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The pioneering-Zionist movement in Zborow was not born ex nihilo; another Zionist movement whose first signs were seen in our city during the days of Hibbat Tzion [Love of Zion–a pre-Zionist Jewish nationalist movement]. Its representatives later joined the Zionist Movement founded by Dr. Herzl. Some of us still remember the first advocates of the Zionist idea in Zborow. The practical activity of the Zionist Movement in its early stages was expressed in our town, like in the rest of the cities in the area, in the collection of donations for the KKL-JNF [Keren Kayement L'Israel or Jewish National Fund]. It was manifested by distributing stocks of the “Colonial Bank” and [Zionist] Shekels [a certificate of membership in the Zionist Organization] for the Zionist Congresses. In addition, our city Zionists were active during the period of the election for the state parliament or local authorities. The activity was led by the adult city dignitaries. However, it was executed by the youth, who were an integral part of the Zionist Movement. However, the youths did not feel the need to appear as an independent body then, neither because of their uniqueness due to their young age nor their ideological views.

The First World War for all its hardships caused an interruption in the development of the Zionist Movement in our town. Most of its residents abandoned it because they feared the Russian invasion. They wandered westward to Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, etc. With the end of the war and the return of the refugees to their homes, the political organization among the Jewish public commenced. Independent factions within the Zionist Movement, which was monolithic before, began to crystallize. Among those factions, the Zionist-pioneering faction, championed by the youth, stood out. The unique conditions that prevailed in our town sped up the development of the Zionist Movement, emphasizing the role the youth played. The First World War, the Russian-Poland War, and especially the bloody struggle between the Poles and the Ukrainian warriors (who considered Eastern Galicia their own and conquered most of it, including Zborow) resulted in a situation under which the Jews were kept in constant terror from the murderous lust of both battling sides.

The first people who took steps to defend themselves and organized a self-defense force were the Jewish soldiers who returned from the front. They were headed by Yakov Fuchs–an officer in the Austrian army. They had rifles and other weapons, which were stored in the bell tower of the Roman Catholic Church (Dzwonica) during the day. The members of the self-defense went out every night on guard duty during the entire intermediate period until Polish rule was secured in the area. That activity of the Jewish soldiers not only prevented the suffering and hardships experienced by the Jews in the surrounding area's towns but also raised the awareness of the power of the Jewish youth in their own eyes and the eyes of others.

The excitement that the Balfour Declaration generated among the Jews was expressed in our town, among other effects, by founding the HaShomer branch. The branch was established in 1919-1920 by students, natives of the city. The branch contained three groups of elder youths and two groups of women, the first of which consisted of the elder youths

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and the other of younger female youths. Among the elder youths, I remember Nachum Linder, Sender Linder, Morgan Binev [?] (Moshe's son), and Yosev Waltuch. Among the elder female youths, I remember Lenka Linder, Dora Silberman, Selka Schwebel, and Tinka Schachter. In the group of the younger girls were Tzila Silberman, Elka Fuchs, Berta and Shoshana Shapira, Yetta Shachter, and myself [The writer is a male. Perhaps this section was written by his wife or another relative].

The branch was headed by Aisev Linder from Mlynowce and was located at Yitzchak Linder's home. The meetings at the branch included public singing, discussion about Eretz Yisrael, gym, and drills. Every so often, all the branch members would march to Mlynowce, where Izyoun received the parade. Most of the meetings took place in the parks of Brust and “Sokol.” Among the branch activists in a later period was Binyev Reiss, who was then a young and enthusiastic student and gave much of his time to conducting discussions with the youth about Zionist subjects.

In 1924, the branch of the [Youth Movement] HaShomer HaTzair, headed by Nachum Linder. The branch did not last long for the following reasons:

One day, the representative of the central leadership of HaShomer HaTzair in Lvov, Eliezer Wilder (Eliezer Perry, z”l) from Merchavia) arrived for a visit. On the same day, the mother of Nachum Wilder passed away, and the entire branch went to her funeral. Thus, when the emissary visited the branch, he did not find anybody. He did not ask around, did not investigate, and returned to Lvov. A few days later, we received a notice that they had removed our branch from the movement.

Members of the HeChalutz [the Pioneer] Movement in Zborow, 1926

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Being a cohesive group, we contacted HeChalutz HaTzair [Young Pioneer], which in Zborow was affiliated with the Hitachdut [the “Union”–an umbrella organization of all Zionist organizations]. At the same time, there was already a group of older pioneers in Zborow who worked in a Hachshara [agricultural training] at the estate of Chaim Linder in Mlynowce and later near Stanislawow [today, Ivano-Frankivsk]. During the same period, the new youth movement–Gordonia–aimed to attract ages 13-15 was being established by the Hitachdut. However, we continued to be members of the HeChalutz HaTzair. We waited our turn to fulfill the Zionist idea and go to the Hachshara.

The group going to Hachshara [agricultural training for pioneers] consisted of two females and two males. With the approach of 1928, we began to prepare for our exit. Even before we knew the exact date, one of the members notified us that he would not be able to leave with us.

Our plan for the Hachshara had to be confidential. Even though some youths worked in a pioneering Hachshara before they were independent adults who did not have any profession or employment, their leaving did not constitute any deviation from the customary views of the townsfolk. That was not the case with us. We were still very young. We were 16-17 years old, students who had not completed their studies, from good homes, spoiled kids sheltering in the shadow of their rich parents. If we were so, let alone the two girls. For them to go out to Hachshara was an unforgivable act. Just the rumors about that possibility would have made the city sizzle. Therefore, we had to be very careful that nothing about our plan would reach our parents, who would surely not allow their sons to cease their studies at mid-point. Their daughters who would go alone, without chaperones, would spend their time with boys, and who knows what would happen to them. The whole affair looked strange to them and instilled fear in them about the fate of their children. It was clear that they would do anything to prevent their leaving

Despite that atmosphere, we were determined to fulfill our obligation and leave for the Hachshara on the predetermined day. It was set for May 27, 1928. However, to make sure that nobody from the group had qualms and was deterred by the fear of their parents and public opinion in the city, we decided to meet a day before the outing to make sure nobody retracted or was deterred by the fear of their parents, to plan our “escape” and strengthen confidentiality. The meeting was set for 2 pm near the ice warehouse of the Baron Hirsch School. Only three members appeared for our meeting. Through discussion, we all discovered our secret had been revealed and the whole city knew about our leaving. A suggestion was made to postpone the leaving by one day, but Poldi Auerbach objected and convinced us to stick with the original plan–to meet at 2:30 pm at the Mlynowce train station and board the fast train–Tarnopol-Zaleszczyki line.

Despite our worries, our exit passed successfully. It seemed that the rumor that our secret was known to all was an exaggeration. In any case, the three members kept the plan secret and did not disclose anything to anybody. We boarded the train to Tarnopol at the specified time with conflicting feelings in our hearts: Fear of our parents' response and discomfort about the escape on one side, but euphoria and a feeling of freedom towards what was expected in the Hachshara camp on the other side.

While it might have been an exaggeration of our fears of our secret being discovered ahead of time, there was no

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exaggeration in our fear of the hostile public opinion and delays imposed by our parents. Immediately upon finding out about our trip, the city was in turmoil. My father contacted the police, and they arrested the secretary of the HeChalutz, Y. Sh., and interrogated him about where we were. Subsequently, they began looking for us. All the public elements were mobilized. Among them was the Community Council headed by my father and the rabbis. They wrote letters to the Hitachdut and HeChalutz centers in Lvov, notifying them that we escaped home without our parents' permission and that it was their duty to take us out of the Hachshara and send us back.

The location of the Hachshara was in the village of Hinkovice near Zaleszczyki.

The agricultural Hachshara group by the estate owner in Hinkovice. The three Zborow members: Adyk Silberman (1), David Klahr (2), and Poldi Auerbach (3).

The truth, the description of our escape from home, and the resulting angry response might have generated a distorted impression that our people in the city and my parents opposed Zionism, and their resentment of us arose from that objection. It is therefore important to note that the resistance to our leaving resulted from other reasons–educational, social, aversion to anything new, and certainly not through objections to Zionism. The opposite is true. As already mentioned, most of Zborow's residents were Zionists. This was manifested in several areas–donations to national funds, participation in national education, and enthusiastic activity in the election of Zionist representation to the various municipal and state institutions.

During my time, the person who headed the KKL-JNF committee in Zborow was Avrumtzi Horwitz from the HaMizrachi, despite the majority enjoyed by the labor Eretz Yisrael Movement's representatives in that committee. That testifies to the positive image of an honest man with a broad education who dedicated himself to the Zionist idea. It also testifies to the atmosphere that prevailed in all the Zionists Zionist factions in the city.

The vigorous activity for the national funds and the generous response of the city residents, which always brought a financial yield well beyond the estimates, awarded us the best speakers and lecturers from the central bureaus in Tarnopol and special emissaries from Eretz Yisrael.

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Among the emissaries, I remember the visit by Shmuel Chernovitz, the famous author and activist of the KKL-JNF, and Keren HaYesod [United Jewish Appeal]. The visit occurred in the winter of 1924 (Kislev 5,685). His lecture was held in the Hall of the Hitachdut and attracted a crowd from the various factions. It was an impressive evening that was etched in my memory until this day because of the number of participants and the extraordinary atmosphere that prevailed in it–a distinct Eretz Yisrael'ic atmosphere. The lecturer captivated his audience with stories about Eretz Yisrael and the happenings there. At the end of the speech, he began singing songs of Eretz Yisrael and swept the audience with him. The songs evoked enormous enthusiasm in the crowd, and some, particularly the youth, broke out in vigorous dancing. The dancing circles spilled over from the hall onto the city streets, despite the extreme cold outside. The dances continued until the morning.

Shmuel Chernovitz wrote a few words of appreciation to the organizers, participants, and the donations collector. I still have his postcard with me today.

Talking about donations to the funds, we need to mention our people's dedication and the contributions of many to the Ezra [Help] fund. The fund aimed to provide financial assistance to pioneers who did not have the necessary means to fund the trip. Nachum Linder headed the activity of collecting the funds for many years. The youths were the ones who were dedicated to that effort, members of Gordonia, HaShomer HaTzair, HeChalutz, and more. We all remember the “raids” conducted all over the city holding colorful boxes during the “Flower Days” of the youths, which lasted from early morning until late at night.

Those youths did not let anybody sneak away from them, explaining the importance of the goal they were working for, and collecting donations from everybody. Usually, they were not satisfied with the people who were in the city. They waited at the train station until late at night for the passengers who came in trains from Mlynowce and added their donations to the collected funds.

The Committee of Ezra in Zborow

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The Members of Gordonia. The sign says 5,685 (1925)– 5,699 (1939)

As I mentioned, the Jewish youth in our town was already devoted to the national idea, and to Aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. That youth excelled in its vigilance, vitality, and exhilaration. Most of the youth belonged to one of the movements and organizations, including Gordonia, HaShomer HaTzair, Achva [Comradery], Boslia [Youth movement of the Poalei Tzion labor party], Beita”r [youth movement of the revisionist party], and others. The Hitachdut branch headed by Binyamin Reiss, had considerable influence on the youth in the city. B. Reiss was elected to head the Community Council for several years until he left Zborow. Here is the place to mention the sizable library, affiliated with the Hitachdut, containing Hebrew, Yiddish, and Polish books serving the entire city.

The branch of the Gordonia movement was particularly active in our city, and it was one of the most important branches in the area. The highest percentage among the youth movements' youths who made Aliyah was from Gordonia. They were also the first pioneers. We should note the district center of Gordonia and the district and the branch's journalism office were located in Zborow.

In addition to the regular Zionist activities and preparation toward an Aliyah to Eretz Yisrael, the youth in Zborow participated in local public activities such as conducting the distribution of products and food donated by the “Joint” among the poor, helping in the soup kitchen for the needy, or participating in the campaigns of the Zionist representatives to the local institutions.

I still remember the children's show “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” that took place during the tenure of my father, Chaim Silberman, z”l, as the chairman of the Community Council. The show was held to benefit orphans of Russian pogroms, and the participants were all children from the Zionist youth movement.

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I still remember the names of some of them: The brothers Reuven and Yosef Zeisel, the brothers Shmuel and Eliyahu Silberman, Zelig Jaeger, Muni Fuchs, Avraham Adler, Yidel Rapp, Avigdor Roth, and others. The show was held at the Zeisel family's apartment and Wolfzhan's house for several weeks and was received enthusiastically by the spectators.

The following story testifies to the participation and zealousness of Zionist youth of all factions in the struggles for national representation in community and state institutions. In Pomorzany, a town in Zborow province, where most of the residents were pious Jews, an election was held for the local Community Council, a battle took place between the pious majority and the Zionist minority. During one of the days of the campaign, a group of young men from Agudat Yisrael [the religious party] appeared in the printing house of my father in Pomorzany and ordered defamation proclamations against their Zionist rivals. When I peeked into them during the printing, I decided to notify a group of friends at the Hitachdut. I knew when the pious young men would leave Zborow to return to Pomorzany. I notified my friends and they all agreed we should prevent the proclamations from leaving Zborow. A plan for preventive action was decided upon. At the designated hour, we positioned ourselves in the ditches on the two sides of the road leading to Pomorzany. We waited at the turn to the village of Korszylow for the wagon with the young men of Agudat Yisrael. It was dusk, and when the wagon finally appeared, we jumped toward it. Two of us caught the horses, and the rest jumped onto the wagon and yelled: “Give us the proclamations now, or else…” We did not need to complete the threat. The frightened youths lifted their arms and begged us: “Ge'ert Tzionisten Shenkt Unz das Leben” (“Honorable Zionists, please let us live”), and handed us the package with all the printed proclamations. We took the proclamations and sent them home free. Besides myself, the group of “terrorists” included Efraim Katz, Moti Friedman, Yakov Koestenblat, Wolf Friedman (Tateh Yona–[Father Yona]), and others whose names I do not remember. We returned home victorious and full of satisfaction. However, it is better not to talk about what happened to me at home when my part in the robbery of the proclamations became known publicly.

The following mischief also testifies to the dedication and zealousness to the Zionist idea that captured the hearts of Zborow's Jews. This time, it was not children who committed the prank but an adult of sound mind.

One summer day, an amusement carnival settled in the market square containing a carousel and other rides. The carnival attracted the children who came there with their parents. Groups of people gathered around the rides and the atmosphere was cheerful. Chanina Winter, the son of the shochet [ritual slaughterer], a respectful Jew with children, stood in one of the groups. Suddenly, he announced to the people around him: “If you donate that amount to KKL [JNF–Jewish National Fund], I agree to jump on one of the carousel horses and ride it along with the children.” The listeners thought he was joking and wanted to put him to the test. The amount he stated was collected within a few minutes. He did not hesitate for a minute, climbed on a wooden horse, and rode it around to the applause of laughter. That was the Zionist spirit in our city.

National spirit and dedication to the Zionist idea was inconceivable to maintain among most of the youth in our city without the part played by the Hebrew teachers,

A description of the Hebrew schools in Zborow was provided elsewhere in the book, and there is no sense of repeating it here.

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I just wanted to mention, very concisely, three Hebrew teachers, who contributed tremendously to the image forming of the national youth in our town.

The first teacher was Kopfstein. He came to Zborow a short while after the end of the First World War. He founded and managed a school where classes for beginner, intermediate, and advanced students were held. The school was designated for both boys and girls. It was housed in the home of Moshe Morgan (Mol from Tzerkov). I still remember the uplifting atmosphere at the graduation certificate ceremony every year. Kopfstein managed the school for several years until he had to leave Zborow due to family reasons.

The second teacher was Kitogrotzki. He was an excellent teacher, but unfortunately, the school he was teaching at was housed in Mr. Schwartz's home, far from the city center. In the winter, the access to it was atrocious. Because of that (and perhaps there was another reason), Kitogrotzki left Zborow after a short period.

Teacher Y. Yavetz

I only brought up those three teachers since I was among their students and felt it was my duty to mention them. May their memories be for a blessing.

The Jewish sports club Zydowski Klub Sportowy–the Z.K.S. was founded at the beginning of the 1920s. Its founder was Yosef Auerbach, who stayed in Vienna during the war, where the sports activities were at their peak. When he returned to Zborow, he organized three soccer teams–two for adults and one for youngsters. My brother Max was among the adults. From Lvov, he brought balls and blue-white uniforms. The budget was based on various donations and revenues from the Purim and Hanukkah balls. I remember we used to wear costumes on Purim and go around the people's homes to entertain them. We borrowed the costumes from the Ukrainian theater “Kohotok” [?] which happened to visit our city at the time. My brother, Shmuel, Munyo Fuchs, and I were still young boys, and we accompanied the costumes-wearers with musical instruments,

The following people participated in the first soccer team: Yosef and Yoel Auerbach, their cousin Sunio Auerbach, Binyamin Plisner, Leib Schwab, Max Weilkosh [?], Meilech Schwartz, Yakov Schwab, Max Silberman, Yosef Feuerstein and the Ukrainian Hopolovski, Eli Roth (der shvartzer–[the black one]), and other players whose names I do not remember.

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The Polish Student Hosakovski Served as the Goalkeeper.

Player Card of Adyk Silberman

The third team consisted of younger boys who dedicated themselves to regular practices.

The Soccer Team From left: Y. Roth, Y, Feuerstein, E. Silberman, Z. Jaeger. M. Shortz, B. Brand, D. Klahr, M. Pfeffer, M. Fuchs, S. Silberman, P. Auerbach

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It consisted of the following players: Yosef Feuerstein, Aydyk (Eliyahu) Silberman, Solo (Shmuel) Silberman, Israel Roth, Moshe Pfeffer, David Klahr, Zelig Yaron ((Jaeger), Baruch Brand, Avraham Adler, Poldi Auerbach, and Munyo Fuchs. The best players of that team served as substitutes for the first team.

These sports teams took part in Zionist activities, and their sports activities also served as a disguise for Zionist activities, which the authorities did not look at favorably.

Many days after we left Zborow, we met often and raised memories or read letters we received. In the picture: Poldi Auerbach (who traveled to visit Zborow and perished in the Holocaust), Tzvi Pasternak, and the author of this article–reading letters. At that time, we were members of the Gordonia group in Migdal.

I did not pretend to provide the history of the Zionist pioneering movement in our city. I did not have information about the beginning and end of that period. I did not know much about the beginning as I was too young to comprehend. I did not know much about the end because I left Zborow early, and everything I learned about the end period was obtained from others. My description is only a collection of excerpts of history, memories, impressions, and episodes. They constitute a canvas of experiences, evoking a feeling of grief and sometimes a smile–experiences that tell the story of those days. If I have succeeded in that, and my words add to the memory of our dear town and the image of the Jewish youth in Zborow, it would be my reward.

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