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(Center Rabbi Velvel Soloveitchik)
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The bridge to the railway station was full of holes from the heavy cannon fire, the further one went the heavier the heartache was to see all the destruction the war had caused to the beautiful city of Brest.
The people stood in the streets, on their front steps, on their verandas and looked through their windows awaiting the arrival of the Relief delegates.
At that time there was a rift between the American Relief delegates and the Brest community council (kehilla). The delegates tried to make peace but did not fully succeed in achieving unity. The delegates relayed greetings from their American brethren and appealed for unity for the sake of the city of Brest.
Rabbi Velvel Soloveitchik and Shmuel Pomerantz headed the American committee. Rabbi Avraham Bleiweiss and Begun headed the kehilla. The delegates pointed out the importance of being united for the sake of the city and for the sake of any future fundraising activities the Relief would conduct in the U.S.
They only managed to unite the workers and set up a United Workers Committee that had representatives from the Bund, right and left Poale Zion and also non-political members. The Relief left money for a United Workers Building, which brought great benefit to the schools, youth and professional clubs, and cultural organizations when it was built.
By this historic act of sending three representatives with large sums of money to help rehabilitate their city, the Relief demonstrated their brotherly aid in the time of great need of our compatriots on the other side of the ocean.
Many episodes were described by the delegates – the difficulties in transferring the monies from Warsaw to Brest. The risky business of transferring the money by freight train – there was no other means of transport in those days. The emotional scenes when the money was distributed. The invitation to the Slonimer Shteibl for the visit of the Slominer Rebbe when he visited his Chassidic followers in Brest. The conversation with the Bundist “Noah”, and greetings from Vladimir Medes. The reception given by the community council, the photograph taken with Rabbi Velvel Soloveitchik, (he said that one should not be photographed however for the sake of the Relief he agreed but cast his eyes down).
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(Center Rabbi Velvel Soloveitchik) |
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(With Lubelsky, Rodevski, Shneider, Dr.Korman, Greenberg, Finkelstein, etc.) |
The Progressive School for Children and the Talmud Torah School with 500 pupils. The communal kitchen, and meeting and talking with officials and ordinary folk.
At a mass meeting the returned delegates Finkelstein and Kleinberg gave a detailed account of the situation in Brest. There were 21,000 inhabitants of the city – more than half suffered from hunger. Hundreds of children had no place to learn, and the soup kitchen daily provided meals for over 1,000 people. Of 1800 brick and timber houses only 832 remained. Only 8 synagogues remained. All the institutions were destitute, but had begun to rebuild by their own efforts and desperately needed support.
The large gathering at this meeting expressed their approval and thanks to the Brisker Relief for their vital work, which gave them the opportunity to help their relatives and brethren in Brest through the efforts of the Relief. The Relief sent Finkelstein to Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit to give his reports.
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