KADDISHEL
A Life Reborn
Kurjeta’s own deposition, which was signed by a number of the survivors. Kurjeta said he had been born and raised in the forest outside of Piplo and had become a farmer in a particularly isolated spot near Ludvipol; he lived there with his wife and six children. He was friendly and on good business terms with Jews from Lud- vipol, Koretz, and other local towns. The day before the liquidation of the Ludvipol ghetto, ten Jew- ish acquaintances from Ludvipol, including Pesko Kechzor, his son Lowa, Lowa’s wife, Wiemy Awrum, Awrum’s wife and two children, and Aba Guttman, escaped and fled to his farm and were hidden in a loft. After a few days, other Jews from the vicinity straggled in. Despite the danger of discovery, he aided them all. His thought was, “If I die, then I’ll be dead.” In other words, death would be the same whether he helped a lot of people or just a few. When the group grew to twenty or so, he gave them spades, axes, and other tools and helped them make hiding places in the woods. Some of those who were ill, and mothers with young children, stayed in his house. He and his family brought the hidden Jews food and clothing, and warned them whenever search parties or police were near. When they had to find new places, he assisted them. His family also hid a small child whose mother went to join a partisan group. The skilled refugees went to the Kurjeta house when it seemed safe and worked together making sheepskin rugs, blankets, and coats, which he sold to partisans and villagers. Once, he brought them a little honey on Rosh Ha’Shana. “They saw the honey, began saying something among themselves, and then start- ed to cry,” he said. “They explained that there’s a Jewish custom to serve honey on New Year’s Day, and this honey reminded them of the time they lived like eveiyone else.” Although neighbors and relatives were aware of the Jews there, no one informed on them. Poles were more likely to assist Jewish refugees than Ukraini- ans were. Arje Katz said, “Certain villagers, called Mazurim, were good to us. They were neither Ukrainian nor Polish, nor were they a partisan group. They were a different kind of Christian. They lived in our area, had their farms there, and helped the Jews hide Wierny everyone
300
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online