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After the vicious pogrom against the
Jewish population of my hometown Wizno, located twelve kilometers east of
Yedwabne, my parents and I decided to take refuge at the home of my Uncle Moshe
Dovid Pecynowitz, the miller of Yedwabne. In Yedwabne it was still quiet. The
Jewish people had to work for the Germans under the worst demoralizing
conditions, but at that time the Germans did not permit the very eager Gentiles
to destroy the Jews. The leaders of the Jewish community collected a large sum
of money and delivered it to the Catholic Bishop of Lomza, who promised that he
would not permit a pogrom in Yedwabne. Yes, the Bishop kept his word for a
while. But the Jews placed too much confidence in his promise and refused to
listen to the constant warnings that came from friendly Gentile neighbors. My
Uncle and his rich brother Eliyahu did not believe me when I told them what had
happened in Wizno. "And if it had happened there", they said,
"we here in Yedwabne are safe because the Bishop promised to protect us.
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Avigdor Nielawicki (Avigdor Kochav in Israel),
survivor of Holocaust in Wizna and Jedwabne,
Serving in the Forest Guard, Palestine, 1946 |
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One day my Uncle Moshe Dovid had a
visitor. His daughter Devorah's Gentile friend came with a warning.
"Tomorrow there will be a pogrom on the Jews of Yedwabne", she said,
"and they should all run away" My Uncle and his brother did not
believe it, but the younger folks followed my advice to take refuge in the
fields of tall corn. We lay hidden there the entire night. Early in the morning
we noticed a great number of villagers traveling at great sped toward the city.
This was very unusual except on a market day. Suddenly we heard windows being
broken and the terrible crying of women and children in the city. I decided then
to go back home to Wizno and meet my parents and family who had already
returned there a few days ago. They wanted to see what had happened to their
possessions. I tried to run through the road of the cemetery, thinking thereby
to avoid contact with the goyim in the city, but a group of shkotzim caught me
and after beating me mercilessly brought me to the large market place. The
entire Jewish community, men, women and children, including Rabbi Avigdor
Bialystocki and all the leadership, were gathered there.
In the middle of the market place was a
statue of Lenin. The goyim forced the old Rabbi to carry the statue and recite,
"We Jews are responsible for the war and want the war to continue".
Then they ordered a burial for the statue on the Jewish cemetery. With guns and
knives in their hands they chased the tired, hungry, thirsty people who were
faint from standing all day in the hot, bright sun, and they beat them savagely.
Some of us succeeded in running to the corn fields. Many were caught and killed
on the spot. Those of us in the fields could hear the Rabbi saying "Vidu"
(confession) with the people, and then we saw smoke rise, and there came the
smell of burning flesh. Later I was told that they were driven into a big barn
near the cemetery, and then they ignited the straw roof and the Jews who were
locked inside were burned alive. The remains were buried near the cemetery.
Eight Jews, including the writer of these
lines, survived.
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