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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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