Object numberM2010/001:002
DescriptionTestimony, or "Protokol" given by 23 year old Shulem Nagler (Szulim) from Turka am Stryj recorded by Jadwiga Sapera shortly after war ended in 1945. The two paged typed testimony in Polish documents what happened to the Jews of Turk, incidents of Ukrainians beating and murdering Jews, complaints about the Judenrat who did not notify the population of edicts, people swelling from hunger, arguments over bread, murder in prepared mass graves, hiding, murder and 'actions'. "I know that some of my friends ate potato peels and grass. In families who were the most warm-hearted before the war arguments often broke out over a piece of bread, not infrequently between mother and child."
Shulem describes an Aktion in which Jews were driven to the forest and the Rabbi of Turk, Rabbi Waniowiczer, was forced to pray for German victory. He also describes an Aktion before Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year), October 1942, and how he realized "that the fate of Jews is sealed"; he therefore decided to escape to Hungary and live in the ghetto of Ungwar. From there he escaped to Budapest living as an Aryan.
Jadwiga Sapera was born Hermina Silberfeld, to Polish Jews Nathan Silberfeld and Anna (nee Hollander) on 27 November 1914 in Miskolc, Hungary. In 1918, the family returned to their home in Stary Sacz, Poland. Hermina attended a convent, which gave her a knowledge of German and Catholicism that was helpful for her survival. In 1942, Hermina attained false identification papers of a Polish-Catholic woman, Jadwiga Eleonora Jarzemiszewska. As Jadwiga she was able to find new accommodation and work, and at the end of 1942, moved to Krakow to better safeguard her secret. In 1943 she moved to Warsaw and then to Budapest, until liberation. After the war she kept the name Jadwiga and got work in Bucharest typing the testimonies of concentration camp survivors for the Association of Polish Jewish Refugees. She found out her father had died of hunger and disease, but her mother and brother survived. She was reunited with them in Poland. She lived in Katowice with her husband Jan Sapera who she met and married in 1946. They immigrated to Australia in 1958 with their three children. In the last decade of her life she re-adopted her Jewish name Hermina.
Shulem describes an Aktion in which Jews were driven to the forest and the Rabbi of Turk, Rabbi Waniowiczer, was forced to pray for German victory. He also describes an Aktion before Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year), October 1942, and how he realized "that the fate of Jews is sealed"; he therefore decided to escape to Hungary and live in the ghetto of Ungwar. From there he escaped to Budapest living as an Aryan.
Jadwiga Sapera was born Hermina Silberfeld, to Polish Jews Nathan Silberfeld and Anna (nee Hollander) on 27 November 1914 in Miskolc, Hungary. In 1918, the family returned to their home in Stary Sacz, Poland. Hermina attended a convent, which gave her a knowledge of German and Catholicism that was helpful for her survival. In 1942, Hermina attained false identification papers of a Polish-Catholic woman, Jadwiga Eleonora Jarzemiszewska. As Jadwiga she was able to find new accommodation and work, and at the end of 1942, moved to Krakow to better safeguard her secret. In 1943 she moved to Warsaw and then to Budapest, until liberation. After the war she kept the name Jadwiga and got work in Bucharest typing the testimonies of concentration camp survivors for the Association of Polish Jewish Refugees. She found out her father had died of hunger and disease, but her mother and brother survived. She was reunited with them in Poland. She lived in Katowice with her husband Jan Sapera who she met and married in 1946. They immigrated to Australia in 1958 with their three children. In the last decade of her life she re-adopted her Jewish name Hermina.
Production date 1945
Subjecttestimonies, survivors, survivors, survival, eyewitness accounts, starvation, murders
Object nametestimonies
Language
- Polish Testimony given by SHULEM NAGLER born in 1922 in TURK on/STRY
From the time of withdrawal of the Soviets in 1941 the Ukrainians organised a Jewish committee whose president was the previous old president KAHALUK , and his aids were his close acquaintances. The task of the committee was to supply Jewish workers for work in the City. After the arrival of the Germans to Turk began very frequent incidents of Ukrainians beating Jews and were afraid to leave their houses. In the village JESIONKA and in another one (the name I forgot) the Ukrainians murdered all the Jews living there (around 300). In the city a strong panic developed. On one particular day occurred what was called “Stalin’s funeral”. In the morning portraits of Russian leaders and Russian books were taken out of bookstores and Jewish children were taken away from the streets and marched towards the Jewish cemetery having to shout “Manifesto”. In the cemetery a big grave was already dug. The Jewish children were ordered to sing the Hatikvah and Russian songs. Five were shot but the rest were saved by Commandant ZOLLANMTU who chased everyone away. He was bought off (payed off) by the Judenrat.
The Germans had demanded that a contribution be made to the city of 100,000 zloty. This sum was submitted. Jewish valuables or assets were confiscated. An Ordnungsdienst was set up whose commandant was ROTH (a buyer). Even though the Judenrat members were considered before the war as decent people the current population are very much complaining about them. The Judenrat members gave the impression that they only cared about their own wellbeing. Ordnungsdienst collected from the people the most expensive and the nicest things stored in a house that was set up for the German gendarmerie. On this house there was a sign stating that all the goods were the property of the Judenrat. The population became poverty-stricken. Under the threat of the death penalty, leaving the city was forbidden and were forbidden to make contact with Poles. A Jewish Cooperative emerged. We received 9 decagrams of bread daily. Bread on the black market was extremely expensive (50 zloty); severe hunger ruled. People were swelling from hunger. I know that some of my friends ate potato peels and grass. In families who were the most warm-hearted before the war arguments often broke out over a piece of bread, not infrequently between mother and child. Our family was small and therefore it was easier to survive. 5% of the population died of hunger.
7/1/1942 Gestapo arrived into the city and from their directive the Ukrainians were catching Jews from the streets and were taking them in to the cellars of the Ukrainian police. There the Germans made a list of their possessions at home. The campaign of catching Jews lasted for 3 days. The Jews that were taken away were undressed to their shirts and were driven to the forest. People who saw what was happening from their hiding places who saw everything said that in the forest the rabbi of Turk (Rabbi WANIOWICZER) was forced to pray for German victory.
Everyone was shot to death with machine guns and buried in prepared mass graves. On the graves was placed a sign saying “Here lay Communists”. During the entire campaign I was hiding behind a tombstone in a kneeling position in the Jewish cemetery. On the third day I went to the village to see a familiar Jew. Later we recognised clothes of our acquaintances that were now worn by the Ukrainians.
Among the people the opinion was spread that this campaign was a penalty because two Jews from Hungary were trading with furs, because in December an edict came out that all furs be surrendered. After the campaign I found out that the Judenrat knew about this edict and that the Gestapo were arriving, but they did not notify the population. We were certain that the campaign will not happen again.
In the city a blotchy typhus broke out, and Jews were ordered to shave their heads, women up to 3 centimetres as well as the Judenrat president up to 3 centimetres. Jews were forced to work for Arbeitsam two days per week. For Pesach in 1942 Judenrat from SAMBOR sent us food (2 kilograms of flour per family). After Pesach men between the ages from 16 – 50 who were not employed were sent to work in the Arbeitsant. From there after being examined by a medical committee around 60 healthy men were sent to SYNOWC to build bridges. Because I was employed in …. I was not required. The work in SYNOWC was very difficult. They were receiving 20 decagram of bread, some were eating frogs and some were swelling from hunger. If anyone couldn’t work they were pushed into the river. 15 people ran away.
In SIANKACH was the Hungarian army’s kitchen. Jews from the surrounding areas were going to that kitchen (around 28 kilometres) to obtain soup which was left over from dinner. The Hungarians were giving food but they were cautious because of the Germans. One day, it happened in July Gestapo took away all those present …… (around 80 kilometres) and shot them on the spot. On their return from there they arrived to Turk to carry out an action (a campaign).
From the houses and streets they collected around 60 persons mainly young ones drove them outside the city and executed them. The action lasted only 2 hours At that time I was hiding in a camp. People were interpreting these events as a punishment for the way (road) to SIANSK. From that time we began to build hiding places (in walls, in cellars etc.).
After Tish b’av (in July) all the Jews from the entire country were brought to TURK. Immediately upon their arrival a liquidation action began. People were taken away with their packages to the railway station. I was also ready to go but I observed that one member of the Judenrat hid his wife (I lived in front of the Judenrat). I also hid with my family. One member of the Judenrat seeing that people are observing sent his wife to the railway station and in this way setting an example to others. He was counting on the Gestapo’s promise that they would let his wife go free. His wife, however, left on the transport. From the window of the attic that many dead bodies from the city were brought into the morgue.
Later my friend had told me that on the railway station people were ordered to leave their packages as “baggage” and only then people realised what their departure meant. They picked 150 persons capable for work, 75 for liquidation in the city and 75 to Lwow. Concurrently actions (killing campaigns) were occurring in the entire eastern MALOPOLSKA. These 150 persons had to lie on the ground with their heads lowered. For lifting the head up the person had to run around those lying down until they dropped. In the meantime from the vicinity of the train station were heard terrifying cries and screams from those being loaded into the train wagons (110 persons per wagon).
In the action around 5,500 persons went (were killed). I emerged from my hiding and joined the group who were burying the dead, people who jumped out of the train, Judenrat with their families remained in their entirety (intact). After this three day action (killings), began registrations for food coupons for remaining Jews. All those hiding applied.
Before Rosz Haszana [Rosh Hashanah] an action (killings) began against the elderly and the “illiterate” (children). They were brought by Poles (criminal police) and Judenrat. Around 60 persons were transported by trucks. All those left received working AUSWEIS (identification card) because of this they left their hiding places and felt safe. Everyone worked at their working posts. In this way the Germans managed to take people away straight from their work places. This happened in October 1942. Only those remained who by chance were not at work. There were cases where if a person was found in a hiding place and he betrayed the hiding places of 2 other people, he was dismissed.
I was dismissed from the railway station by a German for whom I worked. I recall that Jews on the railway station were selling cigarettes (for money). It is now become clear that the fate of Jews is sealed. I decided with my friend to travel to Hungary. Our group that left were six persons. Three got to Hungary and three were shot dead at the border. I managed to get through the border. In Hungary (Ungvar) I was sitting in goal for three months. After my release I lived as a Hungarian Jew in the ghetto of UNGWAR. From there I escaped to Budapest. In Budapest until the Russians arrived I lived as an Aryan.
Tusia
Persons that survived
TRAIBER CHAIM
NAJER DAWID
?BRASOS LEON
SCHREIBER ?RECHA
HIRT MOSES
MANEK
SCHINDLER JUDA
REICHAR ARTUR
?KIRACHUER MORIC
KARAFJAL NAFTALI
SCHECHTER SZARO
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs Jadwiga Sapera