After the end of the Second World War, when I had come back from the front, my first desire was: to find Dokshitz, move back to my shtetl — perhaps some of my relatives survived, maybe some neighbors, some friends? Because even then, in the year 1945, some of us had the illusion that it was impossible and unnatural to slaughter millions of Jews in Poland, Russia,

Ephriam Lifshitz

Germany, France, Belgium and other lands. Although I myself was a soldier and had seen desolated cities and shtetls, experienced a front of thousands of kilometers and already knew what the German murderers had done with our people —nevertheless, a spark of hope still glowed in my heart that at least some of the Jews of Dokshitz were able to avoid the tragic fate.

…And so, I find myself already in Dokshitz. The shtetl looks like an abandoned

demolished nest. I search for the streets, alleys, nooks and corners, where but 6 years ago a full-blooded Jewish life roared and fevered — in the street, in the beys-midrash [house of study], in the political party meeting houses, in the organizations…

I ask a Christian if he knows if my brothers came here. He answered very calmly and indifferently that the Dokshitz Jews were not taken far away to other places to be killed, rather, just behind the shtetl to a huge dirt pit, over which the unlucky sacrifices were shot by machine guns — women, men, children, elderly, youth. Entire families were killed in this beastly manner, which only the bloodthirsty Nazis could conceive and carry out.

So, here I stand at my brothers’ grave of Dokshitz martyrs. A cry is choked —but no tear shows itself in my eyes. My heart grieves — but I am not able to let out so much as a creak. I connect with the memory of the fallen, my dear and nearest who were killed as holy martyrs in God’s name — and my memory wanders over into another world, the evil world of governments and people who knew about the bitter fate of the Jews and no one of them made any rulings, intervened, or demanded that the Germans stop the blood bath of us, the Jews.

Oh, Dokshitz martyrs — we will never forget you!

During 1941-42 the Germans captured over two million Russian prisoners. They were treated with the familiar Nazi cruelty. The Germans did not understand that some of the prisoners suffered in their time from the Stalinist regime persecution and would cooperate with them. This could be a major reinforcement for the German army. As they did not understand this, the wave of self surrendering prisoners disappeared.

Then, in 1943 the Germans experimented: They promised a late improvement of conditions. So it happened that a few Russian prisoners agreed to serve as soldiers in Fascist-Russian units. Even before this a Russian general, Vlasov, deserted over to the German side and headed a Russian army cooperating with the Germans.

An elite unit was organized by the German security service using the Russian prisoners. As its commander was chosen Polkovnik Gil-Rodionov and its chief of staff was Malishev. They dressed in German army uniform, and only an insignia on their hats and sleeves singled them out. There were a number of German "advisors" in these companies. They operated with cruelty in Yugoslavia and Poland against the partisans.

The day came and the Germans decided to have them operate against the partisans in the Dokshitz area, mixing with the native populace and the partisan movement and reading the partisan-printed propaganda leaflets.

The Rodionov soldiers heard the truth about the German losses in the eastern front and the idea of desertion and joining the great partisan movement began to sprout in them.

A secret contact was made between the Zelezniak Partisan Brigade and the Rodionovers in Dokshitz. Then, in order to prove the sincerity of their intentions, the Rodionovers in Dokshitz killed the Germans, attacked the Krolevshtchina railroad intersection wearing German uniforms, and burned a part of Dokshitz. Partisan commisars were now sent to the Rodionov companies instead of the Germans and commisar Ivan Matweiewich Timchuk was made commander of them all. Timchuk took Abraham-Yitzchak Friedman from Postovi as his aid as his loyalty was impeachable.

On Stalin's orders the Rodionov partisans were sent to the most dangerous missions in order to "wipe clean" their betrayal. Indeed they fought against the Nazis and their cooperators bravely and most were killed in the Bialorussian forests. After the release they were sent to the punishing platoons and more were killed. Few, badly wounded, survived. Thus did the Germans receive in Dokshitz another lesson in war against the Russians.