Druya, Belarus

The book of Druya and the communities
of Miory, Druysk and Leonpol

Druya, Belarus	Miyory, Belarus	Druysk, Belarus	Leonpol, Belarus
55°47' 27°27'	55°37' 27°38'	55°44' 27°17'	55°48' 27°47'

Translation of
Sefer Druja ve-kehilot Miory, Drujsk, ve Leonpol

Edited by: Mordekhai Neishtat, Druja and Surrounding Region Society

Published in Tel-Aviv, 1973

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Eilat Gordin Levitan

Our sincere appreciation to Mr. Meir Levitanus of the Druya Organization, Israel,
for permission to put this material on the JewishGen web site.

This is a translation from: Sefer Druja ve-kehilot Miory, Drujsk, ve Leonpol
The book of Druya and the communities of Miory, Druysk and Leonpol
Edited by: Mordekhai Neishtat, Tel Aviv, Druja and Surrounding Region Society, 1973 (H, Y, 255 pages)

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Druja (1973). Researchers might also be interested in the documentary film "A Man From Druya" which can be accessed by clicking here.

This material is made available by JewishGen, Inc. and the Yizkor Book Project for the purpose of
fulfilling our mission of disseminating information about the Holocaust and destroyed Jewish communities.
This material may not be copied, sold or bartered without JewishGen, Inc.'s permission. Rights may be reserved by the copyright holder.

JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.

Introduction 7

The Community of Druja Before the War:

From the Chronology of the Druya Community - M. Neishtat 11

My Teachers and the Heders (one room schools) - Ester Lubowicz 17

On top of the roof of the great synagogue- Alter Druyanow 25

Druja ( Yiddish) - Tila Druyanow 35

At home and in foreign lands - Chana Bejlin Suchozevsky 40

My Shtetl - Yerachmiel Romik 42

Memories of Childhood and Teenage Days - Batya Eidelman Cohen 45

The Shtetl and its Jews - Bracha Vitman 50

Chalutzim (Zionist pioneers) from Druja - Chaim Deutch 55

The School and Library - Chaia and Leib Liphsitz 57

Substance and Soul in the Jewish Stetl - Shalom Kopetsh 59

The Notebook “ - Drujer Falksshul” 66

A Man of Druja - Safra and Saifa 70

The Community of Miory Before the War:

From The Essence of the Shtetl - Eliyahu Nachmani 74

My fathers' home in Miory - Lyuba Yudin 76

The Unison of the Community of Miory - Yocheved Nazchan Svirsky 79

My Shtetl During Those Days - Yizhak Aron 82

The Community of Druyesk Before the War:

Chapters of Druysk - Yosef Sosnovik 85

Our school “Chorev” - Tuvia Berkman 88

Days of Tranquility Before the Siege - Reuven Budownicz 89

Chapters from the Shoah: Survivors (and one who did not) share their stories

The Last Will and Testament of Fania Barbakow (1923- 1942) 95

A Diary of the Slaughter - Yizhak Aron 101

In the Ghetto - Fruma Einhorn 117

The Annihilation of Leonpol - Ida Felskin Sher 125

A survivor from the pit - Menachem Sheyner 127

The Excruciating Tortures of a Mother Who Lost Her Child - Fania Melishkevitz 129

In the Ghetto and In the Forest - Ychezkel Berkman 134

A Jewish Child Fighting for Survival - Zusman Berkman 138

How I Survived - Baruch Bornstein 146

A Story of a Teenage Partisan - Arie Waif 149

Personal Chapters from the Book of the Shoah - Lyuba Yudin 180

Trials and Tribulations... - Liba Levitanos-Zaidlin (nee Papkin) 201

I Was a Mother of Six Children in 1942...- Shoshana Milevski 213

The Horrors and the Eradication of the Jews of Druysk - Reuven Budownicz 215

Jewish Partisans in the Area of Miori - Gita Aron Simkin 217

Stories from the Shoah - Ytzhak Aron 224

The Power of Kol Nidray - Y. Ben Moshe 232

Memorial For the Perished Martyrs - Bracha Vitman 234

List of the Martyrs
      Druya Martyrs
      Miyory Martyrs
      Druysk Martyrs
      Leonpol Martyrs 236

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Introduction	7

The Community of Druja Before the War:
From the Chronology of the Druya Community - M. Neishtat	11
My Teachers and the Heders (one room schools) - Ester Lubowicz	17
On top of the roof of the great synagogue- Alter Druyanow	25
Druja ( Yiddish) - Tila Druyanow	35
At home and in foreign lands - Chana Bejlin Suchozevsky	40
My Shtetl - Yerachmiel Romik	42
Memories of Childhood and Teenage Days - Batya Eidelman Cohen	45
The Shtetl and its Jews - Bracha Vitman	50
Chalutzim (Zionist pioneers) from Druja - Chaim Deutch	55
The School and Library - Chaia and Leib Liphsitz	57
Substance and Soul in the Jewish Stetl - Shalom Kopetsh	59
The Notebook “ - Drujer Falksshul”	66
A Man of Druja - Safra and Saifa	70

The Community of Miory Before the War:
From The Essence of the Shtetl - Eliyahu Nachmani	74
My fathers' home in Miory - Lyuba Yudin	76
The Unison of the Community of Miory - Yocheved Nazchan Svirsky	79
My Shtetl During Those Days - Yizhak Aron	82

The Community of Druyesk Before the War:
Chapters of Druysk - Yosef Sosnovik	85
Our school “Chorev” - Tuvia Berkman	88
Days of Tranquility Before the Siege - Reuven Budownicz	89

Chapters from the Shoah: Survivors (and one who did not) share their stories
The Last Will and Testament of Fania Barbakow (1923- 1942)	95
A Diary of the Slaughter - Yizhak Aron	101
In the Ghetto - Fruma Einhorn	117
The Annihilation of Leonpol - Ida Felskin Sher	125
A survivor from the pit - Menachem Sheyner	127
The Excruciating Tortures of a Mother Who Lost Her Child - Fania Melishkevitz	129
In the Ghetto and In the Forest - Ychezkel Berkman	134
A Jewish Child Fighting for Survival - Zusman Berkman	138
How I Survived - Baruch Bornstein	146
A Story of a Teenage Partisan - Arie Waif	149
Personal Chapters from the Book of the Shoah - Lyuba Yudin	180
Trials and Tribulations... - Liba Levitanos-Zaidlin (nee Papkin)	201
I Was a Mother of Six Children in 1942...- Shoshana Milevski	213
The Horrors and the Eradication of the Jews of Druysk - Reuven Budownicz	215
Jewish Partisans in the Area of Miori - Gita Aron Simkin	217
Stories from the Shoah - Ytzhak Aron	224
The Power of Kol Nidray - Y. Ben Moshe	232
Memorial For the Perished Martyrs - Bracha Vitman	234
List of the Martyrs Druya Martyrs Miyory Martyrs Druysk Martyrs Leonpol Martyrs	236