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Barylov is a village like all other villages in the area. It is located 20 kilometers northeast of Radekhov and about 16 kilometers south of Lopatyn. Fourteen kilometers southeast lies Shtervitz [Shchurovychi]; 18 kilometers east is Berestechka [Berestechko]; and Stoyanov [Stoyaniv] is situated 8 kilometers to the west. The village is located on the old border between the empires of Austria and Russia. The main road from Volitza to Uvyn passes through the village, with each village located approximately 2 kilometers away – one located west of the village and the other east of the village. The Sidlovka stream flows north of the village, running parallel to the road. The stream splits into two branches, each of which has a bridge spanning it. In our time, the village flour mill was situated on one of the branches, while the church and the priest's house were located on the other. The school was at the intersection between the Volitza-Uwin [Uvyn] road and the road leading south to Radekhov. Nearby, the building of the local authority was located close to the school. Residential buildings and the adjacent farm structures were found on both sides of the road. The village contained about 250 Ukrainian families and nine Jewish families.

When entering the village from the direction of Volitza, there was a low and very old house on the left side of the road, almost at the entrance to the village. The house's windows nearly touched the ground, giving the impression that it had sunken into the earth over the many years of its existence. The house had a thatched roof, making it one of the oldest houses in the village. The residents of this house did not seem inclined to rebuild, suggesting they did not plan to stay in the village for long. This was the home of Yitzchak Lowenthal and his family. Yitzchak Izik was a deeply religious and incredibly honest man. People said that he never ate before noon, as it was forbidden to eat before the morning prayer, which for him stretched until noon. He was a slow-moving Jew who carried himself sluggishly. His mind was absorbed in the Chumash and Rashi's commentary. Some even claimed that he knew the Chumash by heart. When conversing with others, he always began by reciting verses from the Torah and adding Rashi's commentary. Upon seeing anyone committing an offense, especially a youth, he would call that person aside and cite the appropriate verse from the Bible. He would initially ask the sinner to cite the relevant verse himself; if the sinner could not, he would refresh his memory. When you passed by the house on Shabbat, you could hear Yitzchak Izik's voice reciting the weekly Torah portion,

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and if you happened to be there in the afternoon, you could hear the heart-piercing melody of “Pirkei Avot.”

During the prayer, Yitzchak Izik was utterly disconnected from the world around him; he did not hear anything and did not respond to anybody. Yitzchak Izik engaged in two crafts – two trades that only he, among all the Jews of the village, mastered: he was a menaker (a person who removes the forbidden sinews from meat according to the laws of kashrut), and he was a “shiber” (someone who slides matzah in the oven for baking). Without his expertise as a menaker, it would have been impossible to eat kosher meat from the animals slaughtered in the village. He performed these two roles out of a profound fear of Heaven, without charging for his services and with no intention of deriving personal gain. However, customers had to wait until he finished his lengthy prayers. Notably, he would wear two sets of tefillin. When it came to worshiping God, Yitzchak Izik made no compromises. He diligently observed all the commandments, both the minor and the major ones, paying close attention to all of their details and intricacies. He enjoyed conversing with other people and often shared Chassidic tales. Yitzchak Izik showed great respect and courtesy toward Torah scholars. He took it upon himself to teach his children and grandchildren religious studies, teaching them both the Torah and good manners. As a teacher, he was strict and did not hesitate to occasionally show off the “honor” of his strong arm. He expected his students to study diligently and become knowledgeable.

Reb Yitzchak Izik was not a great provider, so his wife, Tzipora, had to contribute to supporting the family, which included eight children. Tzipora was a wise, alert, and deeply devout woman who was extremely hardworking and well-liked by all – Jews and non-Jews alike. She ran a tavern and a grocery store, and later, when they owned a garden and a field, she also helped with farming. Despite her many responsibilities, Tzipora made sure that she educated and raised her children to be healthy adults and good Jews.

As the children grew up, some of them left their home and the village and went to the big cities. Tuvia left home at a young age, initially working in Lvov [Lviv], and later in Krakow. During the First World War, he served as a junior officer in the Austrian army and was taken prisoner by the Russians. After the war, he moved to Romania, got married, and became one of the executives of the Rustica company. He made Aliyah to Eretz Israel in 1933 and worked for the Zim company until he passed away in Haifa. He had one daughter, Shoshana, who married Igal Isenberg. Both of them are lawyers in Haifa.

The sons, Leib and Moshe, lived in Lvov and were murdered by the Germans, along with their families.

The daughter, Leah, married Moshe Tenzer from Shtervitz, and they had three children – the eldest daughter, Chaya, married Mordechai Kremnitzer and their son, Zalman, married the daughter of Shimon Rocker. The two younger daughters, Gitel and Mindel, remained at home. Tragically, all were annihilated by the Nazis. May God avenge their blood.

Not far from the house of Reb Yitzchak Izik, on the same side of the road and heading east, stood a new and beautiful house, situated about four meters from the road. It was surrounded by young trees and enclosed by a wooden fence. This was the home of Zalman Lowenthal, the son of Reb Yitzchak Izik,

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and his wife, Rosa, the daughter of Shimon Rocker, along with their four-year-old son, Izik. Zalman was a middle-aged Jew and a former officer in the Austrian army, who had fought in World War I, where he sustained injuries. After marrying, he worked in the leather trade and had commercial and agricultural ties to the Ecker family, the owners of the Wolica-Barylov (Karczówka) estates. Zalman was respected and well-liked by both the Ecker family and the non-Jewish farmers with whom he maintained trade relationships, thanks to his honesty, sincerity, and punctuality.

Reb Zalman enjoyed hearing a good joke and also knew how to tell one. He used to go to the synagogue on holidays and loved to listen to cantorial singing; he was likely influenced by the traditions from his father's home. When the ritual slaughterer, Reb David Hersh, came to the village in the month of Elul, Reb Zalman insisted that he perform several pieces of cantorial singing before beginning his work.

Reb Zalman despised the Soviets, who entered the village at the end of 1939. One of the primary reasons for his animosity was the closure of his business and the destruction of free trade. He could not forgive them for confiscating the entire property of the Ecker family and brutally expelling and arresting those family members who failed to escape in time. The Soviets treated all other estate owners, both Jewish and non-Jewish, the same way. During that period, Zalman lost his vitality. He became indifferent, waiting for a change to come. During the German conquest, Reb Zalman believed in superstitions and miracles. He was sure the Germans would be defeated, but did not anticipate it happening in his lifetime. He once said that he saw two birds fighting each other. He named one of them H…r and the other Stalin. Reb Zalman was happy to see “Stalin” win. He considered this a sign of the German's defeat, and told the story to all the other Jews. At the same time, he did not believe the fall was imminent, and he believed that he and the other Jews in the village would not be alive to see the oppressor's defeat. He did not want to listen to anyone who tried to talk to him about survival tactics, despite having had many non-Jewish friends who could have saved him. Reb Zalman's wife, Rosa, was a devoted woman and an exemplary Jewish mother.

Their son, Izik, grew up in a predominantly gentile atmosphere, as there were no Jewish children his age in the village. (His parents could not hire a melamed during the Soviet period or later during the German conquest). Izik played with Ukrainian children and spoke only Ukrainian, not even Yiddish. At first, the Ukrainian children played with him and accepted him as one of their own. But over time, they began to tease him and began calling him “Yuda” when a German soldier happened to pass by. When that happened, little Izik would rush home shouting in Ukrainian: “Let's hide, the Germans are coming.” He often asked his father, “Why do they hate us so much?” Zalman and his family were deported in December 1942 to the ghetto in Brody, where they ultimately perished.

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Down the road going east, on the same side of the road, stood a beautiful, big, and new house, surrounded by a nice garden and agricultural structures. This was the home of Reb Yisachar (Socher) Barach and his family. Reb Socher was a clever Jew and a successful merchant. He served as a broker for one of the estates. He also owned a well-maintained farm. Reb Socher passed away in 1926. The Barach family consisted of three sons and a daughter. The youngest son, Yitzchak, was a wealthy Jew, living in Lvov with his family. The daughter, Tzipora, lived in Vitkov [Vitkiv] with her family, while their brother, Mota, lived in Radekhov. The oldest son, Moshe, stayed at home in Barylov. He was a wise man who suffered from impaired hearing and earned a living from their farm. Moshe had two children–Avraham, from his first wife, and Dvora, from his second marriage. Avraham received a good education, spending several years in Radekhov, where he attended a cheder and later attended a state school. He continued his education in accounting in Lvov and took private lessons to prepare for his high school matriculation examinations. Avraham was a devoted son and an enthusiastic Zionist. After he married, he lived in Lvov and owned a business there. During the Nazi's conquest in 1942, Avraham, his wife, and their infant son moved to Barylov, pretending to be Aryans and using forged papers. During the extermination of the village Jews by the Germans, Avraham and his family tried to find shelter in the grove near the village, but the local Ukrainians discovered them a short while later and murdered them.

The family of Mordechai Eichman resided on the other side of the road, close to the center of the village. Reb Mordechai was a devoted Jew, and his house served as a house of prayer. All the village's Jews gathered there on Shabbat and holidays, and sometimes Jews from neighboring villages came to pray in his home. They included Shmuel and his sons, Meir, Nathan, and Hersh Ornstein from Uwin [Uvyn]; Yaakov Apelfeld, Manyu, Villik, and Hersh Kranz from Vigoda; Yehoshua Ecker and others from Volitza. Reb Eichman was a broker for estate owners, initially for Wittlin and later for Willik. He also owned a well-maintained farm. The Eichman family had two children – a son named Benzion and a daughter named Rachel, both of whom were intelligent. Benzion demonstrated his intelligence early, being able to study a Gemara page as early as World War I. He was also knowledgeable about German literature, both Jewish and general. Rachel was equally impressive; she could quote works from noted authors such as Schiller, Goethe, Heine, and others from memory. The Eichman family had a collection of books by classic German authors, in addition to Jewish books and various journals and newspapers. Benzion owned a textile shop in Lvov for a brief period. When his business failed, he returned to his father's home, married Sara Rocker, and began making a living by managing his father's farm. Benzion was a Zionist, and as early as the 1920s, expressed skepticism that Britain would uphold its promises under the Balfour Declaration. His wife, Sara, who was also well-educated, assisted her husband in running the farm while being a good homemaker and devoted mother to her three children.

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Reb Mordechai's daughter, Rachel, was an intelligent and gentle woman. After getting married, she moved to Lvov but returned to her father's home before the outbreak of World War II. Rachel had two children, Dolek and Gusta. Rachel did everything she could to provide them with a quality education, but due to their financial situation, she was unable to send Dolek, her older son, to study in the city. Instead, she hired a private teacher to tutor him at home. Dolek travelled to Radekhov every year to take the annual examinations. Rachel passed away in 1937.

Mordechai Eichman passed away at his home in 1942. Benzion and his wife were deported to the Brody ghetto, where they perished. Their children, 12-year-old Gusta and 15-year-old Dolek, chose not to accompany their parents to the ghetto and instead sought ways to save themselves. Gusta joined a group headed by Avraham Barach, but tragically, she perished together with the entire group. Dolek, along with two of his friends, Nathan and Hersh, managed to hide in the forests and various other shelters outside the village. They remained in hiding until about a month before the arrival of the Soviet army. As the front drew nearer and the sound of the gunfire approached, Dolek and his friends decided to return to the village. They sought refuge in the home of a trusted neighborhood friend. However, when some of their former Ukrainian friends learned of their presence, they betrayed them–dragging the boys from their hiding place, and killing them.

At the center of the village, situated at the highest point, between the two main roads and across from the school, stood a large house, the construction of which had not yet been completed (the nationalist Ukrainians had burned down the old house). Close to the house were several agricultural buildings. Surrounding the house was a garden filled with newly planted trees and flowers. Mordechai Kremnitzer and his family lived in this house.

Reb Mordechai [on the right] and his son Arye Kremnitzer of blessed memory [on the left] (The son passed away in Jerusalem)

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Reb Mordechai Kremintzer was a devout Jew and an honest man who strictly observed all the commandments. He believed that the first question a person would be asked in the next world would be about their honesty in business dealings. Despite his deep devotion, he treated his children, who were not religious, with understanding, tolerance, and moderation. He recognized that resisting the spirit of the times was nearly impossible and believed that the most important thing was to be a good human with a Jewish heart.

Reb Mordechai served as a soldier in the Austrian army and participated in World War I. He was proud of having a negative attitude toward a bumbling Jew. He believed that a Jew must serve as a good example in everything he does. Throughout his entire military service, he refrained from eating non-kosher food. In areas where Jews lived, he purchased kosher food from them, and in other places, he avoided eating cooked foods altogether. He shared a story about asking his army commander for permission to grow a beard. The latter responded that a bearded soldier is not an attractive image. Reb Mordechai answered, “How do you know that the image is unattractive? Allow me to grow a beard, and you will see whether you like it or not.” As a result, he was allowed to grow a well-kept beard. Reb Mordechai was a Belz Chassid and often traveled to visit the Belz Rebbe, especially during the High Holidays. He derived great pleasure from these visits, and often said that, in addition to being a tzaddik, the Rebbe was a wise man. It was possible to consult with him on various matters, including issues related to trade.

Reb Mordechai was a merchant in his early years and later worked exclusively in agriculture. He was the first Jew in Barylov who acquired land from the local farmers. As mentioned, Reb Mordechai's house was situated on the highest spot and most beautiful location in the village. The land on which the house stood was acquired through an exchange deal – the new owner gave the previous owner, a non-Jew, another plot of land of lesser value and paid the difference in cash. After the deal was completed and the money was handed over to the gentile, the gentile had a change of heart and claimed that Reb Mordechai had cheated him. The gentile, who was the village secretary, sued Reb Mordechai for deception. The lower court determined that the matter was outside of its jurisdiction, considering the value of the dispute and potential penalties, and decided to transfer the case to a higher court.

Fear gripped Reb Mordechai. What does a Jew do in such a situation? – Go to the Rebbe. Indeed, Reb Mordechai went to see the Rebbe and recounted his story. The Rebbe calmed him down and provided comfort. People warned Reb Mordechai that this gentile was dangerous– clever, articulate, and highly persuasive. The Rebbe assured him, “Do not be afraid; this gentile will do the same thing as the biblical Balaam, who came to curse but ended up blessing.” With that, the Rebbe advised him to hire a capable non-Jewish lawyer. It turned out that the Rebbe was right, and events unfolded as he had predicted. Reb Mordechai was acquitted and returned home to the land he lawfully purchased. Reb Mordechai's faith in the Rebbe grew stronger, and he took every opportunity to speak of the Rebbe's greatness. Reb Mordechai periodically purchased additional plots of land, ultimately organizing a large and well-managed farm for himself.

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He developed a deep appreciation for the fields and the work involved in farming. He often remarked that the field was a lasting investment: firstly, because there was no fear of theft or fire, and secondly, because the field rewarded its owner for honest and diligent work. He ensured that the field was properly cultivated and maintained, personally overseeing all the work, and when necessary, he would lend a hand himself. His wish was for his field to become a model field, so that no one would ever say that it looked like a “Jewish field.” Throughout his life, he never sold even a handbreadth of his land.

Reb Mordechai enjoyed giving handouts. Whenever he was in the city, he generously provided assistance to the poor, often sending a sack full of potatoes to the needy and making substantial donations to charitable institutions. Like all other Jews in the village, he was an exemplary host to guests. Whenever Jewish travelers entered his home, they were treated to the best food, a comfortable bed to sleep on, and a generous handout. He considered any unfamiliar Jewish passerby, a beggar, one of the Lamed Vav Tzaddikim.^[1]

Chaya, the daughter of Reb Yitzchak Izik, was the second wife of Reb Mordechai. He had five children from his first wife. Three of his sons, Hersh, Efraim, and Yosef, left home shortly after World War I and immigrated to America, where they started families. Unfortunately, they are no longer alive. His son, Fishel, and daughter, Frida, remained in Lvov with their families, where they tragically perished in the Holocaust.

Chaya was a devout woman, but treated her children, who were not religious, with kindness. She was proficient in the Chumash and Rashi commentaries, which she learned from her father, Yitzchak Izik. She absorbed this knowledge by listening to her father teach the Torah to his sons and later to her children, his grandchildren. On Shabbat, as you entered her house, you could hear Chaya reading the weekly portion with the proper melody. In the synagogue, she served as the “cantor” of the women's section on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Chaya was also a skilled merchant. While Reb Mordechai focused on their agricultural farm, Chana managed a store where she sold a variety of items, including textiles, groceries, and housewares. She was well-liked by everyone, both Jews and non-Jews. The gentiles were not only her customers but also came to her for advice on various matters, such as caring for a sick person, cooking or baking recipes, and even loans. She had a genuine desire to help others. She possessed a deep understanding of children's education and was strongly committed to providing her children with an excellent education. One of her sons even graduated from a university.

Reb Mordechai and Chaya had four children. The oldest, Arye (Leib), was a natural-born merchant. At 14 years old, he traded with the German soldiers who arrived in the village during World War I. Reb Mordechai and his other sons served in the army at that time. Arye, as the eldest child, shared the burden with his mother of managing the family's farm under wartime conditions and providing for the family. At 17, Arye hid with his grandfather, Yitzchak Izik, in the forest. This was during the war between the Poles and the Bolsheviks. Suddenly

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three armed Bolsheviks burst into the forest. Upon spotting a Jew with a long beard and sidelocks, one of them shot and wounded Rabbi Yitzchak Itzik. Arye carried his wounded grandfather on his back, crossing two rivers and covering a distance of two kilometers to bring him home. Since there was no physician in the village, Arye harnessed the horses to a carriage, and despite the life-threatening danger (a war was taking place in the area), he transported his grandfather to the town of Berestechko, about 20 kilometers away from Barylov. This courageous journey saved the life of Reb Yitzchak Izik. Arye, who served in the Polish army, was an enthusiastic Zionist and even attended a Hachshara [agricultural or industrial training for pioneers], and prepared to make Aliyah to Eretz Israel. However, due to a lack of immigration certificates, and later due to the outbreak of World War II, his plan did not materialize. He was always willing and ready to help others, both his family members and anybody else. He suffered greatly during the German conquest and was saved from a sure death miraculously. He made Aliyah in 1950 and raised a family in Jerusalem. He passed away on the 19th of Av, 5,727 [August 25, 1967] in Jerusalem.

Since Yechezkel, the second son, came of age, he set a goal for himself to perform every manual task on his own–doing so not just as a gentile would, but better. Indeed, he demonstrated this commitment both in the field and on the farm. In his field, he completed every task on time and at a high level of performance. No gentile could claim that his was a “Jewish field.” He was the first Jewish person to work with a scythe, and his scythe was superior to all others. Yechezkel managed all the necessary farm jobs by himself, skillfully using a saw, ax, or hand plane. He was also an outstanding merchant. When his mother fell ill, he took over the management of the store, transforming it into an exemplary establishment. Thanks to his abilities, he successfully competed against the non-Jewish cooperatives, drawing in many gentile customers. The owners of these cooperatives could not tolerate his success and sent a Ukrainian terrorist to set fire to the store one Shabbat night, at a time when it was crowded with customers. The blaze completely destroyed the store and everything in it, as well as the family's residential building in which it was located. Not only were the house and the store reduced to ashes, but also all the surrounding agricultural structures were consumed by the flames.

The agricultural structures were rebuilt within half a year, bigger and more beautiful than before. The rebuilt house became the largest and most beautiful in the village. Yechezkel traveled to Lvov to bring French-style windows and doors. When questioned about the purpose of all this and how he could justify such an expense, he replied, “This is to make them furious–to show them that we are not afraid of them and that they cannot intimidate us through terror.”

When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, the Jews in the village understood what awaited them. Some, particularly the younger people, including brothers, Arye and Yaakov, fled toward the Russian border in search of shelter. Yechezkel, however, stayed behind with his parents and his sister, Ester, to protect them and their property. He dug a bunker, caught a cold, and fell ill. Since proper medical care was unavailable under Soviet rule, his condition worsened,

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and in 1940, he passed away. The son, Yaakov, and the daughter, Ester, endured the horrors of the German occupation under extremely difficult conditions, albeit in different ways. Yaakov lives today with his wife, Yocheved, and son, Mordechai, in Ramat Gan; and Ester resides with her husband, Arye, and son, Shmuel, in Giv'atayim.

Reb Mordechai passed away on the 8^th of Cheshvan, 1938, and Chaya perished in the Brody ghetto.

Near Reb Mordechai's house and the school stood an old house covered by a thatched roof. This was the home of Reb Yaakov the carpenter and his wife Sosha. Reb Yaakov had come to the village after World War I, after his house in the town of Stremiltsh [Stremil'che] was destroyed by fire. At first, he lived in the unfinished home of Reb Izik Zitbor, who graciously hosted him free of charge as a mitzvah. Tragedy struck when a Denikin gang attacked. Misled by gentile neighbors who claimed that a hoard of gold was hidden in the house, the gang assaulted Reb Yaakov's first wife, beating her mercilessly in an attempt to force her to reveal the treasure's location. The woman could not disclose the location, simply because there was no such treasure. A short time later, she succumbed to the injuries inflicted upon her.

Reb Yaakov was a skilled craftsman, renowned as the best in the village and the surrounding area. He was dedicated and meticulous in his work, which ensured that he always had a steady workload. The gentiles, for whom he worked, were very satisfied with his craftsmanship. As a religious Jew, Reb Yaakov chose to eat only dairy foods while working at gentile job sites during the week. On the eve of Shabbat and holidays, he always returned home. Reluctant to leave work early at the end of those workdays, Reb Yaakov could often be seen sweating while hurriedly running with a saw in one hand and a chicken in the other. He raced to get home before the start of Shabbat or a holiday. Once home, he washed quickly, combed his white beard, and rushed to the synagogue. Since Reb Yaakov was highly skilled in his craft, he was recruited by the German border patrol regiment in Uvyn during World War II to carry out various carpentry tasks for them. He worked for and even lived alongside the local German garrison, remaining there even after the Jews from neighboring villages had been expelled from their homes. One day, a German soldier, one of those for whom Reb Yaakov worked, entered and, without any reason, began to savagely beat Reb Yaakov with a stick. The blows were so brutal that Reb Yaakov was beaten to death. The gentiles dragged his body to the livestock cemetery (such cemeteries existed in every village) and buried him there.

Reb Yaakov's wife, Sosha, was a simple, hard-of-hearing, and naïve Jewish woman. She loaned money to her gentile neighbors and maintained good neighborly relations with them. She believed they were good friends. When all the village's Jews left their homes, she entered the home of one of her neighbor friends, believing that she would find shelter in his house during the war. A few days later, on Sunday, the gentile “friend” summoned the Ukrainian rioters, and they dragged her to the center of the village. There, anyone who wished struck and beat her until she breathed her last.?

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Reb Yaakov had six children: Yitzchak, Zusha, Hersh, Hertz, Gitel, and Grina. All the children, except for Hersh, perished in the Holocaust along with their families. Hersh survived with his family, made Aliyah, and later passed away in Petach Tikva.

In the center of the village, opposite the school and next door to Reb Mordechai Kremintzer, stood the tavern–a large house with two wings. Reb Shimon Rocker and his family lived here. Reb Shimon managed the tavern, which he had inherited from his father-in-law. He was a religious, gentle, modern, and intelligent Jew. During Austrian rule, he served as the secretary of the village council and was proficient in both German and Polish. Whenever any of the gentiles needed help in drafting and writing a request in these languages, they would come to Reb Shimon for assistance. Reb Shimon enjoyed reading secular books and newspapers. His home was always open to everyone, and it was frequently filled with guests. On the eve of Shabbat and holidays, many people, primarily young people, would gather in his home to read the latest newspapers and debate various topics, mainly concerning Zionist matters. Reb Shimon served as a cantor, Ba'al Koreh [Torah reader], and Ba'al Tokea [Shofar blower], all without compensation. The local gentiles used to call him “rabbi.” Starting in the month of Elul, one could hear Reb Shimon reciting the prayer passages and practicing with a shofar. He also had a passion for gardening and could often be seen working in the garden as early as four in the morning.

In addition to his two daughters, who were already mentioned, Roiza (Rosa) and Sara, he had another daughter, Yenta, and a son, Wolf. The latter was an intelligent young man who aspired to get an education. His parents indeed made it possible for him to do so.

From the right: Milek Eker, Yosef Apelfeld, Refael Wasser [identified by Leon Eker as Izio Eker], Zeev Rocker, Avigdor Apelfeld Sitting, from the right: Abraham Apelfeld, Szanka Rosenberg nee Eker, Yaakov Kremnitzer

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After completing his studies at the cheder and the elementary school in Radekhov, he began preparing for the high school matriculation exams by taking private lessons. During this time, he became an enthusiastic Zionist. As a result, he decided to pause his studies and participate in a half-year Hachshara camp in preparation for making Aliyah to Eretz Israel. Unfortunately, World War II interrupted his plan and aspirations. In 1940, he was drafted into the Russian army. However, during the early days of the war between the Soviets and the Germans, he was taken prisoner by the Germans. He could have avoided capture by joining the fleeing Russians, but, because he had so much animosity toward the Soviets and believed that escaping to Russia would prevent him from ever fulfilling his desire to make Aliyah to Eretz Israel, he chose not to escape and to be captured by the Germans. He was ultimately murdered. When one of the Ukrainians who had also been captured by the Germans and later released returned to the village, he told Reb Shimon that he was captured together with his son, Wolf. Reb Shimon was filled with hope that his son was alive, and he ran to the Jews of the village, shouting: “My son is still alive.” He did not know that at that time, his son was not among the living. However, other Jews knew that from the stories of other gentiles who returned from captivity.

The daughter, Yenta, survived the war in Germany by posing as an Aryan using forged documents. When she returned from Germany, she married the love of her life, Yosef Apelfeld. Today, they live in Naharia, Israel, with their two sons, Shimon and Yerachmiel. Shimon Rocker, along with his wife Rachel – a devoted Jewish woman who supported her husband in every way and was a role model for her children – and the daughters, Rosa and Sarah, along with their families, were deported to the Brody Ghetto where they perished.

At some distance from the road to Uvyn, near the flour mill, stood the house of Rivka Gruber, the widow of Shaul Gruber. She lived there with her daughter, Gitel, and son-in-law, Pinchas. Rivka was an honest woman–wise and extremely diligent. The family owned a plot of land and cultivated it themselves. Rivka was always ready to help those in need. Pinchas, despite being a city dweller, quickly learned to work the field and personally cultivated his land diligently and with pride. The field yielded excellent crops. Gitel, too, was always willing to assist those in need and actively provided help in various ways. The family maintained good relations with their gentile neighbors. During the German occupation, they initially sought refuge with these neighbors. Later, they, along with several other Jews, dug a bunker in the forest for safety. Rivka, who had an Aryan appearance, would go out to ask for bread from the local farmers and bring it back to the bunker. However, on one occasion, she was recognized by Ukrainian bandits. They followed her to the bunker and murdered her there. Pinchas and Gitel managed to escape, and they survived the war. Today, they live in the United States.

Almost at the edge of the village, in the direction of Uvyn, lived Izik Zitbor, his wife Breina, and their five children. Reb Izik's elderly mother and two orphaned grandchildren, Rachel

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and Nathan also lived with them. Reb Izik served as the gabbai [administrator] of the synagogue and had a keen interest in politics, regularly reading both Jewish and non-Jewish newspapers. He often visited the gentile farmers, where he would read aloud the antisemitic national Ukrainian newspapers to his non-Jewish hosts. Despite the strong anti-Jewish content, he maintained an outward indifference and continued to forge what he believed were friendships with them. Izik knew everything that was happening in the village. Due to his close ties with the local gentiles, he considered them his true friends. He was a kind-hearted man who generously loaned money to both Jews and non-Jews, loans that were often not repaid. Until the First World War, he was a leather merchant. After the war, he purchased a plot of land and became a farmer. His livelihood was meager, yet Izik was a great optimist and content with little.

His wife, Breina, was a quiet woman, a good wife and mother, and a decent, honest person. Reb Izik believed in the honesty of the gentiles in the village. He grew up alongside them and was friendly with all of them. He had never caused any harm to anyone and helped many of them to the best of his ability. It was difficult for him to accept that any of them would cause him harm until reality came and struck him in the face. During the German occupation, the district chief, a nationalistic Ukrainian from Zavitsh [Zavidche], arrived in the village. He was strolling around the village, accompanied by the local prominent Ukrainians, when they encountered Reb Itzik. Upon seeing his Ukrainian acquaintances, Reb Izik removed his hat and greeted them with a smile. At that time, he was about 60 years old and not in good health. In a shocking turn of events, the district chief ordered Reb Itzik to lie down in the snow. He then stepped on him, trampling him, while Reb Itzik's companions–his supposed friends–burst into laughter and threw snow on him.

Reb Izik, along with his wife, mother, Tovah, and his daughters, Rachel and Rivka, were deported to the Brody ghetto, where they perished. His daughter, Leah, who participated in a Zionist Hachshara camp, managed to obtain an immigration certificate, and made Aliyah to Eretz Israel. She married Yosef-Venaki and today lives in Tel Aviv close to her two married daughters, son, and grandchildren.

Reb Izik's son, Efraim, tried to survive but ultimately perished in the Holocaust. Reb Izik's son, Itamar, was recruited into the Russian army and remained in the Soviet Union.

The settlement of Vigoda was part of the larger Barylov village. In Vigoda, there was an estate where several families of the laborers lived. The village also contained a tavern. Before the First World War, the estate was owned by the Jewish Wittlin family. After the war, ownership passed to the Apelfeld and Villik families. Wolf Leventhal and his wife, Malka lived in the village of Vigoda for many years. They managed the tavern and also sold milk they acquired from the estate owners. Wolf and Malka were devout and honest people. Since they did not have children of their own, they dedicated themselves to raising and educating orphans. They adopted and raised three orphaned girls. After Wolf passed away, Malka continued to work hard and raise the girls on her own.

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One of the orphaned girls, Chaya, married Hersh Krantz, and they lived in Vigoda. The other orphaned girl, Tova, married Shimon Takser and continued to live with Malka. The third immigrated to Argentina. Malka was known for her kind heart. In addition to raising the orphans, she was always ready to help anyone in need. During the German occupation, she assisted every Jew who passed by. Malka decided she would not move to the ghetto. She was already very old when she found out that the Germans ordered Jews to leave their homes and move to the ghetto. When the order was issued, she suddenly fell ill, and the following day, she passed away. She had the right to be buried in the Jewish cemetery in Radekhov. Those of us who were still alive envied her for having the privilege to die in her own bed, surrounded by Jews, and to be buried near her ancestors in the Jewish cemetery.

Hersh Krantz and his wife, Chaya, were hardworking people. They managed to accumulate property, primarily fields, in a short period of time. They established an exemplary farm. Hersh was a public activist who loved to help everyone, and he was also a dedicated Zionist. During the German occupation, their home was a safe haven for any Jewish person in need. There, every Jew could find food, a made bed, and shelter from their pursuers. Hersh's brother, Adolf, served as the chairman of the Judenrat in Radekhov. As such, he was able to advocate for the Jews, particularly for his mother and brother, at the beginning of the German occupation. Hersh utilized this “immunity” to the benefit of all the Jews who sought refuge in his home. In the meantime, Adolf Kranz lost favor in the eyes of the Germans, and the same German police, with whom Adolf had managed to gain a certain influence in exchange for money and property, beat him nearly to death. He fled to the village, to his brother Hersh. However, Adolf could not stay for very long with his brother since the locals recognized him. He was forced to return to Radekhov, where he was caught by the local bandits and shot in the center of the town.

Hersh remained in Vigoda with his family, along with several other young men, even after all the other Jews left their villages. One Shabbat, the Ukrainian police came and took everyone they found in the house: Hersh's wife, mother, two daughters, Chaim Zuchman, Mordechai Sitzer, and others. They were led to the nearby forest and shot, all except for Mordechai Sitzer, who managed to escape. Hersh himself and his only son were not home at the time. To survive, Hersh and his son sought shelter with a gentile in Barylov, to whom he had previously given substantial property. However, not long after, both father and son were found dead in a ditch, with their hands tied behind their backs with barbed wire.

That was how the Jews from all the villages were annihilated. They were good people–devout and hardworking–whose ancestors had lived in these villages for hundreds of years. May God avenge their blood!

The few who survived through suffering and miracles established families, and most of them and their descendants now reside in Israel. They all carry the memory of those who perished.

There were several small towns around Radekhov, the district town: Choliv [Vuzlove], Stoyanov [Stoyaniv],

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Vitkov Novy [Novyi Vitkiv], Toporov [Toporiv], Shtervitz [Shchurovychi], and Lopatyn. Administratively, these towns belonged to Radekhov. Each of these towns had a Jewish population ranging from 700 to 1000 residents. Between each town and the neighboring ones lay villages primarily inhabited by Ukrainian farmers alongside a handful of Jewish families. Typically, the estate owner in the village was Jewish. Some Jews resided in villages located as far as 20 kilometers from urban centers. Maintaining a Jewish identity in such surroundings posed significant challenges. In a few villages, a single Jewish family lived among 200 gentile families. This family had to contend with the deep hostility of their gentile neighbors while striving to uphold their Jewish heritage. This meant ensuring that the children received a Jewish education: teaching them the Hebrew alphabet and language, weekly Torah portions, keeping kosher, observing Shabbat, celebrating Jewish holidays, and most importantly, safeguarding their Jewish identity by preventing intermarriage with the gentiles. The poverty experienced by the village Jews made the practice of Jewish life even more challenging. Often, the village Jews were unable to eat meat, since they could not reach a ritual slaughterer who resided in the city. To pray, the village Jew had to trudge on foot to a place where a Jewish minyan could be found. Additionally, parents had to send their children to places where a melamed and a cheder were available. Unfortunately, gentile “Shkotzim” [derogatory word for gentile children] often ambushed the Jewish children on these long journeys, throwing mud at them in the summer or snowballs in the winter. In villages where a few Jewish families lived, conditions were better. They could afford to support a melamed in their village, bring a cantor for the High Holidays, gather a minyan for prayer, and obtain an etrog [citron] for Sukkot.

A Jewish house in the village was easily identifiable from a distance. Not only could a Jew recognize it, but so could a gentile. In fact, an antisemite–someone who sought to harm the Jewish residents–was perhaps the most astute identifier. A Jewish home was often quite shabby, though at times it could stand out for its beauty. It might lack a fence or be painted differently from the houses of the gentiles, and so on. The individuals who lived in these houses, even those without beards, looked different as they dressed in a more urban style, which set them apart. The interior was also typically more modern and urban. The gentiles developed a strong instinct for recognizing Jews. Even in later periods, when educated gentiles wore urban styles and the differences between Jewish and Gentile clothing became less pronounced, Jews could still be easily identified. Even small children knew how to point out a Jew. This trait of the gentiles became extremely dangerous during the Holocaust, when Jews attempted to save their lives by concealing their identity. On Shabbat and holiday evenings, a Jewish home was made noticeable by the lit candles. During the holiday of Hanukah, faint lights from the Hanukah candles could be seen reflected through the frost-covered windows of Jewish homes. Some Hanukah menorahs were made of tin or, in some cases, of copper, but many were fashioned from potatoes. People would make a hole in the potatoes, pour in oil, and place a cotton wick. That wick burned, illuminated, and brought joy to the lonely soul of the village Jew.

The village Jew showed respect and proper manners toward the city Jew. A villager traveling to town would wear holiday clothes. He hoped to receive good advice from his urban counterpart, and sought to draw

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hope and encouragement from him. The village Jew sold the city Jew produce he brought from the village, including items that could not be acquired from a gentile, such as kosher milk products, or “preserved wheat.”^[2] In return, he bought city products for his own consumption or for resale. Mutual trust usually prevailed between the villager and the city Jew. The villager envied the city Jew for his lifestyle; almost every Jew in the village hoped to live in the city among other Jews at least by old age. The villager envied the city Jew because he lived in a community where he could pray every day in public, had a rabbi and ritual slaughterer, and had access to a synagogue, and even a mikveh and a bathhouse. (Ah, how the soul of the village Jew longed for a hot bath, restoring his spirit on cold winter days, when he could not even immerse himself in the river.) The young people in the village yearned for the cultural centers and entertainment in the city. Even being brought to a Jewish burial was difficult for the village Jews. They had to transport the deceased about 15–20 kilometers to the cemetery in the town, and the gentiles usually refused to provide a wagon for a Jewish corpse. Due to the distance, families often could not accompany their loved ones to the grave. It was also difficult to gather a minyan in the village, making it hard for the orphans to say Kaddish. When the village Jew poured out his embittered heart to the city Jew, the latter would comfort him, “It is a great privilege and a mitzvah for you. Thanks to you and other Jews living in villages, a Jew like me, traveling from town to town, can enter a Jewish home, pray, eat a kosher meal, and find lodging.”

The city Jew looked down somewhat upon his village counterpart. By saying “he was a village Jew” (“er iz a dorfs-yid”) or “she was a village Jewess,” he implied that he regarded himself as more important and more distinguished. There were even some city Jews who showed an unwillingness to marry into a village Jew's family. When a city Jew visited a village to rest, he sometimes envied the village Jew for the fresh air, fresh milk, and sour cream. However, the city Jew would not be able to tolerate the village lifestyle for more than a week.

The survival of the village Jews and their harsh lives was dependent on their relationships with gentiles. The balance of the mutual dependence and the differences between the two groups varied over different periods, with the main influencing factors being religion and religious customs, the number of Jews in the village, and the sources of livelihood. This history can be divided into three main parts: The first part, known as the “Austrian Period,” lasted until the end of World War I in 1918. In this period, both Jews and gentiles were very religious. The animosity that gentiles felt toward Jews primarily stemmed from religious motives. Gentiles viewed every Jew as the torturer and killer of Jesus, and this hatred was mainly apparent on Sundays and during the Christian holidays. The local priest played a crucial role in shaping the relations between Jews and gentiles, as he held significant influence over his congregation. After attending church, the parishioners would often return home and throw mud and dirt at Jewish homes along the way, and sometimes even break windows.

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At those times, Jews avoided going out into the streets. If a Jewish person was unfortunate enough to be outside during these hours, they could expect to be verbally attacked. The hostility of the gentiles would also erupt on Sabbaths and Jewish holidays. They would throw mud at Jews going to or returning from prayer, and pelt the house where the prayer took place with stones. These outbursts of hatred were not harsh enough to disrupt the course of Jewish life. It was rare for a non-Jew to murder a Jew at his home, and many Jews believed that a devout non-Jew, somebody who believed in God, would not commit such an act. Neighborly relationships and friendships between the Jews and non-Jews only existed outside of the homes. A Jew wishing to enter a gentile's home faced significant challenges. In every non-Jewish home, pictures of Christian “saints” adorned the walls. A gentile, upon entering a home, would remove his hat and offer a blessing in the name of Jesus. A Jew entering a gentile's home could not do that. Wearing a hat inside a gentile's home felt disrespectful so to avoid this uncomfortable situation, Jews chose not to enter gentile homes. Participation in gentile joyous occasions, such as weddings, and dining at someone's home, was impossible. It was much easier for a gentile to visit a Jewish home, as they were accustomed to sitting without a hat, and could choose whether to wear one or not. There were also no rules preventing a gentile from eating kosher foods. Since visits were not reciprocal, the gentiles tended to avoid visiting Jewish homes. This refusal by the Jews to eat or drink even a glass of water at a gentile's home resulted in a strong desire among the gentiles to pressure Jews into eating non-kosher foods, particularly pork. Gentile children would sometimes capture Jewish boys and try to force them to eat pork. They would be happy if they managed to smear pig fat on the tightly closed mouth of a Jewish boy. A Jewish woman could not lend or borrow any kitchenware from a gentile woman. Despite all of this, there was no incitement against the Jews during this period, and Jews and non-Jews lived together in mutual tolerance. In many cases, the non-Jew trusted his Jewish neighbor more than his non-Jewish one. The Jew was the gentile's confidant, and in times of trouble, the gentile would turn to him for good advice. (“In times of trouble, one goes only to the Jew,” the gentiles used to say.)

The non-Jews in the village earned their living solely from farming, each tending to his own plot of land. Many of them also worked as farm laborers for an estate owner or other Jewish individuals. The standard of living among the village gentiles was very low, and their needs were minimal. They managed a self-sufficient (autarkic) farm, only purchasing goods such as salt, herring, and brandy. Most of the gentiles were uneducated and illiterate. In contrast, almost all of the Jewish residents, particularly the men, were literate–if not in the local language, then at least in Yiddish. They were very religious, with nearly all the men sporting beards and sidelocks. The Jews earned their livelihood from shopkeeping, trading in grain and livestock,

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running taverns, and serving as brokers for the estate owners. During this period, the gentiles did not own shops, and all the trading was in the hands of Jews. The gentiles in the village understood that they needed to do their shopping before Shabbat or a holiday, and would then have to wait until the end of Shabbat or the holiday, at the conclusion of the “Maariv” prayer. They often stood in front of the Jewish shops, looking up at the sky to see if the stars had come out. Occasionally, they would attempt unsuccessfully to deceive the Jewish shop owner by claiming they had already seen stars in the sky, hoping to be allowed to shop early.

A unique problem arose during Easter. The gentiles needed yeast to bake their Easter cakes. and the Jewish shopkeepers were the only suppliers of yeast. Often, the Christian Easter coincided with Passover, or began shortly after it so the gentiles had to buy yeast on the eve of Passover. Using stale yeast caused the cakes to fail. These failed cakes were carried to the church before the whole congregation and presented to the priest–and what a shame that was!

The Jew, too, was dependent on the gentile. The gentile was his customer in the shop, worked for him, and served as the “Shabbat goy.”^[3] On Yom Kippur, the gentile tended to the candles at the synagogue. The gentile woman lit the heater and milked the cow on Shabbat. Unfortunately, there was a pervasive atmosphere between the two groups. The gentile treated the Jewish merchant with suspicion and distrust. The gentile feared that the Jew would cheat him, while the Jew feared that the gentile would steal from him. Phrases like “The Jew! Even if he were to come from the heavens, he is not to be trusted,” and “The Jew is a Gypsy, and the gentile a thief,” were common expressions among the gentiles.

The gentiles did not want to be merchants. They considered the occupation shameful. They mocked the Jewish merchant who traded in pepper and eggs. In the village, trade was conducted through bartering. Farmers would bring their produce, such as eggs, butter, flax, and poultry, to the Jewish shop. The Jewish merchant would evaluate these products, determine their value, and exchange them for items of equal worth, such as yeast, salt, or kerosene. The Jewish merchant would then load bags of wheat, poultry, boxes of eggs, and other goods onto a carriage or a sled in the winter, and travel to the city to sell these items and buy products for his store. Often, the gentile coachman would, out of mockery, overturn the wagon, or else it would tip over upon striking an obstacle on the rough, uneven roads. As a result, everything in the wagon would spill and scatter on the ground, leaving the Jew to crawl under the wagon to view the wreckage: the broken eggs, escaping chickens, etc. Gentile passersby would laugh and mock him. At such a moment, the Jewish village merchant was hardly in a position to arouse envy.

Although World War I came to an end, peace did not return to our region. Conflicts continued until 1920, including the wars between the Poles and Ukrainians, and between the Poles and Bolsheviks. During this tumultuous time, gangs led by Petliura and Denikin roamed the area. The people who suffered the most during these conflicts and periods of anarchy were the Jews. Along with the usual hardships of poverty and deprivation, they faced

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additional challenges due to acts of robbery and violence, inflicted by soldiers [and gang members] who passed through the villages, in search of the nonexistent Jewish treasures.

With the end of the war, the gentiles who had served in the military returned to their villages. The returnees were no longer religious; instead, they became nationalists and began organizing into nationalist groups. They sought to broaden their knowledge and horizons, started reading newspapers, opening libraries, and they no longer viewed commerce as a degrading occupation. They began to form cooperatives. It was then that they began to see Jews as obstacles to economic development and to national liberation. This perception sowed the seeds that led to nationalist and economic antisemitism. The prevailing belief was that, in the struggle against the Polish regime, the Jewish element needed to be removed first. Organized anti-Jewish incitement emerged, and it did not shy away from any means. As the Ukrainian intelligentsia began to develop–comprising physicians, lawyers, and merchants–the Poles imposed numerous obstacles on their progress. In response, the Ukrainians resolved to eliminate the livelihoods of the Jews by any means necessary.

The young Jews returning from the war generally did not want to stay in the village. Village life seemed to them narrow-minded and aimless. They brought with them a strong will for life and freedom of thought. They sought entertainment and would unwind to singing and dancing. However, the period of diversion had to be short, and they had to think about making a living. Some of them left the villages and went to Lvov, or to lands across the sea. Those who remained in the villages struggled to make a living. The Jewish estate owners sold their land, and the village Jews took advantage of the opportunity to buy a plot of land. While in the first period, the Jewish villager grew weary of physical labor and came to despise it, in this period, most of the Jewish villages cultivated their fields by themselves, and tried to excel in their work.

The gentiles used to belittle Jewish labor. “Jewish work” became a synonym for failed or botched work, something “bound to fail.” This mockery spurred the Jews to redouble their efforts in their work. Under the influence of the Zionist–pioneering movement, one could see in the village a Jew walking upright, wielding a scythe, or driving a wagon loaded with hay or manure. David Sitzer from Stremiltsh was one example. A fine and skilled merchant, he abandoned trade and began cultivating his field with the help of his family. Others included brothers Arye and Yechezkel Kremnitzer, Pinchas Klein in Barylov, Meir Fisch in Uvyn, the Apelfeld brothers in Vigoda, who, despite being the sons of an estate owner, cultivated their own plots of land, etc. Thus emerged the figure of the Jewish farmer, proud, his hands gripping the plow, his eyes lifted heavenward in prayer for success in his labor, while his heart remained in the East, in Zion.

Following the Balfour Declaration, the spirit of the Zionist pioneering movement began to take root in the village. In 1924, a group of Jewish youths participated in a Hachshara camp at the estate of Yehoshua Ecker in Volitza-Barylov. Yehoshua was a proud Jew, a warm-hearted and generous Jew, as well as a dedicated and loyal Zionist. For the first time, the sounds of a Hebrew song were heard in the village and the fields, and the time for dancing the Hora had come. This brought a sense of joy and vitality to the lives of the Jewish villagers. Subsequently, additional

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Hachshara camps were held on the lands of all Jewish estate owners, including those of Apelfeld and Willik in Vigoda, Moshe Ecker in Uvyn, Kardiman in Zavitsh, Rapaport in Synkov, and others.

During that time, the Jewish youth exhibited a strong desire for knowledge and education. Some youths acquired knowledge through self-study while others studied in state high schools, with a minority even reaching universities. At the same time, these young people developed a deeper interest in the Zionist ideology and began studying Hebrew. Meir Fisch, his sister, Rasha, Dvora Charap, and others learned to speak Hebrew under the influence of the Kaptzan family from Skrilov, where Hebrew was spoken daily. Some of the Kaptzan sons made Aliyah in 1924.

The Kadima club was founded in 1929, during a meeting convened by the lawyer Donek Ecker from Radekhov. Young people from the villages in the area, including Barylov, Volitza, Uvyn, Mikolayev, Zavitsh, Stremiltsh, Rodenko, and more, gathered in Vigoda for this event. Following the opening speech by Donek Ecker, the club's leadership was elected: Avraham Apelfeld became the chairman, Yaakov Kremnitzer was secretary, Meir Fisch took the role of the chairman of activities related to the Keren Kayemet L'Israel [KKL-JNF] and Keren HaYesod [Foundation Fund], Tzvi Krantz became the administrative manager, and Avigdor Apelfeld was designated the cultural affairs coordinator and treasurer. It was decided that Vigoda would serve as the club's physical location, and a house in Vigoda was rented for that purpose. The club was registered officially as required by law. Zionist, cultural, and ideological activities commenced, and an outreach campaign was launched. Gatherings were held that included lectures on various topics, but most lectures were related to Zionism. The Zionist activities involved collecting money for the KKL and the Foundation Fund, selling the Zionist shekel, and conducting elections for the Zionist Congress. Additionally, a drama club was established under the guidance of Mrs. Laura Koch (Shatz) from Zavitsh. A large library with books in various languages was also created through the efforts of the author of these lines, along with Tzvi Krantz and Avigdor Apelfeld. They collected donations for the library, reaching out to the Jewish villagers who generously donated according to their means. Then they decided to travel to the town of Shtervitz (located about 14 kilometers from Vigoda), and initially, the Jews of Shtervitz received them warmly and donated generously. However, after a short time, the local youth began gathering around the fundraisers, and the donations from the local community ceased. It turned out that the Jews of Shtervitz, motivated by the local youth, had decided to establish their own library. Consequently, Kadima representatives had no choice but to wish the Shtervitz community success and leave the town.

Blue and white KKL charity boxes were distributed to all the Jewish villagers, and they yielded positive results. Notably, we should mention the Shatz family from Zavitsh. The family consisted of three widows: the grandmother Gruber, her daughter Shatz, and her granddaughter, Laura Koch. In their home, there were several charity boxes, including those for KKL, Keren HaYesod [Foundation Fund], Meir Baal Haness charity, and others. When the boxes were opened, it was discovered that the Shatz family's boxes contained more money than any of the others.

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The women contributed to these boxes whenever they had the opportunity, and especially at the time of candle lighting.

Since the establishment of the Kadima club, it served its purpose and was a gathering place for Jewish youth and the community at large. Young people from all the villages in the area flocked to the club, sometimes traveling on foot from as far as 18 kilometers. Among them were estate owners, enlightened people, and just Jews. Among the regular visitors were the families of Ecker, Kardiman, Rosenberg, Suchman, and others. The club also frequently hosted guest speakers at its gatherings, including the Zionist activist and head of the Achva Movement in the Radekhov area, Zelig Krantz, who lectured on current Zionist topics.

Theater shows were held in the village of Zavitsh, and parties took place at the clubhouse in Vigoda, where people danced the Hora and ballroom dances. The band consisted of local gentiles who learned to play the music for these dances. At every event–be it a party, show, wedding, or other festival–money was collected for KKL and Keren HaYesod. The club members assisted youths in the Hachshara camps, preparing them for Aliyah to Eretz Israel. In the summer of 1930, the first pioneer was sent to Eretz Israel: Leah Zitver, who is known today as Kav Venaki. She is the mother of two married daughters and a son who serves in the Israel Defense Force, and she is also a grandmother. Before her departure, a farewell party was organized at the home of the Rocker family in Barylov. Youths from the surrounding villages and participants from the Hachshara camps attended, making the event joyous, celebrating with dancing, and singing. However, the gentile neighbors did not miss the opportunity to disrupt the gathering. In the middle of the farewell speech given by the author of these lines, they threw a rock through the window. It was a miracle that nobody was hurt.

Annual gatherings were held in memory of Ch. N. Bialik and Dr. Zeev Herzl. On those days, the Jewish villagers refrained from working. They gathered in the clubhouse or a larger hall, which was decorated with large pictures of Bialik and Herzl, surrounded by the national flags and black flags. Speeches were delivered, and money was collected for the national funds.

This period can be divided into three sub-periods: The Polish sub-period until 1939, the Soviet sub-period until June 1941, and the Holocaust period.

From 1933 onward, antisemitism steadily intensified under the influence of Nazi propaganda, becoming progressively harsher. The Ukrainian considered the Nazi leader an idol and an ally who would bring national liberation and would free him, once and for all, from the presence of the Jew. The Jew found himself between the hammer of the Official Polish state antisemitism (I will mention only Madam Prystor's law banning Jewish ritual slaughter and the incitement connected with that circle, the economic boycott, and the statement of the Polish Prime Minister, General Skladkowski: “An economic boycott–so much the better!”), and the anvil of hatred by the Ukrainian neighbor.

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By that time, every village had Ukrainian business owners, merchants, and trade cooperatives. An economic boycott was imposed on Jewish shopkeepers and merchants, making it shameful to enter a Jewish store. In the event of an argument over a trivial matter between a gentile and a Jew, the gentile would hurl a threat at the Jew, like the bite of a viper: “Just wait, the Nazis will come.” Every village contained an underground cell of Ukrainian terrorists, whose aim was to commit acts of terror against the Polish regime and the Jewish community. Immigration to Eretz Israel nearly ceased, and immigration to other countries became impossible.

When the war between Germany and Poland broke out, the Jews were overcome with fear about what awaited them. Many Jews headed for the Russian border, some on carriages and others on foot. Not only did Jews escape, but Poles were among the escapees as well. The roads were full of people who hoped that when the invading Germans approached the Soviet border, the Russians would allow them to cross into the Soviet Union. There were some who headed to the Romanian border, crossed it, and survived. It was no wonder therefore, that when the Soviet army crossed into Poland and began “liberating” villages and towns, the Jews rejoiced. The “liberators” were received with rejoicing, and at times even with hugs and kisses. For the time being, the fear of death from the Germans and their Ukrainian collaborators subsided. This was a sort of sweet revenge of the Jews on the Ukrainians, who, instead of being awarded an independent country, now found themselves living under a hated regime they called “the regime of the Jewish commune.” To the Poles, the Jews could say, “You wanted a Poland free of Jews, so instead you received the Jews without Poland.” However, the Jews, too, soon sobered up. Private business was abolished. The former merchant was now considered a harmful and undesirable element. The estates of Jews and non-Jews were confiscated, and the estate owners were arrested and sent to Russia. A Zionist was considered a criminal in the eyes of the Soviets. Connections to the outside world were completely severed. While the young could do all kinds of work, as all of the jobs were open to them, the elderly Jew was left without a livelihood. Shabbat and Jewish holidays became work days. Praying was not prohibited, but it was considered a shameful act. Against this background, we can understand the comment by Reb Shimon Rocker, ba'al tefillah [cantor] of Barylov, who responded to the arrival of the Germans. He went out to the street, covered with a tallit, and said to the gentiles, “At least now, there will be freedom of religion.” However, there was no freedom of religion, and public prayer ceased completely after the German conquest. Immediately upon the conquest, the Ukrainians established a police militia, proclaimed an independent Ukrainian state, and began persecuting Jews. Here begins the third and last sub-period.

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The Nazi period, 1941 – 1945

Immediately upon the Germans' arrival, the Jew was free for the taking – his property and his life included. The suffering of the Jews varied from village to village, influenced by factors such as the local priest and the head of the village. For example, in Barylov, the notorious local antisemites, who served on the local police force, gathered all the Jews–including women, the elderly, the sick, and children–and took them out to work on roads. These Ukrainians already envisioned Jews being slaughtered. However, due to the intervention of the local priest, Pavlo Oliynyk–one of the Righteous Among the Nations, who during the German occupation risked his life to help Jews and save them from the claws of death–and the village head, Mitro Matushko, who was influenced by the priest, who went out into the street and ordered the Jews to return to their homes, a pogrom was averted that very day, and the malevolent atmosphere subsided somewhat. Throughout the Holocaust, with only a few exceptions, most of the gentile villagers did not take part in the physical annihilation of the Jews. There were two reasons for this: Initially, many villagers did not understand that it was possible to commit murder and robbery without facing consequences from either society or God. Later on, the intellectuals among them argued, “Why should we engage in this ‘dirty work?’ The Germans are doing the work for us, and we will simply benefit from the results.” While some gentiles genuinely empathized with the suffering of the Jews, they were unable to express their sympathy openly, not even in words. The fate of a non-Jew who was labeled a “protector of the Jew,” could be quite bitter indeed. Nevertheless, there were a few Ukrainians who aided Jews with a piece of bread or a roof under which they could sleep. In the end, these compassionate Ukrainians benefited from their acts of kindness because the Jews who had entrusted them with their valuable belongings never returned to reclaim them. Even the few who survived the Holocaust did not dare to return to the villages where they had been born and lived, for there too, death still threatened them, even after the war had ended.

Immediately after the Germans arrived, German border patrol stations were established in most villages, as these villages were situated along the old Russian-Austrian border. Initially, the Germans did not display overt hatred toward the Jews. Many Jewish villagers worked for them in various manual labor jobs. In the village of Stremiltsh, Leib Friedman, who supplied fish, and Zisha Werbner, along with his daughters and Sitzer's daughters, regularly worked for the Germans. They had to work diligently, but they were allowed to return home at the end of their workday. However, when the “Aktzions” began, these same Germans participated in the slaughter of Berestechko's Jews, and when the order came to bring the Jews from the villages to the “Aktzion” in the city of Radekhov, these Germans expelled the Jews from their homes with extreme cruelty, preventing them from taking any possessions with them. One of the Germans, who knew Friedman well as he was a dedicated fish supplier for the border station, expelled him from his house, beat him mercilessly, and did not allow him to put on his boots. The Jewish villagers were transported to Radekhov and from there, they walked to Kamionka Strumilowa, a distance of about 30 kilometers.

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Along the march, the Jews were brutally beaten by the Ukrainian policemen and by the gentile farmers from the villages they passed through.

When they arrived in Kamionka, they discovered that the train to Belzec had already left, and the Jews were ordered to return home (to wait for the next “Aktzion”). Upon reaching their homes, they found that their houses had been broken into and ransacked. The German border patrol soldiers issued a stark warning: If they found any Jews outside their homes, they would be shot. Tragically, they kept their promise. In the village of Mikolayev, several Jews hiding in a barn were discovered and murdered. David Sitzer had good fortune on his side. When he returned home, the commander of the German border patrol saw him and ordered an SS soldier to kill him. The soldier took Sitzer outside of the village while holding a drawn pistol and instructing him not to turn back. Just as Sitzer began to whisper his confession, he remembered that he carried two valuable coins in his wallet. Realizing he had nothing to lose, he proposed a deal to the German soldier: the coins in exchange for his life. The soldier agreed, took the coins, and allowed Sitzer to escape.

In addition to the suffering endured by the Jewish villager at the hands of the antisemites among his neighbors, he also experienced the collective suffering of the Jews. He was forced to hand over furs and other valuables to the Germans. Many young Jews were taken away to perform hard forced labor in distant places. Adolf Krantz, the head of the Judenrat in Radekhov and the brother of Hersh Krantz, who lived in Vigoda, managed to mitigate some of the suffering. When their mother faced danger, she was sent to Vigoda for safety. Adolf Kranz was able to gain a degree of influence with the Germans by appeasing them with gifts of coffee, gold, and jewelry. The sight of the Jew entering the homes of the German police and Gestapo chiefs (he went there to deliver valuable gifts to the householders) impressed the Ukrainians and had a restraining effect on them. The Ukrainians did not dare harm the brother of such an important man. For a time, when a Jew faced danger, shelter could be found at the home of Hersh Krantz, where one could eat and sleep. However, that situation lasted only until the period of the “Aktzions.” Adolf Kranz eventually fell out of favor, was brutally beaten, and shot to death. After the “Aktzions,” the Jews of the villages who remained lived like shadows in constant fear until the autumn of 1942. Some were taken to the ghettos, and only a few managed to survive.

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From the left: Lea Lowenthal, Chaya Kremnitzer (mother of Jakob Kremnitzer), Arye and Gitel Lowenthal, and Gitel Klein, nee Gruber

Photo of youths from Barylov – Wolica – Wygoda Among them: Zeev Rocker (died in German captivity), Yente–Yehudit Rocker, wife of Apelfeld, and [sitting, first from the left] Chaim Zuchman, [third from the right: Manek, son of Azriel Ecker]

1. According to Jewish tradition, the Lamed Vav Tzadikim are 36 ordinary people in every generation, whose unseen good deeds and inherent purity of spirit sustain the world and protect humankind from ultimate destruction. These individuals are completely unaware of their special status, even from themselves, as anonymity and humility are crucial to their divine purpose. Return
2. “Preserved wheat” generally refers to wheat or wheat flour that has undergone a special preservation process, especially in the context of preparing matzot for Passover, in which the wheat is prevented from coming into contact with water after harvest to prevent fermentation and souring, and to preserve its exquisite kosher qualities. Return
3. A Shabbat goy (also called Shabbos goy) is a non-Jew who performs tasks forbidden to Jews on Shabbat, such as lighting a fire or carrying. Return

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