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Turbin or Turobin, that's what the city was called. From a geographical point, the town was located in the Congress [Kingdom] of Poland in a lower region of black terrain. The town belonged to the Lublin administrative division [province], surrounded by near and far towns and cities, for example: 50 kilometers from Lublin on the south side; 40 kilometers from Zamość, 20 kilometers from Szczebrzeszyn, 20 kilometers from Frampol, 35 kilometer from Biłgoraj, 10 kilometers from Wysokie, 10 kilometers from Zholkiewka.

The city was cut by a river into the shape of a parabola. The river came in from Targovisk (northwest) and ran in the direction of Szczebrzeszyn. The river also had a name. If the river would have had no name then no divorce would have been possible in Turobin, and since there were divorces, the river was called “Fohr.”

To describe the years of establishing the Jewish community in Turobin, we have no historical documents to show and exact details. We only have the opportunity to enlighten the past with a few facts:

Reb Nechemia Fleisher (with the nickname of “Momek”), a Jew of about 90 years old, one Shabbat day, when he was standing in a corner of the Lublin–Malinkowa Street, near Avrohom Motzke's house, related a little bit of history, and this was in the year of about 1930.

When he was a young boy, he remembered a little about the rebellion, and his grandfather told him that he remembered how people would speak with fear when they mentioned Bogdan Chmielnicki's name. He recounted:

When Chmielnicki and his Cossaks marched into Poland and they were already near Rove–Roske, several Jewish families came to settle in Turobin. They spoke a German Yiddish and sang a song “Bogdan, Bogdan, you are a traitor,” and so on. It has not yet been confirmed that the city was established in the 17^th century, but you can deduce that this was about in the 16^th or 17^th century.

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Also, as it appeared, there were one or two profiteers who were like that by inheritance [ancestry], and these profiteers approached the Turobiner Jews, with the good will of the princes who were very wealthy and lived in the area, and were rich because of the blessed natural agricultural conditions. The princes rented the fish ponds, the fruit orchards, etc., from the Jewish farm lessees. And this goes back to the royal rule in the 17th century.

As was customary, that each town and city convinced itself that it was the central point of the surrounding area, each one used this fact to show that it was surrounded by other cities, and each town and city was able to use this fact and hold itself as the actual “center.” But each city that was actually at the ocean and not surrounded by other cities was not able to say that it was a “center.” Well, this city was a port city.

This is how the city of Turobin characteristically argued, that it is a little bit of a “center,” just not a geographic one, but a spiritual one.

In the town there were baths, ritual baths, a Beis Medrash, a synagogue, three chassidic stieblech [smaller, informal synagogues belonging to the chassidim] and a stiebel for working people, and the Rav [main rabbi] had a special synagogue that served the Kraśnikower Rebbe and his chassidim [followers].

The financial institutions and sources of food, were: a cooperative bank, a general cooperative fund, and a non–profit aid fund. There was a handworkers' union of all trades, about 100 people, that took in all kinds of handworkers: carpenters, tailors, shoemakers, gaiter makers, rope makers, belt makers, hat makers, and other handworkers.

Other than these abovementioned productive forces that provided the necessities for the population of the town and for the farmer population of the surrounding area, there were no other provisional bodies.

There were two flour mills with power stations, which ran in partnership with the Christians. The rest of the Jewish population worked in trade. Some were shopkeepers – small and larger stores, which sold everything for people's needs; and some were small merchants, who lived from trade on the market day. The traditional market day was on Thursday, and the earnings from the market day sustained a large part of the population. If the market day was not too successful, there were some merchants who would ride around and sell land products to the farmers of the surrounding villages, as well as on the other days of the week.

During the year, there were several organized fair days.

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Merchants from the surrounding cities came to these types of fairs: from Zamość, Szczebrzeszyn, Krasnystaw, Piaski, and so on. The workers sold all their merchandise at these types of fairs.

In a few short lines, in order to understand the economic constraints in which the Jewish population of the city existed, you can say that the farmers in the surrounding areas produced and sold the agricultural life–products, and the Jews bought and acted as middlemen for the farmers' products. They also sold back to the farmers the products which they [the workers] had acquired, and other non–agrarian needs, for example: better goods, manufactured goods, food, and other household needs, all of which the merchants imported from the largest cities such as Lublin, Zamość, Łódź. The portion of Jews that did not have business with the farmers lived off the other Jews. These jobs were involved with religious life: ritual slaughterers, sextons of the synagogues, beadles of the synagogues, rabbis, teachers, widows, orphans, and so on. There were also some Jews who worked with the land, families who worked with meat. The other jobs of the population were: butchers, wagon drivers, bakers, booksellers, bookbinders, and so on.

Educational and cultural institutions were: a Polish public school, a Beis Yakov school [religious girls' school], a “Tarbut” school [secular Zionist] which was busy with several breakdowns [of their work] because of the challenges of maintaining their budget. There was a Tarbut library, a Polish library, and a culture–league library of the Bund; there was a cheder [religious school] for young children (three–year–old beginners with the “yellow teacher”); three teachers of young children; a cheder that prepared the students for Beis Medrash [higher learning in the Study Hall]; some studied with Reb Mordche and others studied on their own.

The political, social and religious organizations comprised of the following: the Zionist organization; Hechalutz Hatzair organization; revisionist organization (Beitar); Agudas Yisroel [religious organization]; Bnos Yakov [religious organization for women and girls]; the Bund [Jewish labor movement]; Gerer chassidim; Alexanderer chassidim; Kraśniker chassidim and Trisker chassidim.

The general population of Turobin in the year 1939 counted 5,000 souls, included here were about 40–45% Jews. In 1929, the Jewish population totaled about 50%. Then the city council was comprised of Jews and Christians from the center of the city and also of the Christians from the suburbs. Because of the fear of “if they will increase,” the governor of the province decided to extend the borders and to include the Christian population from Olszanka and Zalawcze into the council of Turobin. The end result of this was that the Jewish population remained at 40%. It is worth noting that the greatest tax payers for the city council budget came from

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the Jewish population, not proportional to their numbers and not proportional to their earnings. The use of the budget was not implemented for the Jewish population according to their numbers, and even more inconsistent with the Jewish tax payers' numbers.

In general, the services of the city council for the population were minimal, and even less so especially for the Jewish group. The wooden sidewalks were only around the city on the streets where the Christians lived. Also, the planted trees were not in the Jewish quarter. The large, round marketplace, in the center of which stood a large wooden cross, was empty and poorly lit.

The highway that led to Lublin, cut through the town through Pilsudski Street and stretched across the bridge of the river “For.” The rest of the streets were not paved, and there were no other sidewalks. When spring arrived, the snow melted and the rains came, and all the streets became filled with mud. There was like an actual river of mud, and in some places the depth was as much as half a meter. On a moonlit night, the mud river looked like a large, fine mirror. As mentioned, the city rested on low, black terrain, and the waters had nowhere to recede. The periods of the mud stretched into many weeks until a strong sun came and dried it all up. Until the time that all of this dried, there was movement of many wagons, and the pools of mud were so worked through by the wheels of the wagons that they became as a type of clay out of which you could even build houses. These pools of mud presented terrible discomforts for those youth who liked to go out early mornings in fancy boots. They jumped like spry deer from stone to stone and from one veranda to another. Many times fortune was not with them and they would fall with one boot into deep mud. But if his kaftan was not a modern one with a traditional length, then his kaftan also got immersed, add to that his Tzitzis [fringed garment worn under kaftan, over shirt]. This is how the young man entered into the Beis Medrash, an embarrassed person, mumbling to himself as if to say: “This is how the street looks!”

The houses around the large marketplace were built as a closed khes [eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, ח]. On both sides of the streets there were two long passageways that were built along with the houses. Along the length of the passageways there were shops. The passageways served for the people as a protection from the rain, snow, or sun, such that any business was not disturbed by the weather. More than once, on a rainy day, these places served as a gathering point for the merchants, for the gossipers, and also for political debates.

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The larger number of houses were built one level high, and some buildings had two or three levels. These larger buildings and several smaller ones were built of red brick. All the other houses were built of wooden boards, twenty to thirty centimeters thick, with shingled roofs. Other houses, primarily those belonging to the Christians, had straw roofs. The external appearance of the houses gave a poor beggar's impression. The houses were calcified [old], painted, also bare, blue, white, green – in one word: an eclectic group of colors. On a cloudy, rainy, miserable day, the streets with these houses looked very depressing and the drops of rain rolled off the poor shingles of the roofs, and they actually cried as the Jews did by the rivers of Babylon [when the Temple was destroyed].

This is how the small provincial, poor, town of Turobin looked, where there was a community of 3,000 Jewish souls. They were born there, they were raised there, and they lived there until their death.

As we mentioned earlier, each town thought of itself as the center, and that is how Turobin thought of itself as well, and proudly expressed that it was the real center but not the geographical one, only the spiritual one. These were not simply comments. The town of Turobin demonstrated factually that it served as the well of exporting spiritual energies. The Turobiner Rav, Reb Mordekhai Meyer Weisbrod, and his father Yankele, a teacher and a brilliant scholar of Torah, who sat with honor on his rabbinic seat in Turobin. On a bright day, the city Kraśnik cast an eye on Reb Yankele Weisbrod and the Kraśniker community was prepared to pay comfortably to the Turobiner community. This is how the transaction wad decided and the city of Kraśnik welcomed the Turobiner Rav. It did not take long and soon the Kraśniker Jews crowned him as Rebbe [spiritual leader] (not the chief teacher of Jewish rulings), and he was surrounded by 1,000 chassidim.

The Frompoler Rav, Reb Eliezer Feder, Moishe Feder's brother, was a student in the Turobiner Beis Medrash. Zolkiewka needed to have a Rav, so they turned to the Turobiner scholars and they took on a young scholar, a Torah scholar from the Turobiner Beis Medrash, Reb Simkha Felhendler, his brothers–in–law were Yerakhmiel Broinszpigel and Reb Yisroel Mordekhai Eidelman.

The Szczebrzeszyner Rav (unknown name) was also born in Turobin and was a student in the Beis Medrash. The old Rokhower (Annapol) Rebbe was also involved in Torah learning in Turobin. Reb Bunim Estreikher, Reb Yitzkhok Yekhiel's son, was taken on as Morah Hora'ah [instructor of Jewish legal rulings] in the Yeshiva of Khokhmei Lublin. Reb Yeshaya Nuteh Treger, the son of Ozer the wagon driver, was hired as the Rav

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in a certain city in Greater Poland. This is how the chain stretched from the Torah scholars and teachers. Are these not sufficient facts of which the Turobiner Jewish community can be proud? These are only a few facts, but the truth is that if you looked at or thought about the Turobiner Jews, you would have had to use a candle to find an ignorant person.

The Jews of Turobin lived with Torah and trade, and some with crafts. Many Jews lived with Torah alone. Oh, but how can that be? That's how it was! The women did the trading in the market or sold in the stores, and the men sat and studied Torah. There were Jews who were completely removed from material, daily things. All, from the Rav to the water carrier, were able to study a page of Gemara and commentary with ease. Everyone had a Book of Psalms in his pocket, and in their free time, or when someone was on the road, he managed to get in a few chapters of Psalms. The Turobiner wagon driver was not an ordinary wagon driver as in other cities. They were all learned men in Torah. When they would go to Lublin – during the times of the great mud marshes – and the wagon would be stuck deep in the mud from which the horses were unable to extricate themselves, they would use the Name of God [for help]. They would feed the horse and then go to the nearest town into the Beis Medrash, and there they would study a page of Gemara. When they returned, they would say to the horse: “In the name of our patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!” And soon the horses would drag the wagons out of the mud, and they would fly like eagles. So, you see God's wonders? Ha!

The Beis Medrash was the support for Jewish spiritual life – a star in Turobin, just like a huge smithy's steel. Day and night, both in summer and winter, it could be thundering and lightning, in rain or snow – the musical tones did not stop for a while to resonate with the beautiful echo of the Beis Medrash. Thin resonant voices, base resonant voices, and simply students' voices and chants. Those who were studying, swayed and sang. As they were swaying, the thick wooden tables and benches became so rubbed out, that they shone as if having been polished. If someone had a yarzeit [the anniversary of someone's death], he collected a minyan [quorum of ten men] and together they studied a chapter of Mishnayos [Talmud; as is traditionally done on a yarzeit]. The first letter of the chapter had to be the same first letter as the deceased's name. At another table, they were studying the designated daily page of Gemara. Others were busy studying verses of Yoreh De'ah [Jewish law]. There were also a few who studied Kabbala [mysticism]. Everyone was studying Torah for its own sake, not expecting any reward for that. There were also simpler categories of learned ones, When the younger students had any questions they asked the second category, and when the others had a question they asked the higher category of scholars. When the response was not so simple

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a discussion with great debate took place, with simple explanations and with interpretations, and each of the learned ones wanted to demonstrate his energy. One brought up Rambam [Maimonides], another brought up the Rashban [Rabbi Shlomo ben Natan; commentary]. Many hours went on like that, and often there was no resolution! You have to ask greater scholars! There were also very learned young students who prepared the answers, even before the question came about. But they kept the answer as a “hidden kiss”; and that's how they produced an improvised answer. At the end of the scene, “by chance” they found the answer. That's how the entire spiritual life of the Jews in the Beis Medrash played out. The Beis Medrash was a warm home for anyone who came in. If someone, sadly, had no income, or had no peace in his home and so on, he found comfort in the Beis Medrash. The Beis Medrash also served as a trade center, and business transactions were done there between the afternoon and nighttime prayers. A handshake held more value than a signature on a contract. On the long winter nights, the Beis Medrash was lit up with the large lanterns, and the oven was burning so hot that you could not touch it. The stronger the cold in the streets, the closer everyone drew to the oven. They encircled the oven as bees to honey. Some had pleasure simply to warm their hands. Those who were there stayed for many hours and they wanted to eat as well. So there were young boys who brought for sale bonyekeren, frozen apples, hot potatoes, cigarettes, cakes – to sustain these souls. At the same time, these young children learned how to do business.

The following morning, Reb Mottel the beadle had a lot of work. The face of the Beis Medrash looked as if it was after a pogrom of bonyekeren and other peels. He, may he rest in peace, was a raging Jew, particularly when he found such a dirty floor. When he was sweeping up the area, he always mumbled that he had never seen such pigs in all his life. He said this after 20 years of sweeping. Someone said to Reb Mottel the shamash [beadle]: “This is nothing. This doesn't matter, it's just holiness during the week. But look here, Reb Mottel, look at what is going on outside, around the walls and at the entrance of the Beis Medrash where everyone who was coming in would first go stand at the wall … but then if they would come into the Beis Medrash , understandably they would first wash their hands netillas yadayim [according to the required ritual of handwashing].” Reb Mottel looked at him and did not know what to say. All he did was mumble: “We are in galus [exile].”

This is how the religious Jews of Turobin lived out their spiritual lives. The Beis Medrash was like a university for them, and in their lives it was the “eternal light.” From this came wisdom, philosophy, morals, the specific Jewish

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characteristics, and this was inherited from generation to generation until Hitler's destruction.

Friday afternoon before sundown, every Jew, no matter what his job was, was enveloped in a holy Fear of God. If he was not able to finish his six days of labor in time, he was overtaken by a shiver. He hurried to complete his work and to complete his preparations for the Shabbat Queen. The wagon driver who was delayed in arriving into town was whipping his horse and urging them: Shabbat! Shabbat! Hurry up! The storekeeper was hurrying his last customers that they should buy less and move more quickly because the Shabbat was coming. Several times he also decided that it was late and that the only thing he would do now was sell candles in honor of Shabbat and nothing else. The worker ceased his work on time and went to the bathhouse. Some were going to the baths and others were already coming back. Everyone was rushing, hurrying, and everything was being done quickly.

When the sun was already beginning to set, Reb Borukh the shamash quickly ran through town with a special hammer and knocked on all the shutters and summoned everyone to come to synagogue.

The Jews were streaming into the Beis Medrash that was lit up with large Shabbat candles. All the candles of the chandeliers were lit. The congregants come to the synagogue on time, took a seat and began to recite Shir Hashirim [Song of Songs, composed/authored by King Solomon] with a beautiful melody, and those who came later began with Minkha [late afternoon prayer].

The leader of the prayers, Reb Yerakhmiel Shakhnales, approached the lit up podium and opened with a thunderous voice the “Lekhu neranena” [“Let us go and praise”; the two opening words of the Shabbat evening prayer], such that the walls shook. The congregation followed him and his helpers supported him, singing beautifully. This is how we prayed until “Mizmor shir leyom haShabbat” [“A song for the day of Shabbat”; continuation of Shabbat evening prayers], and when we reached the verse of “Veshamru bnei yisroel es haShabbat” [“And the Nation of Israel heeded the Shabbat”], the congregation was aroused and prayed loudly, because in the merit of heeding Shabbat the Jews would be redeemed. The prayer ended and the congregation rushed home. Near the door at the exit of the synagogue several poor people were waiting to be invited to private homes for the Shabbat meal. And what do you think? They are brothers of Israel; you can be assured that there was not even a single person remaining without a Shabbat meal. Rushing home from the synagogue on a Friday night really had only one motive: first, they were afraid that the candles would burn out and not be lit throughout the meal. Second, that the children would already be asleep; and the most important, third, that the food should not get cold because you were not permitted to light a fire.

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When the Jew would come home from synagogue he began with “Shalom Aleikhem” [“Welcome”; opening two words of prayer preceding the Friday night Kiddush] and he would invite in the Shabbat Queen. He recited the Kiddush [prayer over wine] and they conducted the meal which was prepared as if for a king, meat and fish and other delicious foods, since it is a mitzvah to eat on Shabbat.

The echoes of zemiros [Shabbat songs] were heard in every Jewish house, “Kol mekadesh shvi'I ko'rui lo…” [“He who sanctifies the seventh day is called…”]. More than once, a Christian would stop outside a Jewish home and ponder in amazement, what kind of lives do these Jews have? These Jews are so strange. Try to explain to a Christian how the Shabbat fish tastes. This is how the Shabbat eve concluded in “Jacob's tent” [a Jew's home, referring to the patriarch Jacob].

The appearance of the street was also different from the other evenings because the Jewish Shabbat made a distinct impact even on the Christians' lives.

There was practically no transportation seen in the streets. Occasionally, a wagon would be moving slowly. Trade was at a standstill, stores were closed, because the Christians were not able to do business with themselves, they needed to have the Jews.

The Christian homes went on as usual but the Shabbat candles were shining out of every Jewish home and the songs were heard beautifully. The Shabbat festivities were sensed in the air, and the “Neshama Yeseira” [“additional soul” that traditionally Jews receive on the Shabbat] rested on each Jewish soul.

The boys and girls who had just completed their Shabbat meal went to the youth clubs and to the different organizations and this youth went for a stroll in the streets. The Jews of the older generation went to sleep with complete faith in their hearts and with “krias shema” [bedtime prayer] on their lips.

The youth went strolling through the streets of the town, taken with new ideas, with new world outlooks, and views towards a different future.

The debates that took place in the clubs did not end there but also took to the streets. The youth that was strolling through the streets divided into groups and because of that, in different corners there were always heard loud voices of the presenters and of their opponents. The topics were known by everyone so there were no winners or losers. The agenda for the day was: Does the lover of Zion have to be a function of the lover of the Jews? Can a socialist such as Karl Marx be a lover of the Jews? Was Moshe Rabbeinu [Moses] a socialist? Can a liberal be nationalist Jew? And so on. The group split into pairs that snuck into the Christian side streets, strolling on the wooden sidewalks. The couples sat on the Christian balconies – there the “maciejka” (fragrant evening flower in the mustard family) intoxicated the air with its smell. They sat there until the morning star came out, and then one wished the other “good Shabbat” and then they disappeared.

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There were all kinds of Rebbes in the Polish congress. Some of them had the custom of going around to the towns where they had chassidim [followers], and there they conducted tishen [“tables”; festive and scholarly events around a “table” served with elegance and reverence for the Rebbe]. During these events, the Rebbes accepted kvitlech [notes from their followers requesting blessings or salvation from specific hardships] that were accompanied by some monies [contributions]. Others, and these were the largest numbers, who did not leave their rabbinic courts, conducted their rabbinic rule in their courts, and the chassidim brought the kvitlech and monies to them personally. There were also Rebbes who accepted the kvitlech but did not accept any monies. For this, the gabbai [beadle] went around to the chassidim and he recounted the Rebbe's miracles and wonders, and then, at that opportunity, they would collect monies for the Rebbe's court. During the High Holidays, the holiday of receiving the Torah [Shavuot], and Shabbat of Channuka, all the Rebbes were in their own courts, and there the chassidim delivered their requests that he help them in personal, material, and spiritual matters, and just as a Tzaddik [righteous man] requests, then God fulfills. Therefore, all you had to do was ask of the Rebbe. There were also chassidim who, other than on the days of the holidays, would go to the Rebbe on Shabbat (the Shabbat lasted – months until the Rebbe said his goodbye to him). During these months, the chassid discussed a possible marital match for his daughter, another discussed whether to plant a wound on his son to avoid the military, God forbid, another needed advice about his business, and so on.

The majority of the chassidim were wealthy Jews, successful men, knowledgeable in Torah. Other ordinary Jews who were workers, did not have a Rebbe in my town of Yaniv Lob. There were workers who were chassidim who followed a worker's Rebbe – and that was the Admor Reb Yankele Veisbrod – the Turobiner Rebbe – who occupied the Rabbinic seat in Kraśnik before he became Rebbe. In World War One, the Kraśnik Rav, Reb Yisroel, may God avenge his blood, died sanctifying God's Name, with other working men. After creating a libel, the Czarist military enacted a decree and they [the men] were hanged.

As the city of Kraśnik remained without a Rav, they took on Reb Yakov Veisbrod of Turobin as their Rav. There were also other chassidim who were workers in our town, who belonged to the Rokhover Rebbe, and also to the Bekhower Rebbe – HaRav Rabinowycz – who was a warm Zionist and a member of the Mizrachi party.

When the Rebbe, Reb Yankele of Turobin came to his chassidim to Janov Lob, this very city that was destroyed and no longer exists

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all the chassidim assembled in the Turobiner shtiebel [informal synagogue]. This was the tailors' shtiebel, and just as in the other chassidic shtiebelech [plural] there was another class of chassidim, that's how in Janov there were many working men, and when their Rebbe came, there was a great celebration in town. There was tremendous joy and a great love. First, there was a great welcoming ahead of his arrival to the city as they escorted him into the town. There was singing and dancing in the home where he was hosted. This was the home of Reb Avrohom Velvel the butcher. Before the Rebbe arrived Reb Avrohom Velvel's household did a complete overhaul of his house so that when the Rebbe would come he would have a clean and fine and large home. There was already a precedent set that the Rebbe would stay there, and this was a great merit for him, because it was difficult to find a large home among the workers. So, every year, before the Rebbe arrived, Reb Avrohom prepared his home and put the women to the side so that the moment the Rebbe would come the entire house was prepared for the esteemed Rebbe and his family. On that day that the Rebbe came to town, all the workers and the ordinary people were dressed in their holiday finest and they did not work on that day either, because they had to welcome the Rebbe.

When they went to greet the Rebbe – they went until Godzhisow, with a special wagon (droshke) that was borrowed from the prince. The Rebbe was seated in this carriage, along with his two sons, the shamash and the gabbai. They drove and sang until they arrived into the city, then drank a l'chaim, and the Rebbe settled into Reb Avrohom's house. That same evening, after minkha and maariv [evening prayers], the chassidim urged their women forward to the Rebbe so that they would receive his blessings. The women approached the gabbai Reb Binyomin'el who listened to the requests and the wishes and he wrote the kvitlech which were given to the Rebbe.

There was total dedication to the Rebbe, and they spoke to him with an open heart. There were all kinds of requests of the Rebbe, and cumulatively and factually, the kvitlech showed the display of the difficulties and challenges of life in exile, of the problems that pressed on these families. These problems were presented before the Rebbe, and the Rebbe had to remove all of these issues. This is what the chassidim asked of their Rebbe, and the Rebbe had to comply. The requests and kvitlech were of all sorts, as for example: One person suffered from gallstones, another had a daughter who one year after her wedding was childless, a third asked her son to be more eager to study Torah, a fourth asked for a blessing because she had difficulties earning a living, and so on.

Once Reb Binyomin'el had written everything into the kvitlech,

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the women tossed a coin into his hand and wiped their teary eyes.

With these kvitlech, the women went to the shamash Reb Eliezer the yellow one, and he also received a coin in his hand. Then the shamash opened the door that led to the Rebbe's presence.

With a quick heartbeat and with tears in their eyes, they placed the kvitlech on the Rebbe's table, along with a generous contribution. The Rebbe spread out the amassed coins across the table, he gently patted the coins, and blessed and extoled the one who contributed the monies according to the order of the kvitlech. He gave advice, and often he shook the hand of the women's' sons and gave them blessings. The owners of the kvitlech left the Rebbe like new people, filled with hope and contentment. That's how the days and nights went during the time that the Rebbe was in town.

The gabbai and the shamash would entertain the chassidim with all kinds of anecdotes and tales, so that the chassidim were filled with enthusiasm and were very proud [of their Rebbe] – even of the ordinary people involved with holy work. In order to show the Admor Reb Yankele the proper respect – several prestigious businessmen and scholars came to see him as well. They had discussions with the Rebbe about issues that are in the Higher Worlds, and the Rebbe provided an answer to each question. The handworker chassidim were sitting around this discussion and had great pleasure that they, along with the others, also had a Rebbe who knew how to answer questions with wisdom.

When Shabbat eve arrived, the entire city prepared for the Shabbat day when the Rebbe would conduct his Tish [festive “table”]. Women placed kugels [pies, casseroles] into the ovens, sweet kugels, salty kugels, and all other types of foods. All the Turobiner chassidim ran to the ritual baths on Shabbat morning to immerse themselves in the water, and all the successful businessmen came to the Rebbe's tish, even the higher ups who made fun of the handworkers' Rebbe. They also came to the tish to hear some of the hidden thoughts of the Torah, and to grab up some of the Rebbe's leftovers [considered to be very valuable], even though they complained that the Rebbe talked a little through his nose.

On Friday night, the Rebbe prayed in the house of Reb Avrohom, where he was hosted. All the chassidim came to the prayers, along with their children dressed in their best finery, with their new prayer books. All sorts of other people of high standing, not the chassidim, came as well. Reb Mordekhai Yosef the deaf one, begins the “Lechu nerannenu” [“Let us go and praise”; opening words of Shabbat prayers], and sings “lecho dodi” [“Go, my beloved Shabbat Queen…”; continuation of prayers]. The congregants assisted him and the Rebbe's eyes were glistening, as he released a shout: “Our Sweet Father, help Your Nation of Israel!” When they were standing for the Shmone Esreii [the “Amidah”; the central prayer] and it was completely silent, the leader of the prayers glanced to the other congregants to see if he could now step back from the Shmoneh Esreii [where taking three steps backwards indicates completion of the Amidah]. After the end of the prayers, all the chassidim approached the Rebbe to wished him a “Good Shabbat” or greeted him for the first time. The crowd rushed to go home and have their meal and then to grab places at the Rebbe's tish, since the seats at the tish were filled very quickly.

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Everyone was guarding his few centimeters that he had grabbed for himself and he did not move, as if glued to his spot. The door opened, and the Rebbe entered along with his family. Suddenly the entire crowd rose to their feet and they gave honor to the Rebbe. Some shouted out “Make space – the Rebbe is here!” The Rebbe took his place and began to recite Sholom Aleichem in a mystical voice. After that, he recited the kiddush [over wine] and then washed his hands ritually for the challah [Shabbat bread loaves]. He then cut off a piece, dipped it into salt, recited the blessing, and all answered “amein!” The crowd tried to grab up pieces of the Rebbe's blessed challah. This was number one. Everyone sat tense, and tried to use tricks [every effort] so that he would successfully get a piece of the Rebbe's challah. The other foods arrived: fish, soup with noodles, and so on. The Rebbe did not eat any of these foods, he merely tasted them, and the rest was snatched up by the others as his blessed leftovers. All the chassidim grabbed some and licked their fingers. In order to get these pieces of food, the chassidim actually crawled over one another. The table looked like it was after a pogrom, the uproar, the pushing, the chaos was huge, without bounds. Between one course of the meal and another, the Rebbe recited “kol mekadesh… [“all those who sanctify”; song for Shabbat] and sang the melody. Suddenly it was quiet. The Rebbe was reciting Torah, “The voice of God throws out flames of fire…” [Psalms] ; he was revealing Heavenly mystical secrets, he lamented over the Divine Presence being in exile, and concluded with “u'vo letzion go'el…” [“A Redeemer shall come to Zion”]. All the chassidim were moaning and sighing, just as if they would be hypnotized. Suddenly, all the chassidim came alive and began to sing and clap their hands. When they entered a state of ecstasy, they began dancing, and the entire crowd was now in the Heavenly Worlds. With the Rebbe's two sons at the head, the “soup” spun as if drunk, and the Rebbe was in the middle of the circle. He danced slowly and lifted his hands to the Heavens, and his eyes were shining as they gazed upwards, and he voiced to God: “You see Your beloved nation, how much they love Your Torah – help them, and bring them their salvation.” The crowd danced and danced until they are exhausted.

The following morning, the same picture played itself out, and they read from the small Torah scroll [the portion for Shabbat] that the Rebbe brought along with himself. And they brought kugels to the tish, and there were more of the Rebbe's leftover holy pieces of food, and now the show of grabbing up the Rebbe's pieces was even more interesting. The Rebbe recited more Torah and concluded with the verse: “ Vetaher libeinu be'emes, ve'nizke le'geula sheleima, bimheira beyameinu amein” [“may our hearts turn to truth, and may we merit the complete redemption, in our days, amen”]. There was another dance until the time for Minkha prayers, and then the Rebbe was escorted into his chambers, after having the “Third Meal” of Shabbat – and then after Minkha and Maariv, the people began to sense that their extra Shabbat soul was slowly beginning to leave, and that the next day they had to go back to the daily struggle for a piece of bread. This is how a week or two stretched when the Rebbe came to town. When the Rebbe left, his chassidim escorted him far out of town, and parted with him in the pain of separation from the holy, but the words of the Rebbe, his smile, his Torah, these the chassidim remembered and it gave them the strength to exist.

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The list that I have written is dedicated to the Tzaddik [righteous man] Reb Yakov of Turobin. In the generation in which he lived, he was the spiritual leader not only in Turobin where he lived, but also for other towns and cities. He completely understood the soul of the simple Jew, the worker, and he himself was a humble person. He infused a Jewish identity into the Jewish person, and if the Rebbe said “Next year in Jerusalem,” all the chassidim were prepared to go – if only the Rebbe said so. Tragically, the Nazi murderers destroyed and erased the city and towns, and all the dear people. May these lines remain as a memory for innocent Jews who were killed, for all future generations.

This is a story that took place in Turobin. There was once a porter in Turobin. His name was Tuvia, and he was a very poor man. Once, on a Thursday, he was standing in the marketplace, with the flaps of his coat rolled up with a rope that was tied to his body, and was looking out to see where his help would come from so that he could earn something for the Shabbath. The stores all around him were empty. No one was coming or going. There was no one coming to buy any merchandise so that there would be something to earn. Sadly, he lifted his eyes to Heaven, and pleaded that he should not have a disturbed Shabbath, and his wife Serel and his children should, Heaven forbid, not be hungry on the Shabbath.

Just as he was praying, he felt that someone was tugging at his coat flaps. He looked around and saw a young German looking like a hunter in the forest, with a feather in his cap and a green symbol on his jacket. And the German said to him in pure German, which here we are translating into Hebrew with these words:

“Listen Tuviah, you were destined for seven good years, seven years of good fortune and luck, and treasures of prosperity, but it depends on you, when you wish to have these seven good years. If you wish – your good fortune will shine on you on this very day, and before the sun that stands over your head will set, you will be able to buy the entire Turobin and its surrounding areas. But after seven years, you will once again become a poor man, as you were – or then if you wish, those seven good years will come at the end of your days and you will leave this world as the greatest rich man.”

As it was, it seemed that Elijah the Prophet, as he usually does, disguised himself as a German. But Tuviah thought that

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this was an ordinary sorcerer, so he responded:

“My dear German, leave me alone, because I am a great pauper, may this never happen to you. I have nothing for the Shabbath and have nothing to pay you for your advice and trouble.”

When the German did not leave him alone and repeated the words yet again, twice, and a third time, Tuviah finally understood and answered him: “You know what, dear German, if you are serious about this with me, and are not making fun of me as a poor man, and you are asking me truthfully, then I have to tell you that when anyone approaches to me [with a question], I look to my wife Serel for a suggestion and without her I cannot give you a clear answer.”

The German replied that it is a very good thing to seek advice from one's wife, and he suggested that Tuviah consult with his wife and he, the German, would wait there for an answer.

Tuviah once again looked all around, saw no possibility of any earnings, and he thought that he had nothing to lose, and he went home to seek his wife's advice. He let his coat flaps drop and went behind the city where he lived, almost in the field, in a limestone house, to talk to his wife.

When Serel saw him through the open door (it was summer) she ran out to meet him with great joy. She thought he was bringing her something to help her prepare for Shabbath. But he told her:

“No Serel, His Name [God] has not yet allotted me any earnings, but that is why a German came to me…”

And he told her this and that, described what the German said, that he is destined for seven good years and it depended on him when the good years would be coming – now, or before his death. He asked her advice – when?

Serel did not think for a long time, and she said: “Go, my dear husband, and tell this German that your good years must start this very minute!”

“Why, Serel?” Tuviah asked perplexed. “After seven years, we will become poor again, and that decline becomes even worse than just being an ordinary poor man!”

“Don't worry, my dear good friend. In this world, take whatever you can and say: Bless God for every day! Especially if you need money for cheder [school] for the children. They were sent home [because no school payments were made]. See how they play in the sand.”

This was enough for Tuviah to run back with a clear answer, that he wanted the seven good years right away. The German said to him:

“Think about it, Tuviah. Today you are a person with strength and you can earn sometimes more, sometimes less … But what will be later on, if you

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will get older and you will decline, and you will not have all your strength for working.”

Tuviah responded:

“Listen, German, my wife Serel wants this right away. First she says to bless God for every day, and then she says not to worry about the future, and second, they have sent our children home from cheder….”

“If so,” said the German, “then go home and before you enter the house you will be a rich man!”

He wanted to ask him more about the seven years, but meanwhile the German had vanished.

Tuviah returned home. Tuviah, as we mentioned, lived behind the town, almost in the open field. As he approached his home, he saw how the children were playing there in the sand. He saw that the children were shovelling something away from a hole that did not look like sand but looked like pure gold. Real, pure gold… Understandably, one did not need more than that. The seven years had already begun, the seven years of good fortune…

Time went quickly, as an arrow from a bow, and seven years passed quickly. After seven years, the German came back to Tuviah and told him that the seven years had passed and that that evening, the gold would disappear into the ground – the gold in the house as well as the gold he had hidden by others…

He found Tuviah standing in the middle of the marketplace, just as seven years earlier with the same coat flaps tied up to around body, and he was trying to make some earnings. He said to Tuviah, the seven years have passed!

Tuviah answered him: “Go tell my wife Serel, because the wealth was in her hands all of the seven years.”

So they both went behind the city and come to the same limestone house in the field and found Serel in front of the door. She was dressed poorly, as before, but she was smiling. The German said to her the same words, that the seven good years had passed. She responded, that they had not yet begun to have the seven good years, that they never considered all the money as theirs because that which a person earns with his ten fingers, that belongs to him. But this type of wealth that comes without sweat and hard work is only a deposit that his dear name leaves behind in the hands of people to give to poor people... All she took from the gold was payment for school. This is God's Torah, and you can use money from His gold for that, and for nothing else! And if His good name from today onwards has a better provider for His gold, then of course let Him take it and give it to someone else!

Elijah the Prophet heard all this and disappeared. He gave over all this information to the Heavenly Courts, and the Heavenly Courts decreed that

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there was no better provider, and the seven years did not end all the while that Tuviah and his wife Serel lived.

As an eternal memory of the Tzitrinboim family, may their blood be avenged

Reb Yakele or Reb Yekele – that is how he was called in the street (his real name was probably Reb Yakov) – when they said the name Yakele it was not simply a name. He was a distinct type of Jew, a unique type.

In his young years, Reb Y. worked as a shoemaker, but later when I remember him, he was already not working and was very likely being supported by his children.

Reb Y. used to come very early into the Beis Medrash [Study Hall] in his regular place, pray with pure sincerity and after that, he recited the entire book of Tehilim [Psalms] and then he went home. He kept this small book of Tehilim in his pocket and when he had some free time, he continued reciting a little more Tehilim and that is how he completed the entire book of Tehilim and began once again.

The recitation of Tehilim for him never ended. The book of Tehilim for Reb Yakel was exactly like a weapon for a soldier on the front. For him, the book of Tehilim served as a spiritual and physical protector. If, Heaven Forbid, you are hungry, you recite Tehilim, if Heaven Forbid, you are assaulted by hooligans, you recite Tehilim. The calendar [indicated at the top of each page or ahead of each chapter] of the book of Tehilim [chapters are designated per day, per week, per holiday, etc.] were blackened and rubbed out and the edges of the pages were all creased from turning the page so many times without end. And the more he recited the Tehilim, the more he wanted to continue. He practically knew the entire book of Tehilim by heart. Until this very day, I am amazed, how a hidden power urged him to say the same thing over and over. And each time it was very likely for him as if he was reciting the Tehilim for the first time, and it was not repetitive for him. It seems that he understood the meaning of each of the words, and that is why he recited all of it with such passion. Today, imagine how many times Reb Y. recited Tehilim during his entire life.

Reb Y. had a son in the Soviet Union, a daughter Miriam who lives in Israel, and a younger son Velvel who died in the war. His son who was in the Soviet Union, held an important position as a well–known commissioner and an active Comrade in the Communist Party. The younger son

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Velvel, was a very conscientious young man, and he was among the founders of the Bund [Jewish socialist movement], and the culture library. Truth be told, he was never a member of the Bundist ideology and did not support Medem [Vladimir Davidovich Medem, 1879–1923, Russian Jewish politician, ideologue the Bund].

Velvel Tzitrinboim

Yakele, Miriam, and her husband

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It was at the beginning of the thirties, when there were rumors circulating in the town that Reb Yakele was going to leave and go to the Soviet Union. That means that his son wanted him to leave. Whoever lived in Poland at that time and remembers the strained Polish/Russian connection and the strict border guard between the two countries, knows that both refused to give visas, regardless of what kind. With that I just want to explain how difficult it was to break through the powers and to receive permission to get into Russia. Only because his son was of the first revolutionaries and then an active Comrade of the Communist Party was he [the son] able to bring over his father. And because he [the father] was a religious Jew with a beard and already an older person, indicating to the Polish government that he was not a spy, he was successful after great efforts to immigrate to the Soviet Union.

When Reb Y. left to the Soviet Union, he took along “sustenance” for the road, that means his Talis [prayer shawl], and his Tefilin [phylacteries], and his book of Tehilim. In his letters he had only one complaint, that the Russians did not let him pray. He would forgo their food, as long as they would let him pray. But Yakele saw that even before he would fight the Bolsheviks he would be defeated. He would remain without his book of Tehilim, he would not have kosher food, and no matzos – He made a decision – and within a year or two, Reb Yakele came back to the town of Turobin with the same Talis, Tefilin, and book of Tehilim.

He took back his position in the Beis Medrash and he felt as if revived “back from the dead,” that is what he said. Very likely he was told not to say what he had seen in Russia, but one thing he did say was “they do not let you say Tehilim”; “Over there, there are non–Jews and here there are still Jews.” This same Yakele, the same beard and side locks, the same voice, the same smile, the same pinch that he used to give that young boy in the Beis Medrash when he was in the mood. May he rest in the Garden of Eden.

In my impressions of the Polish Jewish province that I visited often, the city of Turobin remained deep in my memory. When I was in Lublin, I decided to visit Turobin for two reasons: 1) to visit my friend Leon Goldfarb who was a dentist in Turobin; 2) to visit the customers from my shoe factory in Warsaw, misters Liberboim, and P. Rotblat. When I arrived to Turobin, they told me that Mr. Goldfarb and his family had immigrated to Israel.

When visiting merchant Liberboim, his wife told me: “You came

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at the right time, we are making a wedding for our youngest daughter, with good fortune and blessings. Of course you will stay for the wedding and after that you will have the meeting.”

Not having a choice, and respecting a good and honest customer, I agreed. There was no hotel so they found me a place to stay with a seamstress, a widow with 4–5 grown children who were members of the HeChalutz organization [Jewish youth movement preparing for pioneering in Israel].

It made a real impression on me that the entire town was preparing for the wedding, even the large goat that was lying comfortably on the ground – at the entrance of several shops. In the evening, they introduced me to the parents [in–laws] of the groom's side, Jews with long beards and long frock coats, with Jewish hats, and some of them with shtreimlech [round, fur hats]. People sat at long tables and there was discussion, beginning with weekday matters and moving to matters of Torah, commentaries and innovative ideas for issues of the day, and so on. A messenger came and informed everyone that the Zamosc musicians had arrived. From a distance, you could already hear their sounds, and everyone went into the street. A huge crowd of Jews and Christians were already waiting for the parents and the bride and groom to appear.

The ceremony begins. Two women, dressed in wigs and with decorative pins were holding two large braided challos [plural of “challah”; braided bread] in their hands. Other women were holding large candles in their hands. The ceremony proceeded, accompanied by dance and song with the help of the musicians, the bride and groom, parents and in–laws, guest, and the entire town, Jews and Christians, and I among them.

That's how we passed the synagogue, circling seven times [according to tradition]. Those who likely recognized me as a new face, looked at me as if throwing darts [uncomfortably] … a “warm” welcome, but this was beyond the normal.

At the sheva brachos [“seven blessings”; festive ceremony of reciting seven blessings for seven nights following the wedding], the groom presented several innovative interpretations of Torah portions, and there were several sharp analyses as well, and clever thoughts expressed by several scholars, from which I took real spiritual pleasure.

For all kinds of reasons, I remained in Turobin for Shabbath. I gave a lecture to the youth of HeChalutz that took place outside of the city in the open air on the green grass. In my lecture I spoke about Bialik's last tale, “The Onion Champion and the Garlic Champion.” The crowd listened with great attention.

During my brief visit to Turobin I found an idealistic youth, filled with a yearning for a constructive life in Israel. Before my eyes are the beautiful faces of the young friends, of the Zionist and

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HeChalutz organizations, who strived to be the leaders of the HeChalutz camp on the other side [in Israel].

I remember the beautiful faces of the scholars, businessmen, and ordinary, innocent Jews who were bestially murdered.

A dynamic town, with a colorful lifestyle, and all types of people. Idealists, yearnings – they, along with all the Polish population were tragically murdered.

May this Memorial Book of Turobin serve as a tombstone for the holy martyrs of the beautiful and beloved town that once was and is no longer.

Published in memory of my mother–in–law Aliza Sirkis of Johannesburg, who died on Tammuz 14, 5727; July 22, 1967

A town has not only a name, but also a soul. A person has a name, but also has a soul. A river has a name and has a soul as well. All have names, and all have souls. A person is born with a soul, and he receives his name after eight days. A river is created with its soul first, and it receives its name later on. But a town is given its name first, and its soul is created for generations – without stop.

When a person dies, you cross off his name, but his soul remains. The soul struggles, experiences reincarnations, is caught up in a mystical manner – until it finds its right ending.

When a river dies and its name is crossed off – its soul dies too. The only thing that remains of the river is its memories of history. Living witnesses tell that after the devastation of the Turobiner Jewish community, the river “For” cried and dried up.

When a town with a Jewish community is destroyed, its name is crossed off, but the soul remains, and only then does its soul know – the need of its existence. It never dies, even when a tombstone is set for it. This is only to show that the spirit is alive. The Jewish nation is still alive after the Spanish Inquisition, 470 years later, and will continue to live as long as Yom Kippur is kept.

A name, a soul, this is a known thing! But what is that? Can we understand? Can we feel this? Can we touch this? Can we see this? Yes! And certainly yes! Each one on its own, and all together.

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The soul of a person, everyone knows – even those other than people. “He is a sterling person with a golden soul.” “He is a person with a gentle heart, with a modest soul.” “The souls of the people – you can see in their eyes.” “After death, the souls will roll under the cellar… until they come to Israel.” “A dear soul! A good soul! “And into your hand, I command my spirit” [from morning prayers].

Perhaps you would like to know, you will hear that a river also has a soul: The river has overflowed! (It cried too much.) The river has dried up! The river is demanding its yearly human victims! The river is storming! The river is calm and is shining as a mirror! The river contains fish, minerals, and so on. The river has all kinds of secret places. The river also has a heart. The heart of the river – these are the wells from which it takes its vitamins. The river has a head, a center, and feet, the river takes everything in, even the sins of tashlich [Rosh Hashana ceremony conducted at a river, all sins are “tossed in” to purify the person]. If the town is in mourning – the river does not mourn. You can see clearly that the river has a soul, a good one, a large one, a broiling one, a creative one, a powerful one.

A town and her soul: The shamash Reb Boruch wakes up the town with the knocking of a wooden hammer [paddle]. If the shamash bangs three times – then everything is normal. If he bangs twice, that is a sign that there is a death in town.

“Into the baths!” shouts Reb Hershele. He used to smack the businessmen on the highest benches [in the baths]. If it was not hot enough, they all shouted, “a pail!” That meant that he should pour a pail of water onto the heated stones, and the stones released more hot steam into the baths.

On Shabbath morning – Reb Alter Shneiderberg, with a sing–song pleasant voice, summoned all to come and recite Psalms. Also, every Friday afternoon, Reb Alter used to go around the town and call out: “Bread for the poor!” and Reb Hershele collected the bread in a sack. The bread for the poor was distributed to the needy people, but everything was done with discretion. Everyone rushed to the synagogue. They left the synagogue leisurely. Between mincha and maariv [evening and night prayers] there was buzzing in the synagogue as in a beehive. The greatest business deals were made there.

If there was a difficult birth, for a salvation, the cheder boys would stretch a thread from the Holy Ark until the bed of the birthing woman.

The Beis Medrash had no lock because there were always people there who were studying. The resonating, melodious voices of those who were learning were heard outside.

The court of the synagogue also had a purpose. All the marriage ceremonies were

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held there. In rain and in frost, the wedding ceremony took place in the courtyard of the synagogue under the open sky. The groom stood under the canopy and covered his eyes with a handkerchief. He waited until the bride was brought forward, and if the bride lived at the other end of the city, sometimes it took a half hour until the bride arrived. This waiting time was a very uncomfortable experience for the groom, because he surely had a rival or even a loving brother – who did not begrudge him his bride, and if it was a winter evening, the “good friends” made snowballs and “respectfully” threw the snowballs at the groom right under his eyes, since his eyes were covered anyway. If the groom would have known about this situation beforehand, then he certainly would have delayed the wedding ceremony. So you see, that you cannot even appreciate such a Jewish soul.

Friday after prayers, the Heavenly Spirit rested on the town. Everyone was dressed in their Shabbath finery. The street was quiet, calm, and peaceful. The glow of the candles was noticed in all the homes, and the Shabbath singing was heard in the streets.

The Shabbath day was busy. The congregants, the students in the Beis Medrash, and in the chassidic shtieblech [informal synagogues]. The chassidim with their satin frocks were demonstrating in the streets. The Zionist shtiebel – and the Zionist meetings and lectures, everyone knew that it was Shabbath, and they were doing something.

Yom Kippur night, quiet and serene. A deep mood of fear. The community was standing in front of the Heavenly Court. Everyone was enveloped in a fear. Even a fish in the river trembled. They completed the prayers, ended the fast [of Yom Kippur], and Yom Kippur ended with the verse: “Next year in Jerusalem!”

Simchas Torah [last day of Sukkos holiday, celebrating with the Torah]. If the Jews completed the reading of the Torah, then of course they have to dance. And when the chassidim dance, the entire town dances along with them. Understandably, before dancing, the chassidim had made a lechayim [had a drink of alcohol] and ate the kugels that were prepared in the ovens. Reb Shmelke, a tall and broad Jew, was a hefty chassid, and somewhat tipsy, and he did not want to dance on the ground. He climbed up onto Tisha's two–meter high rooftop – and wanted to jump down. When the other chassidim saw this, they began to shout: “Reb Shmelke, have pity! Don't dance because you'll break Tisha's roof.” Imagine how much strength it took to get Reb Shmelke off the roof. They brought a fatty kugel, and they told Reb Shmelke that he had to come down and make a blessing over this kugel. Only then did Reb Shmelke climb down off the roof.

Reb Shmekle Drimler was a Gerer chassid. They say about him that on a market day, when his store was filled with customers, and a familiar Jew of his same chassidic group came into the store, Reb Shmelke gave a broad shalom aleichem [greeting] to Reb Yakov, and told him that if he wanted to talk about business issues, then he would have to wait a while, but if he wants

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to discuss chassidic subjects, then he would leave behind all his customers and would come to speak with him immediately.

If a Jew did not have sustenance for Shabbath, then other Jews would collect whatever he needed. If a Jew did not have the means to marry off his daughter, then there were other Jews who helped him with his needs. If a Jew was sick or had other needs, then the other Jews would help him in any way, and truthfully, should he go to the non–Jews? The Jews went to the non–Jews if there was a dispute in the town. In that case, all means were kosher, even going to a non–Jew and inform them, in order to break the opponent, that means the Jew and his side. And all this was done in the name of Torah. So? Can you figure a Jewish soul?

Reb Shaul Mendel disappeared from the town for a few months. The women discussed this secretly, and thought that maybe he was upset with his wife. What does that mean? A Jew leaves behind his wife and four young children, and his leather business, and then disappears. But the chassidim in town knew that Reb Shaul was yearning to see his Rebbe, so he left to visit with him for a few months. So, imagine that, a Jewish soul.

(The end is on page 391)

I do not have many memories of my town of birth, Turobin. When I was just a young child, my entire family moved away from the town. Later, I happened to visit the town a few times, and that's how I am left with a few memories. There are very few remaining survivors of the small Turobiner community. I maintain this as my moral obligation to describe it and to perpetuate all possible memories in the form of a book for the future generation. I salute the initiative of the region, even if the book will not comprehensively and completely reflect the town. The goal of this project is to sanctify, to measure the writer's qualifications, and for the reader – an apology.

As if it were today, I remember the holiday of Sukos 1932. I was waiting for the transport of the trip to go to Israel. I waited every second to receive notice from the Misrad [Ministry]. I gathered my courage and left noisy Warsaw to go to the small town to spend my final days in Poland with homey Jews and friends. As was usual in a small town at that time, the news that there was an Oleh to Israel [someone immigrating to Israel] swept into all corners of the town with mockery and contempt

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but this did not prevent me from being called up to the Torah several times for readings, and receiving warm wishes from the gabbai [beadle].

The town could not really boast about its special architecture. There were four such streets, without names, some with shingled roofs, and some with straw roofs. In one street corner – the only two–level house in town. Incidentally, near the house where I was born all kinds of legends circulated about the house's inhabitants in the generation before me. It was a wealthy family that did business with all the neighboring aristocrats, as well as with Prince Potocki. A very respected family from pure Torah scholars and community leaders. I forget the neighboring street from the other corner house which was called the “potchene” [“passageway]. The entire street consisted of a row of little shops and homes. The second corner of this “potchene” street bordered the synagogue and the Beis Medrash, which I will describe further. Turobin was blessed with a large marketplace, and it was hard to see the start of the street on the opposite side. This is the impression of what Turobin looked like in my eyes.

Turobin was not very blessed with rich Jews, but thus there were many Torah scholars, beginning with the leader of the town all the way to the wagon driver. Being distanced far from the central settlements with Polish roads and no highway, the population existed in poverty. The only source of the town's income were the weekly fairs every Thursday, when the neighboring farmers would come together, buy merchandise, and sell their own products to the Jews. Only once a year was there an annual fair in town, and at that time, merchants from a distance came as well, and about 70% of the town had earnings for months from this event as well. There was only a small portion of people in Turobin who maintained a weekly trade contact in the center of town. These were the wagon drivers and the few tens of merchants who provided the town with products and merchandise, as well as with gossip and sensations from the outside world, for the people in the Beis Medrash. I have mentioned here my own interpretations of the economic state, according to my own appraisals.

A new era opened for the town of Turobin in general, and for the Turobiner youth specifically, with the beginning of the autobus run. As if automatically disappearing, the generations–old, rusty fanatic traditions were pushed aside. The city youth awoke as if from its slumber and freely began to inhale fresh, new air. Slowly, the youth began to leave the Trisk and Ger shtieblech, and began to meet in the secular meeting points. Young girls, as with a tidal wave, became

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swept away, and energetically, became busy and active. A deep darkness divided the two camps. With threatening clenched fists, the conservatives warned the camp of secularists, “We are excommunicating you” – the slogan went like that, “and we are also excommunicating you as husbands for our daughters.”

I find myself now in the official position of recounting the memories, with full respect and honor to the Turobiner martyrs, of the difference in ideologies. And I will try to remain objective with my own ideology about the situation created between the war of brothers.

Also, Khantche, Reb Shmelke's daughter, was swept into the flow of the new waves. And when Khantche, as she passed by a few times, peeked into the HeChalutz, she was attentively noticed by Michol Yoffe, the baker's son. As if electrified, his glance towards her totally ran through her entire body. His thirsty glance at Khantche lasted a long time. Also, Khantche tossed back a warm and meaningful glance, and then shyly dropped her eyes. With time, it appeared that Yoffe's picture had been etched in Khantche's mind from the frequent discussions between the young men and the girls. when they went swimming in the ponds. Soro'ke had already cast an eye on him long ago. Such a pleasant and proud person, and also an independent person in Turobin. Khantche really blushed every time that they spoke about Yoffe. But Khantche, having a strictly religious upbringing from her parents, could never allow herself to dream of such things… Her curious glances, as she passed by the place of HeChalutz, were to confirm how much truth there was to what her friends were saying. And especially Soro'ke's words. But since that time, Khantche did not hold back the warm, contented glance. He followed her as if hypnotized. Khantche's feelings quietly grew and she strongly rebuked her parents' protests against this match. A black cloud spread over the quiet, very religious, traditional family of Reb Shmelke. In order to really understand the full tragedy of this situation we have to go back a few years.

The satin [religious; called satin because of the clothing they wore] youth was very popular at that time. Torah was deeply rooted in the youth. But still there were always some exceptional intellectuals in the Jewish towns who acquired the title of “satin young man.” A satin young man was always rewarded with a wealthy young girl and with limitless room and board. As a young man, our Shmulek, as he was called at that time, was assured a rabbinic career because of his deep insights into the entire Mishnayos and even the Zohar [book of mysticism]. With his sharp view of the world's ideas, he excelled in each debate with his points right in the mark. He was strongly

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religious, without bounds. He immersed himself in the ritual baths several times a day, before prayers and after each prayer. Each Tomaszower mother wished that their own sons should be so accomplished. Shmulek was tall and thin, with black curly hair on his head, with his fine broad shoulders, he gave the impression of a Kohen Gadol [High Priest]. More than one girl hid in a corner near the Ger mesifta [place of study] to have a glance at the tall, handsome Shmulek, and then wipe away their warm, running tears. Turobin had nothing to be ashamed of regarding their satin [religious] youth. Many Jewish communities across the breadth of Poland were enriched by the heads of the yeshivos and rabbinic leaders from the satin youth of Turobin. Rabbi Yehoshua Neu's selecting Reb Shmulek for his daughter Rivka Laya must be allotted to the blind fate of “the One Who arranges all the matches.” It just happened that Reb Yehoshua Neu was invited as a guest to the town of Tomaszow, as a visitor to Reb Shmulek's court. Reb Yehoshua had several conversations with Shmulek about his successful interpretations of sections of the Gemara. Reb Yehoshua Neu did not leave Shmulek alone and within a few days, they celebrated the engagement. A very happy person, Reb Yehoshua returned from Tomaszow and told his Shifra about the deal. “This time, I arranged for merchandise that is completely unimaginable,” he proudly reported smiling to Shifra. And as Rivka Laya overheard this, she, more deeply embarrassed than ever, let her eyes drop. Very soon, a wedding was celebrated, as if for royalty. The best musicians were brought in, Reb Arish with his musicians, and from both sides, actually the cream of the crop came to the wedding. The only thing you saw there was silk, satin, and shtreimlech [round fur hats worn by chassidim] and not even the slightest exposure of skin by the women. Wine and other whiskeys flowed like water. The most brilliant, innovative analyses of the Ra”n [R. Nissim Gerondi, commentary on the Talmud] and of the Zohar. The music was heard far and wide. All the poor people and simple beggars from the area outside of the wedding, felt like poor dogs, and they came on time. Separate tables were prepared for them, and they celebrated seven days of ease. For weeks and months afterwards, the town was still feeling the impact of the wedding.

But it was only a short time after the wedding that there was a change for the young and old couple. I was unable to find out the reasons that the young couple broke the deal of unlimited room and board, and they went their own way. There were many versions. The gesture impressed me. A future spiritual custom of a community does not have to depend on the physical kindness. He closed his Rivka Laya into a shop, as was the custom, and with inner joy she threw warm glances at her departing Shmelke, as he left every morning to the Gerer mesifta for a Torah lesson.

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We will come back from the stroll we just took, to the tragedy that befell Reb Shmelke's family.

Reb Shmelke always used to discuss with Rivka Laya the possible marriage possibilities for his Khantche. Reb Shmelke greatly respected Rivka Laya. She was the real Eishes Chayil [Woman of Valor]. Life for them went on as if automatically. “You hear, Rivkale,” he said, “I had a conversation about the tractate Yoreh Deah [section in Talmud that addresses laws of ritual matters] with Akiva the herring–merchant's son in Lublin. He's a real character. He coughs a little and is a little in pain with his left ear, but with the careful management of our fine, religious daughter Khantche he will be able to sit and learn Torah with great application. We will also organize all issues of their boarding. Reb Gimpel, Reb Akiva's father, would always send regards to Khantche.” With great hope, Reb Shmelke tried to spin and use his long chain of ancestry. During each casual conversation of the scholars he always loved to talk about his aristocratic ancestry, and here was such a tragedy, may God have mercy.

Even the Gerer Rebbe did not give Reb Shmelke much hope for a miracle from heaven, because the Rebbe, it seems, had already had challenges in this area, and was satisfied with the wish that God should help.

We will return to the memories of Simchas Torah in the year 1932. Outdoors, strong, cold winds had already begun, accompanied by thin drops of rain. The two neighboring synagogues were filled with congregants. The time came for taking out the Torah scrolls in preparation of the hakafos [joyful dancing with the scrolls, rejoicing in completing and recommencing of the readings], and from a small dance there evolved a great dance. The crowd in both synagogues felt very squeezed for space. Without noticing, they went dancing into the court with the Torah scrolls in hand, from the open gates of the court, with eyes closed in deep ecstasy, to the neighboring empty space of the Turobiner marketplace. The dance of the various groups, wrapped in their prayer shawls, presented a disheveled picture. They danced in groups, and they danced alone, in ecstasy and entranced, and some simply danced on their own feet. With lightning speed, news befell the town and it began to flow. The small groups from the Gerer and Trisker chassidim joined those dancing. They continued dancing through the passageway [on the sidewalk] then back to the marketplace. It was very narrow. Several times, I was almost swept into the mob of people dancing by, but I managed to turn myself away in time. Thanks to that, today I am able to write these memoirs. Or am I imagining this? No, I am not making an error. Here is Reb Dovid Merder [“murder”] (an odd name). He is flying in the air. He is not dancing – as if he is holding onto the dancing angel for a jig. More than once did I want to stick my small childish finger into his pointy beard and long face, for his perpetually

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disturbing my sleep as he was reciting the midnight prayers along with my father, may he rest in peace. The praying all day was not enough for them, so, every Monday and Thursday, they undertook to serve God, not considering anything about me, that they would be disturbing my sleep. There is a dance happening among the large group of congregants, of someone alone. Solo, holding the Torah scroll in his hands, he is dancing with his face just as with his feet, with all kinds of gestures. Today is his holiday, Simchas Torah.

You all know him, this is Reb Alter Burg. All year, each Friday evening after midnight, Reb Alter Burg's voice resonated through the town as he summoned people to the service of God. This was a warm voice that embraced you softly and worked its way into all corners of your soul. All kinds of people began to stream in the direction of the synagogues towards the chapters of Psalms. They say that the echo of Reb Alter's calling reached all the way to Jerusalem. And at the very same time, they began a fresh midnight prayer in Jerusalem. There are all kinds of legends about this tailor, Reb Alter Burg. He had all the properties of a Turobiner native: honest, pious, and a Torah scholar. But still, without any family, being only by himself, his past remained really unsubstantiated. In town, people whispered that Reb Alter Burg, because of the sins he committed during his life, decided to work his exile so that it would forgive him, and went to Turobin, where a tailor was very much needed. Since then, Turobin merited to have its own tailor.

More than once, I had the thought that the writer of the expression “He who has not seen the simcha of drawing water has not seen a real simcha in his days” [referring to a water–drawing ceremony conducted during the time of the Temple, each morning of the holiday of Sukos], just like me, had to stand at that time in the large Beis Hamikdosh [Temple] marketplace town and enjoy the simcha [festivities]. The dances had almost little resemblance to the dances in the Warsaw opera theater, Wasela or Morska, actors, but they had in them a unique, enticing charm. Yesterday's lonesome, dreamy, wrinkled youth, disappeared, and in front of my eyes arose a dancing, enflamed, heroic youth, with many photos, and only the strong winds and rain put a stop to the wonderful spectacle of Simchas Torah 1932. The whistling wind mixed with the large raindrops, gruesomely and mercilessly dispersed the large crowd from the marketplace, but one person energetically tried to resist nature. In the foggy darkness I recognized him, the last of the Mohicans, Reb Shmelke. His prayer shawl had already flown away from him. The sections of his satin now torn frock coat were torn into separate parts. “Reb Shmelke!” I screamed to him. “Finish your dance. I understand your tragedy only too well: tradition, ancestors, but listen well to what the wind is blowing your way, such unfamiliar slogans. Even in Israel, where I am going now – different winds are already blowing, with

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new slogans – the ingathering of the exiles, a state, independent. It fell upon us, as fate has it, to push forward the necessary spiritual and physical operations.” With an embarrassed glance, Reb Shmelke put his hand out to me and then disappeared.

How did Turobin become a town?

Reb Izak the Shochet [ritual slaughterer], may he rest in peace, used to say how Turobin became a town. As is known, in many of the towns in Poland there were no roads, and our town was also among those where roads had to be built. Large mud pools developed before Pesach [Passover], so much so that it was difficult to leave town. Reb Izak used to say about this: “Now I understand how Turobin became a city. By chance, a few Jews came to Turobin for Pesach, and they could not leave here [because of the mud], so not having any choice, they wrote to their families that they should come to them [toTurobin] because they cannot get home for Pesach. And that is exactly how it was. The women and children came for Pesach and when summer came they did not feel like going back to the large cities, when all those in the larger cities went for summer respite to the province. That is how the city of Turobin was established.”

Hershele Rotblat, may he rest in peace, saw that Pinye Gevurtz, may he rest in peace, once burst out laughing in the Beis Medrash. “As it is known, Pinye Gevurtz never laughs…” Hershele said. “Jews, you should know that is the times of Moshiach, as it is written that when the Moshiach will come there will be ‘our mouths will be filled with laughter' [verse from Psalms]… if not for that, then it would be impossible that Pinye would be laughing.

When they opened a Tarbut [Zionist] school in Turobin, Hersh Farshtendig registered to learn Hebrew. When he came home from the classes, he would speak Hebrew very slowly in his home. His father, Binyamin Farshtendig, may he rest in peace, was not happy about this study because he was a chassidic Jew. But his mother, Khana'le Farshtendig would say, “It does not matter, children need to learn everything. It may as well be in Tarbut as long as he is learning.” Once, sitting at the table, his mother asked that Hersh pour her a glass of tea. When he brought his mother the tea, at the same time he asked his father in Hebrew, “Abba, ata shoteh?” [“Father, would you like a drink?”] When the father heard this he gave Hersh a slap. “You have been going to Tarbut only for a few days

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and you are calling me a ‘shoteh’^[1]?” He shouted out in a rage. Hersh began to shout and cry and to explain to his father that he had asking him if he also wanted to drink some tea but the expression was just the same. The father answered: “I do not want your tea and I do not want your Hebrew.”

When Shloime'le Greenberg came to Turobin as a son–in–law of Yitzchok the baker, may he rest in peace, he considered himself one of the Torah scholars that Turobin possessed. Whoever remembers, Shiye Moreh Ho'raah [Rabbinic leader of the city], may he rest in peace, was a proud Jew who loved to have people show him respect, and Shloime'le did not pay attention to this. For example, when Shiye Moreh Hora'ah would enter the Beis Medrash with his large Tefilin bag the people would make a path for him to pass through. But Shloime'le Grinberg was a revolutionary in this area, and he too would also proudly promenade through the Beis Medrash.

Once, Shiye Moreh Ho'raah called over Shloime'le and said to him: Young man, since you are new here in town, then you had better behave a little differently.” “For example?” asked Shloime'le. “For example,” replied Shiye Moreh Ho'raah, “if you consider yourself a learned person, and you say you are a Torah scholar, that does not bother me. You can make yourself as tall as you wish. But to interfere with my pathway, that not! Do not grow in the width…”

As is known, Jews believed that one person can place an Evil Eye upon another. But there was also a cure for this terrible curse. This was called “repelling an Evil Eye,” and it was only singular people who were able to do this.

Understandably, Reb Izak the Shochet [ritual slaughterer] was one of these singular people. If something of this sort happened, they went running to Reb Izak… “Oy, Reb Izak, save my daughter!” the mother says. “She just finished eating supper and suddenly she did not feel well. Her head and her stomach hurt her very badly, and she is screaming terribly! She cannot stop!” After listening to the whole story, Reb Izak asked the mother what was her name and what was the name of the daughter, and he began to recite something quietly. When he finished, that means he repelled the Evil Eye, he said to the mother: “You can go now, you daughter will have a complete recovery.”

When the person left, Reb Izak would say: “She probably overate on a bowl of teiglech [small pieces of dough cooked in honey] with potatoes until she began to feel the pressure under her heart. But what should she do? The mother thinks I am a Rebbe'le, and if she believes that then I must help her like that.”

Who knows what else is written in the Torah they but do not want to tell about it!

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Khaim Friedler the butcher, slaughtered an animal and the Shochet [ritual slaughterer] who slaughtered the animal said that the actual slaughter was not as it should be. The butchers who were standing there at the time, knew that the animal would have to declared treif [non–kosher]. The animal was a very fatty one and had cost a lot of money. The other butchers were quite satisfied that the animal was treif, because they knew that Khaim Friedler would have the best meat in town the next day, if it would come to that. And they did not like that. Many of them were secretly happy with what happened, and said: “A Jew like Khaim should not be slaughtering such expensive animals.” But since there are such laws for the Jews, the Rabbis and the shochtim [ritual slaughterers] got together and began to ponder this situation…. Since Khaim Friedler is a poor man with young children, and the money that the animal had cost was not his but was borrowed from others, then this Jew will not have any bread for his children. So the decision was made that this animal was purely kosher so that he [Khaim] could at least be left with his pride intact.

When this verdict of the Rabbis became known, he went out into the streets and began to shout: “Who knows what else is written in the Torah that you can do …. But the thieves don't want to talk about it.”

Once, they asked Reb Yitzchok the Shochet, may he rest in peace, when he was already in his eighties, what did he learn after his many years as Shochet in Turobin. He responded that he learned two things: first, how long the cake [bread] at the celebration of a circumcision has to be; and second, how heavy the Rav in town has to be so that he can rightly be called “moreinu ve'rabeinu” [“our teacher, our Rav”; prestigious title].

One: As was known, Reb Yitzchok the Shochet was also a mohel [rabbi who performs bris milah, circumcision]. Once, when he came into a village to perform a bris, all the Jews who lived there gathered together to be included in the mitzvah of the bris milah. Before setting the table the villagers asked each other if everything had been prepared so that they would not be shamed in front of the Shochet. And the main thing, if the cake [bread] is appropriately Jewish [is it right for this occasion]. One Jew replied to this saying that about this cake he can rightly say that one can make the Hamotzi blessing [the blessing recited over bread, which is more prestigious than the blessing said over cake]. He placed the cake on the table and measured the cake according to the length of his arm. When the cake reached from his hand to elbow, he announced: “Yes, this is the correct measurement. According to Jewish law, this is the right measurement of a cake that is to be used at a bris.”

Two: When the butchers of Turobin would come to Reb Yitzchok for the slaughtering of the animals, before the slaughtering took place, they would talk about the activities of the day and what had happened to them during the day at the animal market – who had bought a bargain, and who was just about to make an important purchase, but it slipped right out of his hand;

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who lost a sale, and so on. All of this, the Shochet had to hear from those who gave him his livelihood. Once, in the midst of this discussion, one butcher came in and said: “Friends, I have something to tell you about today's events.” “What happened,” the other butchers asked. “You should know,” he said, “that today I bought a moreinu ve'rabeinu!” “Really?” his listeners asked. “How much does it weigh?” “She weighs six pood [one pood is approx. 16.38 kilograms],” he replied. “Six pood?” say the butchers,” then she really is a moreinu ve'rabeinu.” “From that,” Reb Yitzchok the Shochet says, “I learned from the butchers that a Rav has to weigh about six pood so that he can be called moreinu ve'rabeinu.”

Translator's footnote

1. fool; the two Hebrew terms, shoteh, are homonyms, therefore easily confused Return

The city of Turobin stands before my eyes. And all my dear ones who lived there and are no longer – my mother, brothers and sisters, neighbors, friends, and other dear Jews. The large active marketplace, Velvel Zigelboim's brown brick large store, and similar to that – Kreindel's old house which is about to cave in; the shops around the marketplace; also Yeckhiel Kuper's shop with the youth exchange that served as a place for discussions; the synagogue, the Beis Medrash, the youth organizations, and so on.

In memory of: Shprintze Mendel's and Khava Shkheyne's were a “couple” from heaven. Particularly on market day, they went around, hand in hand, feeling all the merchandise which the farmers had brought on their wagons. They bought everything: wheat, grains, chickens, eggs, and so on. When the two ladies, women of valor, were standing and making a purchase, no other Jew dared, Heaven Forbid, to outbid them, may God protect us, they fired such a maaneh lashon [prayers to be said at the gravesite of a righteous person] at him that he could not find the way out fast enough.

In memory of: Avrohom'ke and Yekele, two brothers, both summer and winter, wore two thin olifogene jackets (frocks). After the first frost, all the Jews smeared their boots with oil [for protection against winter], and Yekele is still going around with muddy boots. They asked him why? He answered that he is still unsure about the first frost. Avrohom'ke, on the contrary, was not lazy even for one step. One evening, when he went out of his house to close the shutters, he went to Lublin. The next evening, his wife asked him: “How did you disappear when you went to close the shutters?” He said: He remembered that he had to be at the lawyer's in Lublin.

In memory of: Khaim Meyer Liberboim, he would suddenly grab onto his beard and shout: “It's bad until Gur [until the “end of the world,” but really still in Poland]. Everyone is guilty

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but Moshiach should come right away.” Everyone said that he is not normal.

In memory of: Yehoshua Liberboim – his burning eyes with his trimmed, pointy beard. Whenever there was an incident between a non–Jew and a Jew or among non–Jews themselves, he always found the way to straighten out the issue, and ended with some schnapps in a bar.

In memory of: Shakhna Zuntag – He always sat in the Beis Medrash and learned Torah, and collected money for needy brides, visiting guests' accommodations, taking care of sforim [religious books], and so on.

In memory of: Hersh Ber the water carrier – He was the water carrier during the day, and at night he recited Psalms, and Fridays he collected money for bread for the poor.

In memory of: Hershele the blind one, had many jobs – He cut hay for horses, turned the grain mill, and kneaded dough for bread. On Friday mornings, he heated the baths, at noon, he called all the Jews to “come to the baths,” and whoever paid him, Hershele would give him a good swish with the broom across his shoulders [as is done in the steam baths], that means, he slapped him well. When Hershele poured water on the scalding rocks, the damp heat became stronger in the baths. From all these jobs Hershele still did not earn a livelihood, so he also went to each house in town.

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to collect his percentage. In spite of all that, his wife always warned him that she would divorce him (and by the way, Hershele became blind in the Russian Czarist army).

In memory of: Alter Shneiderberg (Barek). In summer and winter, in rain and snow, Reb Alter always summoned the Jews to recite Psalms, every Shabbath in the morning.

In memory of: Yerakhmiel Shakhnales, how he conducted the shalosh seudos [“Third Meal” of the Shabbath, on Shabbath day in the early evening] in the Beis Medrash, and sand the chassidic songs. He also used to recite the Psalms between Minkha [evening prayers] and maariv [nighttime prayers].

In memory of: Reb Yisroel Mordekhai Aidelman – studied Mishnayos [Talmud commentary] with a group of Jews every night in the Beis Medrash.

In memory of: all the chassidim who were part of the chassidic tables [with their Rebbe] in the Beis Medrash every Shabbath when the Rebbe came to visit his chassidim in town, seeing how the chassidim snatched up the leftover pieces of food from the Rebbe's plate, the Torah from the Rebbe's mouth, and the singing with ecstasy.

May they all remain as a holy memory!

Turobiner Jewry experienced a very difficult economic situation after the First World War. They always suffered from anti–Semitic persecution from the local townspeople who tried with everything possible, kosher and non–kosher means, to suffocate Jewish economic life based in the surrounding villages, whose farmers would come to Turobin to sell their products for cash and buy their needs primarily on credit. This forced the businessmen from all the associations to find ways to save themselves and to help their friends who were suffering from real poverty.

The main plan was to help them with credit so that they could set aside their struggles and survive.

To that end, the Cooperative Bank was created, which supported itself by subsidies from the “Joint” and on friends' monthly donations from each friend who was interested in receiving a loan.

Understandably, everyone was interested in loans, without exception. Representatives from each association were elected to the administration of the bank. These representatives felt responsible to specifically help their friends with the loans. That's how the Turobiner Cooperative Bank filled a great need in the area of the economic and social lives in Turobin.

The founders of the bank were: from the merchants' association: Shmelke Drimler; from the handworkers – Zissel Shuster. As chairman, Shmelke was elected; Avrohom Boimfeld – treasurer; Yisroel Janower – principal financier; Avrohom Zweken – secretary.

After World War One, through the initiative of Zissel Einwohner (shoemaker), Nute Pelz, Manis Fogel (tailor), Matisyahu Tzimerman (spat maker), Yakov Itche Einwohner (carpenter), and Avrohom Fuks (hatmaker), Noson Pik, Daniel Kreitman (rope spinner), the Turobiner handworker society was founded, which joined the Warsaw Central, and with its aid organization all the handworkers who worked on their own, and those who had several workers assisting them.

The Central also invested a sum of money in the small business handworker's bank that was established at that time to help the Turobiner handworkers with loans for buying raw materials and for discount exchanges

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and other financial operations for the handworkers. As chairman, Zissel Einwohner was elected, and she accomplished a lot for the association.

The Turobiner handworker association also had its own synagogue where they prayed every Shabbath, and it was also a meeting place for all the friends. Politically, the managers of the Turobiner handworkers belonged to the People's Party which was led by the well–known People's representative Rosner.

With time, because of friction in the administration in the abovementioned bank, the handworkers separated from them, and created a separate handworkers bank.

Among the various organizations that were in Turobin, there was also the Revisionist Organization that held a fine, respected place. The organization was an attractive place for all types of youth who wanted to raise themselves in a Jewish Zionist atmosphere and live as comrades.

As I remember, the beginnings of the Revisionist Party were in the year 1930. The organization began in the general Zionist Chalutz [preparing for immigration to Israel, with training in agriculture] location, which was held at Moishe the tailor's home. After a short time, the organization took its own separate place by Hershel Likhtman. The people of the organization were: Lemel Katz, Yakov Yakobson, Simkha Eidelman, Moishe Grinberg, and Khava Freiberg, of blessed memory. The number of members of this organization was between 60 and 70. There were four comrades in Hachshara [preparation for immigration to Israel]: Aron Gevurtz, Mordekhai Perlman, Yosef Leder, Shmuel Roizner, of blessed memory.

The activities were multifaceted, among them was that there was a Hachshara location established for the Revisionist Chalutzim [pioneers to Israel]. This was in the village of Zhabno, three kilometers from town. This Hachshara locale had 32 members. This Hachshara locale was supported by the forest merchant Pesakh Diamond, whose business was forestry.

Between this Hachshara locale and the Turobiner branch there was ongoing joint activity, such as, for example: There were Hebrew courses, general and Jewish history, Zionist history, Tanakh [Biblical studies], scouts and military lessons and education, lectures on various themes. The youth was filled with the ideology of liberation and this expressed itself in song and Hora dancing, and so on.

The principle goal of all the comrades was to make Aliyah [immigration] to Israel

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be it in a legal or illegal manner, in order to help free the country from the Mandatory government. As is known, the organization was opposed to the politics of the certificate distribution.^[1]

At this occasion, I remember when the Trumpeldor and Hertzel yahrzeit evening events [commemorating the anniversary of their death], once, the 12–year–old little girl Laitche Friedler declared: “In blood and fire the Jews fell, in blood and fire the Jews will rise up.”

I feel it necessary to mention several experiences of the comrades of the Hachshara locale. In order to sustain the Hachshara, all the members of the Hachshara had to pay a tax [membership], and this was a very difficult and great task to enforce in order to uphold the existence of the location. It is important to note that the Diamond family – Pesakh, Shloime, and Motel – helped tremendously, but sadly, they were not able to upkeep the Hachshara location.

I remember how my mother, of blessed memory, baked bread every week for the comrades of the Hachshara locale, and also busied herself with their clothing and laundry issues. It happened that two comrades became sick with a difficult angina, and their “hospital place” was in our home. My mother, may she rest in peace, took care of them until they became well again.

In any case, all my sisters and brothers belonged to the Revisionist Organization, so my mother, of blessed memory, automatically did as well. For this act, there was a verse that circulated in town, that Khaya Fishelowa must be the grandmother of Zhabotinsky.

This is how the activities of the organization went until the outbreak of World War Two in 1939.

The beastly Hitlerist murderers marched into the community of Turobin, and in a brutal manner, murdered them all, as well as the rich, energetic youth. Of all my friends in the organization, I was the only one to survive. This is what fate decreed, that only one remain, so that this one remaining should have the opportunity to remember the names of the comrades of the organization, and this should serve as an eternal memory. Unfortunately, they did not live to be in the free land [Israel], but their spirit is now with us here in the Land of Israel.

May their memories be blessed.

Translator's note

1. In the 1920s and 1930s the Palestine Office distributed the immigration “certificates” issued by the Mandatory government to the Jewish Agency; dealt with hakhsharah (i.e., agricultural training of c?alutzim); provided information to prospective immigrants; prepared and provided the necessary travel documents; and served as a link to the British consulates and the authorities of the country concerned. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/palestine–office Return

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Turobin was a Jewish community that stood out in party and cultural connections. The Agudah was established late in Turobin, only after Poland became independent, although in Warsaw the “Orthodox Agudah” was established in 1915 or 1916 and published the daily paper “Dos Yiddishe Vort” [“The Jewish Word”]. It was only in about the year 1922 that the Agudas Yisroel was established in Turobin by Reb Shmelke Drimler (chairman), Reb Zindel Rentner, Velvel Liberboim, and others, who took the responsibility upon themselves to guard the religious life in town.^[1]

At the same time, a youth organization was established in town, by the name of “Tzeirei Agudas Yisroel” [“The Youth of Agudas Israel”], through the young men Fintche, Itche Meyer Drimler, Tzvi Kopf, Leibel Eidelman, Fintche and Hirsh Nei (brothers). The Agudah had about 20 to 30 members, and the Tzeirei Agudas Yisroel approximately the same. The Tzeirim [youth] had their own club (or shtiebel) in the home of Fishel Kopf.

Very often, speakers would come from near and far. From Warsaw, Anshel Shar would often come from Bilograj and give homiletic speeches and draw many listeners. Understandably, the local Agudah and the Tzeirei were counted as affiliates of the Center in Warsaw, and from there would come the directives for the activities. The Agudah was tasked with developing the Orthodox education, and thanks to them, a Bais Yaakov school [religious girls' school] existed for girls. The Tzeirim [plural Tzeirei] held courses of Gemara and Tosefos [Talmud and commentary] for the Orthodox youth. There were discussion evenings on all kinds of Torah topics, special lectures during the holiday times.

Turobiner delegates would travel to Warsaw and other cities for country conferences of the Agudah. These delegates would later provide reports. In Turobin, there was also established a Keren Hayishuv [“Funds for the Settlement”], and there was great activity among the Orthodox masses in Turobin.

The Agudah and youth movements were active in Turobin until the great Destruction.

Original footnote:

1. Reb Shmelke Drimler had a reputation of being a fine Baal Tefila [leader of prayers] and would lead the prayers in the Beis Medrash , and all his listeners had great enjoyment from his prayers and his melodies. Return

Turobin had many chassidic groups and shtieblech, but no Modzitzer chassidim. The Modziter Rebbe acquired a large number of chassidim because of his lively and warm musical Nigunim [plural of Nigun]. Of the hundreds of Nigunim that the Modzitzer Rebbes had composed , one Nigun found its way to Turobin and grabbed the hearts of entire city.

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Before, in the “good days,” each of the chassidic dynasties used to have their own Nigunim, either because of prestige, or for other reasons. But the ruling dynasties in Turobin, such as the Ger and Trisker chassidim, were not productive in music and they were forced to “import” Nigunim from other chassidic dynasties. The Turobiner chassidim's desire for music was a natural one. How can you live without a new Nigun? And how long is the time that you have to keep singing the old songs? It's possible, that if the Turobiner chassidim were not so deeply involved with issues of “earning a living,” they would also have been able to produce something in the “world of Nigunim.” The Turobiner were thirsty for a new, beautiful Nigun. But how do you get that? Also, the Turobiner were not the “sit at home” type. From time to time they would get away and go to Ger to the Rebbe or to Warsaw to the Trisker Rebbe. But either no new Nigunim were heard, or the chassidim did not possess the “extra soul,” which a Nigun must have. The Modzitzer Nigunim did not need any announcements. They had a famous name all over Poland. And here was an opportunity, and a Modzitzer Nigun found its way to Turobin.

Who brought over this melody? Who was this “messenger of a mitzvah” that provided the Turobiner with a brand new and fitting Nigun? There are all kinds of answers to this. The Turobiner in Israel cannot provide a clear answer. Everyone is trying to find a name, and not all the ideas seem right. But the explanation that I heard from Mordekhai Yoskowycz (Hofen) of Netanya about the Nigun importer, makes sense. He also remembers a date, with the name of the relevant person. He says that in the year 1928, that is in the years that the Polish Jews had already grabbed up whatever they could have grabbed up in the new Polish regime in terms of their livelihoods, Reb Yehoshua Manis, a wealthy Turobiner Jew and a lover of Nigunim, brought over the abovementioned Nigun. Reb Yehoshua himself sang very nicely, had a fine voice, and somehow he packed up the Nigun and carried it with him to the holy city of Turobin.

The biography of this Nigun was either forgotten or was not cared for. And Modzitz, as is known, had more than one Rebbe who composed Nigunim. There were, as in other dynasties, and the Chabad [Lubavitch] chassidim first, an Alter Rebbe [“Old”; First Rebbe], a Mittler Rebbe [“Middle” Rebbe], and a third. Reb Yisroel, the founder of the Modzitzer dynasty, was a composer with a “higher heart,” and his Nigunim had fire and many “scenes,” not the way other Nigunim were, with two or three scenes. It seems that the musical businessman wanted to create a sensation in town and show the people that a Modzitzer Nigun is something special… And it seems that he made a welcome reception for the Nigun as one would for an honored guest, and that's how he planted roots…. Is this Modzitzer Nigun number one?

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The Mittler Modzitzer Rebbe, Reb Shaul Yedidya Elezer, of blessed memory, was also a bottomless well of musical chords and voices. He himself created over 1,000 Nigunim and did not have to use his father's, Reb Yisroel's musical inheritance. It seems that the Turobiner musical guest came from the Mittler Rebbe. It seems that the Turobiner Rebbe left too much for himself. He could have chosen a more beautiful and longer Nigun, even though this Nigun is not to be dismissed. Also, he had enough good possessions as all the other Modzitzer Nigunim. But just as when you choose an esrog [citron for the Sukos holiday], a most beautiful one, with Nigunim, there are also all kinds of ratings of “beautiful.” It's true that in Turobin there were also … Velvel, was a very conscientious young man, and he was among the founders of the Bund [Jewish socialist movement], and the culture library. Truth be told, he was never a member of the Bundist ideology and did not support Medem [Vladimir Davidovich Medem, 1879–1923, Russian Jewish politician, ideologue the Bund].

Recorded from the mouth of Mordechai Yoskowycz; Modzitz Nigun [Melody] from the Turobin tradition

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other Modzitzer Nigunim, but our Nigun carried a strong, proudly historical stamp, that you had to consider it of the greatest importance.

Our Turobiner Nigun is longer than the Nigunim of the other dynasties. It has five scenes, and the musical quality is felt in each scene. Each scene has a different mood. An original one. The foundation of the Nigun is a lyrical one, as if it reminds us of the Divine Presence being in exile. Even the happier Nigunim have to cry a little, grab your soul, and evoke a little sigh, a traditionally Jewish sigh. The Nigun allows itself to be sung. And since it is not soaked with too much depth and mysticism, it gets very easily absorbed into the ears of the listeners, and everyone can sing it. The Nigun is a mix, sometimes in 3/4 rhythm, and sometimes in 4/4. Sometimes andante, sometimes moderato. But the Nigun requires singing musically, and not to commit the sin of adding or taking away anything, as the other chassidim are wont to do with other Nigunim. The Nigun also has a beautiful advantage in that it can be sung with an introduction of a choir or at least as a duet.

The Nigun became a resident and they sang it everywhere in all the shtieblech, to “yedid nefesh” [“my dear soul”; part of Shabbath evening prayers], to “lecho dodi” [“come, my bride” part of Shabbath prayer, referring to the Bride of Shabbath], to shalosh seudos [the Third Meal of Shabbath]. The Gerer chassid, Reb Yisroel Mordekhai Eidelman would sing this with his son as part of the special Shabbath songs. Also, Izak Shokhet would sing it, and passersby would stop to listen at the window.

We are doing a “chesed shel emes” [“a real kindness”; said about acts done for the deceased] for this Nigun, and perpetuating it with the language of musical notes.

The usual role of the MOTZ was to assist the ABD with trials and instruction and sometimes when the rabbinate role was vacant to serve as rabbi. But in Turobin the motive for appointing a MOTZ was different; some of the residents were not pleased by the local Rabbi, Rabbi Weissbrod, who was not the greatest Torah scholar and some thought that the Turobin Hassidim (the Kraśnik Rebbe) were the only reason for his appointment. A few dozen families decided to appoint a MOTZ to fill the gap.

It was roughly 1932 when some families in town like Welwel Liberbom, Rantner, Tzwekin, Sontag, Halperen, Bomfeld, Kofenbom, and others decided to hire and fund a MOTZ. It was decided Rabbi Yechiel Ben Rabbi Moshe Nachum Kaminski, a native of Ozorków circa 1905, would serve as Turobin MOTZ. The hire was successful on all accounts, as he was the kind of rabbi with a great, influential personality, of those shaping the spiritual character of the town. He was a great Torah scholar, God-fearing, familiar with the ways of the world, and added to all was a secret Zionist.

Rabbi Yechiel was orphaned of his mother as a child, and he and his two brothers were raised by their maternal

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grandmother. His father was a grocery tradesman. Rabbi Yechiel studied at the Alexander Yeshiva near Lodz where he was ordained as a rabbi. His brother Heshel also was immersed in the study of Torah, ordained, and accepted as ABD of Zduńska Wola. The third brother, Yekkel David, was the only one who did business, and the one who survived the Holocaust and currently resides in Bnei Brak. Rabbi Yechiel married Reitzeh, the daughter of a wealthy businessman from Kalisz. They had three children: one boy and two girls. Turobin was his first role as rabbi and he and his wife acclimated well.

He rented a nice three-room apartment in Turobin in the building which housed the craftsmen and merchants bank, including a large hall in which he would greet people. His home was open to all, was always full and the table always set. He was also very active in public life and organized many matters with the authorities to favor the community. All residents treated him honorably.

He was a great Torah scholar who studied the Torah, Mishnah, Talmud, Halakha, and Aggadah. He was quite skilled in explaining unclear parts of Sage commentary, and skillfully and tastefully clarified hard-to-understand portions of the Torah. He was well-respected by the rabbis of the adjoining towns who considered his opinion in various matters which concerned the Jewish and rabbinic world, and also asked him to mediate on difficult halakha and complex trials. His dealings with the public were conducted faithfully and truthfully, and all his words were honest. He worshipped Hashem happily and enthusiastically. He also skillfully led services with his pleasant singing voice. He led services on Shabbat and during the Days of Awe accompanied by a choir and the audience enjoyed his pleasant prayer and songs. Even plain men like craftsmen and shopkeepers were impressed by his lectures. His appearance, his facial structure projecting nobility, deep eyes, the look and the manner of speaking noting seriousness and importance left a deep impression on the listeners.

He was also involved in the matters of parties and their views and followed the disputes taking place in papers and debates. It is said that after the Bund members began to raise their head in Turobin and would organize meetings and violate the Sabbath in public, disrupting prayers and more, the MOTZ once met bold Bund-ists who were invited from some big city to lecture in town. They told him with chutzpah that he opposes the revolution and encouraging reactionism and clericalism in the town. He replied that he would provide answers once they sobered from their revolutionary intoxication, “Religion lies dead before you and one does not debate a man whose dead lies in front of him.” He looked at them piercingly, and they left him, speechless.

His wife, the Rebbetzin, was respected and accepted by the town women. She always lectured the local women that one needs to dress nicely. She hosted Hanukah balls for women and attracted them for enjoyment of traditional, spiritual occasions. For clear reasons, folks would mention our Forefather Abraham and his wife Sarah, since Abraham converted the men and Sarah converted the women.

The Rabbi and his family perished in the Holocaust. They are survived by some relatives in Israel who memorialize them at every opportunity, and it is they who were motivated to memorialize him in this Yizkor book as an influential figure of the town.

Translator's footnote:

1. More Tzedek, “teacher of justice” return

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As is usual for all the Turobiner Jews, he was also called by his patronym, “Shiyale Moishe Khaim's.” Yehoshua was a straight, thin man with a typically long Jewish nose and an elongated face, and deep burning eyes. He was a horse dealer. He also had a tavern (a beer business) near his house on the street where you go to the court. His wife Tzivia, was the main manager of the tavern. He had two sons and two daughters. One of his sons, Moishe, saved himself because he fled to Russia. Today he lives in the United States.

Yehoshua was the son in law of Pinye Gewurtz (“Pinye Goy”). Yehoshua had a fine character and was a lover of Jews to the point of forfeiting himself [doing for others]. He was connected to all the parties in town and each one cared for him, but in particular though, he did not belong to any chassidic circle, but he participated in several celebrations wherever he was invited. His presence was always noted because he sang and danced and celebrated with the others. He always participated in the choir of the shul, he had a thin old voice and when he raised his voice until “C” his voice turned into a soprano and his thin voice was heard loudly. The rest of the choir members said about Yehoshua's singing that when he recited the Kiddush [blessing over wine] before prayers, his singing was very pleasant.

I don't remember that Yehoshua ever had a disagreement with a Jew in town, but he participated in arguments among the non–Jews, and among the non–Jews and the Jews. Whenever he got involved, he ended the fighting. He broke the bones of those that he felt were guilty and after making peace, he invited both sides for a drink [liquor], (understandably, on their tab). As mentioned earlier, he had a tavern where most of the business was done on market day. On that day he helped his wife. All his guest, the farmers from the area, he knew well, by their names and by their father's names, their family situation, and the villages where they lived. Once, Yehoshua participated in some fun with his guest because he had many friends. Yehoshua treated the honest ones and refined ones with respect. He helped them with advice, with loans, and so on.

As was usual for the non–Jew, he would express his friendship for the Jew, whichever one would drink with him, saying with flattery: “You are like one of us. If all the Jews would be like you, then we would not hate them.” In truth, they hated this Jew as well. On market days

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the farmers would even drink in the taverns, also in Yehoshua's. It happened once, that they drank so much, almost gallons, that it was even more than they had money to pay for. When some of the farmers were very drunk, they cursed the Jews and insulted them with terrible words, and did not want to pay their tab, or they did not have any money. This awful behavior of those [farmers in Yehoshua's tavern] broke Yehoshua's patience and he said to them: “You don't want to pay your bill, fine. Maybe you don't have money, but because you cursed the Jews I am going to break your bones.” Said and done! Like an arrow from a bow he grabbed a bottle of beer, cracked open their heads, and threw them into the streets. When Yehoshua went back into the tavern, even though he was thin and gaunt, the farmers could not overcome him. The wounded and bandaged heads came the following day to make peace with Yehoshua because they felt bad for having disturbed the peace and having caused damages. After many of their pleas, he made peace with them. These treated the Jew Yehoshua with great honor and respect.

I remember a pogrom day of the mobilized non–Jews in the area. One Shabbath day, in a year of the 1930s, when the mobilized went home from their service, they situated their wagons in middle of the marketplace and assaulted the Jews. Yehoshua came running through a side street to my father, may he rest in peace, and told him that they have to save the Jews from those who were leading the pogrom. The two of them positioned themselves in a corner of Shimele Sholom Mashkes's building (opposite the synagogue), and from there they started their defense fighting. You can imagine, woe to the hooligan who fell into their hands. Thanks to the commitment and thanks to the other fighters on the other side of the marketplace, and thanks to the Chalutz youth, who also took up the fighting – they saved the city from having victims.

Khaya Kopf was the mother of the great and multi–branched family. She was widowed in the year 1923. Certainly, Turobiner people remember what a sad impact was had on the town when a Pole, a murderer, killed her husband Fishel Kopf, may he rest in peace, behind the town. Khaya Kopf was left a widow with young children. She had a will, a spirit, and a good character. She did not lose herself after this terrible incident, and thanks to her strong will she was able to raise her children, giving them lessons and respect. Khaya's home was open to anyone who was needy, and anyone who entered her home hungry left satiated.

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Of the Kopf family, those who were saved and are now in Israel: Tzvi Kopf and his family, Yosef Kopf and his family, Shmuel Kopf is in Uruguay.

Top – Khaya Kopf. From right to left: Yitta Rokhel and her husband Tzvi; Shmuel – his wife Monye; Yosef – his wife Tzile; Zelig, Avrohom – his wife Khaya; Yehoshua Reidler – his wife Sima

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