Bialystok was one of the few cities in Poland where a large number of Jewish children were saved miraculously from annihilation by the Nazi. Jakow Tobias, the well–known teacher, saved more than eighty.

In September 1939, when Bialystok was under Russian rule, these eighty Jewish children spent their summer vacation in the Polish resort, Druskeniki. When the Nazi attacked Bialystok on June 22, 1941, these children were quickly evacuated deep inside the Soviet Union. Tobias, their devoted teacher and escort, went with them into the heart of the Urals. There the children were placed in a home together with youngsters from other countries.

Tobias took care of his charges lovingly and with devotion, just as a father would protect his own children. Shortly after the war, in the summer of 1946, he succeeded, after much effort, in bringing them back to Poland. Later, he took them to France and then to Palestine. Their entrance into Israel was “illegal” since the British forbade their admission and for a time, they were detained on Cyprus.

These children, mostly orphaned after their parents had perished in Bialystok, grew up to be prominent and useful Israeli citizens. Jakow Tobias eventually became the director of a government high school in Safed and played a major role in Israeli education. He passed away a short time ago in Israel.

He frequently pointed out that his eighty children were the only ones saved en masse among all Polish Jews during the Holocaust. The Bialystoker Centre in New York assisted them financially when Tobias brought them back from Russia to Poland while they were in France and finally, when they settled in Israel.

Surname	First name	Father	Mother	Born
BIALY	Mejlach	Josef	Ryfka	1930
BRYTWAN	Zawel	Chaim	Henje	1931
BERENSZTEJN	Gerszon	Jakow	Sore	1934
BALGLAJ	Wolf	Lejzer	Luba	1929
BREZEZINSKI	Frida	Aron	Rochel	1936
CHAROWSKI	Szmuel	Gedalje	Luba	1929
CHAROWSKI	Jehoszna	Awrom	Menucha	1931
WASERNYS	Josef	Mojsze	Chawe	1931
WILCZUK	Frida	Lejzer	Bluma	1933
WALANSKA	Jehudit	Lejb	Roza	1933
WOLFSON	Chaim	Izchok	Rywka	1930
EDELSZTEJN	Chana	Awrom	Frejde	1932
FRIDMAN	Meir	Szolem	Zelde	1932
GRYNBAUM	Leja	Mojsze	Adela	1930
GARBOWICZ	Sore	Szlojme	Rywka	1933
RYBAK	Fanja	Zelik	Gitl	1930
RUCKI	Berl	Szmuel	Sore	1930
RAPICKES	Jakow	Szoul	Frume	1934
LEW	Klara	Mojsze	Rochel	1928
LEW	Cyrel	Naftoli	Rywka	1930
LICHTENSZTEJN	Jeszaje	Szymon	Pesze	1930
LIN	Chana	Jechiel	Marjasze	1929
LEWIN	Awrom	Welwel	Sore	1931
LEWIN	Dowid	Tewl	Sore	1931
LIJAN	Awrom	Szlojme	Sore	1932
LIN	Mindel	Awrom	Chane	1932
MENCKOWSKI	Aron	Izchok	Alte	1930
MILER	Zecharje	Chejkel	Cywje	1934
NOWIK	Mojsze	Berl	Sore	1931
NIEWJADOMSKI	Izchok	Szabsaj	Rywka	1931
OPENHAJM	Efrajim	Jakow	Jehudit	1931
OPENHAJM	Chaim	Jakow	Jehudit	1936
OBERMAN	Szymon	Herszl	Rywka	1928
OBERMAN	Kijum	Herszl	Rywka	1929
FLANCAK	Ester	Mojsze	Perel	1931
FLANCAK	Nachman	Mojsze	Perel	1933
PEREJ	Luba	Kalman	Masze	1930
PONJEMANSKI	Jojne	Zalman	Gitl	1930
SKOWRANJAK	Chaje	Mojsze	Raja	1932
SURASKA	Fanja	Szmuel	Perl	1930
SIBIRSKA	Chana	Lejb	Frejde	1932
SOKOLSKI	Julian	Herszl	Libe	1931
SJAJTHS	Sonja	Pejsach	Raja	1933
SZEPES	Bela	Isroel	Nojmi	1930
TRESZCZANSKI	Mejlach	Szlojme	Chaje	1930
KRASNOBURSKI	Izchok	Awrom	Sima	1932
KAPINUS	Sora	Dowid	Basja	1930
KRYSZTAL	Lejzer	Izchok	Fejge	1931
KORDON	Sima	Lejb	Chana	1930
KAZANOWICZ	Lusja	Jakow	Rywka	1932
JABKOW	Cywje	Awrom	Gitl	1928
JASINOWSKI	Szmuel	Szolem	Rywka	1932
ZELIGZON	Raja	Jojne	Hinde	1930

On June 22, 1941, some Jewish children from Bialystok were at the Druskeniki resort, a camp for youngsters. At five o'clock in the morning, our vacation turned into a nightmare. The skies darkened with German attack airplanes out to destroy us. We were besieged by bombs – powerless, isolated and panic–stricken. Our screams resonated throughout the camp, joining with the cries of three hundred children between the ages of eight and thirteen.

This tragedy continued for five years. At the end of our trial, we realized that we were orphans of war.

After twelve horrible days and nights of bombardment and hunger, we were able to wash ourselves and drink water. It was impossible for us to return home to our beloved families.

Our teacher, Jakow Tobias, fought for his life as we did for ours. His compassion for us was great and he did everything to assist and calm us. He saw in us parentless boys and girls who still believed at that time that we would be reunited with our families, a consolation for him.

Jacow Tobias The teacher–hero who saved 80 Jewish Bialystoker children. During World War II from Druskieniki to Russia. After the War, he led the children to Israel where they now live. Jacob Tobias died in September, 1970.

Arriving in the Urals in Russia, we became inseparable. Some tried to divide us at a time when we did not have the necessities of life, but their efforts came to naught. We stayed together as a group and were prepared to share the same fate.

At that time, Mr. Tobias initiated contact with Jews in Israel to whom he sent a list of our names. We all developed a love for the land of Israel. Moreover, we missed our parents and families very much. The nights seemed like an eternity. Many of us cried and felt abandoned. The bombings and the terror left us with deep emotional scars. The younger children sought warmth from the older ones who began fulfilling the function of surrogate parents.

In 1946, when the time came to repatriate Polish war refugees from Russia, our teachers had to convince us to return to Poland knowing full well that our parents had perished at the hands of the Nazi. Mr Tobias' objective, however, was to prepare us for emigration to Israel.

On July 2, 1946, a group consisting of fifty–nine Jewish children and young adults, aged twelve to eighteen, set out for Aliyah to Israel from several points of embarkation. Our devoted principal, Mr. Szmuel Markowicz, assisted us in preparing for our journey. At great danger to himself, he escorted us to the Russian–Polish border.

Once we arrived in Poland, Mr. Tobias assumed full responsibility. Previously, he had been in contact with the underground Zionist organization, Bricha, which was active inside Poland. Our newly formed kibbutz merged with the Kibbutz Dror. Living conditions were not bad and we were treated with Israeli warmth and concern. We learned Hebrew and other subjects pertaining to Israel in further preparation for Aliyah.

We continued on our way to Israel as part of the Kibbutz Dror. Many Jews from Bialystok financed our travel through Poland and all the way to Israel.

Following the 22^nd Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, we were divided into two groups according to age and physical condition, and were about ready to go to Israel. A large part of our kibbutz departed on the ship ‘Theodor Herzl’. The rest of the kibbutz was taken to Cyprus. Those children who arrived in Israel by various routes and under different circumstances, united to help build the Jewish State.

On June 9, 1966, all the members of the kibbutz participated in a reunion marking 25 years since we had faced danger together at Druskeniki. We reminisced about the hard times a quarter of a century earlier. Many proudly described their accomplishments in education, work and family life.

Jakow Tobias continued as an educator in Israel, heading a school in Safed until his death in September, 1970. To the very end, he remained in close contact with those of us whom he shepherded to safety. We make every effort to remain in touch, getting together from time–to–time and assisting each other when necessary.

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