List of Names of the Deceased in Deportation (Nagybarod)

* Name of the town from where these people were taken to the Oradea ghetto for deportation to Auschwitz

[Pages 441 – 444]

With the unconditional surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945 and the final collapse of Hitler's regime, we hoped that after surviving the horrors of forced labor battalions and concentration camps, finally, here in Israel – in our own country - we'd live under quiet and normal conditions, but we were wrong. Immediately after the proclamation of the State, the armies of seven Arab countries attacked the unprotected-unarmed tiny Jewish population. We could ask the Lord the same question once Moshe Rabenu did – why did Thou wronged so greatly this people who had already suffered so?

It is true that after the two thousand –year "galut", we were granted to live in our own homeland, to defend with arms in hand our families –our homes – live a normal, individual, and national life. Only once did Moshe Rabenu turn to the Lord with a personal request: Allow me to cross the River Jordan and after the lengthy roaming of the desert to taste the joy of my own country. "I will behold" the difficulties should I encounter any, face them with pleasure, and overcome them.

Our children fallen in Israel died under totally different circumstances than those during deportation and therefore our mourning for them is also of a different nature. In them, we mourn the heroes and not the helpless and inhumanly tortured victims. If there are and would be difficulties in the future in our own country, we know that today there are other alternatives than following the way of the "galut". The two thousand-year old anti-Semitism and persecution of the Jews did not end and there is little chance for it to ever cease. Chaim Weitzmann, the first President of the State of Israel ascertained that "Every Jew carries with himself anti-Semitism". Let the temporary relative period of calm not deceive us. "Recht oder Unrecht mein Vaterland". "Good or bad, it is my country" – this, according to a German proverb. If we are going to live and feel in this spirit, we may rightfully hope that the Lord will keep his promise: "Your surrounding enemies will allow you to live in peace and you will possess the Land in security."

We approached our Nagyvarad brethren several times in writing – memoranda, and also by spoken word, - at times of Azkara Memorial Services, asking the relatives of fallen heroes to send us their loved ones' pictures to enable us to commemorate them appropriately. Unfortunately, we received only few responses to our requests. However, we went on a quest to find all the names for which we have no pictures and commemorate them here as well:

Bern Abraham z.l. Born in 1927 in Nagyvarad. He died a hero's death on June 10, 1948, in defending kibbutz Ramat Naftali.

Berkovits Eiser (Pista) z.l. Born in 1923 in Nagyvarad. Fell as part of the "Golan" regiment in Raffia, on January 4, 1949.

Herskovits Mordechaj z.l. Born in 1923 in Nagyvarad. As member of Palmach, he died a hero's death on July 18, 1948 in the Latrun combat.

Weinberger Abraham z.l. Born in 1919. He stepped on a mine that ended his young life on August 14, 1948.

Schwartz Menachem z.l. Born in 1924 in Nagyvarad. Fell on December 28, 1948 in the combats around Falugya.

Rosenbaum Chajim z.l. Born in 1922 in Nagyvarad. Died as a hero on October 17, 1948.

Laszlo Jehuda z.l. Born on June 26, 1948 in Oradea. Fell on the day of Simchat Torah during the Yom Kippur war in 1973.

Avram Tomi z.l. Died as a hero on March 4, 1978, in Old City Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, the painful name list has not yet ended and it is by far incomplete. For some, we only have names:

Deutsch Tibor, Grunberger Mose z.l., while for others not even as much.

(Translator's note: The following names, each have a picture in the book.)

Osztreicher Mose z.l. Captain, Air Force. Born on April 6, 1952, in Haifa. Did not return after the bombing of the Port Said rocket base. He sacrificed his young life for the country at the age of 21, during the Yom Kippur war.

Rezmuves – Nachsoni Chaim Jehoshua z.l. Born on October 2, 1950, in Jerusalem. Lived 23 years. Fell in the Yom Kippur war, near the Suez Canal.

Lipschitz Shalom z.l., grandson of the founder of the Transylvanian Mizrachi, died a hero at age 18.

Helf Gavriel – Szimcha z.l., Lieutenant. Born on December 12, 1949, in Haifa. Fell on March 21, 1972 in the Sinai. He was the only child of his parents.

Florian Jozsef z.l., Officer. Born on April 23, 1947 in Oradea. Lost his life on October 21, 1967 during the sinking of the warship Eilat.

Bugler David, Lieutenant -major z.l. Fell on October 6, 1973 during the Yom Kippur war in the Sinai combats.

Popovics Chaim z.l. Born in 1924 in Nagyvarad, fell on October 23, 1948 in the combats near Manara.

Schwalb Menachem (Mendu) Juda z.l. Born in 1924 in Nagyvarad. Died a hero on July 15, 1948 during the combats known as "Dani".

Let us say the Prayer that the cantor of the Cahal recites at the funeral of the soldiers who fell as heroes.

(Translator's note: Prayer in Hebrew follows.)

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