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Remember

Translated by Jerrold Landau


The Yahrzeits of our beloved and dear ones who were killed in the mass murders are as follows:
 
Destruction of Glubokie, 6,000 souls August 20, 1943; 19 Av 5703
Destruction of Szarkowszczyzna 1,800 souls July 18, 1942, 3 Tammuz 5702
Destruction of Dunilowicze 900 souls November 22, 1942; 13 Kislev 5703
Destruction of Postavy 2,500 souls December 25, 1942; 15 Tevet 5703
Destruction of Druya 2,500 souls July 17, 1942; 2 Tammuz 5702
Destruction of Kaziany 300 souls August 20, 1943; 19 Av 5703
 
* * *
We request from all our townsfolk that the elder of the family read chapters of the book to the family on the day of the Yahrzeit. We permit ourselves to unite with our dear beloved ones who were killed in sanctification of the Divine name.

On the day of the Yahrzeit, none of our townsfolk should celebrate a private joyous occasion or a communal celebration.


Remember!

Dr. Mark Dworszecki
From the book “Jerusalem of Lithuania in Struggle and in Destruction”

Translated by Jerrold Landau

Remember the destruction of Israel – remember the battle and the killing – and learn a lesson from it.

Let the memory of the destruction be the salt in your bread, and let it flow through your blood, in your flesh and bones.

Grit your teeth and remember! And when you eat – remember! And when you drink – remember!

And when you hear a song – remember! And when the sun shines – remember! And when night falls – remember!

And when you build a house – break a wall inside of it – so that you will always see the destruction of the House of Israel before your eyes!

And when you see a plowed field – place a mound of stones in it – as a testimony and a memorial for brethren who did not merit a Jewish burial.

And when you lead a child to the marriage canopy – you must remember the Jewish children who will never be led to the marriage canopy! – And for whom nobody will ever recite kaddish.

Let us be as one! The dead and the living; the ones torn away – and the ones that remain; those who are away – and the remnant of Israel.

Listen and listen, as it calls to everyone one of us – the lesson of our people's misfortune – Be uncomfortable! Be uncomfortable!


Forward

Landsleit Fahrein (Association) of Sharkoystzene, Dunilovitch,
Postav, Gluboke and the Surrounding Area, in Argentina

Translated suppied by the Kotz family

Edited by Eilat Gordin Levitan

With a sacred trembling, we commemorate our beloved and dearest, who perished at the hand of the German murderers and the local Christian population. They were banded in life, and likewise in their deaths. We allude to the communities of the towns of Gluboke, Sharkoystzene, Dunilovitch, Postav, Druya and Kazan. They are all part of Belarus (Reisn). They are considered to be in the Province of Vilna. The Jews of all of these towns are called “Litvaks”, even though they didn't know a word of the Lithuanian language. The language that was commonly spoken in our area was Russian.

The major portion of this book is devoted to recounting the destruction of Gluboke, which the two siblings, Michael and Tzvi Reiyak, who were Gluboke teachers, wrote. Glubokeites had the privilege of having, among their survivors, those who had talent, and the will to pass on to future generations, that which they saw in the “Valley of Death”. They recorded this pages after the destruction of Gluboke, while they wandered, famished and destitute, through forests, fields and swamps, and while death lurked about them, on all corners. Their recounting has the distinction of maintaining but limited rhetoric. They've compiled only actual events, which are authenticated with hundreds of names and endless data. They have relied, not only on what their own memory and experience dictate, but also on the testimony of others. Thus, a detailed description of the life, struggle and destruction of the Jews of Gluboke. We see them from within. For us, they Live! The Gluboke Ghetto was destined to be a temporary shelter for the surviving remnant of the encompassing, slaughtered towns. The Jews, who saved themselves from the slaughter in their own towns, could find no place of refuge. At the time, there were revolts yet no organized partisans, so there was nowhere to flee. They lay scattered, starved and exposed in the forests, fields and swamps. When the deceitful call came from the Judenrat, that the remnant of survivors come to the Gluboke Ghetto, most of the Jews consented. They had no alternative, for death lurked on all sides. Tens of victims fell daily, so they latched on to this call. The brothers Reiyak also tell about these Jews. They left no corner unturned. Afterwards, they describe their own wanderings and recovery. But that is a chapter by itself!

The narrations about the other towns, that are included in this book, have an entirely different character. These are the jottings that the Jews from the “stetetlach” (small towns) related. That's how it is with the information that was relayed about the towns, before their destruction, and, at the time of their destruction. Most of the narration was done collectively. We assembled fellow townsmen (landsleit), and from them, elicited the important information. We also made use of letters. Our chairman, who is the editor of this book, is the one who wrote up all of the information about the towns. The annihilation of these towns, that we here recall, began somewhat sooner than elsewhere, at the beginning of 1942. Also the uprising, or resistance against the murderers, began a lot sooner then in other places. On the 18th of July, 1942, a full blown uprising took place in the Sharkoystzener Ghetto. Thirty minutes before the heavily armed German police pounced on the Ghetto, the Judenrat succeeded in breaking down the Ghetto fence and setting fire to the town. The Judenrat was arming those few who did not let themselves be fooled by the murderers. That's how about 80% of the Jews of the town were able to save themselves. However most perished later from hunger, hardship, and the murderers' bullets. The remnant perished when the Gluboker Ghetto was annihilated.

The monstrous enemy could not condone such a rebellion. Ironicly, at the time, many Jews considered this uprising as a tragedy for the Jews of the entire area. They maintained that it had inflamed the enemy!

We hope that chapters of the Memorial Book will be read by our landsleit (fellow townsfolk), at the very least, on the annual memorial day of the annihilation of each of our beloved “shtetlach”. Let everyone read it to his family!

Let this Memorial Book serve as an eternal reminder to bind us to our beloved and dearest ones, who were robbed of their human rights and dignity, and whose blood was wantonly spilled, and whose lives were so cruelly cut short! Almost all of the landsleit contributed to the publication of this book. We must give credit to our prominent “landsman” (townsman), Noah Katzovitch, who covered half of the costs.


Dedicated to the Holy Memory

Michael and Tzvi Rajak

Translated by Jerrold Landau

Of our dear mother Sara-Rachel of blessed memory

Of our wife and sister-in-law Dr. Helena Wilkomirska-Rajak and son Aharon-Yitzchak.

Of the devoted, dedicated teachers in our institutions of learning

Of our hundreds of students and their parents

Of the entire Jewish community of Glubokie –

–The memory of them all, who were so cruelly murdered by the German murderers and their assistants.

To our students, may they live long, in Israel and in the wide world – a cup of comfort

 

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