The Diary of Yitzhak Lamdan
Concise Summaries

The concise summaries of Lamdan's diary entries follow below or you can return to the overview, translations, or interpretive summaries of the diary entries.

Notebook 1

June 1914 | July 1914 | August 1914 | September 1914

Notebook 2

July 1915 | August 1915 | September 1915 | October 1915

Notebook 1

June 1914

Friday, June 26, 1914

Much has happened before Yitzhak writes this first entry. Apparently, Yitzhak has been planning to make aliyah to the Land of Israel with the family of Abraham Weitz this summer and had arranged that they would add his name to the immigration documentation they were trying to secure. For the next month, Yitzhak is in turmoil because his plans are up in the air.

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Monday, June 29, 1914

Yitzhak was excited when Abraham Weitz’s son, David, stopped by Yitzhak’s home yesterday. There was good news and bad news. The bad news: the Weitz family was pausing their immigration efforts. Their decision to make the journey depends now on the decision of their relative Abraham Lender. The good news: they would try to include Yizhak’s name on the immigration papers. Yitzhak also notes that a week earlier he sent a letter to the periodical Shacharit inquiring about the 3rd issue that hadn’t arrived. Still no reply.

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July 1914

Thursday, July 2, 1914

Nothing new has happened and Yitzhak has no new news. The plans for the journey to the Land of Israel remain murky. He is still waiting for the third issue of the periodical, Shacharit, after writing to the administrative office about its failure to arrive. He is also excited about an issue of Perahim that is going to publish a poem he wrote called, “Spring Rain.”

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Monday, July 6, 1914

Yitzhak reports receiving news on the Sabbath from Dr. Pikhulitz the leader of the agricultural school in Petah-Tikvah. He was responding to questions Yitzhak sent him in a postcard. Even though the Weitz family sent a wagon to buy supplies at the home of Yitzhak’s family’s store, Yitzhak hesitates to get on the wagon going back to Bokiima lest his visit at the Weitz home is unwelcome. He remains in the dark about Abraham Weitz’s plans to journey to the Land of Israel.

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Wednesday, July 8, 1914

Yitzhak says he has nothing to write and that he has received no update about the Weitz family plans to journey to the Land of Israel. Yitzhak is still hoping that David Weitz or a courier from the Weitz home will come visit so he can get an update. He thinks about sending them a letter but is not sure they will answer. He is filled with self-doubts and his “crisis period” still haunts him. As an afterthought, he does report he composed a new poem.

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Thursday, July 9, 1914

Yitzhak reports learning the contents of an encouraging letter that arrived from Abraham Weitz’s son, Yosef, who was already living in the Land of Israel. Yosef was updating the family on efforts he was making locally to made to prepare for their arrival.

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Sunday, July 12, 1914

Yitzhak begins his entry with a quote from a poem of Zalman Shneour, a profilic Yiddish and Hebrew poet. Abraham Weitz shows up at Yitzhak's home in a wagon with news that he is not traveling to the Land of Israel but that his daughter Hinda and his relative Abraham Lender may go. Yitzhak’s journey now hinges on their plans.

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Thursday, July 16, 1914

Yitzhak is writing behind his home, taking in the beauty of nature around him. He hopes to visit Abraham Weitz on the Sabbath to learn if Weitz's daughter, Hinda, will in fact make the journey to the Land of Israel.

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Sunday, July 19, 1914

The blessing for the new month of Menachem Av took place yesterday in synagogue. Yitzhak hopes to visit the Weitz family but a wagon doesn’t show up from the forest and anyway he has injured his foot. He also reports a story he heard from Abraham Weitz about a friend, Shmuel Borshtak from the town of Hubyn Pershyi, whose journey to Palestine was abruptly cancelled by the residents of his town, who originally agreed to sponsor his trip.

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Tuesday, July 21, 1914

A friend, Shimon Berger, comes to Yitzhak's home and talks about a business opportunity in hops in the town of Dubno. He hopes to get Yitzhak and his brother Moshe involved in the venture. Yitzhak is not interested.

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Wednesday, July 22, 1914

David Weitz sends a note asking Yitzhak to resubscribe him to the newspaper, “HaZeman” but his subscription is still active. Moshe Grinspun shows up at the house and Yitzhak learns he wants to journey to the Land of Israel as well. Yitzhak reflects on how happy local farmers are and longs to see Jewish farmers in the Land of Israel. His foot is still sore and he has no news yet about whether Hinda Weitz will make the journey to the Land of Israel.

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Thursday, July 23, 1914

Yitzhak discusses a failed attempt to secure a wagon to visit Abraham Weitz. His brother Moshe will soon leave for Hubyn Pershyi where he works, and Yitzhak describes an exchange of letters with his friend, Shmuel Borshtak, the young man whose journey to the Land of Israel was cancelled.

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Monday, July 27, 1914

Yitzhak receives a note from David Weitz inquiring again about the newspaper, HaZeman, and a request for a new subscription. He also lets Yitzhak know that his sister’s journey is still up in the air but if she goes they will try to get Yitzhak included in the immigration papers. Meanwhile, Yitzhak writes to his brother in Hubyn Pershyi requesting he bring back several books. Yitzhak also mentions reading an important Zionist proclamation by former members of the aid organization, Ezra, in the newspaper HaZeman and reading a story in the booklet HaShiloach which arrived today.

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Wednesday, July 29, 1914

Today Yitzhak walked to Mervits to deliver butter and then, on the way back, he and his friend Ben-Tzion Gruber were ridiculed by Christian workers who were repairing the road.

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August 1914

Sunday, August 2, 1914

This is the first entry in which Yitzhak mentions and discusses the beginning of what is becoming WWI. On July 28th, Austria-Hungary declared War on Serbia. Russia, a Serbian ally, immediately began mobilizing its army. On August 1, Germany an ally of Austria-Hungary, demanded Russia cease mobilization. When Russia refused that day, Germany declared war on Russia.

Against this background, Yitzhak describes the emotions affecting the towns’ residents and the call up of reservists. He also mentions briefly receiving a postcard from Moshe Katz, most probably the young man born in Mlynov, who becomes the Yiddish poet Aleph Katz in America. It is also a fast day commemoration called the 9th of Av (Tisha B’Av) but has been delayed to the 10th of Av, as is the norm, because the 9th fell on a Sabbath. He ends his entry so he can leave for the prayer house for the afternoon prayers.

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Sunday, August 5, 1914

Yitzhak says goodbye to his sister and her family as they leave town and feels the enormity of the War. By this point he knows that Germany has declared War on Russia. He can't think about his personal dreams now in this situation. Yitzhak saw Abraham Weitz twice this week and Weitz chided him about still thinking about aliyah. While he is writing it begins to rain and as he enters his house, the house cat streaks mud across the pages of his diary.

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Sunday, August 8, 1914

Yitzhak didn’t write for two days. Refugees from further east are coming west to Mlynov. Many Russian soldiers entered town today. Traffic was intense, horses and automobiles going this way and that. Fear spreading. Where can one flee, Yitzhak wonders. A telegram arrives while Yitzhak is writing from his eldest sister, Heni (Genya) inviting them to join her further East further away from the fighting. Yitzhak stopped writing to go eat dinner.

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Sunday, August 16, 1914

Yitzhak didn’t write for 8 days because of the chaos caused by the War. He reflects now on how different his life feels now. There are many Russian soldiers in town now and they are acting decently. A defensive stronghold has been dug by them opposite the market next to the home of Yitzhak’s uncle Yosef. Everyone was starting to acclimate a bit until they brought four wounded soldiers into town. Yitzhak reflects on how wretched civilization is, on how far away the human condition is from the prophet Isaiah’s call that “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation.” Civilization calls for progress, but keeps improving weapons of destruction. He ends with the “wonderful dream” that one day the Jews living on their own land will generate world peace.

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Monday, August 17, 1914

This entry is in essence a continuation of the entry the day before. Yitzhak mentions that he didn’t write during the day because his friend Ben-Tzion Gruber came to visit. The smell of blood is in the air. Yitzhak also mentions a scandal breaking out between Israel Halperin and a soldier. Everyone closed their stores and fled home. Sounds of war can be heard in the distance.

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Tuesday, August 18, 1914

Yitzhak’s third entry in a row. He is mostly reflecting on the general impact of the War and on his personal dreams about the Land of Israel. He expounds on how terrible exile is for the Jews. He also alludes to a possible love interest whom he doesn’t want to write about because of prying eyes.

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Wednesday, August 19, 1914

This is the fourth day in a row that Yitzhak wrote in his diary. In a dramatic moment, the military personnel who were in town and dining regularly with Yitzhak’s family left for the front. Yitzhak is powerfully moved to question the purpose of war.

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Sunday, August 23, 1914

After a three-day break in writing, Yitzhak writes one of his most complex and detailed entries. He knows fighting is going to break out at any moment along the border of Austria and Russia about 49 km (30 miles) away and he ponders the possible outcome on his own life in Mlynov, as well as how the Russian Jewish community is responding to the pending War. He rails against those Jews who naively believe Jewish loyalty during the War will improve attitudes towards Jews in Russia over the long run.

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Wednesday, August 26, 1914

Yitzhak is reluctant to write today about the general situation, which has deteriorated and gotten more complicated from the War. Instead, he writes about his own aspiration, which only a month before seemed so close to being realized. In the meantime, they seemed impossibly far away. Recently, his longings for the Land of Israel are intensifying again.

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Monday, August 31, 1914

Yitzhak is in emotional turmoil. He knows that Russian troops were attacked and suffered heavy casualties in fighting near the Russian-Austrian border. Many wounded and dying soldiers were brought to Mlynov yesterday and in seeing them, Yitzhak is shaken and spills out his feelings about the awful impact of War, especially for the Jews. He also cites an anti-Jewish rumor circulating by the boorish folk in Russia.

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September 1914

Wednesday, September 2, 1914

Yitzhak reports that yesterday he woke up to discover that two hundred wounded soldiers were brought to Mlynov and distributed among the homes. He goes to see them and is dispirited by the sights. He feels a bit better at noon today when they are removed from Mlynov. He also hears news that Turkey might soon join the War against Russia, and he worries about the consequences for the settlement in the Land of Israel.

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Friday, September 4, 1914

Yitzhak gives an update on Russia’s progress conquering Austrian territories and German success against the Allied Powers. His main theme is the devastating mistreatment of Jews by the Russian army in the conquered territories and the continuing discrimination against Jews inside Russia itself, despite Jewish contributions to the War effort. Jews have given gold and built hospitals, but when a Jewish lawyer is called up to duty, the authorities treat him like a dog and forbid him from going to bid farewell to his family.

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Sunday, September 6, 1914

Yitzhak heard a story this morning that triggered him to write in the morning, outside his normal routine. The story concerned a soldier passing by town who couldn’t stop crying. The soldier who was in the combat zone had been ordered to bury a fatally wounded Jewish soldier while the man was still alive. The story evokes Yitzhak’s anger that God still permits War and so much suffering.

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Wednesday, September 9, 1914

Today is a day that Yitzhak gets to think about the Land of Israel without feeling guilty. And there are several reasons why he is doing so. His close friend Ben-Tzion Gruber is coming to visit today and Yitzhak is looking forward to speaking with a close friend about their shared dreams of making aliyah. The visit is a respite from the writing about War and Yitzhak opens up about how alone he feels in general and how he can’t really share his feelings with his brother Moshe.

Yitzhak also mentions getting the second issue of the periodical HaShiloach and continuing his reading of the story by Aaron Abraham Kabak and his enjoyment reading about lives in the Land of Israel. Material also arrived on this day for the plates that are set up for charity during the Day of Atonement and Yitzhak mentions the amount of money collected in the past for the Land of Israel.

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Friday, September 11, 1914

Yitzhak is mentally and physically depleted in part from digging a pit the day before to store squash behind his house for the coming winter and in part from the presence of more wounded soldiers in town and Austrian prisoners. In the present turmoil, he is finding it hard to concentrate on writing in his diary. In this entry, he worries again about the Jews who are caught between a rock and a hard place. The pretense that the reactionary group, the Black Hundreds, are lovers of the Jews is beginning to dissemble. News is reported about Jews committing traitorous acts against Russia. Yitzhak would much rather be writing about the glory of falls days around him, whose striking beauty he describes here.

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Tuesday, September 15, 1914

In his last entry in his first diary (Notebook A), Yitzhak indicates he has plenty to write about but doesn’t know where to begin. He then reiterates his concern that the Jews are bearing the brunt of the War’s tragedies. They are like an “atonement chicken” [a scapegoat] for all sides. The veil worn by those in Russia who pretend to be “lovers of Israel” is starting to slip and their true colors as haters of Israel is showing. Even in Mlynov the story of the Jews as traitors to Russia is the subject of a sermon.

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Notebook 2

July 1915

Sunday, July [25], 1915

After a six-month hiatus in diary writing, the now seventeen-year-old, Yitzhak, starts a second notebook. He ponders the purpose of diary writing and decides its main purpose is be an outlet for his feelings, a “shoulder” to lean on. Life has been quite boring, but two weeks ago the military started enlisting people to dig defensive trenches, aware that the tide had recently changed directions against them in the fighting with Austria-Hungary. Yitzhak is eager to help dig the trenches, seeing it as an opportunity to do something and strengthen his body, which is ultimately good training for his dream of going to the Land of Israel. Despite the pain of the first few days, he continued to volunteer until he was no longer needed. Today, he was apparently digging again and shares an anecdote about how he and another young man created a makeshift shelter for eating lunch and how he began daydreaming about making aliyah.

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Wednesday, July 28, 1915

Yitzhak has been busy writing at the trenches. His role is to record the names of Jews who are digging presumably as part of a quota system. He records an antisemitic incident this past week in which rocks were thrown on by non-Jews on Jews who digging and his feelings at the time. And just yesterday a soldier accosted him by the road. After an account of these incidents, Yitzhak discusses an exchange of letters with Hinda Weitz in the forest and how his brother Moshe opened and read one of the letters.

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August 1915

Wednesday, August 10, 1915

Yitzhak has continued his work at the trenches and reports that his wages are likely to go down because new military staff has arrived. The trench work has gotten in the way of Yitzhak writing in his diary but he did write a new poem called “No Escape or Refuge From Wars” and he quotes from it, though the full poem no longer exists. In the meantime, Yizhak has not gotten a letter of reply from Hinda Weitz, who he now describes as one of the few young women he knows who can write in Hebrew and who understands the spirit of the Hebrew heart. He wrote her another letter on Sunday but didn’t send it yet because he was busy helping Yitzhak the administrator (the Staroste) apportion wages for those involved in the digging.

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Thursday, August 11, 1915

In a short update, Yitzhak indicates his work at the trenches ended early today. As a result, he arrived home early and was able to hand the letter he wrote to Hinda Weitz to a delivery person who was heading to the Weitz family. Yitzhak then reflects on how awful life in exile is and he wonders what is happening in the Land of Israel, since there are no Hebrew or Yiddish newspapers reaching them with news.

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Wednesday, August 17, 1915

The nonstop rain in Mlynov has Yitzhak thinking about a poem by Bialik about the end of summer. Yitzhak puts his own spin on a verse from that poem that he quotes and gives his first indication, since his trench digging started, of the fear and worry that is on the mind of the town’s residents. As the Eastern Front draws closer, they are worried they will have to flee town, and they hope whatever their fate will be comes sooner rather than later. In the meantime, a letter arrived from Hinda Weitz with lame excuses for not writing, but also making Yitzhak feel better that at least she has not ended the correspondence.

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Wednesday, August 21, 1915

Yitzhak was out of the house during the day involved in distributing payments for trench digging. As a result, he missed the visit of Hinda Weitz and her mother to the family store. Of course, Yitzhak felt completely frustrated to learn he missed Hinda’s visit. He decides he must write her a second letter.

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Thursday, August 26, 1915

A terse entry, Yitzhak mentions his intent to send Hinda Weitz a follow up letter. In the meantime, he was in the nearby town of Pidhaitsi with the other Jews of Mlynov digging trenches for another military unit. Rumors of people fleeing and being evacuated are reaching them as the War front approaches towards Lutzk.

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September 1915

Friday, Sabbath eve, September 3, 1915

A riveting diary entry in which Yitzhak looks back over the last week and describes the turmoil reaching Mlynov as the fighting reached Lutzk. The entry includes the frightening moments when soldiers threatened to burn down his home and when they saw Mervits lit up in flames.

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Sunday, September 5, 1915

Writing in Dubno, Yitzhak fills in the details of his last days in Mlynov and his brother’s Moshe departure from Mlynov with three Mlynov householders and their first days in Dubno. Yitzhak is grateful he took his notebooks with him and thinks about the books in the library that were left behind.

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Wednesday, September 8, 1915, Dubno, Eve of Rosh Hashanah

It is the eve of Rosh Hashanah and Yitzhak and his brother Moshe are still in Dubno. The Russian military has evacuated and burned the bridges. Austrian army spies are thought to be in town. Yitzhak doesn’t know what will happen next.

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Monday, September 13, 1915, Dubno

Rosh Hashanah is over and Yitzhak is still alive, though canon balls are flying over the city. Yitzhak is reconciled to his fate but is grieving over his parents and especially his father.

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Wednesday, September 15, 1915, Dubno

Yitzhak is still stuck in Dubno and he is bored out of his mind. He can’t focus enough to do anything, even reading. He wanders around the city and there is nothing to engage him. He also receives distressing news from Mlynov. The houses have been filled with soldiers, and the remaining residents have been taken away for various kinds of labor. He thinks he and the other refugees may soon be allowed to leave Dubno, but going back to Mlynov doesn’t seem viable.

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Sunday, September 19, 1915, Notzitz (Nadchytsi)

A day after Yom Kippur, Yitzhak describes his exit with his brother and a traveling party from Dubno. He hoped to go to his home in Mlynov, but they were unable to do so. They headed to Nadchytsi where the Shteren family had a home. There during Yom Kippur they see the Austrian soldiers retreating.

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Tuesday, September 21, 1915, Nadchytsi

Yitzhak feels overwhelmed by all the thoughts running through his mind. He and his brother Moshe are in Nadchytsi still while rumors reach them that the fighting on the newly formed Eastern Front is taking place right in Mlynov. Luckily they can still obtain food, though they remain afraid of what is to come. Meanwhile Yitzhak’s thoughts are racing and he reflects on the possible destruction of his home and his personal library of books which he lovingly assembled.

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Sunday, September 26, 1915, Chol Hamoed (the intermediate days of) Sukkot , Nadchytsi

It is the 2nd intermediate day of the Festival of Booths (Sukkot). Yitzhak is bereft remembering the celebration in better times at home. He mourns the loss of everything in his home. The night before they didn’t sleep a wink because the Russian army withdrew from the area and they don’t know their fate.

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Sunday, September 27, 1915, Chol Hamoed Sukkot (the intermediate days of), Nadchytsi

Yitzhak’s fear has subsided since yesterday. The Austrians have occupied the area and are acting benevolent so far. He is bored with little to do. His writings are sewn up in a bundle and ready to go if he needs to evacuate or flee. He is thinking about going to Baranivka where his family is in Russian controlled areas and making some money teaching Hebrew or perhaps setting up a Hebrew school. But the reality of the situation reminds him that everything is still up in the air.

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Wednesday, September 29, 1915, Hoshana Rabbah, Nadchytsi

It is the seventh and last day of Sukkot, the day known as Hoshana Rabbah. Everything feels so profane in a foreign place with no change of clothes and nearly no food left to eat. Yitzhak is so sick of being in a foreign place. He dreams of crossing over into Russian-controlled territory where he can join his family and be in a place where he can bath and have a change of clothes, and perhaps even support himself teaching Hebrew or founding a school. He would join them even at the risk of conscription into the Russian army, if it were safe to cross the lines between the opposing armies.

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October 1915

Wednesday, October 4, 1915, Nadchytsi

The holiday period is over and the refugee party that made its way to Nadchytsi begins to disperse. David Weitz and his wife, and Michel Hochberg and his wife and sister, head to Boremel. David Weitz plans to proceed further to Horokhiv where his family is now. Mr. Chaim Shteren and Yitzhak’s brother Moshe head to Lutzk to get more information. Moshe and Yitzhak plan to go to Hubyn Peshyi where Moshe previously worked and where Yitzhak had friends if they learn that residents still remain there.

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Compiled by Howard I. Schwartz
Updated: October 2025
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