 |
Simcha Faust, Meir Weisbraun, Meir Reiss, Shmuel Kartin (Teichman,) Yisroel Weinstock, Shmuel Acht, Moshe Bussgang, Tsvi Freiwald, Shmuel Teichman, and Maxi Zilber
|
|
[Pages 204-205]
By David Kartin, Tel Aviv
The Rohatyn chapter of Betar, founded in 1929, was one of the biggest in the region. Its founders were Izia Sharir, Pinia Maor, Izia Bernstein, Vilosh Wieland, Shmuel Teichman, and Uri Kanter.
Before long, the chapter numbered nearly 100 members, divided into twelve groups (ranks.) The older members, when their time had come, joined the Tsohar (Revisionist Zionists.)
A few years later, “Brit Ha-Chayil” was founded in Rohatyn, led by Yulek Skolnik (an officer in the Polish army.) This organization gave its members, some 100 Jewish youths, military training, to prepare them for their future role in Israel. In addition, it provided vocational training to its members in Lvov, Brzezany, and elsewhere.
The Revisionist movement in Rohatyn drew from every class of youth, without regard for social origin: laborers, students, merchants, artisans, and so forth. Everyone held fast to the doctrine of Jabotinsky, of blessed memory.
Cultural activity was centered on the study of Jewish literature, and Jewish and world history. This activity was conducted in groups, and through bi-weekly general assemblies, where we listened to lectures on various topics. Members of Betar were especially diligent in their use of the Hebrew language, and when walking in the street, their lovely manner of speaking made a pleasant impression on Gentiles as well as Jews. And their appearances during readiness-drills struck confusion into the hearts of the enemies-of-Israel.
|
|
Simcha Faust, Meir Weisbraun, Meir Reiss, Shmuel Kartin (Teichman,) Yisroel Weinstock, Shmuel Acht, Moshe Bussgang, Tsvi Freiwald, Shmuel Teichman, and Maxi Zilber |
|
|
Regina Bergstreit, Atke Shar, Hinea Bussgang, Malke Boymrind, and Leah Skolnik |
We excelled in sports as well, and our members trained in various sporting clubs. Our teams went through several changes of name: Z.K.S., Betar, and later Maccabee. Yosef Kartin was the captain. We were not only occupied with sports, but also with many preparatory activities, and with the pioneer training that had been set up in Rohatyn proper. Twenty pioneers immigrated to Israel: Chanina Feldblum, his sister Alde Feldblum, Tsvi Freiwald, Dovid Kartin, Feyge Hochberg, Uri Kanfer, Atke Kizel, Yechezkel Atner, and others.
After the Shoah, others came to Israel with their families: Simcha Faust, Shmuel Acht, and Moshe Bussgang. Yolek Skolnick, of blessed memory, perished during the Shoah, in a bunker.
Kuba Dam was prominent among the members of the Revisionist movement in Rohatyn. He took a position in the national office and was afterwards a member of the Revisionist world executive body, and there is truth to what is said about his being Jabotinsky's right-hand man. Today he lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
We who remain mourn all of the members of the movement who perished in the Shoah, and were never able to witness the fulfillment of their dream.
|
|
||
(son of Meir) |
(son of Chaim Skolnik) |
|
|
|
|
Tzvi Skolnick, Tel-Aviv
A boy's day was full to overflowing. School, sports, youth groups, and first dates with girls filled out lives, and so we never contemplated the blood storm on the horizon. Until the last days, our lives coursed along regularly, with school taking the primary place. But fortune did not shine her face upon every young person. Not everyone crossed the threshold of the gymnasium, because tuition was high and many parents could not afford to cover it. There were two gymnasiums in Rohatyn, one Ukrainian, and the other Polish. Jews did not attend the Ukrainian school, because the language of instruction was Ukrainian and because no Jew was fortunate enough to receive the matriculation certificate sold by the Polish education bureau. Therefore, the Jewish youth turned to the Polish gymnasium, named for the priest Pyotr Skarga.
The gymnasium was located in a broad, four-story building, equipped with laboratories, sports facilities, and various machines. This gymnasium, in contrast to the Ukrainian one, was full of privileged students. The education bureau sold the matriculation certificates. It was coeducational, boys and girls studying together, Poles alongside Jews. But not every Jewish boy or girl was accepted into the school, even if they were able to meet the demanded fee, because the gymnasium enforced a quota system for minority children, in accordance with the percentage of the general population they represented. Even for the Jewish student who overcame this obstacle, completion of studies was uncertain. The education bureau did its best to fail Jewish students on exams, even though they were among the most distinguished students.
|
|
|
|
In order to minimize the influence of Jewish students in the Polish universities a quota system was employed. In addition, Jewish students did not receive any scholarships. There was no thought of releasing students from their studies on Shabbat or holidays. They were only free on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. No anti-Semitism was experienced from the students directly, though no close friendships were formed either. All students wore the school uniform, bearing the number of the school, 593, on a special insignia. This was at the order of the education bureau, in order to facilitate the supervision of students outside the walls of the school. A gymnasium student was forbidden to be in any public place, cinema, theater, or street after nine in the evening, and anyone caught out after that hour was in for punishment at the hands of the administration.
At this public school, the Jewish students were provided with instruction in Jewish religion and history. The teacher was Yitschok Schlesinger (now in Israel) who also taught mathematics and zoology, and who represented his Jewish students before the administration, until he transferred to the gymnasium in Zlotchew. Shtekel from Dubromil took his place.
Students in our gymnasium, like students throughout Poland at the time, were organized into pre-military training corps (similar to our youth-battalions,) and no one was excused. Many weeks, several hours of general instruction were given over to training activities. At the gymnasium, there were also sport, dance, and drama clubs, in which Jews participated alongside Christians.
In later years, before the war broke out, when anti-Semitic winds began to blow through Poland, a melancholy spirit pervaded the atmosphere of the gymnasium as well. A new principal came, whose deep-seated anti-Semitic inclinations were felt by the students with foreboding. Many dropped out mid-course, and those who graduated and had their certificates in hand found the gates of the universities locked to them. Those students who wanted to pursue their higher education were forced to turn to universities outside of Poland. Few of the gymnasium graduates were able to do this, and most turned their eyes to the land of Israel.
The community provided our Jewish “spiritual nourishment;” what we would call today out “Jewish consciousness.” It organized an evening Hebrew school (“Hebreishe shule,”) where the Jewish youth could acquire knowledge of Judaism, literature, Jewish history, Tanach (Hebrew Bible,) and Talmud. These evening classes were very successful, and were a great help to every student and young person who sought to learn about the history of his nation and the treasures of its culture. The community planned to build and assembly hall for the Jews of the town, and even constructed its frame, but then war broke out and this skeleton passed into the hands of the conquerors, who finished it and made it into a general assembly hall.
But youth does not live by book alone, then as now. As in Tel-Aviv so in Rohatyn—the young people were preoccupied with sports, specifically soccer. And Rohatyn was proud to have a soccer team that one it fame throughout the region: the Z.K.S. (Zydowski Klub Sportowy,) organized under the auspices of the Betar youth movement. The living spirits of the club were Yulek Skolnick, of blessed memory, and Yozef Kartin, long may he live. Above all, the team was devoted to soccer, and even met with success and satisfying victories. It competed against Polish and Ukrainian teams. I still remember the game against a Ukrainian team in the village of Pudhice, which they one eight to one. After the game, the Jews of the village lavished the players of Z.K.S. with adoration, appreciating the team for having defended the honor of the Jewish people. Living among hostile Gentiles, it was rare for the Jews to have an opportunity to humble their anti-Semitic neighbors, and so the village Jews derived great satisfaction from this soccer game. The players themselves were very devoted to their team, and even personal honor and ambition were not considered when the team faced defeat. An example of this was the behavior of Yozef Kartin, who was angry with his team for a long time (I no longer remember why,) but when he saw that they were in danger of losing a match he took the field and led his team to victory. He was the captain of the team, and his teammates on the soccer squad were Hershko Leder, Dulek Faust, Simcheh Faust, Yankev Faust, Yankev Oster, Chaim Blaustein, Moshe Erlich, and others.
The clubhouse was open everyday, and was used as a place to meet friends by young people of every class. Even the students, who were forbidden, as already mentioned, to leave their houses in the evening, and were forbidden to join any organizations, found here, under the pretence of sport, the opportunity to meet freely and without worry. Youth from all strands and factions of the town belonged to the soccer team, and political tensions were never a factor. Even though the clubhouse was under the auspices of Betar, an atmosphere of pure sport pervaded it. Everyone there strove to elevate the proud spirit of Jewish youth, to increase their own self-estimation, and to engage vigorously in the physical culture that had been so foreign to Jews throughout the years of exile.
The clubhouse was active until the outbreak of war, when with the entry of the Red Army it was transformed into a youth center for all of Rohatyn.
|
|
JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of
the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material
for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.
Rogatin (Rohatyn), Ukraine
Yizkor Book Project
JewishGen Home Page
Copyright © 1999-2025 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 6 Mar 2025 by LA
