Yoshe Ast who gave good advice to many Jews was not able to find a solution when he himself really needed one. His honest and high moral stature presented him with a dilemma he couldn't overcome. When his son-in-law became enmeshed in business difficulties and involved his father-in-law as a witness – and since Yoshe felt he would have to testify under oath in court – which was against his principles, he was unable to bear the burden, he took it to heart and several days before the trial he died of a heart-attack. The Jewish population was orphaned without a Yiddish bookseller who for more than a generation provided them with their needs of Yiddish and Hebrew books.

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Yekhiel Peltz studied at a Kheder as a child and later in Beit HaMidrash. He left the Torah studies with a few friends and went to Berlin to acquire knowledge and a profession. He did acquire knowledge, but did not achieve his goal because of a lack of financial means, and returned home without an academic occupation. He married and then moved to Pidvolochysk [Podwoloczyska]. Since he did not do well there, he returned to his native city, in the sense of the Talmudic phrase: “A change of place, a change of luck.” In Brzezany, he made a living teaching. He taught the Bible and prepared students for the matriculation examination. He also helped university students with their doctoral theses. During those days, we both resided in the same apartment house.

A while later, when I got to know him, I became attached to him with intense love. I derived pleasure in meeting with him. My family too, became very friendly with his family. It was very pleasant to conduct a discussion with him, even a casual one since his discussions were like discussions among scholars.

He was an educated and learned man, deeply knowledgeable in many fields, particularly in the Bible, general history, Jewish history, and Jewish and general literature. Mr. Israel Fenster, a learned man, educated and exemplary Zionist, found comfort and satisfaction in his meeting with Mr. Peltz, and thus a circle of three families was formed.

We had conducted meetings, particularly outdoors, in nature, on Shabbats and the summer holidays, where we listened thirstily to R' Yekhiel talks about various topics, starting with literature, Zionism, and Torah matters, and ending with politics and Aliyah to Eretz Israel. At the end of those picnics on Shabbat, we were always very thankful for the generous spiritual pleasure awarded to us.

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It is difficult for me to describe our farewell when we made Aliyah in 1934. I shook his hand and felt that he was devastated. He could not control himself because it was not him who was making Aliyah. He said: “If I could, I would have gone barefoot, days and nights to reach our homeland.” Tears trickled down from his eyes. He did not escape from the fate of the rest of the Jews in the city. He tried to hide in a closet, where the murderous hand found him. No trace was left of his family.

May their souls be bundled in the bundle of life! May their memory be blessed!

R' Moshe Shpitzen was a known and recognized figure in our city. He was recognized by the poor whom he helped and was respected by the wealthy, as he allowed them to fulfill the commandment - “…And the poor will live among you.” He often reminded them of the commandment - “Be open-handed toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land” [Deuteronomy 15:11]. He was a man who dedicated his entire life to helping others and demonstrated the “social aid” approach “on a small scale” without offices and officialdom. He provided aid to the poor in secret, with love, honesty, and respect. And all of that, on his own, only with his goodwill. He overcame many obstacles with the help of his loyal wife, Rakhel, who stood by him in everything he had done. It should be noted that Ya'akov Bomze, from the young layer, joined that effort in the last few years. May his memory be blessed!

R' Moshe was of average height but had a majestic appearance, a long beard, and bright, wise eyes that testified about his character, deeds, and honesty. He was agile, always in a hurry to go to work or return from it, carrying bags to allow a poor man to bless the Shabbat over a challah and praise his creator. He worked in teaching Hebrew, arithmetic, and Yiddish. His wife sold leather in the store and in the evenings taught German. They both were happy with what they had and never complained toward the heavens.

His wife, Rakhel, the daughter of Moshe Apel, was modest and quiet, always wearing a smile on her lips, with a charitable heart and open arms, always ready to say a good word, and her face showed her good-heartedness.

Their assistance to the poor was manifested in several things: finding and supplying the needs of the needy for Shabbat, providing Kosher food to the sick at the hospital and the Jews at the jail, delivering wood for heating in the winter, and provisions for Passover. There were cases when his wife volunteered to wash the clothing for a sick and poor woman.

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It was quite a show to see them at work! Starting with the finding of Shabbat needs beginning in the early hours of Thursday, R' Shpitzen crisscrossed the city to gather Challah, fish, meat, and other provisions. When his bags were filled, he returned home to empty them and return for more rounds. He dragged his feet until close to the commencement of the Sabbath. Rakhel gathered the provisions and divided them into dishes according to the size of the needy families.

Whoever had not witnessed the food distribution on Holy Shabbat Eve by the righteous Rakhel does not know what fulfilling a commandment is! She welcomed those who came with the blessing “Shabbat Shalom,” asking how they were, handing them the dishes, and accompanying them outside. That lasted until a late hour.

R' Moshe received the role of helping the sick from his father-in-law R' Yosheh Apel, who took care of that duty in the past and handed it to his son-in-law in his old age, knowing that he would fulfill the duty loyally. The Jewish hospital in our city was small and not well equipped. It lacked instruments, tools, and proper furniture. It could not afford to supply all the needs of the patients. That was where R' Moshe was active. He provided kosher food daily for the patients and even the Jewish patients at the municipal hospital, where the food was Treifa [not kosher].

The jail building happened to be located close to R' Moshe's home. When the jail management accepted a Jewish prisoner, they immediately notified him. Some prisoners were jailed for being Communists, and others were because of various offenses. But even the Communists did not want to give up on tasteful kosher food. The situation was more difficult before Passover. It required new dishes, pots, and bags. R' Moshe and his wife supplied kosher food and other provisions to prepare for the Passover Seder.

One work came on the other's heels. The winter was approaching. The poor could not afford to fix their houses, and they were not ready for the approaching intense cold. These people needed a supply of wood for heating and potatoes, the principal food in the winter. It was R' Moshe who took care of that. He spared no effort, dragging his feet from the wood merchant, forest merchant to the potatoes merchant, from one merchant to another, with a detailed list of every needy family. He talked, lobbied, explained the severity of the situation, turn to the Jewishness of the philanthropist until he received what he wanted. It may have taken a week, two weeks, and sometimes even longer, but in the end, we saw wagons loaded with wood and potato sacks going to the poor houses and dispensing their loads. Nobody knew who donated or received what except R' Moshe because he did not do it for the honor or his share in the next world. He did that for the pure intention of helping others and to ease the harsh life of the needy.

R' Moshe was an honest man with noble virtues who worshiped G-d with love. Many people turned to him and asked: “Your children are in Eretz Israel and would easily and gladly help you the make Aliyah. Why are you waiting?” R' Moshe responded: “Give me a person who would replace me here and accept my roles.” He remained in the diaspora with his poor people.

The needs of the people were so numerous, especially before Passover. Besides food and drinks, people need a dress, a shoe, paint to paint the walls white, cooking tools, and more. There was no money to buy these things. Some were ashamed to ask for help, and help had to be provided secretly. My father-in-law had a long list of “hidden” needy. Only he knew that they did not have a penny in their pocket. They were not ashamed of him, and he took care of them. He was their confidant.

A long time before the holiday of Purim, R' Moshe sat down at home until late hours and prepared the list of the needy. He wrote to our people in the United States and asked them to help. He narrated the miserable state of the poor in the city while emphasizing that the help must arrive in time for the holiday!

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He also turned to Rabbi Leibaleh Roza, the rabbi of the Brzezany people in New York, for his approval. With a heart full of hope, he waited … but was worried …who knows when the help would come?

And there, everything came together. The mailmen were running with letters, distributing them to the city poor, and R' Moshe stood on the side, and his joy was enormous. Many passed by him and hinted their thanks without words, only a turning of the head and a smile. He was waiting for that!

He was murdered in the Belzec killing camp, and his wife was murdered on 9 Sivan 5703 [6.12.1943] in the cemetery by the mass grave. May their memory be blessed!

I am writing these words with tears in my eyes. There is a phrase in the Talmud about Shabbat Eruvin saying that “whoever sheds tears after a Tzadik, G-d counts them and stores them in his archives.” May my tears serve that holy purpose – the elevation of the souls of R' Moshe and Rahkel z”l!

Their decedents will carry their memory forever. May the people who inherit us learn the lesson after reading these lines, follow R' Moshe and his wife, dedicate themselves to public affairs, and thus memorialize them, their doings, and holiness!

His name suits him [Margaliot = gems in Hebrew], a dear man, a scholar, good virtues, teacher, and educator who educated two generations of students who carried his flag. He contributed his vast knowledge to the youths in our city. Due to his pleasant behavior and manners, he served as an example and a bright light for life.

More than eighty years have passed since a young man appeared at the gates of our city, dressed in ceremonial clothes with a top hat on his head. He came to us from Brody, a descendant of a famous family – Margaliot. Besides bringing some news, he brought teaching certificates from great rabbis and a few offers to serve as a city rabbi. He rejected those offers with some excuses. He claimed that a rabbi was like the High Priest. According to the [Jewish Law], he was not allowed to serve in that holy work if he was disabled (One eye of R' Zalman was defective). He also claimed that he did not want to use the Torah as his source of income.

He decided to try his luck in trade and went to England. However, since he lacked the proper attributes and approach for that work, he was unsuccessful and had to return to our city. He then had no choice but to dedicate himself to teaching. He hardly made a living until his children grew up and removed that burden from his shoulders. From that point on, he committed to studying the Torah for the sake of the Torah. However, he continued teaching. Assiduous Torah study became his main occupation. Torah learning filled his life. But he did not only study. He taught, educated, and guided those who came to listen to him about the Torah. He did it without receiving a wage. He taught for the sake of teaching and in honor of G-d.

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Those who woke up early would meet R' Zalman on his way to the Beit HaMidrash of R' Yudel. It was the closest place to his home. As early as 3 am, he was already humming his Talmud lesson. A few young Torah learners and some learned homeowners gathered around him. Then R' Zalman began his daily lesson for those hungry for knowledge and Torah. The lesson would end with the Shakahrit [morning] prayer. The people dispersed to go to work, and a new group gathered for another Minyan, and they went too. R' Zalman remained sitting, busy deciphering a Sugiya [theological question] and his entirety was in a different world. At 10 am, he stood up for a prayer at that same corner on the right side of the “Bimah,” his regular place. That corner was not on the “East Side,” G-d forbid because R' Zalman shied away from honor or prominence. He began to pray. People witnessed him in a trance while he prayed. With his eyes closed, without any movement, he united himself with his creator.

He was a modest and humble man. He was shy and did not pay attention to his surroundings. He did not know what a political party meant. For him, all Jews were friends, and every one of them was a descendent of Avraham, Yitzkhak, and Ya'akov; he did not check the integrity of people, and he was careful not to hurt anybody's feelings nor insult their finances or honor. He loyally followed the phrase: “Who is respected? The one who respects others.” When Shabbat came, he was all joy and prayer. Moysheleh Shu”v [ritual slaughterer and kosher inspector], R' Simkha Binim Heller, R' Yosi Streisand, Barukh Ast, Dudeleh “HaKatan” [“the small”], and others were sitting around him at one of the meals of Shabbat's “Three Meals” and singing “Zmirot” [Jewish hymns]. R' Zalman, too, sounded his voice. Whoever saw him in those moments knew he was in the world of imagination and legend.

He loved Eretz Israel, not less than he loved Israel. How great was his joy, when, in 1920, the first group of pioneers made Aliyah! He was tremendously happy then. He always feared that – like our father Ya'akov toward his meeting with Esau, the right of his brother, who never left Eretz Israel, would win. At that time, the fact that Jews were returning to their homeland was a sign of the coming salvation. When his grandson Naphtali made Aliyah in 1935, he was filled with joy and with tearing eyes, he said: “At least, if I did not succeed, one of my descendants would fulfill our dream, to build and be built [in Eretz Israel].”

That was that man until his last day. He died at an old age at the beginning of the Second World War. His memory will protect us, his image and Torah will serve as our guiding light and as a guide for future generations.

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R' Leibush Perlmutter and his wife

Our little house on Nova[?] Street served our family for three generations. It was a modest house, and from the outside, it looked like the homes of our Polish neighbors, except for the light emanating from it early in the morning and late at night. The light was a sign that the father or grandfather were busying themselves with studying the Torah and reading other books from our extensive library in our home.

My grandfather ztz”l, Leibush Perlmutter the Shu”v [ritual slaughterer and kosher inspector], was a scholar and a Hasid, a remnant of the Jewish world that passed. He was immersed in the world of the Torah and Hassidism and almost oblivious to what happened in the world in the 20^th century.

My father, z”l, was born in Kozova, a town near Brzezany, to his father, R' Yehoshua Lokman the Shu”v, known for his Torah scholarly and Hassidic nature. He was a shoot from the stock of the great rabbis of Belz Hassidim. My father was already famous in his childhood for his sharpness and education in the fields of the Torah and science. He continued to frequently visit the Belz's rabbis. He was known to have deep knowledge of mathematics and Astronomy. He married my mother, Gitel, the daughter of R' Leibush Perlmutter z”l, and took over the position of my grandfather z”l to the satisfaction of the public and the glory of the community.

My parents, Avraham and Gitel Lokman were aware of the changes in the Jewish world through the new ideologies. Their main worry was to fight the foreign ideas according to the spirit of the Torah and tradition and to protect their four daughters, Brunia, Khana, Bela, and I, from what they considered the danger of foreign culture.

My mother was an exemplary helpmate, Together, my parents fulfilled the commandments of hospitality and benevolence. Our home was opened for guests and Jewish travelers from all over Poland who wandered around collecting donations for institutions and yeshivot. My mother provided these visitors with food and a place to sleep, while my father helped them collect donations from the community. When he found out that one of the visitors was also a scholar, the discussion about the Torah and Halakha continued until the late hour of the night and became a source of joy and satisfaction to my father.

I hope that these virtues and their intense faith helped them in their last days of June 1943, when they all perished before their time.

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