How the Ukrainian family saved the future Knesset Speaker from the Nazis

For the 73rd anniversary of the end of World War II, the publication "Ukrainian interest” and the German foundation “Memory, Responsibility and Future” held the International Documentary Story Competition “Being Human”.

Фото: Depositphotos

We offer you the story of one of the contest participants: for two years her family hid Jews from 20 Nazis, among whom was the future speaker of the Israeli parliament, Shevah Weiss.

Jewish guardian

- One two three four. Zenik, don't touch me. Leave me alone! “Don’t touch me,” I shout to the whole street, hitting the metal horizontal bar with a long stick. Oh, this Zenik, the German patrolmen think, walking along the road and shaking their fingers at my brother.

Today we are playing classes. Zenik is a teacher, and he painted the whole yard with squares. I jump on them and count. Five, six, seven, eight.

I am four, my brother is seven. We run around the large yard of my mother's sister Pavlina, hide behind the trees, laugh and play mischief.

“Zenik, don’t touch me,” the knock on the metal pipe is heard around again. German soldiers, entering a neighboring house, waved to us: Guten tag, Zenik.

None of them will ever guess that our, at first glance, harmless fun is just a cover. “Zenik, don’t touch me,” is a signal of danger. Our mother Rosalia and aunt hide Jews, and we are like guards.

Sweet treat

Today I am proud of myself. Sunkning, I carry a chocolate in my hand in front of me. I actually earned it. Give little Shevah Weiss. If those German policemen knew that a Jewish boy would get the chocolate.

We live in Borislav. Not that a big city, but no longer a village. Before World War II, there was a lot of oil and oil rigs here. The Jews were mainly in charge of this business. Entire clans and dynasties lived in aristocratic mansions.

Our house, of course, is more modest and much smaller. When the Germans arrived, they set up the police departments in the next house. Our garden borders them. When such neighbors appeared nearby, my mother somewhere got hold of black paper with which she sealed all the windows in the house.

Police officers are different. Some of us, four children, shout furiously. And others imagine themselves as teachers. They call us to the fence and teach us German. Guten tag, danke, Aufwiederzein. If you repeat well and pronounce the words correctly, the policeman may throw a chocolate bar.

Aunt

A few streets away from us, across the river, lives Pavlina Shchepanyuk, my mother’s cousin. Until recently, several Jewish families lived on this Green Street and on the neighboring Truskavetskaya Street. Now German soldiers are stationed in their houses. The Jews themselves are hiding.

The Gabels and Weiss families, twenty people, live in Aunt Pavlina’s huge basement. We call the basement a “beer room.” It stands a little away from my aunt's house. A large iron gate leads into the basement, which is the direct entrance to the basement. Not far away is Zenik’s and my observation post and the metal horizontal bar on which my aunt beats out carpets. I have to hit this horizontal bar with a stick when I see Germans on the street, road or neighboring yards. Hearing such a knock and my scream, Aunt Pavlina receives a warning - she must not leave the basement.

They cook with my mother. And they carry all this to the Jews twice a day. Among them are women and children.

I do not like to go into this basement. It is wet and wet. When you pass several steps down, you find yourself in a huge room, which is knee-deep in water. Once a German patrol came here, but when they saw a flooded beer hall, they turned back.

You need to walk ten meters through this basement in the dark, and then there will be a turn to the right - the entrance to two huge rooms. This is where they live. They sleep on mattresses. It’s warm here, and logs are smoldering in two dug holes. The aunt gives the Jews firewood.

Once every two weeks, when it gets dark, Zenik has a special mission - to remove the dirty bed from the basement. In order not to attract attention, he wraps himself in sheets and runs around the yard with them.

Aunt Shchepanyuk has her own store in the house. German soldiers and officers, police officers and Gestapo officers are regular customers. Therefore, a better hiding place cannot be found in the entire area. The store is also a good excuse for purchasing food in large quantities. After all, 20 Jews need to be fed with something. And so the store also serves as a cover.

Even afraid of friends

Miroslava Lepka is the heroine of the story.
Photo: Ukrainian interest

Miroslava Dmitrievna Casting in 2017 is 77. So many years have passed since the events described above. To her and her brother, to the children, this protection of the Jews seemed a feat and heroism. The girl's mom was very scared then. All Even the closest friends and neighbors. Those 20 Jews hid their family for more than two years. When the war ended, the rescued left Ukraine.

Subsequently, several times, whole delegations came to Borislav. They were led by that little boy, Shevah Weiss, who during the war little Mirosya so proudly carried a chocolate bar. He became the Speaker of the Knesset of Israel (1992-1996 years).

Shevah Weiss brought his relatives to Aunt Peacocks' house, and in the center of the city thanked, in several languages, all the residents of Borislav, who helped his loved ones in that terrible war.

“Zenik, don’t touch me,” I joked for a long time when I came to visit my brother. We already had children and grandchildren, but we never forgot the password.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Shocking Exposure: Authoritative Autism Researcher Collaborated with the Nazis

Alexander Levin: Are the Jews of Ukraine afraid to report anti-Semitism?

How the USA keeps memory of the victims of the Holocaust

From slaughter to revenge: Why the world still does not understand the Holocaust

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.