Re: [Cz-L] Transnistria

Below is some discussion of Transnistria from my late mother Pearl
Spiegel Fichman's memoirs, Before Memories Fade:

Two days later soldiers came into the Ghetto to spread the news that
next day certain streets would be evacuated, the people re-settled in
Transnistria. Everybody in these streets should be ready to move next
day. First we could not figure out what "Transnistria" was. It was part
of the conquered territory of the Ukraine, across the river Dniester,
East of the river, Soviet territory.

Next day two or three thousand Jews were chased out from two streets
and they were walking, taking along what they could carry on their
backs. They were chased toward the rail road station. Romanian soldiers
chased them to hurry, to fill up the cattle wagons. By the evening, the
trains fully packed, sides bolted - they were on their way to
concentration camps. On that first day, my friend Lola and her entire
family left, among so many others. As we had our knapsacks ready to go,
we went to a different location in the Ghetto, because next day was our
turn to leave for Transnistria. As we had seen on the first day what
was happening, we three decided that it was better to try to leave
later. Thus, we made up our minds to go from place to place, maybe a
miracle would still happen.

We moved four times, to different locations. In one place, in an attic,
there was such terrible fleas, they tortured us all night. We went from
place to place with only one sack each, for that was all we could
carry. After ten days of deportations, the Romanian administration
changed their plan. The town was paralyzed without the Jews. There were
no people to run the services after the destruction left by the
Russians, the Romanians had not returned yet in any numbers and without
the local Jews, the town was paralyzed. Besides, there were
Romanian-Jewish intermarriages and the affected families intervened
with the government in Bucharest. There may have been some intervention
 from abroad, but that is not proven. As a result, the general issued a
decree stopping temporarily the "re-settlement" of the Jews. By that
time three quarters of the Jews had been deported to Transnistria.

There had to be guide lines concerning who was needed, who would be
allowed to stay. Since the Jewish community could not figure out what
was intended or who was needed, they started registration of
specialists. My former elementary school was within the Ghetto area and
registration took place there.

Everybody was desperate and lists were made for any kind of specialty.
I registered where ever they would accept my name. You did not have to
show a document, that would come up later. I was on a students list
(who needed students?), on a chemists list, nurse, anywhere. I put
Father’s name on all kinds of lists, Yuda was in the same situation,
although we had no contact at that time. He also registered on all
kinds of lists and he got a certificate to return home as "factory
foreman." The deportations stopped temporarily.

Eytan Fichman, AIA
B.Arch., M.Arch., Ed.M.
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Received on 2009-10-15 02:41:21