Номер объектаM2009/107:001
ОписаниеEight page letter from Pola Borentstein (nee Nettel) from Chelm, Poland, to her cousin in Palestine dated 30 November 1945.
Место изготовленияBerlin, Germany
Наименованиеletters
Материалpaper
Размерность
Язык
- Polish
Chelm 30/11/1945
Dear Fejga!
Your sincere letter touched me very deeply. It is the first letter in my loneliness, from the only being so dear and close to me. Yes regrettably you and I are orphans, the only surviving symbols of the extended Netel family. In this cataclysm we have been cruelly dealt with by fate. Alas we can't do anything about it. We must find strength to endure the loss of our dear parents, brothers and sisters, blessed be their memory, we must console ourselves that at least somebody from our family survived to remember honour and say a prayer for those innocent souls. There are families that even a trace is not left of.
If you are interested, here are details about our survival from 20/6/1941 when the Germans occupied Wlodzimirz: Straight away the Germans started to herd men and women for slave labour. Often they were beaten and some did not come home from work, because the German soldiers killed Jews for their sadistic entertainment. Niunki Bookser's father was buried alive.
In the beginning we had to wear white bands on our arms, then they ordered us to wear yellow patches on the front and back so that a Jew can be recognised from a distance. From time to time, a squad of murderous Gestapo and Ukrainian militia arrived and arrested the men for mass executions, that type of hunting could take an entire day.
At the first (Akcja) hunting campaign, Fiszel Rajz vanished the husband of Rojzy and Kalman Lerner the husband of Rojzy Zafrin.
In spring in May 1942, all Jaws were forced (driven) into a ghetto. Later they divided the ghetto into two: skilled people and non-skilled. From Strzelecka Street on one side to Kolejowa and Farna Street up to the Bank Ludovy including Katedralna St. was the ghetto for people without skills. From Katedralna to YOUR house as far as Zarzeczna St. was the ghetto for skilled people imagine that we lived in Mojsze Ejnoch's place, your dear family stayed in their own place thanks to Doba , but Mirla stayed with Azril Alpern. The living conditions were terrible often a couple of families in one room.
The ghetto was surrounded by barbed wire and had two gates through which one could exit with a working permit. So regrettably we were tamed working animals in a cage. Live war; hopeless and terrible, at any minute death was expected. Our fate depended on the whims of the German official (commissar). Even the smallest child knew that one has to hide from the German and Ukrainian militia in a cellar or camouflaged hiding place. So this was more or less the image of the ghetto in the 20th century civilization. In comparison to the middle ages our life was a hundred times more dismal.
I was often dropping in on our beloved family " M.T.R.l.P." . They occupied one bedroom, which was a luxury at the time, others occupied the remaining rooms, and the kitchen was shared by all. Doba worked at the Chemist (pharmacy) and helped Jews to obtain medications as they were unobtainable for us.
Jankiel worked in a flourmill then in the forest in Troscia. Your father did not work.
Your loved ones as well as mi ne , perished at the time of the first pogrom (massacre) which started on the first of September 1942 (19 th Elul). Doba and Mania left the ghetto just before the pogrom, to live at Gnojenska St. with someone by the name of Berezowski, but apparently were turned in ( denounced) and on the third day of the campaign (akcja) i.e. on Thursday were deported to Piatydna where 20 thousand murdered Jews are buried .
After the first pogrom, which lasted for two weeks, the survivors were: your Mirla, husband and kids , me. aunt Fejga and Kids, aunty Mindla by herself, uncle Mendel and Ester, Efla Chamer, husband and kids.
They lived up to the second pogrom i.e. 13 /11 /1942. After that campaign all who were left alive were the son of aunt Fajga, Symcha , you and me. This poor child lived up to the last pogrom i.e. the total annihilation of Jews (judenrein) the last campaign started on the 13th December 1942.
The fact that I am alive, I have to believe, was a miracle. Why me, I do not know, we do not control our destiny; on the contrary the destiny controls us. I worked keeping clean the railway tracks. A week before the (first) pogrom everyone was sacked from his job. Men were sent to Piatydna in order to dig dee p and long trenches, the Germans said they were going to build an airport, but in fact those were our graves. The women were sent to help with the harvest. Everyone deluded himself that being employed will keep one alive, as useful working animals
A day before the pogrom I and others got to Mikulicz, 18 km from town to work in the fields.
Can you imagine, I worked on tying up sheaves. Out in the fields it was hot and dusty, and in our hearts awe and fright, " what is happening at home?" All day I worked bent down without a spoonful of sustenance (food), 'in addition to that a German bandit stood and guarded us. At last in the evening we were free, we waited for the trucks (lorries) which should take us home . They did not arrive. None of us had patience to wait on. Eventually some 300 women left at night on foot to town. Everyone wanted to be home as soon as possible. All of us had a feeling that something awful is imminent and yet everyone wanted to be with her family. Imagine my Motek (He brew for sweet) this sweet kid, 15 years of age, he had a foreboding feeling in the forest, on arrival at home before this dreadful pogrom I asked him why did he come home, in the forest he could hide better, his answer to that was "What will be the destiny of everyone will be mine too" and he perished my mothers " Kadysz" (Hebrew for male mourners prayer). "Och!" my heart is broke n over th at kid. He is the one I grieve for most. He could be 19 now.
Unfortunately no one is left to say '' Kadys z·' from our large family. I will return to my history.
At last the lorries arrived, and at 11 pm we arrived at the ghetto. I rushed straight, Ejnoch' s home, unfortunately the house was locked up, no one was answering the door. I got in through an upper ventilation (oberluft) which was left open, but no one was inside I realised , thinking they could have gone to our house on Browarna St. where the skilled people ghetto was, so at any cost I do want to get there. But at the instance that I did want to cross the barbed wire fence, I noticed that the ghetto is surrounded by Ukrainian militia and from one of them I received a severe blow to the face from a truncheon so that I started to bleed.
When I regained consciousness in the middle of a dark and dangerous night I tried to knock on the door that your Mir l a lived i.e. the Alpern's. There together with others I got down to a camouflaged cellar where about 40 people were hiding. In this cellar we lasted for 14 days in indescribable conditions. Can you imagine the suffering: thirst, hunger, filth and fear of terrible death. After the 14 days the campaign (akcja) was over. Those that were alive were driven to
work, gathering the goods or our murdered brethren for the Germans and their mercenaries. When I arrived at our house it was empty and looted, the sight of the open shelter, was most painful and proved that I have not one left, on l y photographs scattered on the floor.
Dear Ciporo (Hebrew for Fejga). truly I don ·1 know how I did not lose my mind , for some time I was walking confused, I could not reconcile with the events, that I am alone, that my dearest are not alive. I do remember being jealous that Esther had her father, and can cry on his shoulders, I wanted to kill myself to case m y pain , I was so lonely facing that misfortune. I had a grudge but I don't know against whom and wondered why I was spared, why do I need such life? When every loved one has perished. Fate decreed otherwise and self-preservation instinct is very strong, so when faced with death I ran away, and so had to go to work every day and sort clothing in the houses where I recognised my clothing and items belonging to murdered relatives .
I will never forget the images of the dwelling s and streets where one still could see fresh signs of murderous actions. With every step one took one could see freshly coagulated blood of murdered innocent fathers, mothers and children...
I remember when rain came after a few days, the gutters were pink from the washed down blood.
Our life was hopeless, without end to suffering, the only dream was to die naturally and avoid that terrible humiliating death and torture in the hands of bandits... so as to avoid more suffering.
A couple of weeks after the first pogrom I visited a friend of my fiancee, who was also murdered with my parents. Their daughter who was so moved by my tragedy gave me shelter (took me in). You probably know her she is Mrs. Darowska a Russian married to a solicitor, before that she was married to an artist Krzyzanowski, who lived at the Krejmers. This honourable lady and her parents save d my life; thanks to them I am alive today. From the 13th November 1942 which is the date of the second pogrom I was hiding with them. My shelter was a storage room of about 90 cm wide by 1m deep ) cold and dark and full of mice , to which I got used to. A cupboard with a mirror doo r disguised the entrance; through it I could get out at night and like a burglar steal some fresh air, which was forbidden to us. It was a difficult time, there were rumours of new killings of Jews. at such times I trembled like a leaf in the wind, I often lost hope that l will live to see freedom.
Believe me, at that time I was sorry that I did not perish with my loved ones.
How many times did I dream to write such a letter to you I did not believe I would live long enough for that? In my hiding place I wrote such letters in my mind and tears slowly soaking my pillow until I fell asleep. And so I sat it out at those righteous and dear people, 21 months and I lived to see my long desired freedom. On the 22nd .July 1944 the Red Arm y occupied Wladzimierz. Believe me 1ff, dear, in the first few minutes I rejoiced in my freedorn. but soon the dorrnant pain returned. and the questions sur faced again why so many innocent people fell? I have regained freedom but I will never regain my dear ones, that pain will remain deep in my heart and nothing in this world will heal it ever….my emptiness , nobody of my kin left, I am alone ...
I moved in with my saviours into uncle Mend l ' s house and earned some money dressmaking and selling. I was doing well. I took a trip to Lwow (Lvov), where I bought myself some long boots (it is the fashion here) and many other items.
On the 24th February 1945 I married Borensztejn in from Chelm, I met him in Wladzimierz, where he was also hiding alone. The wedding was in Lwow, regrettably no one from my family had the "nachys" (Hebrew for gratification) to be present.
I am only in Chelm from the 20th June. I live in a 3 room and a kitchen house, owned by my husband. However I have no other possessions, because nobody thinks to remain here. We also are planning to stay only during the summer months.
I don't know what to do, please advise us. You, dear ones, are asking what I need. I want you to know that I am well dressed not hungry and I don't lack anything. I miss my dear ones who never will come back. Imagine that when my husband goes away on business I am left sometimes for two weeks alone in those conditions. That's when I lack my family. You are lucky you have your husband’s family, may they be in good health.
Please dear, don't send my anything I sincerely thank you. Please try onl to make it possible that we see each other very soon. If costs are involved I am in a position to reimburse you. It is the only way out of the situation we are in at the present. As our future is still uncertain.
Please dear, write more about your life, and please send me some photos of you and the baby in your next letter , I will send you ou1:s (photos) in the next letter.
This is more or less the description of our survival and maybe time to the end the letter. Lots of kisses sincerely yours.
Pola.
Best regards to your husband Kiss your son !or me. Best regards to all the friends.
Sincere regards from my husband Elo Borenszteijn (he is away now and I am alone at home)
Please I beg you again try to help us in the matter you know well as this is a top priority of my desires...
Of your friends regrettably there is no one left.
Mania Wilenczykk is alive. Fira Bardach and her husband , Zelaznik are alive. Brindergs the doctor and the solicitor. Liszner doctor. Boksenboim Leon Migdal Frejda with his sis ter Dora and his wife. Grinberg Abrnm. Davidowicz ..
Кредитная линияSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Rose Temple