Day 26: What Warsaw Doesn’t Know!
1939 September 4th. 90 of Zarki’s Jews are murdered, while 80 of Zloczew’s Jews, over 20 Jews in Kruszyna, 20 of Konskie’s Jews and 13 of Sosnowiec’s Jews are all murdered. The War is progressing well for Hitler as Warsaw is cut off by the scale of the Wehrmacht attack.
1941 September 4th. 1,500 of Berdichev’s Jews, 253 Pravenischkis’s Jewish Men and Women, 193 of Seredsius’s Jewish Men, Women and Their Children, 178 of Zapiskis’s Jewish Men, Women and Their Children and 159 of Velinona’s Jewish Men, Women and Their Children are all murdered. 146 of Cekiske’s Jewish Men, Women and Their Children are murdered while Yakov Guzanyatskii’s Jewish Resistance in Dubossary retaliates against the ‘resettlement’ order. Elsewhere, 10 Jewish Females of Vilna, Judith Trojak included, escape from the Killing Site at Ponary.
Ponary is synonymous with the Slaughter of the Jews of Vilna and the surrounding environs of Lithuania. When Judith Trojak reports back to the Vilna Judenrate, with her first hand evidence, evidence of what Poanry means for the Jews, there can be no doubting what awaits all the Jews of Vilna and Lithuania.
“..In Lukiszki they separated us. My husband and son were on ..men’s side ..I and my daughters ..Feyge aged 17 and Mine aged 10 ..remained with ..women. .. two nights we lived outside. ..third day ..barely alive ..find out ..groups taken out ..led to Ponar. ..never dared to think that so many people were being taken to be shot. ..Thursday ..driven hastily to Ponar. ..Friday morning ..came to a hilly forest area ..lay among ..sand dunes ..tired ..scared. ..Not far from us burst salvos of rifle shots. ..12 noon ..a turning point. ..stood up ..quiet ..resigned ..no protests ..no pleas. ..family after family walked their last steps. My oldest daughter hugged me by ..waist. ..younger one ..weeping ..lying ..on my knees. ..I decided to wait. ..Maybe a miracle? ..I didn’t know what maybe I was waiting for. ..about 5:30 ..our turn came. I set out with my daughters. ..They stood us in a front line ..I felt my older daughter’s hand slip out of mine. When I came to ..I felt packed in ..people walking over me ..I was wet ..covered with some acid. I grasped ..I was lying in a mass grave among corpses ..I was soaked with ..blood ..I was alive ..wounded. I didn’t see my two children anymore ..I didn’t even look for them. ..made bandages from our shirts to bind ..wounds ..At daybreak ..cleaned off ..blood and lime ..cautiously went toward ..nearby village of Nowosolsk. ..in ..peasant’s house ..washed ..cleaned up ..ate ..and ..went ..to Sorok-Tatary. ..I later came back to Vilna alone ..back to ..ghetto.” Tema Katz.
1942 September 4th. 2,000 of Skole’s Jews are murdered and Macedonia’s Jews are forced to wear the Yellow Star. The situation for Lodz’s Jews receives a body blow when Chaim Rumkowski agrees to the deportation of Lodz’s Jewish Children.
“..We have to accept ..evil order. ..cut off limbs to save ..body. I have to take away ..children ..otherwise others will also be taken.” Chaim Rumkowski.
1944 September 4th. Over 2,000 Dutch Jews from Westerbork Camp are removed to Auschwitz. Antwerp is liberated and while Finland and Russia sign an Armistice, Bulgaria surrenders.
Barely 5,000 of Antwerp Jews survive. The Catastrophe for the Jews of Belgium is equally grim as more than 24,000 of their Community has been Murdered. While all is looking bleak for Hitler and his 1,000 year Reich, as the Allied push gains momentum, the continuing atrocity against the Jews still in Hitler’s sights, sees no sign of abating!
A Book a Day, or so of suggested reading!
29. Van Pelt, Robert Auschwitz.
