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The town of Varenzh was in Eastern Galicia, close to the border with Congress Poland, near Sokal.

Its location is not identified on a map of the country. The comics among us would describe its size like the size of a farmer's wagon. The eastern wheels reach one end of the town, and the back wheels the second side of the town.

Upon entering the city, it looks like the road is paved with stones. There were wooden houses on both sides of the road; one beside the other, and alike in appearance. There were stores in the center of the houses. On the principal street, a large oil lamp flickered that was lit on national holidays such as: Pilsudski's birthday, May 3, etc. The lot of those who lived on the principal street was better. They could walk easily on the paved and flat road. However, those who lived on the side streets did not have a road. When it rained those who went out on the street would suffer from mud and refuse.

The community of Varenzh was an old one. Our comrade Shimon Gerstenfeld tells that when he was young, he would go to collect money during the month of Elul for the Talmud Torah, which he conducted in the cemetery, where it was customary to come and pay respects to the graves of ancestors in the month of Elul.

There, he saw graves dated 1640, and older than that, whose state of deterioration made it difficult to read.

An additional piece of evidence comes from the tales of the Hasidim about a Jew from Varenzh whose name was Kahati. He was one of the younger students of the Baal Shem Tov. After the BESh”T passed away he turned to R' Leib Sarah's. R' Kahati would recite the Kedusha prayer following the custom of the people of Varenzh, and the people of Varenzh assumed the burden of reciting the Kedusha of R' Kahati.

Varenzh stood on the foundation of Hasidism. The Jewish people there were observers of God's Torah and its Commandments, and continued with their way of life going forward, in their traditions; customs and dress and no new force found or not found there, moved them from their stance and did not change their minds.

In Varenzh – the Rabbi, the Hasid and the working man all dressed alike. During the middle of the week [they wore] a black hat and a long kapote to match, and on the Sabbath, they would put on a shtrymel. A beard and long curly sidelocks reaching down to the shoulders surrounded the faces of the men. The women Hasidim were first to have their heads shaven [after marriage] and a tight kerchief was worn down to the forehead.

Because Varenzh was close to Belz, most of its men were Belz Hasidim. During weekdays, the custom was to travel to the Rebbe and to pour out complaints before the Tzaddik – in the form of a

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‘kvittl’ that they gave to the Gabbai – all the troubles that pain their hearts such as: the travails of raising children, a marriage for an eligible daughter, matters of making a living, etc.

The blessings of the Rebbe imbued the heart with hope and gave encouragement. What arose from this was travel to Belz for the Sabbath and Festival Holidays. They would come to take shelter in the Rebbe's shadow, to hear words of Torah and to eat shirayim, which bring good luck.

A great movement that was out of the ordinary could be seen on the roads to Belz with the arrival of the High Holy Days. The shtetl was practically empty of its resident Hasidim. In the streets, Jews were seen that looked like they had just purified themselves by going to the mikva anticipating the Day of Judgement. Instead of the usual bundles, containing cooked chicken can challah as food for the journey. The Hasidim lived the life of a group of working men: on the Sabbath their custom was to set up a party for shaleshudes and melave malka. For shaleshudes they were content with challah, salted fish (herring?) And whiskey.

A group of Hasidim on the Sabbath followed an obligatory custom over a small glass of whiskey to tell of the wondrous deeds of the Rebbe, to review the teachings of the Tzaddik. Hasidic songs were heard, and they went up higher and higher. The stars covered the skies and the Sabbath was over – however, the Sabbath singing continued. This was a difficult transition from the spirit of the moment, and to add the transition back to the secular from the sacred. – From the moment to candle was lit and Havdalah was recited, there was no dispersion, and the melave malka celebration continued. In order to compensate the body for the feast of the Sabbath that had gone, they ate hot soup, that one of the righteous women had donated to be cooked. And the singing grew louder, and the truly inspired went out to dance until they dropped. This is the way they fulfilled the dictum of ‘worshiping The Lord with joy.’

A great deal of attention was given to the education of sons. The entire wish and desire of parents was to see that their sons became Torah literate, and God-fearing. Education began in early childhood. At the age of three the children were sent to Heder, to learn the basics, and they continued, as it is written, to the study of the Pentateuch at age five. At ten they moved on to Mishna, at thirteen to performing mitzvot, and at age fifteen to the Gemara and as they matured, they continued to exhaust themselves in studying the Torah independently in the Bet HaMedrash. In order to descend deeply into the thinking of the Sages, the youngster needed help and direction. These lofty directors among the congregations should be remembered favorably for their endeavors, and be blessed for their skill in pleasant direction, and dedicated their work to the youth in the Bet HaMedrash and showed them the way to effect proper study and in this manner, encouraged them to continue with the study of the Gemara that provides the design for traditional Judaism – which is on a high plane.

A distinguished place in this undertaking was earned by R' Aharon son of Berisz the Melamed, who directed those first steps in Gemara study, when he was a Gemara Melamed. And R' Sholom Menashe's, the Hasidic Jew that set himself the goal of dealing with the young people studying at the Bet HaMedrash.

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R' Aharon Dov (Berisz)

He was a gifted teacher to children in the study of Gemara and was the father of R' Aharon Berisz. As a scholar himself, he instilled a deep understanding in the children about the sea that was the Talmud. But along with this, he concerned himself with opening in them the traditional character traits. To encourage, and root into them a love of Torah study, and the doing of good deeds.

He used a variety of methods to accomplish this lofty goal. Regarding each issue, he emphasized the nature of the tradition and the understanding and rounding out the study he told all manner of tales about Tzaddikim and miracle men, about their good deeds, and the love of Israel that was a lamp unto their feet, etc. The children paid intense attention because his words came from a believing heart with an unfailing faith. He believed that the seed planted in the pure souls of the educated will yield fruit, and they will grow into God-fearing and complete Jews. The students in the Bet HaMedrash would come to our house and they came to hear Torah from my father's lips, and to be helped with difficult passages in the study of the Gemara

We were located in Congress Poland. When the Enlightenment movement in the city of Krylov began to spread, and the young people began to throw off the yoke [of Torah study], my father feared for the education of his children, and he left the city. He was happy to move to the shtetl of Varenzh because in Varenzh he found an environment that was good for his children's education.

My father was a God-fearing man prepared to give up his life in Sanctification of the Name in the form of ‘be killed but don't cross over.’ He told us a daring story of what he did for the sanctity of the Sabbath. During The First World War, he was drafted into the military to do hard labor for the army. All week long, he accepted the maxim that ‘the law of the country is the law, and he did the work that was given to him, however, with the arrival of Thursday, he trembled,[asking] what will be the case on the Holy Sabbath? Is it the will of the Holy One, Blessed be He, to set a test before him?’

R' Aharon Berisz, who had strictly observed the Sabbath his entire life, took the responsibility upon himself to endanger his life and not to work and transgress, God forbid, the prohibition against work on that holy day. He girded himself with strength, and wanted to step over the gate, but the gate was closed, and inside a guard was lying down with a pistol in his hand. The guard lying down was in deep sleep. My father took the edges of his garment, and he managed to move the side. He opened a very narrow passage and pushed himself through it. He hid himself near his friend R' Israel Werschiner for several weeks. When the soldiers discovered him, it was not enough that they punished him, but they even gave him a prize for his daring.

My father dedicated strength and energy to the education of his children. He rooted into them the love of Torah study, and fear of God, and he was supported in this by my mother Chaya Bilhah who was a Righteous Woman. She carried herself elegantly, taking note of the times for prayer, and doing good deeds. This she did even though the circumstances of her life were difficult; we had narrow living quarters and limited income. She took paupers as guests into our poor hoe. And fed them

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everything she had that was good. My father lived to see an honest, blessed generation, sons that continued in his direction, until The Abrogator came and wiped out everything. I was the only survivor of my family.

R' Sholom Menashe's was a respected figure to the entire community of Hasidim, because he was an ardent Hasid and one who visited the Rebbe from time-to-time and would stay there for weeks. He knew the teachings of the Rebbe thoroughly and would convey that to the Hasidim. A boon fell into R' Sholom's life in that he was privileged to marry a Woman of Valor, and her name was Chana Golda. Chana Golda sat in their woven goods store during the day, dealt with the buyers, and he was free from worries about earning a living so he could deal with [the study of] Torah.

R' Sholom Menashe's was gifted with the attributes of a quiet man, honesty and charity, and in this way, he had an influence on the entire vicinity. He undertook many initiatives on behalf of the youth sitting in the Bet HaMedrash, and taught Gemara. There were even times when he went through the entire Shas before coming to lecture his students, and he had the capacity in a unusual way to inculcate a basic understanding in the learning of the Gemara. From time to time, he would specialize in a number of tractates until he knew them by heart, and when he would come to his students, the sitters in the Bet HaMedrash, he would be able to explain and interpret the subject in a clear and understandable way. Using this kind of teaching method, the studies conveyed to the students stuck strongly in their minds.

The people of the shtetl knew what sort of hidden blessing the youth was receiving from the efforts of R' Sholom. As a sign of their respect for him, each and every year, on the Final Day of Passover, when the ‘Song of the Sea’ was to be chanted, and it was a sign of great respect in our shtetl when someone was awarded the recitation of this song.

The centers of life in our shtetl were the various synagogues and houses of study. When a Jew entered a synagogue, a warmth enveloped him. The warm air from the oven that was fueled during the cold winter months, and a warm air from encountering friends and neighbors.

It is no wonder that during free hours, all the Jews of the shtetl would orient their footsteps to the synagogue. At the doorstep to the synagogue, he would leave the concerns of making a living behind him, the quarrels between people or the gentile buyer who is hesitant about coming into the store, and from which they are able to earn their poor morsel of bread. In the synagogue they were suffused with happiness and friendship derived from the sacred atmosphere. There, one could hear the words of Torah from the mouths of Sages.

The entire synagogue could hold only 150 people seated. In the evenings, during the winter, there was little space to be had for each group that gathered there. The walls of the Bet HaMedrash were loaded with pages and with books. The library was a Torah library, rich, beginning with the Shas with Poskim the interpretations of the Rishonim and Akharonim, finishing with a book of Mussar of the Chafetz Chaim and R' Israel Salanter. This abundant library was sufficient to provide books of study for every oration. There were those who studied by themselves, and there were those that

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studied in groups that were self-organized. Everyone participated in a group commensurate with their level and capability; a Mishna group, A, interpretive group and Eyn Yaakov, and study of the Gemara. From among this group, there arose personalities that volunteered to engage in the work of Holy Writ and to lead a lesson for each and every group.

– R' Lyubl Barfiss, a leather merchant, took a set hour out of each day to give a Mishna lesson to his listeners.

– R' Yitzhak Szpritz's was an ardent Hasid, who would periodically visit the Rebbe. Even though his work was in a marketplace, he set aside time to do work for the community. Every day, he would give a lesson in the synagogue in oration and Eyn Yaakov.

– Another Torah personality in the synagogue was R' Chaim David. He was a Sage fluent in the entire Shas, and Poskim whose teachings were fluent in his speech. He resided in the depths of Halakha and his Torah was his faith. In the morning, before daybreak, and before you could hear the Shammes bang his hammer on the shutters to call the congregation to do God's work, you could hear the tread of R' Chaim walking to the synagogue. For most of the day until a late hour of the night, he sat in the synagogue, bent over the Holy Writ.

R' Chaim gave a lesson in Gemara. People knowledgeable in the Gemara would gather around him and he brought them special ‘calming waters’ from the ‘sea of the Talmud.’ It was R' Chaim's thinking that study of the Torah was not for purposes of Torah knowledge, but the role of the study was to bring the Halakha into real life day-to-day. For this reason, he gathered about him a group of listeners and taught them the Halakha of daily life and the laws thereby. R' Chaim spread Torah to the masses not to gain any prize. R' Chaim was one of the pillars of the synagogue, and apart from Talmud, he also led the Musaf service and read from the Torah. After R' Chaim David was gone, R' Jonah Gerstenfeld inherited his place in leading Musaf services, and R' Isaac Dornberg in reading of the Torah.

– R' Jonah Gerstenfeld was a leather merchant. Because of his ability and honestly everyone respected him. Gentile segments also place great trust in him. If a gentile customer made an error in his calculation, and gave more than he should have, R' Jonah would run after him until he reached him and returned the [extra] money. R' Jonah was a learned and God-fearing Jew not counted among the ranks of the Hasidim. He used to say: ‘If there was one Rebbe for all the Hasidim, I would also be a Hasid, but the sayings of the Rebbes don't lead to the desired unity. Therefore, I am not a Hasid.’

R' Jonah was active in the Hevra Kadisha and was the Gabbai of the Hevra. After R' Chaim David, who led Musaf services, passed away, R' Jonah was designated to lead this service, and the congregation derived much pleasure from his sweet voice.

Every year at the time of Tu B'Shvat, the Hevra Kadisha put on a royal feast. Tauba, the wife of R' Jonah took on a significant part of the preparation of this feast. Tauba Gerstenfeld was a help to R'

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Jonah in business matters and looked after earning a living. Apart from this, she was a very capable housekeeper. The roasted geese and stuffed fish were the handiwork of Tauba Gerstenfeld that was arranged by the Hevra Kadisha, and they deserved praise.

– R' Isaac Dormberg was a noble character, everything about him spoke of dignity. He was a Hasid, a learned and God-fearing man. He was a Jewish man of pleasing appearance, given his tall height and his clean and well-ordered clothing. As befitted a Torah Sage there was not a blemish in his dress.

R' Isaac never attended a gentile school, and at his own personal effort learned a number of languages fluently. He had about him an air of Torah and of wisdom. Anyone who was in need of a consideration turned to R' Isaac. His beautiful penmanship and his polished style got the desired result.

Important guests who visited the shtetl were hosted at the home of R' Isaac. His home was outstanding in its cleanliness and good order. There were Rebbes among these guests, sons and grandsons going back three generations in Belz. R' Isaac held R' Pinia in high regard, who was the son-in-law of R' Sholom of Belz. He was in the habit of saying that the rabbinical seat that had been filled, should have gone to R' Pinia, because he was alert and a great Torah Sage. The Hasidim thought otherwise, and they designated R' Aharon as the Rebbe, who was the son of the Rebbe of Belz. When R' Pinia visited our shtetl, he was received with great honor by R' Isaac in his house.

R' Isaac had a business that dealt with iron. Despite being occupied with business affairs, he did turn to attend to community matters. After the passing of R' Chaim David, he was the regular Torah reader at the synagogue. He did not seek high praise or stature in Torah matters in dealing with other Torah Sages, he would direct his efforts to the Jewish working man. On the Sabbath, R' Isaac would teach them from the Pentateuch, using Rashi commentary, and on weekday evenings Eyn Yaakov and Oration.

The synagogue served as a center for the Hasidim, but the Bet Hamedrash was the place of rest for prayer and study for the working men of the shtetl.

There were dedicated Jews, who before going to work, would rise to recite several chapters of the Psalms, to recite prayers with a quorum, and after 15 hours of hard work, ran to the synagogue to recite afternoon and evening prayers. After the evening prayers, they would listen to a lesson drawn from Eyn Yaakov, an oration, or the portion of the week, the Pentateuch and Rashi.

The working people of our shtetl were known as the ‘roof group.’ The nickname ‘roof group’ was due to a tale told to us because of a deed of generosity and support by these good Jewish men, whose eyes were alert to every disorder or communal inequality in the community.

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And here is the story of the ‘roof group:’ when the shtetl was built all the roofs were covered in straw. With the passage of time, about 50 years before the Holocaust, during the time of the reign of R' Avigdor as Rabbi of the city, the straw roofs were torn off and replaced with tiled roofs. Among the tiled roofs, the roof of R' Avigdor remained as it was originally, made of straw. The Rebbe, R' Avigdor was a Tzaddik and a scholar, far removed from worldly matters. His head was oriented to the study of Torah. He survived on little. And he did not see forms from the outside world. The roof did not interest him, the extent of his interest was in studying ‘Abaye and Rava.’

The first ones who took note of the difference between the roof of their Rabbi and the tiles of the rest of the houses in the shtetl were the working men. They came together in ‘Agudat Hevrat HaGag’ and donated from their meager earnings to raise a roof for their Rebbe like all the others in the shtetl. From that time on, the working men in the shtetl were called ‘the roof group.’

Abraham the Carpenter worked about 15 hours a day at his job. He loved his work not only because it gave him a living, but also because of the challenges of artistic creation it offered.

Despite the tiredness from manual labor, he would get up early in the morning in order to study chapters of the Mishna and recite Psalms. He stood out for taking in guests. He built a separate room for poor guests, and was a good-hearted Jew, with an open hand to give to Tzedakah and good causes.

– Shlomo Schiller Sarid of the shtetl was privileged to reach The Land after many wanderings, and to be buried on Sacred Soil. He drilled wells. He was an honest and good-hearted Jew. The people of the shtetl knew to tell of the good deeds done by the Schiller family for the community, and especially the extensive support they gave their neighbors, especially the support to R' Eliezer Kindler the butcher, a lowly pauper, having his hands full of children and a sick wife – R' Shlomo Schiller supported his neighbor with love and dedication. The home of R' Schiller was open wide to the needy. R' Shlomo Schiller thought about the needs of the community, and from time-to-time he would donate wood to the synagogue, to fuel the oven.

R' Itzik the Carpenter, who was called Itcheh [should be included] as well as his wife Gita, and here are the details regarding their good works. R' Itcheh was a simple Jewish man, however he had a deep affection for Torah Sages, and was wry appreciative of the rabbinate. He worked and exhausted himself at his hard work, in order to be able to provide his children with a good education. He sent his sons to Yeshiva, and they studied there for years until they were ordained as Rabbis.

There was a difference of opinion in the shtetl as to who had earned the good fortune to have such sons, who committed themselves to the tent of Torah; Itcheh the Carpenter of his wife. There were those who said it was because of the father – who was a good Jew and provided for all their needs, and there were others who said, it was because his wife was such a Righteous Woman. Her entire life consisted of a long chain of deeds of Tzedakah and generosity to the community. To a bitter soul, and a bad fate. She would provide challah and bread for the poor from donators. She would collect money for a dowry for a poor bride so she could marry. She looked after the sick, providing them with a good meal and would sleep the night with them.

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– Among the craftsmen in our shtetl was one called R' Moshe the Tinsmith. When R' Moshe studied Pirkei Avot, and saw that great wise men were craftsmen as well, such as R' Yokhanan the Shoemaker, he learned from this that by strong will and dedication of a willing soul, it is possible to meld Torah to a life of decency. In his lifetime, R' Moshe realized days of eating (bread and salt) as well as drink, that you will sleep on the ground, and you will live a life of sorrow, if you work hard at Torah (study). He lived in one room that served as his house, and a workshop together. He was occupied with caring for children and the support of a sick mother who was a yoke around his neck. For lack of the means to repair broken glass windows that the winds broke, he sealed them with tin.

When the glass in his spectacles broke, he made do with one lens. R' Moshe's life was oriented into the Torah, and all the difficult obstacles that barred his way, did not break his spirit and did not cause him to yield. R' Moshe set specific times aside for Torah (study), and in every minute or hour that he had free, he turned himself to bend over a book and recited ‘thus saith Abaye and Ravah.’ R' Moshe worked diligently, and his hard work yielded fruit. He attained the level of Torah Sage in the shtetl, and everyone respected and admired him.

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The ‘Mizrahi’ Branch in Varenzh in the Year 1935 Survivors: Feiga Shokhet – in Israel, Yehudit Neier – in Canada, Chaya Dornberg – in France, Rachel Tischler – in Argentina, Feivusz Wilzenberg & wife – in Brazil

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Zionist activity breathed life into the hearts of the young men, since they found in it a purpose and goal for their lives that were heretofore absent. The committed themselves to the Land of Israel with all their might. They gathered money for institutions, taught Hebrew, in the branch they sang Israeli songs, and oriented themselves to make aliyah to the Land of Israel, and participate in building it. When guests came from the Land of Israel (Ilka Frakel, sister-in-law of Dr. Gangel) they listened intently to her stories of evenings in Canaan, on observance, about nighttime dances after a hard day of work and a tiny meal. Each listener imagined that he was personally there.

Zionism gave birth to a change in the life of the young people. The boys and girls, once they saw themselves as ‘Halutzim,’ whose responsibility was to resuscitate the desolation of The Homeland, and for purpose of acquiring skills, went to an agricultural training facility in Hilcz and did hard labor in the fields. Among those who left for such training were the brothers Neier, separated for life, the Unger brothers, and the daughters of the lady shokhet Shosha, and others from the Zionist movement including the writer of these lines.

The Zionist movement awakened opposition from the Hasidim. They argued that Zionism represented (an added) burden. Two among the Hasidim who stood out in their fanaticism and struggle against Zionism were: R' Falik Affner, and R' Azriel Rimon.

– R' Falik Affner oversaw exceptional restraint on the members of his household, and his eye was cast on them to assure that his sons and daughters would not associate with the Zionists.

His daughters Proyva and Frieda followed their father's will and separated themselves from the other girls. They did not read modern books that were considered ‘out of bounds.’ Proyva was committed to merchandising, and from morning until late at night, she stood in the market store, she weighs things and did sums. It was possible to rely on her because she had begun in this business as a young girl, and did not know a childhood from then on. The sun, the environment and nature were as if not created for her. She didn't see them for the entire day. From standing so long, her backbone was affected, and she became bent over.

A theater group once came to the shtetl to perform the play, The Dybbuk. It became clear that even Proyva had a desire to see something new. Se defied h father's prohibition, snuck out of the house, and went to the theater. This matter did not remain a secret. R' Falik sought advice how to get his daughter out of the theater, and to forbid attendance at performances. And so, as the curtain went up, he burst in among the audience shouting: ‘Proyva, Proyva, your mother doesn't feel well.’ The entire audience was silenced, and this was the way R' Falik won out, and the play was not put on.

R' Falik got himself in order with his daughters and son Eliezer. He did not obtain nachas from his first-born son R' Raphael nor from his oldest daughter Eydl; they did not give in to their father: They leaned towards Zionism. The tension between the fanatical father and his daughter Eydl reached a peak during her marriage. Eydl refused to shave off the hair on her head and because of this her father saw a streak of rebellion in her, and refused to accept presents on her behalf and the ritual

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Seven Blessings that were brought to him there was a custom in the shtetl that the balebatim would send a ‘kugel’ (p'tchah) and wine.

When the ‘progressive’ young men began to shave off their beards with a razor, the Hafetz Chaim sought to make an ordinance in order to stem this outbreak and he permitted to use of a ‘poison’ of sort for this purpose. When the book ‘Nidkhei Yisrael’ arrived in R' Falik's hands with the directions of the Hafetz Chaim, he archived and hid it out of excess anger, because he saw in it as if the Hafetz Chaim had lent his hand to breaking open the gate (to the outside world).

– R' Azriel Rimon, head of the shtetl community, was among those who opposed Zionism. He was a man of solid build exuding energy, and he did not stand out in scholarship, but the fire of fanaticism burned within him regarding anything that was new. The struggle between him and the Zionists was a difficult, hard one. Since he had some control in the local affairs, by informing him, the branch was closed down from time to time. However, the stubbornness of the membership grew stronger, and the branch was opened and its initiatives fulfilled. Before the elections to the Polish Sejm, about 20 of the favored Zionists were arrested on the grounds that they should not vote for the Jewish candidates because they desired that Belz vote for the régime.

The condition of those who adhered to R' Azriel was difficult. There were among them those that were paid for their service – the Ashkenazic Rabbi of the shtetl, a man of gentle and refined nature, an Enlightened man who knew several languages, a scholar, a Torah Sage, and a lofty speaker. He came from Bukovina in order to take over the Rabbinical seat of his son-in-law BB”D from the selection of ‘Minchat Chanoch.’ R' Azriel Rimon suspected him of being a Zionist, pursued him for his like, until he destroyed him.

The widow Shosha, the wife of the shokhet who passed away had 3 daughters and one son. The daughter Zlata learned from the books of the Hafetz Chaim and R' Yisrael Salanter and attempted to master the lore of Mussar in her life. She found no contradiction between the teachings of the Great Jewish Scholars and the desire to make aliyah to the Holy Land. However, R' Azriel Rimon did not view this favorably, and he tried to use force to stop the family of the shokhet with the completion of this study, and that she should no longer come to the branch. There is much to tell about the carrying-on of R' Azriel Rimon until the war becalmed it all, and all thought of the Zionists as observers of the Torah and its commandments.

And the Zionist youth was largely Enlightened. There was the essence of knowledge of the Shas that was a legacy of their time in the Bet HaMedrash, and a great thirst to acquire knowledge of Zionism.

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A group of Halutzim from Varenzh at the time of the aliyah of Yitzhak Unger (sitting in the middle) to The Land of Israel in the year 1931

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In R' Fyvel's kiosk it would be possible to see a Hasid, Zionist and communist, sitting beside each other and having a good conversation about things happening all over the world. When Fyvel participated in the discussion, and leaned toward the side of the communists, he was asked: how are we to evaluate you Fyvel, and how can we discriminate between your communist outlook and your religious behavior? R' Fyvel would answer, know that there are two Fyvels. One Fyvel through which the blood of three Rabbis flows in his innards, and the second Fyvel who is the rejectionist communist. And there is a constant struggle between these two Fyvels. When the hand of the Rabbinical Fyvel is dominant, Fyvel goes to synagogue, observes commandments, but if the communist Fyvel takes over, all this religion is tossed to the side.

‘Tze'irei Mizrahi’ In their commitment to Zion saw a need to repair and inject order int the life of the community, to establish organizations and to help the needy friend who needs financial help, through a Gemilut Hasadim Bank. Zechariah Lipman rose to this challenge. His hand was open to everyone asking for help. From most of his spare time, he learned what many of the needs of the community were, and the resources of one person were not sufficient to help everyone who made such demands. His friends Abraham Neier and Dr. Gangel joined him, despite the fact that he was a communist, he had a good Jewish heart, and the issues of the community occupied a lot of his time. These three founded the Gemilut Hasadim Bank in our shtetl. The Gemilut Hasadim Bank did much to provide help to the ordinary Jews to arranger their affairs and the same was true of the help of the ‘Halutzim,’ who did not have the means to be able to make aliyah. As a result, many of our scions that are in the State of Israel owe their thanks to the founders of the Gemilut Hasadim Bank and its supporters.

As the houses of the shtetl were built of wood, there would be fires from time-to-time. The Jewish youth organized a ‘Fire Brigade’ in order to extinguish these fires as quickly as possible, and did not depend on the ‘good will’ of the gentile fire brigade. R' Yitzhak Unger was one of the workers in the ‘Fire Brigade.’ The Jewish Fire Brigade even in the midst of their gentile counterparts.

Few remain from the shtetl. Among those handful that did manage to reach The Land after wanderings and much suffering, it was Handil Unger, a God-fearing man who was a Gabbai of the synagogue. He passed away here and was privileged to be buried in the country of Israel.

– I have attempted to tell about the Jews of Varenzh, about the issues that affected their lives, lives of purity and charity, who worked themselves tirelessly in Torah and left it as a legacy to their children. About the youth of the ‘Halutzim’ whose love of Zion burned within them, and who exerted themselves with all soul and energy and tried to reach the promised land.

If it were only possible to have the benefit of them, these, our sons would contribute much momentum to the building of Our Land. And for those who didn't make it, let this be an eternal memorial to their pure souls that were lost to the world in such a cruel manner.

In this manner I wish to erect a memorial to my poor shtetl, my home, where I was born and raised. Where I spent my childhood, my beloved shtetl Varisz, which pitiably was so gruesomely eradicated from the earth.

In this manner I also wish to erect a memorial to my family, my friends and comrades, all the Jews of Varisz, all those I knew and those I didn't know.

My heart cries for the name of each one of them, for every memory from the smallest side-street or tiny shtetl. Before my eyes stand the cherry trees along the way, which we had planted as children beside the road. Luzer's hill, from where, in the winter we would ride on sleighs; the small buildings on the marketplace; the Cracow Road and around it the blooming fields; the little boys and girls, who after having their Sabbath meal would go for a stroll to the thick and blooming forest; the little river by the mill with its bent over weeping willow at the edge, whose branches dipped into the water. Jews would bathe there on a late Friday afternoon. All of this is so deeply baked into my heart, so dear…

(From the foreword to his book).

It was still good and dark outside. A frosty wind banged against the small frozen windows of Joseph-Hersch, the itinerant merchant's little house. The entire house party was deliciously asleep. Mixed in with the falling snow, which were filled with badly flicked feathers – a sign, of old green tiles fallen from above, or tiles from the walls.

People breathed with difficulty when they entered the heavy (dust-laden) air of the small shtetl.

Joseph-Hersch was no longer asleep. His workday had already begun. On the small table pushed against the wall, a small oil lamp had already been lit with the half-broken and bent bulb and a bad odor drifted from the badly pointed knot, which was literally offensive to the nose.

The shadow of a hunched figure was reflected from the wall, bent over a large gray sack and his poor merchandise was laid out, with which he was making ready to go approach the villages.

First, he put in a few small containers of salt that he took from a hill near the business of Asher Meiseles, a couple of grains of pepper and a small package of yeast, which was cut into eight pieces, several tens of needles. Additionally, Joseph-Hersch tied the sack in half, and began to put in the second half of his merchandise, which could not lie next to the foodstuffs. Among other things he had – several pieces of cheap soap, two small bottles of oil each a quarter liter, several candles and other articles of this kind.

[Page 372]

In the pocket of the old, worn-out shoulder sack Joseph-Hersch put in a small portion of rye bread, with a little bit of salt, wrapped in some sort of dark kerchief, in order to have something to refresh himself along the way. His wife Min'cheh would prepare such a package for him for every day the night before, before she went to sleep.

The over sack was buttoned on its five buttons, each of them being of a different design – as if using a gartl, he took up the half with a thick rope, which was woven out of a small bowl of material. This was to keep him warm.

I think everything is ready – he said to himself.

Now Joseph-Hersch threw the sack over his left shoulder, such that one half rested on his back and the second half – on the front against his chest. His neck border put down over his ears, he went over to kiss the mezuzah, crossing the threshold with his right foot – and Joseph-Hersch set out on his way.

The night chased him out of the house, and the night brought him back home.

In place of his sold, or better said, distributed merchandise, Joseph-Hersch brought back a bit of flour, a small container of grain, several kilos of potatoes, and very little – raw material, which he went to sell to wholesalers, and used the money so earned to pay the debt for the merchandise taken.

By the time he left the house, Leah'leh the water-carrier crossed his path with two empty pails. She even ran back from the road, seeing a Jewish man with a sack on his back who is taking off on the way, but Joseph-Hersch was heavy-hearted. This should be no wonder, a little detail – two empty pails and a Jewish woman.

And that's the way it was… In his heart, Joseph-Hersch was not mistaken. Already in the first village, Lifcza, he earned nothing. He knocked on the tens of doors of the peasant huts in vain and left everywhere with nothing.

But there are days when nothing is accomplished – so he attempted to pour out his heart. It is not so bad, we will succeed tomorrow, or the day after, possibly they still have salt or oil from the past week, that I brought them… but like a clap of thunder in the middle of a fair day, the idea struck Joseph-Hersch in this village Hilcz the peasants had opened their own store. And the first entrant, the peasants of Hilcz greeted him was: ‘Yosh'keh, from now on you won't have to come here, we have our own store – a Christian one, there we will not be swindled.’

Joseph-Hersch answered nothing to this. But his blue eyes looked sad, as if he had dived into an endless dark pit.

With a broken heart, and pained energy, the poor village itinerant went further on to make a living…

The goal was now Zhnyatin – a village that was about five kilometers from Hilcz.

[Page 373]

The way to go was doubly difficult. A frosty wind blew, penetrating his worn-out overcoat, literally penetrating to the bones. The feet carried the tired body with a deficiency of energy. The boots, tied on with rags, made a peculiar sound along the slippery way, as they wanted to support him. With his head down on his chest, s step at a time Joseph-Hersch move further and further from that place, where he had to earn something for his dried piece of bread for him, his wife, and children. Now he no longer felt tired, but the words of the Hilcz peasants rang in his ears: Yosh'keh, from now on you won't have to come here, we have our own store – a Christian one, there we will not be swindled.'

He heaved a deep sigh and tore open his chest. – Master of the Universe he croaked hoarsely, raising his eyes to the sky – why did you punish me with this way of making a living?… You, dear Papa, you know the truth… what am I then, have I spoken falsely? – I am a poor itinerant merchant for the peasants bring them merchandise from the big businesses. I woke my blood out to earn my pittance of a living. Constantly chased and harassed. No time for rest. Weighed down day and night. Now when there is thunder and lightning, storms and rains, at the time when the summer sun burns down, or when a frosty wind blows into the eyes, and the time when a wet snow falls – I am the only one weighed down, with my heavy sack on old shoulders… whom have I swindled?… I many tears rolled down over his face, being stopped only by the wide, already graying beard and immediately were transformed into bits of ice…

It started to get dark. From a distance snow started to appear lighted by candles peeping out of small windows of the peasant huts, which stood by the wooden bridge, that led into the village… it was here that Joseph-Hersch made his first sale…

– Yosh'keh, have you brought sugar for my pets? – the old maczal'ekeh^[2] asked, as she petted the flax- light hair of her grandson's head.

Yes, yes, yes – Joseph-Hersch answered lovingly, and began to unpack the sugar cubes, that stuck en-masse to the paper.

For a few extra gulden, give me another small bottle of oil, and you will get three eggs for that, and a small container of barley grains.

Joseph-Hersch transacted the deal and went on to other peasants…

It is necessary to go a little faster – he said to himself – I still have a long way to go home as well, and there my wife and children are waiting for an evening meal, that I have yet to earn today…

Joseph-Hersch drew near to the buildings of Bahniuk, which was surrounded by a brown-colored wooden fence… maybe I will earn something here? – he thought to himself. Vasil Bahniuk is a rich peasant and there is always something short in his house, and besides, his wife also told me that I should bring yeast.

[Page 374]

Joseph-Hersh stuck his left hand over the little door of the gate, raised the lever and gave himself the way to the house that emitted so bright a light, shining from all windows.

They are eating their scheduled evening meal. Therefore, it might be better to wait a bit and not inhibit – Bahniuk is a builder, and additionally he has no love for Jews… Joseph-Hersch began to take smaller steps.

But suddenly, strong blows from two canine paws knocked him down on the ground. He let loose a shout out of fear, which only incited the dogs further. When Joseph-Hersch attempted and tried to stand up, a dog grabbed the calf of his right foot and deeply bit into it with its forward pointed teeth.

Joseph-Hersch lay pressed to the cold earth under the heavy animal. At his shout, the master of the house himself came outside.

– Who is this? Bahniuk called out angrily – To me! Kudlaty^[3]!

In this order from his master, the dog let go of his victim, and with several leaps was beside him and began to lick his boots, wagging his thick tail happily.

Joseph-Hersch barely was able to stammer out the words: – your wife asked me to come with yeast…

– We no longer need your Jewish yeast, we already have our own store in Hilcz, and I don't want to see you here anymore…

– But it was your own wife who asked me to come – Joseph-Hersch pleaded.

I already told you once, leave this place, dirty Jew! – Showing him the door with his hand – and you, ‘Kodlaty’ he bent down to the dog, go into your house, petting him on his big head.

Joseph-Hersch picked up his sack from the ground, from which the broken eggs leaked, that he earned at the maczaleh's and threw it over his back. Limping, he made his way back in the direction of the little door at the fence. Drops of blood from his bitten leg marked his path over the yard of the rich peasant, who drove out the poor and hungry, Jewish itinerant merchant out into the cold winter night

Leaning on his knotty stick, the sack over his back, a beaten man, Joseph-Hersch the village itinerant set himself on a course to go home on that cold, frosty and confusing winter night.

1. A fragment from Sh. Strauss-Marko's book, ‘Once There Was a Shtetl’ which was published in Warsaw, the Yiddish Bukh Verlag, 1965. Return
2. An elderly woman. Return
3. Shaggy one. Return

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