[Page 43]

As a “Sabra” I view the cherished town whose Jews, all shared their joys and their sorrows. The town, that was so close to their hearts. In that little town they lived their lives, cultured, national, aware and vibrant. The youth among them learned and spoke fluent and accurate Hebrew among themselves. In the evenings the streets and courtyards were full of the sound of traditional Hebrew songs. From among the ranks of the “He–Halutz” organization their members presented excellent cultural activities and their finest members were sent to Palestine. The town's Jews willingly supported the various national funds; and above all – the local “Tarbut” school in which the school–children acquired knowledge and wisdom in their mother–tongue. The school was a sort of cultural and national center for the town. The children created a Hebrew–speaking group – “Sons of Yehuda” and took upon themselves to speak Hebrew not only at school but also with their parents and acquaintances and through them the streets of the town resounded with the Hebrew tongue.

Truly – there is much to learn from the cherished town.

Translator's note:

1. “Sabra” is the slang name of the local prolific cactus plant colloquially known as the “prickly–pear”. The words are by no means an actual translation of each other. The fruit has lots of very fine, almost invisible hair-like spines that can be at the very least uncomfortable if handled carelessly. It can only be harvested with a special cutter and when boiled the spines soften, the fruit can be peeled and eaten. Like the fruit, the native Israeli has been traditionally described as “hard and prickly outside; sweet and tender inside,” and has thus become nicknamed a “Sabra”. Return

As a “Sabra”, I can only see the town of Goniadz as a special town full of its own special personality and character, but casual passers–by would see only the same life–style of about seventeen–thousand other Jewish communities scattered about Europe. It is possible to “analyze” Goniadz from aspects. First of all, its external appearance: Like these “passers–by”, I take an imaginary stroll and feel myself one belonging to the town and these are the sights I discover in front of me: I walk along narrow streets and twisting lanes; gaze upon my surroundings and see: houses that from the outside seem familiar because those that dwell in them are Jews and they are built very close together, poor houses but splendid within aptly exemplifying the adage: “Look not upon the bottle but its contents.”

And now I have passed that lane and arrived at another one: the lane with the Seminary. I walk along the narrow lane and before I have gone very far, rearing before me is the Seminary of Goniadz. If so, then it is that same famous building that was the place where the pupils studied Gemara, Talmud and even “secular studies” – secretly, of course.

[Page 44]

The structure is well–built. I continued on my way roaming through the town and came immediately to a broad square. In a flash I remembered: this was the market square and site of the fairs held every Monday and Thursday. Empty, the place seems now, abandoned, silent and dilapidated.

I sat myself on a stone and tried to recall to my mind this town that I knew so well: how warm and pulsating this place was in earlier times with people from every corner of Goniadz and the surroundings; how many debates and give–and–take conversations were heard here in this place. How the gossips spread their tales to all who would listen and how the farmers came with their wagons and loaded them up to over–flowing with all sorts of purchases. With no alternative I continued on my way and suddenly, while I was still deep in my thoughts how this fertile rural town with flowering fields had become destroyed I found myself almost at the exit from the town.

On a high hill reared a luxurious building that I immediately recognized – the synagogue, the place of learning and prayer for the whole town during the summer months. Here people would pray three times a day, morning, afternoon and evening.

Continuing my stroll I saw the river Bobor just outside the town and remembered how we, the “Young Zion” group, would go out on Saturday afternoons, Zionist books in our hands floating on the river in boats reading, our thoughts given over to the Land of Israel – Zion and great enthusiasm growing in our heart with every line, with every word.

How many arguments we had on the topic with those who remained loyal to the town, and how we defeated them after long arguments.

That was Goniadz and the image always and forever will remain before us.

As “Sabras” we have much to learn from the past life of the town of Goniadz, as pupils and children and also our parents, the today's older people of Israel, as pupils of the Israel state schools. The “Sabras” are not known as such great “savants”, they don't have the tendency or love of learning, to accumulate, contemplate and express opinions from the lessons. We won't blame ourselves of course – there are those that do and those that don't. Even so, it was not so in Goniadz. There, the children could be used here in Israel as a shining example of pupils. The children of Goniadz were thirsty for knowledge and study, to express many opinions. They were drawn to accumulating knowledge and material through all sources and possibilities open to them, and were able to use them. They were undeterred by any obstacle in their way, and even their home assignments were always completed in their entirety and not one of the pupils ever failed to complete the preparation of the lessons The classes of the first Hebrew school in the Diaspora that was established in Goniadz became an emblem of knowledge, there was no disciplinary problem because every pupil in the school was eager to learn and accumulate information and who would interfere?

[Page 45]

Therefore there was never any need to punish, reprimand or comment adversely to any of the pupils who without doubt could be looked upon by us, the “Sabras”, as an example, a model emblem for their diligence, energy, maintained ambition, knowing no limit to their thirst for culture.

Also our parents and others among the people of Israel there is much to learn from the history of Goniadz. From the hardships they endured on the way undeterred by any obstacle. They acted in Goniadz without any prompting or signal in every field and cultural activity. They served in and established Zionist organizations – “Lovers of Zion”, “Zionist Youth” by the youth of the town “He–Halutz” and “The Young He–Halutz” – the highlight of the Goniadz projects “Ha–Heder Metukan” “KKL” – the organization for collecting donations for Zion, immigration to Palestine that never in the world ceased in spite of all difficulties. The libraries and theaters were also important projects for the people of the town. Their spirit of heroism, heartfelt effort and service, they toiled and the activities of their diversified projects have remained with us to this day as a beacon of life. Would that the activities of all our brethren, the Children of Israel, in all her extensive works should not shame the good name of Goniadz and the activities of her people, for us – and for Zion. May their daring spirit be exploited by us to forge a way for our own extensive activities in our own country.

Amen! ! ! !

The people of Goniadz had a unique character. These people, whose tribulations and concerns about their sustenance fell upon their shoulders, were not overly troubled by the burden. They did not despair, in spite of the riots and disturbances occasionally perpetrated by the Christians, people who lived their lives as if in peace and tranquility, maintaining connections with the Land of Israel – the longed–for land; a people with that spark of hope that never died within them for a better, freer life. These were the people of the beautiful town of Goniadz in Poland, which nestled on the banks of the river Bobor.

The collection of donations for the Keren Kayemet for Israel was of major importance to the people of Goniadz. I was especially impressed when I read about the topic, on the activities and ideas that sprang up in the heads of the organizers of the collections, in order to increase the incomes of the “KKL”. On more than one occasion, the mothers would come and grumble to the teachers that their children were saving their lunch–money and donating it to the “KKL”.

[Page 48]

The celebration of Jewish Holy Days and Festivals with great love and enthusiasm by the people of Goniadz expressed their strong desire to maintain with all their might the traditions of Israel, a fact that found expression on Shabbatot as well. Exalted and uplifting they were, as if the Children of Israel were celebrating with love and enthusiasm the festivals of Israel just like the people of Goniadz.

We can also learn from the personal examples that are found in Goniadz, like: the writer and poet, Shlomo Ben–Meir (Z”L), who was endowed with lofty qualities of modesty and humility; and Yitzhak Yaffe and the rest of the teachers of the school who were well educated.

How uplifting it all was, as if the people of Israel adapted the finer qualities of the people of Goniadz that are expressed by devotion to a mission, dedication to public office without any idea of seeking a personal gain or glory, except the ideal of performing good deeds that are always and only a spiritual gain, thanks to which all the ideals of Man developed – and are developing – and that gives added taste and value to life.

With everything that has been said, we see that many were the customs that we can adapt for ourselves from the life of Goniadz.

With these words I would like to express thanks to the people of Goniadz for granting us this Mitzvah. The town of Goniadz is one of many that existed in Europe. We feel we are performing a Mitzvah by memorializing and perpetuating the memory of the cherished town.

When those born there described to us their family–life, about the Hebrew school and about the “KKL” we were surprised how the town worried that their children should learn Hebrew and how the staff of the “KKL” acted to collect money for the sake of the Land of Israel. We have been granted a great Mitzvah by the people of Goniadz that we now memorialize that cherished town, of which there were many similar ones.

We are also privileged that they were concerned to teach their children Hebrew so that when they immigrated to Palestine they would know the language and the spiritual life of the country. We acknowledge the memory of Bilka Klapp (Z”L), and many others who worked hard to collect money for Palestine.

We vow with this that all classes of the school, year by year, will take part in this project of memorializing the community by participating in the registration in the Town Album, that will remain with us for eternity, of the names of all those who were exterminated. We will exert ourselves, come Holocaust Memorial Day, to light a Memorial Candle to their memory, next to their names, and thus their names and activities will be before us forever.

[Page 50]

“Don't bring to an end their last despairing cry in our ears, and our mourning will not cease, until the ignominy and curse of the Diaspora is wiped out entirely, and our people re–established and rebuilt in our Land of Israel"

Goniadz – a town annihilated and is no more, and many more like her shared the same fate.

Only one month ago neither Goniadz, nor any other town existed at the center of my interest but there came a ground shaking tumult of my soul and everything began to talk to me in terms of memorialisation and perpetuation, a warm sort of feeling awoke, an extinguished flame rekindled and returned the warmth to my heart.

My heart called to me to involve myself in the project of memorialisation and to perpetuate the name of the town. I felt a moral obligation and I wished to fulfil the project. I felt that my entire soul obliged me to memorialize a town and to raise a memorial the names of all those who worked and strived and were tortured and murdered at the hands of blood–thirsty fiends, may their names and memory be erased and their bones strewn across the lands of blood–soaked eastern Europe and find no burial place. But we also have a moral obligation to the people of the town. Those same pure souls, whose memory we evoke with trembling and shaking and Holy honor and respect, they who have provided us with this holy work and placed in our hands this Mitzvah to perform according to the saying: “Remember what Amelek did unto you – Remember and not forget!!!”

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