Chaim Ben Israel (Goldberg)
MEMORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD IN MY VILLAGE KARTUZ BEREZA
In memory of my brother ITZCHAK ARIE (LEIBE GOLDBERG),
wife and children. In memory of my aunt CHANA MUSHE BLUSHTEIN, her sons BENIE,
SHLEIMKE, SHOIKE and AVIGDOR, their wives and children. In memory of my aunt
ROCHEL and my uncle YACOV OSHER FRIDNSHTEIN and their children MOSHE, NIOME,
LEAH (LEIKE) and SIMCHE, their wives, husbands and children. In memory of my
aunt CHAIA and my uncle MOISHE ALEXANDROVSKY, their daughters TZIRL and REITZE,
their husbands and children, exterminated during the Shoah.
May their memories be blessed.
Prologue
In
one of springtime days of 1988 the painter MOISHELE BERNSHTEIN invited me to
his house in Tel Aviv. When I arrived, I met many people from my village Kartuz
Bereza, among them MOSHE TUCHMAN, SIMCHA NOSETZKY, ABRAHAM POTAK and others.
The reason for the meeting was to make some changes on the organization
"Survivors of Kartuz Bereza in Israel" (some members of the Council
moved from Haifa to the center of the country).
At
that meeting I took the post of Council member, in order to keep alive the
memory of that little community whose Jewish majority was exterminated during
WWII, by nazis and their local helpers, polish and byelorussian.
We
emigrated to Israel in August 1933, and until the aforementioned meeting, I had
been lived in Israel about 52 years. I was convinced that with the rich
experience on direction and organization I acquired in Israel (I'll describe it
next) this would be another little post additional to volunteer duties I carry
out. I rendered clandestine services to the "Lechi" group in Tel Aviv
and Haifa. The British were searching for CHAIM GOLDBERG but I changed my
identity. I moved with the Jewish brigade under the name of MOISHE KARPUSHIK.
Then I received the identity of KARL FLIKSTEIN and was transferred to
Jerusalem. There I met my partner SARAH BABIOF, mother of my sons: the Vice General Dr. YTZHAK BEN ISRAEL and
Dr. YAKOV BEN ISRAEL.
In
Jerusalem I was put under arrest, and British military court convicted me to 10
years of prison. After 4 months I got to escape from jail.[i]
British didn't know I was carrying lent identity cards, both during my duties
at the brigade and in jail.
From
time to time they went around my parent's house to arrest CHAIM GOLDBERG. With
the founding of the State of Israel, I joined Israeli Defense Forces
"TZAHAL" and served there for 20 consecutive years. I took important
duties on Air Forces and I ended my service as lieutenant colonel. Later I was
elected as representative to Local Join Council in Ramat Ha'Sharon[ii]
and, at the same time, to the council of "Solel Bone Constructions"[iii].
In this duty I was General Secretary of the Council[iv].
Given
my experience as Organization Director[v]
I didn't hesitate to take the duty at the Survivors of Kartuz Bereza Society.
Many times I asked myself how much time I should devote to this issues and I
never knew it, since in the first meeting at MOISHELE BERNSHTEIN's place,
everybody was looking at me, and the memories of my little village sprang, in
the morning, evening and night. My childhood days and all Jewish life, all
destroyed by nazis hands.
I
addressed to my fellow citizens and we all decided to build a living monument
through the publication of a book, and to keep for ever what was used to be the
Jewish life in Kartuz Bereza.
Our
emigration to Eretz Israel
I
was "Bar-Mitzva" old when we moved to Eretz Israel. I remember very
well a few months and days before our trip, our best neighbors came over and tried
to dissuade my father about his plan. "Reb Isroel", they said,
"arabs kill Jews in Eretz Israel, and you're traveling there? Perhaps you
can delay your trip for a while?" My father was obstinate and constant,
resolute in his conviction, specially for my mother's influence. He wouldn't
listen and he answered: "I'm not traveling for myself nor for my wife; I
do it for my children!"
My
father was a modest man. Together with Rabbi UNTERMAN who was later Chief Rabbi
of Eretz Israel, he studied Torah at the Yeshiva in Malech and then he was
"Chafetz Chaim"s "ZTZL" (blessed be his pious memory)
disciple. He qualified as rabbi but he didn't really practiced that duty.
I
have always been proud of my father and I liked his intellectual ability. From
all his activities in his life, the most intelligent was his obstinate decision
of emigrating to Eretz Israel.
I
remember how we loaded the packages up the carts and we traveled with a great
number of inhabitants of the village to Bluden train station. Of course there
were my brother YTZHAK with his wife and kids, my brother LEIBE and AVIGDOR.
AVIGDOR managed to go to Eretz Israel with "Hechalutz Hatzair"
movement. The others were exterminated with Jews of town.
From
Bluden we went to Warsaw accompanied by my brother YTZHAK and my cousin SIMCHA
FRIDNSHTEIN who died in Bereza because of a German bomb in 1941. We stayed in
Warsaw a few days and again we took the train to Constanza in Romania, and
there we boarded the ship. After sailing a number of days, we reached Haifa.
Here my brother ZVI was waiting for us, as he had arrived in Eretz Israel some
days before, and he had sent the certificates for us. He came with a truck in
which we loaded our belongings. We arrived in our first house placed in Hertzl
street, Tel Aviv.
What
kind of Jews are these, that don't speak yidish? As I said before, when I was
the age of Bar Mitzvah we came to Eretz Israel. From our first house in Tel
Aviv I started walking up and down, trying to understand the life style and the
future of the first Hebrew city. And here I saw kiosks, and newspapers in
Hebrew letter at the entrances. Since I had studied at Tarbut school I was
supposed to be able to speak Hebrew; I got closer, I took a look and read the
newspapers trying to understand, but I couldn't. What's going on here? Isn't
this the language I studied?
At
dusk my brother ZVI came home and he explained those papers were written in
Ladino. I have to confess until that moment I hadn't known anything about
Ladino language, nor the Jews in Spain, nor eastern communities, because I was
sure every Jew in the world spoke Yiddish. Otherwise, how could they possibly
be Jews?
YECHUTIEL
MINKOVITZ's Cheder
As
I said before, I was a pupil of the Tarbut school, but I have to say that,
between second year and last year in Tarbut before emigrating, I attended 4
years the YECHUTIEL Cheder and the Talmud Torah. The truth is I was very
satisfied of studies at Tarbut. Teacher Lis taught Hebrew, even writing and
reading. We were proud because we knew the language spoken by Jews in Eretz
Israel, and each one of us hoped to emigrate there someday and speak Hebrew.
One
day, a Saturday evening, I was visited by my friend, my neighbor's son, who was
studying at the Cheder. My brother LEIBE, who was attending a Yeshive out of
the city then, was celebrating Shabbat at home. Suddenly my brother said in
front of my father: "Come, I'd like to evaluate your knowledge". Dad
nodded his head and we both, the neighbor's son and I, got ready for the
"test". My brother LEIBE opened a Pentateuch spontaneously, and he
ordered to me: "Read this!" I could read Hebrew very well, but I
hadn't the experience on reading an original Pentateuch with musical stresses,
until I reached a four-letter word, which is the tetra gram, and I wasn't able
to read it. It was evident I could hardly stammer. My brother gave the book to
my friend saying: "Read!" and he showed his great knowledge, reading
it all correctly. LEIBE didn't say anything to me and smiled. I didn't
understand then. Only later I understood I wasn't really qualified in Torah
studies, and that's why I was sent to the Cheder instead of Tarbut school. The
day after, my mother took me by the hand and brought me to Rabi YECHUTIEL's
(MINKOVITZ) Cheder, on May 3rd street. I studied there about 2 years. I
remember very well his full belt and the scents coming from the kitchen, since
there wasn't a door between the kitchen and our study place. I remember well
the mathematic and polish lessons taught by rabbi's sons when they came back
from high school outside town. One of them was Prof. ABRAHAM MINKOVITZ who died
in Israel.
The
environment of Rabbi YECHUTIEL's Cheder wasn't any different from others in
Eastern Europe. From the morning to dusk we were sitting at our places, praying
or studying. We used to begin the day with morning prayer, and at night evening
prayers. We had no breaks, and there's no doubt we didn't know how to play as
children. We brought our food from home, and if somebody forgot to bring it, he
had to ask a little to a fellow. The toilets were outside, in the courtyard. I
remember one time LEVIK asked permission to leave, but he immediately returned
crying: "The cock's looking at me!"...
During
my study hours at the Cheder, mom was working at the store. She came back from
work very late, and then she started preparing dinner (who would think then
about refrigerators or civilized resorts like that?) I was tired from studying
and other children's pranks, I used to fall asleep and I had to be awaked
because dinner was the only "important" meal of the day for family,
and the house's "youngest child" was forced to feed properly.
I
didn't like the Cheder nor the Talmud Torah, after having tasted a modern and
nice school like Tarbut. Four years later I was enrolled in Tarbut school and I
studied there until we emigrated to Eretz Israel. When I try to remember the
deeds of those days, regarding my education, my conclusion is this: had they
discussed at home what my studies place should be, the same way other political
issues were discussed, this four years episode at rabbi YECHUTIEL's and Talmud
Torah would have been avoided.
My
brother and his opinions
My
father, Reb ISRAEL HA'COHEN GOLDBERG and my mother YOCHEVED (YENTE) MOLTZADSKY
had 7 children, and were according to their birth date: ITZHAK (YTSHE), ZVI,
AVIGDOR, ARIE (LEIBL), OSHER, PNINA (PESHKE), and me, CHAIM, the youngest.
Dad
passed away in good old age, in Tel Aviv. He was a modern religious man. He
knew his children very well and knew about their opinions, but he never talked about
politics to us. We knew he was an Eretz Israel supporter and lover. After his
death, mom told us (she died in old age too, in Tel Aviv, and was buried beside
my father at Kiryat Shaul) that father supported every year the ZABOTINSKY
movement, and he always voted for him. On the contrary of our father's opinion,
my brothers held popular ideas of Jewish street.
My
oldest brother, YTZHAK, was familiar to "Ha'poel Ha'mizrahi" movement
(religious non-extremist workers). He devoted most of his free time, to the
KKL. He was appointed by town authorities to be part of KKL Committee in Kartuz Bereza.
YTZHAK
was the first to get married and constitute a home. He had two children.
YTZHAK, his wife and children were killed in the Holocaust.
ZVI,
my second brother, belonged to "Betar" Movement. He kept the ideology
of this movement, even before our emigration to Eretz Israel. He was member of
Betar settlement in Rosh Pninah.
My
third brother AVIGDOR was conquered by communism. This happened during his
education at Technion (polytechnic) in Vilnus. Later AVIGDOR had a Zionist
tendency and joined the "Hechalutz" movement. After several years of
preparation, AVIGDOR emigrated to Eretz Israel as soon as we left there.
My
fourth brother ARIE (LEIBE), because of whom I was sent to the Cheder, was
studying Torah. Later passed to be a Yeshiva pupil. I don't know what political party he belonged to, but I'm
almost sure it was Agudat Israel.
ARI
was also taken by Holocaust. My oldest son is named YTZHAK ARI after my two brothers
exterminated in Holocaust.
My
fifth brother ASHER began his political career in "Ha'shomer
Ha'tzair", then moved to Betar but he was faithful to Zabotinsky's ideas,
even in Eretz Israel. British put him under arrest and deported him to the
detention camps in Africa.
It's
possible to find many pages regarding my sister PNINA in the book
"Fighters for Israel Freedom", by NATAN YELIN MOR, commandant of
nationalist political party. During a certain period she was the link in
underground movement. Me, the youngest of the brothers, on that period was
pupil, and I attended discussions, specially on Saturdays eve, as soon as the
"Kiddush" (TN: wine's blessing) ended and during bread blessing, I
didn't say a single word. PNINA didn't really take part of discussions until I
arrived in Eretz Israel; I made my way by myself. I want to emphasize the
"arguments" at GOLDBERG's weren't just "academic", I mean,
not only in a verbal frame.
My
brother AVIGDOR who was qualified from Technion of Vilnus was the electrician
of our town Kartuz Bereza. One of our neighbors, once was very angry with
brother AVIGDOR because he had put the electrical wiring over his house's roof,
over "his head". Because of this, an argument started and this
neighbor started to throw stones until he broke our house's windows.
Another
"real" scene on electrical matter, happened a few years later.
MENACHEM BEGIN had to deliver a speech in our town. Then he wasn't already
Prime Minister of Israel, nor commandant of underground movement
"Etzel" (national military organization), yet a famous and
prestigious speaker. People of nationalist movement Betar decided that his
speech would be made in the "Synagogue of the Rich people" of our
town. Everything was arranged very carefully. The day came, and that night the
synagogue was crowded. BEGIN began his speech and suddenly...
"TRACH!!", lights went out. A tumult broke out, but he continued the
speech in the candlelight. Everybody knew AVIGDOR was to be blamed, since he
was in charge of electric installation that night at the "Synagogue of the
Rich people". Betar people knew it too, but they had no evident proofs.
Arguments broke out and MOISHE FRIDNSHTEIN had to defend him with his own body.
"Betar" people informed on this to KUZIRSKY, the only policeman in
town. They asked for AVIGDOR to be arrested. KUZIRSKY came over but since they
had no proofs, he wasn't put under arrest.
The
disabled beggar
It's
funny, but most of my memories are related to several places: the synagogues of
town, the study houses, the river surrounding the town, the concentration camp,
and specially the Market place. At the beginning, our house was placed in
Market Place and Broida street, beside the "Holy Synagogue". Then we
moved to the other side of Market Place on May 3rd street, beside the Great
Synagogue. I remember I used to come with mom and dad to visit my grandparents
and uncles FRIDNSHTEIN. Their house was located on the route, on TABULITZKY
street, beside the synagogue called TABULITZKY. Uncles ALEXANDROVSKY were
living beside the great synagogue near the "chasidim's sthibl" (study
house).
Dad
used to attend the "Synagogue of the Rich people" placed on the
intersection of the route and Cemetery street. I envied my older brothers,
specially on the festivities, when they were wearing their best clothes, they
got on the pulpit and blessed the parishioners by the "Birchat
Ha'cohanim" (Cohen's blessing in his priestly role). I wasn't old enough
and I couldn't do it...
On
free time, without study obligations, I used to make all kind of childish
pranks with friends of my age, near the synagogue, in the river, and on
Thursdays at the market.
I
remember the disabled man, leg-less, with the wooden crutches at his side,
sitting in a corner of the market, yelling, crying, and begging for a coin in
White Russian language. Merciful people, gentile in general, used to give coins
to him, asking: "Pray for IVAN", "Wish STEPHAN good
health"... He crossed himself and promised... Many years later, people
said he was a Jew... I don't think that's true.
I
remember monthly fair, tens of gentiles were drunk, left the market area on
their carts, leaving a dung carpet...
"The
Angel of Death"
I
remember there was a big row at Market's square. People pushed each other, and
they ran to other side of Broida street. I was about 4 o 5. I didn't know the
reason, but I ran with them too. When I got closer to AIZIK GLAZER's courtyard,
I saw a man hanging between the attic and the roof. I didn't know people used
to put nicknames according to the place people came from, or to a suspicious
episode in their lives. There were persons in town named
"Krasnaburka" or "Kabaki", after the villages they were
from. Others were called "Niures", "Kuske",
"Vidre" and also "Angel of Death" (BENO, a boy of my age,
went to school with me and one day he drowned in the river)
"I
don't know what to do", said one of the presents when he saw the immobile
body. "He's already dead". And he added: "He must be taken
down". "He'll go to hell!", yelled another Jew. All this event
terrified me. I wanted to run away, but curiosity instinct caught me. So I
stayed. Somebody brought wooden planks and the man called "Niske, the
angel of death", slowly took the corps down on the planks, and then he
slid it down. I was shaking from fear, I didn't know what to do. Suddenly
someone cried: "Children, go home!". Then I made up my mind to leave.
My house was four houses far. I left, but the terrifying view hunted me long
after. I would wake up at night crying, and when my parents asked me "what
happened", I said I had seen with my very eyes the way the "Angel of
death" took the dead to hell...
I
almost drowned on the river
I
owe my life to YOSEF MOSHKOVITZ (he died in Israel) and YDL SHOLSBERG. This
episode was related to Yasolda river which passes through our village. I was
then about 10 years old, and one day we decided to take a bath in the river.
The bath in the river was a quite simple thing. We didn't need a bath outfit
nor toilets at the bank, nor towels to dry off. Very simple. We took off all our
clothes and we got into the water. Some could swim, but most of us, including
myself, couldn't. Suddenly one of our young men suggested me to get on his back
in order to cross the river. It made me happy and I agreed at once. I got on
his back, I made a face like I was driving a car (which was something unknown
in our village), driving it up and down. My friend swam until the middle of the
river heading to the opposite bank. Suddenly he warned: "I can't make it
anymore!" and, having not thought about it, he threw me from his back. I
couldn't swim, and felt those were last moments of my life. I cried and other
friends were staring in the bank seeing how little CHAIMKE got on his friend's
back, to the other side of the river. Just then YOSEF MOSKOVITZ and YDL
SHLOSBERG were passing through by chance. They went there in order to do some
footing and lose weight, because they had to turn up at the recruitment office
of polish army. When they heard the
screams, they undressed and threw into the river to save me.
The
concentration camp
Kartuz
Bereza was known because its concentration camp for political prisoners, most
of which were communist. They worked in and outside camp, far from the eyes of
town inhabitants. Sometimes we saw them and we wanted to get closer, and have a
few words, but policemen didn't allow to do so. I saw them close only once.
That was one May 3rd, the polish Independence Day.
The
procession for the Independence Day celebration had to pass through our town ,
and the commandant complained because the streets weren't clean enough. Then he
sent prisoners to clean and wash the streets where the parade was going to
pass. Prisoners were tied to carts, as if they were oxen, and they carried
brooms in their hands. From our house a few meters from the road, I could see
how they were carrying out forced work. I didn't understand how this could be
possible. I just stared at prisoners' faces, and once the "No
trespassing" notice was removed, me and my friend went to the road.
Everything was clean, washed, polished, you couldn't find a single trace of
dirt.
Final
words
Mi
little village Kartuz Bereza. Childhood memories come up to my mind. I'm
looking at the picture of First Year in Tarbut school in town. We were 23
pupils and teacher LIS is in the center. I find myself very easily and my
friend SHIMON GARBER who emigrated to Israel in 1935 as well. But, what's the
name of the other 21 souls? Who of them remained? Or maybe they were all
exterminated by the nazis and local helpers, at Brona Gura or other places?
Only a few persisted, and many, many of the names and anecdotes about the town
will be forgotten, for I doubt this all will be ever known.
Ytgadal
Ve'Ytkadash Shmei Rabá
(Be Sanctified His name)...... (prayer in
deceased's' memory)
[1] ' This way we escaped toward the battle front" Ed.
Ha'midrasha Ha'Leumit, 1979, page 272
[1] "Who is who in the
Sharon", personalities and facts. Ed. "Who is who in local
communication media", 1989, page 136
[1] "Economy
Personalities Encyclopedia", Ed Ythak Lis, Moshe Maor, 1982, page 76.
[1] "Who is Who in
Israel, Jew world personalities" Ed Laor, Tel Aviv, page 62
[1] "Men of
Achievement, 1988" International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England,
1971, page 7
[i] ' This way we
escaped toward battle front" Ed.
Ha'midrasha Ha'Leumit, 1979, page 272
[ii] "Who is who in the
Sharon, personalities and facts. Ed. "Who is who in local communication
media", 1989, page 136
[iii] "Economy
Personalities Encyclopedia", Ed Ythak Lis, Moshe Maor, 1982, page 76.
[iv] "Who is Who in
Israel, Jew world personalities" Ed Laor, Tel Aviv, page 62
[v] "Men of
Achievement, 1988" International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England,
1971, page 7