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The Boymfeld–Krakoyer family was a legacy family in Turobin, even if not one of the oldest. The patriarch, David Boymfeld, came from Krakow. Krakow was the initial host of Jewish refugees who escaped persecution in Germany, Austria, and Czechia, later spreading across Poland. R' David initially passed Turobin on business and eventually decided to settle there during the first half of the 19^th century. His business was furs, for which he sometimes traveled to Russia for months at a time. R' David Boymfeld was the head of the Boymfeld family in Turobin and other Jewish communities. Now, after the destruction of the Jewish community of Turobin, two members of the fourth generation of Boymfelds wanted to review and describe as much as possible the ancestors of the first generations in Turobin. Let us now turn (our focus) and hear the words of family members.

I had heard that Irgun Yotzei Turobin in Israel was about to compose a Yizkor book which will serve as the memorial candle for the Jewish community that perished in the Nazi war of destruction. I too, as one of the surviving members of Turobin, approached the editorial board and asked to devote a respectable portion of the book to commemorate the first members of my family in Turobin. I especially wanted to explore the image of an honorable man, R' David Boymfeld – Krakoyer (so known for his town of origin, Krakow) and his tombstone which was in the cemetery in Turobin, now part of the past.

Our generation met a bitter fate. Along with that, the memory of the previous generation, etched on the tombstones in the outstanding cemeteries of the Jewish communities in Poland, was destroyed. Teary–eyed, we join the entire Jewish people to mourn six million Jews who lived lives of purity and tradition. It is difficult to come to terms with the reality that even the old cemetery of Turobin was destroyed in the Holocaust. It was the resting place of rabbis, rashey yeshivot^[1], community leaders, and activists from various periods. It was considered by community members as the Jewish pantheon, along with well–known centrally located cemeteries and ancient communities whose names are written in gold in the chronicles of Polish Jewry.

During my time residing in Poland, every year I visited my hometown, Turobin, and I visited the cemetery a number of times. I wandered among the tombstones and gained the impression that the Jews of Turobin had a wisdom that valued art, evident from the varied tombstones, from which the scent of history arose. But the German murderers of cursed name were merciless and destroyed the cemeteries, uprooted the tombstones, and desecrated the tombs and all that was beloved and holy. The cemetery included many tombstones

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beginning with the founding of Turobin centuries ago. Also emerging from the ground were grey stones, holy tombstones bowing to one another in old age, as if whispering and conversing with one another about the next world. Eulogies and memorial ceremonies took place at the entrance gate.

Among those many tombstones, alongside those of rabbis with celebrated titles, a beautiful tombstone stands, praise etched on it. I will quote it here:

Here Lies An honorable, beloved, righteous, compassionate man, honor Torah, pursuer of charity Who was very active in maintaining Torah and charity institutions Always charitable towards the poor, his Tzedakah[2] known by many R' David Krakover of blessed memory

Those were the words etched on the tombstone of the founder of the Boymfeld family in 1906 at the start of the 20^th century. His family finds it appropriate to commemorate him in the Yizkor book of the grieving Turobin community.

His settlement in Turobin can be explained by the fact that he married a local woman. He established a family and was accepted by all as a pleasant person. He had brought the fur–processing profession with him from Krakow. He maintained business contacts in Russia and spent years away from his home.

R' David was a source of blessing to the town. The town elders say that he was a man of many good deeds, a sometimes public and sometimes anonymous contributor to charity. In the center of town, he built the first large two–story house. At that same time, he devoted efforts to establishing a hekdesh (shelter) for poor folks who required lodging and (created) an annual budget to maintain it. He loved Turobin, nicknamed “miniature Eretz Israel,” and its scholars. It is also said that he gifted the land on which Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin was founded. I note that during WWI when the Jews from all the towns surrounding Lublin escaped front lines there, my family stayed for a long time in the yeshiva building. The yeshiva administration appreciated the head of the family (R' David Krakover) and offered his grandsons residence there in their time of need. I, too, resided there temporarily.

R' David was very successful and wealthy. He was a successful forest merchant, which included managing some private estates owned by Tsar Nikolai. My grandfather, R' David, was an agent and contractor [?] and thus he was away from home most of the time. Banks in those days were yet to find a footing in trade and finance. Instead, he always carried with him a small metal chest containing money. In our family it was said that once R' David forgot to take the box with him; he had left it at a synagogue in a Russian town where he had prayed. He found the chest the next day when he arrived for afternoon services.

It is said that once my great–grandfather, holding the chest, traveled in a wagon operated by a Christian. When they passed the cross behind the town, R' David noticed the coachman had not taken off his hat as was the Christian custom. R' David, as a man

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of tradition, convinced the gentile to return him to town. A while later it was said in the town that the coachmen had robbed and murdered a man in his company.

In Turobin and the surrounding area, R' David was known as a model of a man who was very traditional. Even the Christians very much respected “Fan Krakovski” as he was named by them. His absence from town due to business most of the year did not at all impact his traditional practices. Similarly, wife Pessa'leh was also honored and respected by society.

It is no wonder that the Boymfeld–Krakoyer family filled a leadership role in town. Many efforts were made by young men and women from near and far to arrange marriages with members of our family. My grandfather knew which jewels to add to his crown. He had three girls and one boy, Berrish. His first son–in–law, who married his eldest daughter, was Rabbi Shekhna. He was a great Torah scholar and teacher. It was enough for Rabbi Shekhna to recommend a man for him to be ordained a rabbi. Among the Christian population, the large–eyebrowed and wide–bearded Shekhna was known as “Jewish Moses” and the Christian scholars and nobles called him “the Jewish chief justice.” He was a pro bono arbitrator and the noblemen on both sides respected his opinion.

There were many legends about Rabbi Shekhna and his family. The actual man turned into a legend during his lifetime. He was always met with respectful awe when passing on the street. In his character, he demonstrated Judaism and its noble traits. I recall three of his sons. One was a dayan^[3] in Lublin. (I studied with his son Shlomo'leh in R' Mendeli's group and we were considered the top students.) R' Chaim Yarmlkh [spelling unknown] of Lublin was of majestic appearance and was met with respectful awe. It became a custom in Turobin that if someone from Turobin was in Lublin, he stopped by Rabbi Chaim's for Mincha^[4] and to greet him. I, too, observed that custom.

Rabbi Natan ben Shekhna was similar, internally and externally, to everyone in his family. Rabbi Natan was also considered a “Jewish chief justice” by the Christian noble intelligentsia in his town of Shebreshin, [also not for profit?]. To this day, I recall his image clearly with the sharp look in his eyes and the pure expression on his wide face. His wife, Esther, was different from him. She was a woman praised by all, a righteous person whose deeds were completely for God. She was lame in one foot and, more than once, I was surprised by the contrast between Rabbi Natan, who was very tall and upright, and his wife. The family told stories about the history of that couple. Esther Miriam came from a bright family and, in Rabbi Shekhna's view, she was the most fitting in terms of lineage. R' Natan saw Esther Miriam for the first time at his wedding. He responded innocently, unlike a chief justice, “If father chose her for me, she must be the right match for me, and may we be blessed.” One of their daughters survived and is in Israel.

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I know less about R' David's second son–in–law, R' Aharleh and his part in the social and active life of Turobin. My younger brother Aharon was named for him. I researched his life and endeavored to learn more details about his life and manners, personality, and doings. Many of his generation gave me a cryptic answer, “May the young Aharon not shame R' Ahraleh.” I can say more about uncle Yosef, Ahraleh's son; his daughter is in Israel. He was the town menakker^[5]. He was also my teacher and all he wanted was to prepare me for teaching and the rabbinate. There is no doubt he would have succeeded in that if not for the eruption of World War I. We had to escape the town which suddenly found itself at the front lines between the Austrian and Russian forces. We found shelter in Lublin which became a town of refuge for Jewish residents from towns near and far.

It is an honor and I am perhaps even proud I was destined to commemorate such a beautiful and noble time in the lives of residents of our town for future generations. I need to devote another small portion to a brief description of R' David's final son–in–law, R' Moshe Hillel. He was considered a man of action as a Turobin envoy. [?] He stands before me as if in a dream, sitting wrapped in his tallit among the notables sitting at the front row by the eastern wall. Although R' Moshe's tombstone in the Turobin cemetery was desecrated and destroyed, his royal spirit and holy image will continue to remain before our eyes.

Until now I have more or less described the head of the family and its founder in Turobin, R' David and his three sons–in–law. I will now expand on the life of his only son, my grandfather Berrish, who married Chaya Rivaleh, a Turobin native. The young couple lived with the parents and their business was fur processing, a family inheritance.

Grandfather Berrish managed to maintain the value and honor with which the town residents regarded his father R' David; this was due to both due to his good deeds and the respect granted to his father. My grandmother was a short–statured woman, 1.4 meters in height. She had 10 children, among them five boys named Kalman, Zundel, Mordechai, Meir, and another whose name I forgot. One daughter was named Pessah. The Boymfeld family developed nicely for another generation and the founder, David, knew to carefully guard it and guide it. But all good things end. After R' David passed away, so did the success of the family businesses and a downward trend was then experienced. AS time passed, the forests deteriorated. The second generation was not loyal to Turobin and some relocated to other towns in Poland.

Sheva–Chana's family with the Itchi'lach, [?] the city butchers who had regularly supplied meat to the family, began to decline. Grandfather Berrish was unsuccessful in his business, which eventually ended. Grandfather Berrish concentrated his remaining money and placed it under his pillow, determined to no longer continue his business and instead live off cash. He left his youngest son, my father, and his daughter Pessa'leh

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to run the household. However, she was probably bored by that role and, when grandfather was in synagogue, she gathered her friends in grandfather's large room for dancing lessons. The next day, Grandfather was surprised to discover that the funds placed under the pillow had vanished. That event harmed grandfather's mood and caused a general shock at the house in addition to substantial financial loss. It was easy to uncover the tracks of the suspect who denied everything. There was still some hope of summoning the suspect to the town rabbi and forcing him to return the money. But Grandma Chaya Rivala interjected with the full force of her 1.4 meter stature. Despite the potentially difficult existential threat the family might be facing, she demanded that Grandfather not deviate from tradition and violate the name of God with a false oath. Her persistence was decisive and Grandfather had to sustain the loss.

Today, after I have examined the details of the incident and the documents that I found in the family archive, I saw evidence of the strict observance of tradition and the financial decline of our family.

Several years later, we left Turobin and relocated to Warsaw. A short while later, Grandfather decided to leave Warsaw and return to Turobin or the general area. He reasoned that in Warsaw, the dead are not buried according to the tradition that four people must carry the coffin but are instead transported by wagon to the cemetery. He was ashamed to return to Turobin proper, fearing what would people say. Instead, he settled in a small own near Turobin where he purchased a home large enough for us all. Since then, my grandfather counted the money under his pillow every morning. The theft had negatively impacted Grandfather's health and he began walking in sloppy steps, unlike his usual manner. The event had caused his wife to burden him further.

My mother often served him tasty meals. Grandfather loved borscht with fatty bones. Once, while chewing on a bone at lunch, he began to cough and a bone was lodged in his throat. I immediately called mother. The town did not have a doctor and one had to travel by horse–carried wagon to neighboring Zholkeivka, 20 km away. Meanwhile, my mother brought neighbor Sarah'leh who was known to have medical knowledge and she shoved her long hand down grandfather's throat to retrieve the bone and he choked. I recall after the initial scare, Grandfather took out the “treasure” from under the pillow and went with me to the town rabbi. He left the money with the rabbi to distribute the inheritance according to tradition. The rabbi was a young man, a grandson of the Sfas Emes of Ger^[6]. He opened a drawer in the book closet in the community courtroom and placed the money there.

We traveled to Zholkeivka and telegrams were sent to all siblings to come quickly to the funeral. Immediately after the Shiva, we went to the rabbi to sort the distribution among the inheritors. The oldest brother, Kalman, received two parts, and the rest of the brothers received an equal part.

Readers can make up their own minds on the influence of tradition and its results.

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I maintain, considering the past and reality, when tradition clashes with the realities of life, tradition must clear the path for life. It is a time–related commandment [Kiddushin 29a].

The Boymfeld Family Top row from the right: Avraham, David, Chaya Riva, Aharon Seated: the parents, Mordechai and Pesya

Editor's Footnotes:

1. Rashi Yeshivot – Jewish institutions that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and the Torah. Rashi was a medieval French rabbi and author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and commentary on the Tanakh. Return
2. Tzedakah – a Hebrew word literally meaning “justice” or “righteousness,” but commonly used to signify charity Return
3. Dayan – Hebrew word for “judge” Return
4. Mincha – the afternoon prayers in Judaism Return
5. Menakker – In kosher certification, the removal process (of animal parts) is called nikkur and the person who does it is called a menakker Return
6. Sfas Emes of Ger – Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes or Sefat Emet, was a Hasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter. Return

My brother Avraham did the hard work by briefly describing the life of the founder of our family, R' David, and his sons–in–law. He did not expand much about R' David's only son, Berrish. There is no doubt that during their lifetimes there were also various developments in Turobin and its Jewish community. There were many aspects which my brother could not describe since so many facts were lost. My brother did well in his effort of retrieving memories as much as possible from the life of the family patriarch.

Even within a single family, each generation differs. Sometimes one generation changes form. Relationships change, economic and cultural factors change. I will continue where my brother left off. The truth is that my brother is more knowledgeable than I am

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about the history of our family founders. I would like to thank my brother for opening the door to memories from our father's home and allowing our peers to observe. The Boymfelds were not confined to Turobin alone. Since the second generation, they began to spread throughout the immediate area. They were present in many towns and cities, and the current generation succeeded in sending a fresh seeding to the ancient homeland Eretz Israel. We took root here and were able extend a bridge between Turobin and the renewed Israel.

Since my brother has laid the foundations for our family history in decrypting the first two generations, I am tasked with continuing to describe the two generations which followed. I will not claim to uncover much, but the few details I uncover will add volume to the history of both the Boymfeld family and Turobin. The need grew after the Holocaust in which the Nazi Germans dealt their wrath against remote towns such as Turobin through which not even the train tracks passed. The Boymfeld family spread even further and today members interested in genealogy can be found in Europe and Latin America.

Let us begin with the third generation, without dealing with the end of the second generation. The second generation included our grandfather Berrish who founded a family in Turobin. He had five boys named Kalman, Zundel, Mordechai, Meir, and another, and the daughter Pessa. Since the financial downfall of the Turobin family, some began searching for a better place. Kalman traded textiles in the town of Ostrovza. He opened a textile factory there and became wealthy. His granddaughter Mira'leh Koppelman was rescued from the Holocaust by a local Christian family. After the war, she arrived on aliyah. Despite proposals from relatives in South America to join them, her oldest son's proposals to go to Eretz Israel took precedence. Zundel also formed a connection with Ostrovza, where he married and made a living by drafting official requests on behalf of various institutions. His father viewed that profession negatively, as if his son had joined an evil culture.

In 1901, my father Mordechai married his niece Pessa, daughter of his brother Meir Boymfeld of Turobin. I do not recall many details of my Turobin family members. I do recall that during my visits in 1936, some of the longtime residents visited with me in order to inquire about my experience in Israel. They also told me about my family history. Among other facts I learned that my grandfather Berrish decided to relocate from Turobin to the small town of Wysoki, 10 km from Turobin, where he resided for two years. Business was not good. Eventually, after WWI broke out, he relocated to Lublin after the Russians decreed all Jews within the Lublin District must leave their homes. He remained homeless in Lublin and was cared for by the American organization, Joint^[1]. The women told me that my mother was a beautiful girl and my parents' wedding in town was very impressive. They also told me about the Boymfeld family which was one of the most respected in town. After the war ended, my parents returned to Piaski near Lublin; in Yiddish it was called Piyusk; it was similar to many other towns which received Jewish names.

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My parents had three boys and one girl: Avraham, Aharon, David (named for the family founder,) and Rivka. Avraham studied in yeshiva and enlisted in the Polish army. My father was a study–house dweller (frequenter) and was not interested in financial matters; mother and the children provided for the household. I joined halutz^[2] training in Bilgoray at the Dror Kibbutz where I stayed for nine months. There were fifty members at the camp, mostly from small towns. We did road work. In 1929, the year of the Arab riots, I arrived on aliyah.

I favored Piaski as a second hometown to the point it was difficult for me to choose between Turobin and Piaski. As I resided in Piaski, I liked to often visit Turobin but could not find people there who understood me, although I had relatives there. In Piaski, I was busy with cultural matters. There were various parties and cultural institutions; a theater company; Zionist Organization, Poale Zion^[3]; Mizrachi; Bund; and zealous Orthodox. I was active in Hakhalutz^[4]. It pained me when I saw my hometown Turobin at such a low point of social neglect. I found that youth in Turobin were still distant from the Zionist ideal and did not have activists or guides as did other towns that would raise the flag of culture and organization, the Nation and ascend to Zion. I proposed to some acquaintances to form a drama section and assured my help, and thus I could approach the youth. Indeed, a drama section was founded in Turobin led by local activist Itamar Hopen. After the theater company was founded, political development began to take form as parties and culture in the spirt of progress and enlightenment which drifted from the occupied lands of Austria and Germany. It was a difficult task; more than one organization suffered a gap in activities due to a lack of activists. I was happy that, during my visit in Turobin, I helped activate the youth involvement in cultural activity. However, Piaski remained at a higher cultural level than Turobin.

Turobin attracted me more, perhaps because it was my birth town and therefore I occasionally enjoyed visiting Turobin and learning what was taking place there. I especially liked conversing with local craftsmen, carpenters, cobblers, and other interesting figures. I took interest in their spirit, livelihood, lives, and issues; I learned they were pure of heart, kind, Jews loyal to tradition and honest, despite their primitiveness. Thus, I found a bridge to the local youth and encouraged them culturally.

I was the first halutz in my family who made aliyah and gradually brought my parents and other family members to Israel. But then, various factors interfered with aliyah. I corresponded with my brother from Warsaw where he was studying. After he heard the situation in Israel was poor and I had yet to get settled, he attempted to persuade me to return to Poland. I refused to heed his advice. Eventually, his attitude towards Israel changed, probably after he witnessed the acts by the Polish anti–Semites in their war on the Jews, and after the intensifying of the Nazi torment of Jews in Germany. All that had influenced him, and he wrote in his letters that he, too, desired to immigrate to Israel. He arrived in 1931. Until that point, I sent funds to my parents in Turobin and there was a rumor in the town that I was rich. In 1932, I brought my parents on aliyah and my sister Pessa arrived

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in 1935. A year later, I brought over my brother, David, and with that we completed the aliyah of the whole family. I was ecstatic.

A famous poet said once, “My heart is in the east and I am at the edge of west.” I, too, struggled in my approach to my town Turobin. I became a citizen in Israel, brought my family, and yet felt incomplete. The love for my step–homeland Poland had not yet vanished from my heart. Therefore, in 1936, I decided to travel to Europe and visit Turobin. I remained in Poland five months. I visited many towns but mostly I stayed in Turobin. There I found some things which reminded me of the state of the Jews in their suffering under the Pharaoh in Egypt, “they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens.” (Exodus 1:11). I am not comparing myself to Moses who was greater than all his peers, but I, too, went to my brethren and, like Moses, witnessed their sorrow. I saw the disposition of my brethren in Turobin under the burden of Galut^[5] and the servitude of unlimited taxes, denial of equal rights, libel, and incitement. Turobin had a lot of poverty and its economic situation was catastrophic. They were already accustomed to it and continued that poor existence without a choice in the matter. I came from the outside, especially Eretz Israel where we lived a life of freedom and hope. So, it was difficult for me to come to terms with the deeds of the Evil Angel and accept with the unbearable state of the Jews in Poland. I, the pioneer from Eretz Israel, was seen as if I came from a big city in a dream, a cultured man with whom everything could be discussed.

Eretz Israel, despite its distance from Poland, remained close in the hearts of the Jews, not just in prayers. After the gates to the land were opened in a limited capacity after the Balfour Declaration, Eretz Israel came even closer to the hearts of Polish Jews and bestowed its light and spirt on them. The Jews of Turobin were like the remainder of Polish Jews. A feeling formed among them that Eretz Israel was close to becoming a reality for Jews. Every Jewish resident of the town dreamed of sending a son or daughter to Eretz Israel, be it through marriage or halutz training, just to form a hold in Eretz Israel. They were especially interested in sending a son or daughter through marriage to a pioneer or craftsperson going on aliyah. In nearly every home, members discussed Eretz Israel in a practical sense. The opposition by the zealous Orthodox dissipated, and they, too, joined in the effort of aliyah. On the other hand, I witnessed the Poles inciting a boycott on the Jews. I saw signs saying “do not buy from Jews,” and various threats. I saw youths from Nationalist Polish organizations blocking Christians from entering Jewish businesses. I had a feeling that the Jews of Turobin and other towns felt some tragedy looming. Among religious and Hasidic sects, they said that various rebbes in Poland were conducting spiritual efforts to cancel bad decrees by the heavens, and there were tsaddikim^[6] who imposed fast days, foreseeing the future in which a tragic heavenly decree was unfolding. In Turobin, too, the Jews felt themselves disposable and began considering Eretz Israel as a sanctuary for Jews, although they were not aware of specifics. “I am the man that hath seen affliction” on my visit to Poland from Eretz Israel.

I was especially drawn

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to the towns in which I spent my youth and most of all drawn to the Jews of Turobin. Yet, I barely recognized the folks of my town in their outlook in general and on Zionist questions. It was as if the Jews had opened their eyes and saw the harsh realities. I, who came from Eretz Israel, was seen by them like Moses who “descended to his brethren in Egypt and witnessed them in hard labor.” It was difficult advising them on Aliyah because of the difficulties in obtaining certificates from the British authorities. Still, I advised them to gain technical knowledge and skills if they could.

Of course, I did not stay in one spot, even my hometown Turobin. Once, as I traveled from Turobin to Warsaw, I met some relatives and we went on a walk through the Zachs park. As we walked, we discussed various topics, mainly the new life in Eretz Israel which, despite difficulties, was becoming easier with experience. Suddenly, my relatives saw a group of Christian university students and began to escape fearing attack. Fearlessly, I remained standing. The relatives yelled to me to quickly escape since I was risking an assault by the students but I did not budge. The students were surprised to see a Jew who did not fear them like the rest of the “Moshkes.” They approached me and asked who I was and what I was doing there. I told them that I was indeed a Jewish native of Poland but had exchanged citizenship for a British one and was from Eretz Israel. The students immediately changed their approach to me and we discussed various issues. I told them we Jews were building a state of our own and the Jews were doing various labor. They listened attentively and we parted ways in a friendly manner.

When I visited halutz training camps in Grodno, I again witnessed the horror plaguing the Jews as we traveled on the train. Everyone wanted to concentrate in a single car and not fear (wanted to be away from) the Poles. I, with my British passport, returned their confidence to them.

On my final visit to Poland, it could be seen that the Jews everywhere were uneasy, as if they felt some unknown force approaching which would manifested in a terrifying figure who would change matters and mercilessly devour them. However, they relied on the verse, 'The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent' and, despite the tragic visions before their eyes, continued in their ordinary lives as though there was no choice. It is unfortunate the millions of Jews of Eastern Europe are not only absent in their countries of birth, but here, too, in the old–new Israel where their absence is felt with every step. With the renewed occupation, the West Bank and the old cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Ancient Jerusalem, Nablus, Jericho, and others could have been home to wonderful towns and strengthen the Jewish force in Israel. The Jews of Turobin could have contributed even through illegal aliyah. It would have been a wonderful contribution of value and manpower and we would not have had to make due with a few dozen families who survived the Holocaust.

Editor's Footnotes:

1. Probably the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Return
2. Halutz – a Jew who immigrated to the region of Palestine, especially as part of a movement in the years after World War I, to work the land and create Jewish settlements Return
3. Poale Zion – a movement of Marxist–Zionist Jewish workers founded in various cities of Poland, Europe and the Russian Empire around the turn of the 20^th century Return
4. Hakhalutz – a Jewish youth movement that trained young people for agricultural settlement in the Land of Israel Return
5. Galut – expresses the Jewish conception of the condition and feelings of a nation uprooted from its homeland and subject to alien rule Return
6. Tsaddikim – the righteous Return

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A) The Convert

Shmuel Zinvil Shtarker[?], was the son–in–law of Ovadiahu and the brother–in–law of Yosef Corndrexler. He lived in his father–in–laws' muddy yard, the entrance to which was through an alley bordering the houses of Yaakov Moshe Hopen and Yosef Corndrexler. When Shmuel Zinvil [S.Z.] decided to relocate from the village of Otrotcha [?] to Turobin, he built a home with his own hands, with wooden planks and a straw roof. The house had two rooms; one was finished, in which the family lived, and the other remained a foundation because Shmuel did not have the means to complete it and seal its opening. So, it served as a hallway and a “summerhouse.”

Shmuel was blessed with two boys and three girls. The oldest was married and lived elsewhere. To this day, I do not know how they managed to fit 7 people in that room. The room served other functions: as a veterinarian laboratory, a bookbinding workshop, and a sewing workshop for their daughter, Gittel.

When SZ was asked what he did for a living, he jokingly said, “many jobs with few blessings.” The more work he did, the poorer he was, he would say, and he was impoverished as long as I knew him. I recall that Shmuel was not trained and certified in only one field but had a knack for physiological and mechanical research. It is unfortunate that most of his ideas were unsuccessful due to his primitive views.

The bulk of his income came from selling cut straw to coachmen. With the help of his oldest daughter Chana–Rosa, he would cut straw with an industrial cutter As he expanded, he purchased a centrifugal machine, “Carat” [?], and operated it with a horse who was blind in one eye. SZ covered the horse's second eye with a cloth, probably because the horse objected to going around in circles for hours on end or so as not to dizzy the horse. His other source of income was bookbinding which he did mainly at night through the early hours of the morning. Another source of income was his hobby, healing animals.

The medical knowledge with which Shmuel was blessed came to him naturally and instinctively. That was evident from the manners and methods he used when giving medical attention to ill animals. Most often, sick horses were brought to him. Sickness occurred when a horse overate barley or rye without prior blending and a water soak. That happened after the animal managed to free itself and access the grain. There were also other illnesses such as colds, stomach issues, etc. The diagnosis SZ would reach when a cold was concerned was drinking cold water as the animal perspired in the heat. He would give such explanations for any disease. As soon as SZ was summoned to care for a sick animal, he immediately packed his medical equipment: an awl with a precise hole of 2.5 centimeters, a special rope

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to stretch[?] the horse's neck for blood–letting, a hook shaped utensil with a sharp 1.5 cm length edge through which he would find a vein to let blood, some sharpened pocket knives, and a bottle of vodka. SZ began to examine the horse by touching its ears through which he could measure fever. He continued to examine the horse's skin to see if it was bloated. If it was, he immediately began stabbing it with the awl, through which, he claimed, he decreased swelling. He continued to examine the stomach with a voice enhancing device and reached the conclusion the horse's stomach must be cleaned. He had several means of doing so. The first device was plucking a single hair from the horse, looping it, and inserting it into its anus, causing stimulation and release. If that remedy was of no use, he had other devices. For an illness he dubbed “stomach typhus,” he prescribed a new diet and a bottle of vodka for the horse to drink. In most of the cases he treated, he saved the animal from death for which he was praised as a miracle worker, affirmed by all those who required his services.

As mentioned above, SZ had three girls. The youngest, Sarah–Beila, married a convert to Judaism, the lawyer Avraham Ben Avraham (formerly Ratchinski.) Marriage to a convert in a small town, in an environment rife with anti–Semitism afflicting all walks of Jewish life, became an important event and led to relentless conversation among people at all levels of the community. The existing environment and the treatment by Christians toward Jews left their mark on such a social event, which would (otherwise) be quite simple in an enlightened country. But that was not so in a small community like Turobin. Many aspects of the event bothered community leaders, for many reasons.

According to Halakha and in practice, the rabbinate posed difficulties to someone who wanted to convert. There was a fear of the reaction by gentiles: “The Jews are recruiting Christian children for apostasy” (in propaganda.) The Christians were not aware of that aspect of Jewish law and even if they were, it was of no use. A conversion necessarily caused a wave of anger and blind hatred which was not always hidden from the Jews.

According to A. Goldfarb, Avraham Ben Avraham was born in Warsaw. He was the son of devout Catholics and a long noble lineage. His brother was interior minister in the Lublin government and an activist in the National Party (Sanacja.) The party was a fanatic, nationalist, anti–Semitic party whose main platform was to expel the Jews from their economic positions and eventually from Poland. Rachinski was raised in such an environment. He first studied theology and later trained as a lawyer. He often appeared in the court in Turobin and thus opened an office in town and divided his time among the towns, eventually settling in Turobin.

Rachinski was a tall man with a pleasant external appearance and Jewish–like behavior. Some said he returned to his past life. In his spiritual life, he did not find his place in Christian society. For some reason, he found no understanding in the society in which he was raised, and he was lonely and disillusioned. Under those circumstances, he came across the kind young woman Sarah Beileh and she tipped the scale

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and brought him to her religion. They had a child and their family life was non–Christian. The mother, Sarah–Beileh, shaped the lifestyle of the family. The saga was completed then for Sarah–Belieh, but for Aba the trouble had just began with his marriage to his beloved Sarah–Beileh. His previous social circle isolated and boycotted him. He prayed at the Krashnik Rebbes' synagogue from a prayer book translated into Polish.

As I mentioned, he did not fit into Christian society but maintained contact with his colleagues, the judges, lawyers, and clerks. They all banded against him after he left their community. Opposition to him took practical shape in the form of tormenting the Jew. The lawyers, for instance, dissuaded clients from giving him cases. The court clerk mocked him during proceedings. It was a pity to watch him resisting his tormentors; more than once the question was raised, did the Jews not have enough troubles that he had to add to them? The Jews were decreed by heaven to suffer, but he accepted unimaginable suffering of his own volition. That is a lesson for the spiritual life of a person – he is most joyful while he suffers. Aba would say, “the more I am persecuted, the more I am filled with joy.” It is customary for Jews to boycott a meshumad^[1], so it can only be imagined how Christians treat a convert to Judaism. The persecution of his family was relentless and they were undoubtably subjected to the Nazi horrors. To this day no sign of life has been heard from them. Sarah Beileh's oldest sister, Gittel, survived and resides in Warsaw.

R' Zalman Fleisher was a butcher. His home and butcher shop were near the study house. (He had a nickname, Zelmele Scrop.) R' Zalman's wife, Sheva–Chava, was a sharp– tongued woman of valor. She was the commander, the person who pointed to the passage recited by the prayer leader. Because of the distance between the cantor's stand and the women's section, it was difficult to hear what passage he had reached. Woe is a person who was unfortunate enough to be subjected to her wrath. Sparks flew from her “holy” mouth and G–d save us from her blessings. It should not be assumed that she was a bad woman seeking conflict, quite the opposite. She was naturally righteous, anonymously gave to charity, was a wonderful hostess. In short, she was a proper Jewish mother (“a Yiddisha mama.)

R' Zalman and Sheva–Chava were blessed with many sons and daughters. His oldest, R' Shmuel, was short–statured with a small black beard; he had a quick tongue, spoke fluently, succinctly and to the point. Due to his quick tongue he was often interrupted during a sentence. But it was nothing out of the ordinary; he was pleasant and walked a pure path. Like his father, R' Shmuel was a butcher. Like the other butchers, he would purchase cattle for slaughter on market day. One day, R' Shmuel [bought?] a cow from a large farmer. The farmer regretted the price

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and R' Shmuel countered that after handshaking, a sale is irrevocable (it was customary to shake hands when trading animals.) The farmer pulled the cow towards him, and R' Shmuel pulled it to the other side. In short, they brawled. At first, it seemed like a fight between a bull and a chicken but soon it became clear that Shmuel had the upper hand. The giant farmer lay helpless in the mud, and they seemed like David and Goliath. Truth is that Shmuel's story is not the one that should be told; rather, the story that should be told is the one about lion of the two, Yosef “Pandre” Fleisher, Zalman's second son. The readers should not think that someone is attempting to plagiarize Pandre (Noah), the hero from the wonderful novel written by poet Zalman Shneur. He wrote about Pandre in the 1930s; our Pandre was born during the Russo–Japanese war in 1904. While still in his crib, he was called Pandre. Allegedly, that is clear proof that the true Pandre was a native of Turobin. It was very daring of Shneur to come to Turobin and steal the hero in broad daylight and publicize him. In protest to Zalman Shneur, we declare that the true Pandre was a figure stolen from (people in) many towns, but our Pandre is the one true Pandre, the archetype.

Was Yosef Pandre a true hero? Of course! He was a hero yet did not fight in many wars. A hero must know when to fight, when to threaten, and when to contain himself. The main point is that the adversary does not know about the secret weapon his heroic rival possesses. Such was Yosef; his outward appearance was not particularly manly, and he was not wide or very tall. If shkotzim (young Christian men) mockingly called him or any other Jew in his presence “Jew” (Yid), then Yosef pounced on his prey and fought against two or three at a time and mercilessly broke their bones. The shkotzim who tasted his wrath no longer insulted Jews.

In the warm summer days, the young men bathed in the river. On the south side of the bridge, the river widened in a section called Slizhba. The shkotzim^[2] expelled the Jewish boys from that section of the river, threw their clothes in the river, and assaulted and tormented them in various humiliating ways. Those events continued uninterpreted until Yosef appeared, and then the shkotzim escaped like mice to save their lives. If a few dared stay behind, a look from the corner of Yosef's eye was enough to have them disappear, too. Yosef would jump into the river from the bridge barrier, 4 meters high, dive under the river, and appear in a distant spot. The Slizhba was emptied of shkotzim and Yosef felt like a fish in the water. With expert hands he performed a “klefter” (a swimming method), a wonderful sight. All the young men stood and proudly breathed a sigh of relief. A strong man! Samson!

On the way home, he encountered a peasant with a calf for sale. Between each question, Yosef began to haggle. Yosef tested the calf's weight by lifting it; it must have been 100 kilograms. He lifted it like a toy and it was as if, at the same point, the calf owner was also lifted. Yosef probably proposed a low price for the calf and the peasant called him a “dirty Jew.” Nu, nu, you should have seen Yosef in his glory. He threw the farmer to the ground, grabbed his throat, and threatened to suffocate him if he would not take back the Jewish insult. The farmer flailed, begged, apologized, and said that all

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Jews were good. He also agreed to a discounted price of the calf, just to release himself. Yosef the hero scolded him and said, “You and your calf will be repentance for the Jews. I want your calf free of charge and for your own good I suggest I never (see) you here again.” Such was Yosef Pandre, the hero of Turobin.

Like all Jews, he was known by a nickname. He was known by his father's name, “Shialeh Moshe Chaim's.” Yehoshua was a tall, lanky man with a typical long Jewish nose, a long face and slanted burning eyes. He was a horse trader and had a pub in his home on the courts street. The pub was run mainly by his wife, Tzviya. He had two boys and one girl. One of his sons, Moshe, was saved from the Holocaust by escaping to the Soviet Union. He now lives in the United States. Yehoshua was the son–in–law of Pinyeh [?] Gevertz [?] (“Pinyeh Goy”.) By his nature, Yehoshua was a good man, a lover of the Jewish people to the point of risking his life. He respected all parties in town and all respected him. He was not a member of any Hasidic sect but took part in various events to which he was invited. His presence there was very well felt because of his singing talent. He would also delight those in his presence by dancing. He had a high alto voice and when he reached a C note became a soprano; his high voice was well heard. The other choir members said that Yehoshua said Kiddush over liquor and so his singing was so pleasurable.

I do not recall Yehoshua ever having a dispute with a Jewish resident. In contrast, he took part in disputes between Jews and Christians and among the Christians. Most quarrels ended after his intervention. He broke the bones of the party he recognized as guilty and then invited the rivals for a drink (of course paid for by the rivals.)

As I mentioned, he was a pub owner. Most of his income was on market day. On that day, Yehoshua helped his wife. He knew most of the local farmers, knew the names of their fathers, their family events, and the villages where they resided. He treated the honest and pure with complete sympathy and helped them with good advice, a loan, etc. The farmer would say to that Jew, “You are like one of us. If only all Jews were like you, we would not hate you.” In truth, he hated that same Jew with whom he was breaking bread.

On market day, the Christian farmers ate and drank at the pubs, including Yehoshua's. There were incidents when the drinking reached intoxication and they were unable to pay. In that state of lack of control, some uttered insults towards Jews, refused to pay the tab, or could not pay. That behavior would enrage Yehoshua and he would tell them, “If you had only refused to pay, fine, but for your curses and insults towards the Jews, I will break your bones!” And he did. He grabbed an empty beer bottle and smashed their heads and threw them out. When Yehoshua got into a rhythm, although he was thin, the farmers could not take him on.

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Those who had experienced head injuries appeared the next day and requested peace, since they could expect a trial for excessive noise and damaged property. After pleading, Yehoshua agreed to reconcile, the oversized bill for the shattered furniture was paid, and they began to treat Yehoshua respectfully.

I recall riots by some Christian military recruits from local villages. It happened one Shabbat in the 1930s. On the way back home, the new military recruits parked their vehicles at the center of the market and began rioting against the Jews. Yehoshua ran through the alleys to my father's house and decided to rescue the Jews from the rioters. They both took positions at the corner of Shimale Moshke's (across from the great synagogue) and battled from there. Thanks to that intervention and the intervention of some brave people on the other side of the market, and thanks to the Zionist youth who acted, the town was spared victims.

Bless his memory.

R' Alter Moshe Shayeh Leib was not known by his last name but instead by the names of his father and grandfather. Many were named not by their last name but by their ancestors, but not as a pejorative, God forbid. R' Alter's wife name was Chippa, and there were some who joined her name to his and called him R' Alter Chips. Many town residents whispered rumors that he was one of 36 Tsaddikim Nistarim^[3]. Few knew his secret. There were few among the scholars at the study house who knew the secrets of his ways. Since they attributed to him that title, they treated him with special respect. And if such notables treated him so, the common man, of course, did so as well. The 36 Tsaddikim were a legend among all exiles. After the destruction of the Temple, the Shechinah^[4] had abandoned the Jewish people. As the years of exile progressed, a legend came to be told that within the nation there were 36 righteous men who were messengers from the heavens who knew Kabbalah and performed miracles. They were mortals and manifested as common men such as water–drawers, beggars, and the like, to distract people from their true identity.

R' Alter was not aware of the secret. He was an honest man, humble, modest, and never raised his voice. He was tall and thin, with a dark yellow beard and merciful blue eyes, and wore simple clothes. He lived near the Bet Midrash^[5] but he rarely went home to sleep. He spent most of his nights and days at the Bet midrash, where he would isolate and study kabbalah. In early morning, he would recite Tikkun Chatzot^[6], take a short nap on a bench at the bet midrash, and before daylight, a new man was created for prayer and praise. He earned a living by fixing kitchen utensils. Housewives brought to him copper, tin, and steel utensils for repairs. R' Alter would weld the holes and do general repairs. The women knew R' Alter did not name a price for repairs and each woman paid according to her abilities. He worked between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon. He worked briefly, earned little and did not eat much. He only ate meat on Shabbat, and on weekdays he returned home for lunch at 2 in the afternoon.

He fasted every Monday and Thursday.

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Eventually, though handsome, he appeared pale and exhausted, from bodily and mental suffering. It was not long before R' Alter became ill. It was said he had tuberculosis. The scholars at the bet midrash took turns caring for him daily. They mostly helped him with putting on his tefillin, and with his last remaining strength, R' Alter would ensure the hand and head pieces were in their lawful spot according to the Shulchan Aruch^[7]. He slowly thinned and became a pile of bones. It was said that he died a painless death. Not one resident was absent from R' Alter's funeral, and in this lies the secret of his

It was said of R' Alter that he was a Ba'al Teshuvah^[8]. “In the place where penitents stand, even the full–fledged righteous do not stand.”

Moshe's sons, Grandchildren of Alter Shneiderberg

Everyone remembers the nights of frost and snow on Shabbat night after a long week of work. The more it snowed or rained, the more enjoyable sleep was. Right at the height of the quality sleep under covers in the warm bed, when it would be a pity to expel a dog from the doghouse, R' Alter's voice was heard. At first it seemed that this announcer came only to upset calm people sleeping the sleep of the honest. His voice fluctuated, intensified the closer he came; as he moved farther away it weakened and grew silent. R' alter would call and plead, “Israel, oh holy nation! Until when will you slumber? Shtyt oyf, shtyt oyf! Awaken and serve your Creator! Awaken, please! Rise, please! And report! To pray to Hashem! For that is your purpose!” R' alter would repeat those passages and add more, walking the streets of town, his voice echoing and entering every Jewish home. Israel, a holy nation!

He was a good Jew. May he rest in peace.

Editor's Footnotes:

1. Meshumad – an apostate from Judaism, especially a convert to Christianity Return
2. Shkotzim – a term used especially by a Jew to refer to a boy or man who is not Jewish Return
3. Tsaddikim Nistarim – refers to 36 righteous people, a notion rooted within the more mystical aspects of Judaism. Return
4. Shechinah – the presence of God in the world, as conceived in Jewish theology Return
5. Bet Midrash – a Jewish study hall located in a synagogue, yeshiva, or other building Return
6. Tikkun Chatzot – a Jewish ritual prayer recited each night after midnight as an expression of mourning and lamentation over the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem Return
7. Shulchan Aruch – the most widely consulted various legal codes in Judaism Return
8. Ba'al Teshuvah – literally means “master of return,” one who has “returned” to G–d. Return
9. Shtibel – a place used for communal Jewish prayer Return

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