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Terror that cannot be described in words, fear that could be felt with one's hands, darkness that strained one's eyes and oppressed one's heart, all hung over the entire Polish Jewish community from the moment that the Polish broadcast service announced the German invasion. Panicked and afraid, trembling at the thought of what might happen, engulfed in a flame that seemed to rise up from the depths of hell, the Jews of Poland walked out of their homes on that bitter Friday. It was a day that marked the end of a thousand years of effort and work, a symbol that also represented some hesitation, sadness as well as joy, that had occurred in the land of Poland, a day that foretold the coming of a thousand days of loss of loved ones and ruin, destruction and annihilation.

It was as if the hearts of Polish Jews just stopped beating for an hour. The heart understands the bitterness of the soul. And the Jews of Poland felt and sensed in those difficult and bitter hours what was coming. Without hesitation the Jews of Poland left their homes that day, abandoning everything they owned, their assets and property, produced by the hard work of their hands with blood and sweat, with just their shirts on their backs. They fled wherever their eyes would direct them in order to avoid the claws of the terrifying Nazi snake that had viciously assaulted an undefended Poland which was exposed to destructive bombing, which was virtually without defenses, and which was abandoned to the mercies of bloody dogs devoid of restraint.

The Jews wanted to flee, but to where? The German serpent had surrounded Poland on three sides, now that it ruled over Czechoslovakia, which became a subservient state to the Teutonic nation, a “superior race.” On the fourth side of surrounded Poland stood the guards of Stalin, who smiled in a way that struck terror and fear. They had also contributed to the outbreak of this terrible conflagration, but they now stood and watched with glee as plumes of smoke arose from the cities and settlements of Poland. They stood their ground and intended to prevent the many refugees from finding even a temporary haven in the vast wide open spaces of the socialist power, Soviet Russia.

At the outbreak of the last war, the Jews of Poland felt like prisoners who were locked in their cells as vicious wild animals were approaching. The Jews had no illusions about what was coming. It was clear that the German troops were bringing ruination and murder, destruction and a holocaust with them. Very few believed in Poland's power to withstand the German attack or in its ability to repel the bloody dogs armed from head to toe. And the illusions of those few were quickly proven false, dashed on the hard, tough wall of reality. Poland fell like prey to the murderous hordes, wild animals dressed as human beings.

It soon became known that the German air force had amazing, precise maps of the locations of the Polish aircraft. And they operated with typical yekke [derogatory Yiddish word for German, implying extreme, if not obsessive meticulousness] precision. They secured a decisive advantage of mastery over the skies of Poland for themselves by means of this not all that difficult method without much risk. It also became clear that Poland was crawling with spies and saboteurs, local Germans [Volksdeutsch], sworn anti–Semites who regularly infiltrated into the country. The Jews avoided every security position set up by the anti–Semitic Polish authorities, who were replaced by Nazis saboteurs and agents, who made a decisive contribution to the destruction of Poland.

From the minute the war broke out confusion and chaos reigned at all levels of the Polish administration. They were not at all prepared for the difficult and complex task of governing during a time of emergency and under the conditions of war. If the Polish army was not in fact prepared for battle with the German army, the Polish civilian authorities were certainly not ready to face the emergency conditions in a time of war and confusion. The central

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administration quickly lost all contact with and influence over the local authorities who, out of their own panic, added yet another major element to the general chaos and confusion that directly aided the German invaders.

The targets were largely areas where many Jews resided. Jews were the first sacrifices lost to Nazi bombing. Flames leapt from the houses of Jews, which were filled with Jews. Polish Jewry was now forced into a period of holocaust and destruction. Thousands of Jews were struck by the murderous German bombing. The cries of bereaved families, of orphans left without parents, of parents whose children were cruelly slain, pierced the fraught, oppressive atmosphere that prevailed in Poland during this period.

From East Prussia a column of Germans burst forth into the strategic areas of the Bialystok district and the northeastern approaches of the Warsaw district. The aim was clear: to divide Poland lengthwise and to hook up with the German column that had invaded Poland from the south. Ostrow Mazowiecka and its surrounding area quickly became a dangerous battlefront. The battle line moved closer with terrifying speed.

The first bomb that struck in Ostroveh hit the house of Rabbi Yosef Pravda, shearing off the legs of this wonderful Hassid and killing his son and two of his guests. Thus, the city underwent its first trial by fire and blood. All the surrounding towns and villages were turned into torches of flame that leapt skyward. The entire area, which became an arena of bitter and cruel battles, went up in flames. But the flames did not illuminate the dark recesses of the hearts of the Jews of Ostroveh and the area. They only foretold that the great Nazi columns were closing in. A week after the war had broken out, the first German troops were seen in the streets of Ostrow Mazowiecka.

It was on a Friday, just a week after the world war had broken out. The sounds of shots and shouts of triumph announced the arrival of the murderers. The Jews generally hid themselves in their homes, afraid or refusing to witness the arrival of the hangmen. The few who happened to cross paths with the conquerors paid for this awful pleasure with their lives. Fifteen Jews were killed in the streets when Ostroveh became an occupied city.

With great devotion and sacrifice, the bereaved, distressed and terrified Jews collected the corpses for burial. Exhibiting great spiritual courage, the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Shraga Singer, with the help of Reb Moshe Rosenzweig, Rabbi Shimon Hirsh Goldwasser and Reb Yaakov Farbiarz, arranged the funerals of the victims. Nazi troops appeared at the very edge of the graves and, firing shots, ordered the rabbi and his helpers to desist, against the sound of the terrified voices of the families of the murdered and of the small orphaned boys and girls. Perhaps the horrific screams had some effect on these bloodthirsty enemies, who sufficed with murderous beatings and abuse of the defenseless mourning Jews.

The first Sabbath of the Jews of Ostroveh under the terrifying rule of the Nazi murderers passed relatively peacefully. The blood thirsty dogs made due with “only” three victims, only three Jews were murdered just like that, for no particular reason. Then came the first real bloody day. All the men of the Jewish community were ordered to appear in the market square on pain of death for anyone who did not obey. From morning until four in the afternoon the Jews were forced to stand in the market with their hands raised, as the Germans conducted extensive searches in the city. When the searches were over the time for abuse began. The unfortunate Jews were required to run the gauntlet of murderous beatings and to lie on the ground as the Nazi beasts of prey trampled upon them. This terrible scene concluded at six thirty in the evening. Then the Jews were ordered to return to their homes quickly, as it was announced that after six o'clock in the evening it was forbidden for a Jew to be found outside his house. Those who

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violated that order would be killed on the spot with no excuses or explanations accepted. As the Jews hurriedly ran to their homes a hail of bullets followed them, and thirty Jews fell victim.

The next day Ostroveh was enveloped in fear. Many had succeeded in escaping. Only a few remained in the city that was now in the clutches of the cruel enemy that lacked all restraint. German soldiers who were patrolling the city out of curiosity entered the house of Rabbi Mordechai Ber Tornovsky, a scholar and merchant, one of the important Warka Hassidim. They found him sitting and learning the tractate Sukkah with his young son, Menachem Yosef. They immediately took them outside and shot them dead in front of the other members of their family. The bereaved family tried to gather up their loved ones to be buried together. But they were chased back under a rain of murderous beatings by the monsters.

The reign of terror was now upon them: deadly beatings, abuse, plundering and scorn, round–ups for forced labor accompanied by severe suffering were from now on the lot of the distressed Jewish community. The rabbi of the community and its secretary, the head of the community and its leaders became the objects of abuse by the bloodthirsty Nazis. The situation of the Jews got worse from day to day. It was impossible to continue under these horrific and difficult conditions. The final escape towards the Soviet zone of occupation began.

In accordance with the secret treaty between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, Poland was divided into two zones of occupation. The eastern districts of Poland were attached to the Soviet sphere of influence. The Red Army entered these areas and occupied them almost without a shot being fired. The western and central districts of Poland remained in the hands of the German occupiers. Ostrow Mazowiecka became the closest point to the new border between the zones of occupation of Russia and Germany. As the border posts had yet to be finalized and the soldiers in place had not yet become familiar with the area, sneaking across the border in the depths of night was not especially difficult.

Masses of Jews passed through Ostroveh and nearby towns, fleeing for their lives to the Soviet zone of occupation. The large majority of the Jews of Ostroveh slipped across to the Soviet Russian side at night. They escaped with just the shirts on their backs, because of the oppressor. Only a few hundred Jews remained in the city, including some of the elderly and the sick. For about two months those last Jews lived under the Nazi nightmare. On the twenty–ninth day of Cheshvan in the year 5700 [November 11, 1939], the last Jews were cruelly taken to be killed. Only a very few succeeded in escaping alive. The Jewish community of Ostrow Mazowiecka ceased to exist.

This was the result of a fire that broke out in the city that had been caused by a Pole named Antek Bezhestak. This same Bezhestak was thought of before the war as a “good goy”, a progressive with certain leftist ideas. He was a Pole who spent much time with the members of left–wing secular Jewish youth movements. Now the same Antek Bezhestak also took part in looting Jewish property. He took over a Jewish residence and moved in to live there. It was apparently uncomfortable for this “progressive” Pole to live there, as it reminded everyone of the Jews who had preceded him. He went to Mr. Berel Teitel at his house on the market square and demanded wallpaper with which to cover the walls of his residence, in order to remove any reminder of the previous Jewish residents. While Antek demanded it, Berel Teitel, who sold wallpaper, had nothing to give him, as his stock had been looted some time ago. The Pole got angry, gritted his teeth, and lit a bottle of gasoline, throwing it at Teitel. The house was set aflame.

Antek Bezhestak rushed to inform the Germans that Berel Teitel had set his house on fire. The troops arrived, looking for Teitel and shouting, “Where is that filthy Jew who is setting fire to houses?” Without thinking too long, Berel went into a corner and hung himself on a rope. The monsters decided to take revenge on all the Jews of the city. The next day, the twenty–ninth of (Mar)Cheshvan, the last five hundred sixty Jews of Ostroveh were taken out of their homes. They were imprisoned in the basement of the local beer hall in horrendous conditions. From their place of imprisonment they were taken to the place of execution. Most of them were killed by the shots fired by the bloody dogs. A few were buried alive. The community of Ostrow Mazowiecka was destroyed once and for all. The last remnant of this holy community that had functioned for so many generations was eradicated.

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