Yiddish Section

Translated by Jerrold Landau

“… And here and there, from all the dark nooks ---
One sees eyes, eyes, silent eyes peer…
The souls of the martyrs are peering
Scattered, repressed souls -- -- --
Peer at you for a long time with silent eyes.
That only demand and ask without words
And complain in silence about all those old complaints,
That once again did not reach the heavens
And will never reach the heavens:
“Why? Why? And again Why???...”

(Ch. N. Bialik, “In the City of Slaughter”)^[1]

[Page 89]

The History of Eishishok
(A brief historical overview)

{Page 89 in Yiddish is equivalent with page 3 of the Hebrew}

[Page 90]

The Jewish Community

{Page 90 and the top half of 91 in Yiddish is equivalent with page 4 of the Hebrew.}

[Page 91]

The Economic and Cultural Life^[2]

In former years, many Jews of Eishishok owned fields and pastures, and they were occupied with agriculture and gardening. In later years, after the land was taken away from them, they transferred to business and “industry” – that is shopkeeping and trades. Eishishok was known for its market and fairs. The Jews of the town lived like hundreds of thousands of other Jews in the Lithuanian-Polish cities and towns.

As has been stated, the economic situation became more difficult at the beginning of the 20^th Century, and especially under Polish rule. As is known, the Polish regime sought any means to push the Jews out of their economic positions, and

[Page 92]

the Jews of Eishishok very quickly felt the anti-Semitic politics of that regime.

In the latter years, a merchants' union, a handworkers' union, and others were founded in the wake of the struggle with the politics of confrontation of the regime and the anti-Semitic incitement.

Cultural and Zionist-political activity had always taken a special place in societal life in Eishishok. Immediately after the advent of Zionism, a local group was founded by Yitzchak Wilkanski, the son of Rabbi Leizer the rabbinical judge (today a professor at the University of Jerusalem). In the later years, chapters of almost all of the Zionist factions (Poalei Zion, Hashomer Hatzair, Beitar, etc.) as well as pioneering [chalutz] groups from all ends of the spectrum were represented in town. We can state without exaggeration that during the last years before the Holocaust, all the youth of the town were involved in Zionist groups, and lovingly participated in all Zionist activities, as was the case in only few towns in Lithuania and White Russia.

The active Zionist work branched out into a very loving cultural activity, especially in the realm of Hebrew. After 1906, a youth organization Rak Ivrit [Only Hebrew] was founded in the town by Sara Wilkanski, which brought in almost all the youth. There, Hebrew became almost the second mother tongue of the youth. Already a decade previously, theater was performed in Eishishok in Hebrew, and lectures in Hebrew were a daily occurrence. However, not only in Hebrew – cultural life in Yiddish was also very regular, and Eishishok was justly considered one of the culturally active towns in Lithuania.

Translator's Footnotes:

A full translation of this poem, albeit not an exact translation of the original, can be seen at https://www.wzo.org.il/index.php?dir=site&page=articles&op=item&cs=3140&category=3032&language=eng. My translation is more literal, and less poetic. Return
This article is a very brief summary of topics covered at length in the Hebrew sections from pages 27-44. Return

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