Trips: An essay by Shumsk native Lillian Waldman

Note from the author’s daughter, Rachel Karni: My mother, Lillian (Waldman) Morginstin, daughter of Sarah and Jacob David Waldman, was born in Shumsk in 1910 and came to the United States in 1924. She wrote this two years later for a school project, and the effort to please her eighth-grade American public school teacher is apparent. Shumsk was a part of the Russian Empire until the end of World War I, when it became a part of newly enlarged Poland. The border between Poland and the newly formed Soviet Union then ran just east of Shumsk. The change in government and the pogroms in Shumsk at the close of World War I are seen here through the eyes of the author, who writes about Shumsk in the years 1916 to 1924. She originally wrote this longhand and later typed it. I, Rachel Karni, have added footnotes.

My old home was in the town of Shumsk in Poland. Although our town was small it contained some well-constructed buildings. Most of the homes were one story high and painted white. Unfortunately we lived near the market place and before our houses stood a big barn. There wood was kept for the fire. But in the back we had a big garden. In summer we planted some vegetables and flowers. However the trees were of much more importance for they actually yielded apples, peaches and cherries. In the middle of the garden stood a little bungalow and there we sometimes slept whenever the weather was agreeable.

At the end of the city there was a river. It ran several miles and supported our town with power and water.¹ In one particular place we were allowed to go bathing. Of course in summer we used to go bathing and row-boating. Everything was beautiful in summer but oh, what a change came in the fall when we had rain every so often. Our town was not paved and as a result of rain we had a great deal of mud. The mud lasted only for a short time and finally we had snow. In winter we used to go skating and skiing. What fun! I wish I could go back for a visit.

How different my school life is at the present time from that of the past which I spent in Poland. The difference between American schools and Polish schools varies greatly. My school in Poland was a small building one story high with about six rooms in it. In this country my school building is five stories high and contains about forty rooms. Gymnasium and auditorium were unknown in Poland. As a result of lack of physical exercise most of the boys and girls didn’t walk in the correct way. All kinds of games which are played in this country were unknown in our schools.

The pupils were never gathered together for we had no auditorium.² We never used to have a visitor come and talk to the students. However, here we have many educated people that come and speak to the boys and girls about many important things.

I studied Hebrew in Poland but the subjects were almost the same as the American subjects. Reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar and history were the most important studies. We had no shop work while here I am taught domestic and art work.

There they don’t have public schools like they do in this country. However many schools were opened, but everybody had to pay a certain amount of money each month. The masses of the people were uneducated and ignorant. In the villages the boys and girls knew nothing but how to do the work on the farms.

During the last six or seven years more and more public schools have been opened. The government is trying to educate the people that are living in the villages.

Before our town fell under the Polish rule we had many Hebrew schools. Afterwards we spent half of the time studying Hebrew and half studying Polish.³

School hours were almost the same as American school hours. We started at nine and worked until three. During the summer the hours were from nine until two o’clock. We also had two weeks vacation.

I had been taught by many well educated teachers. In one case I had a teacher from the first class up to the graduation class. Unfortunately I had to leave my home before I graduated.⁴ In this country I have tried to gain more education in Hebrew but I have not succeeded because I would have to stay in New York and that is impossible.⁵

The opportunities of this country are great. One can attend day school or night school. Everybody has the same chances of holding a high position because all are given an equal opportunity to educate themselves.

Traveling in our town was slow and painful. A wagon pulled by a team of horses took the place of the automobile. Once a machine appeared and the horses were almost frightened to death. They ran between the stores and did much damage.

When we stopped in Warsaw for two weeks we saw many fine horses. Automobiles, trolley-cars and buses were in use too.

When I reached America I was surprised to see that the streets were covered with trolley-cars and automobiles. I realized that it is far more comfortable to ride in a car than to ride in a wagon.

In Poland a train is divided into classes. Of course the first class is comfortable to ride in, but any American train is far better than the first class in Poland. The seats are poorly made but they have cushions while here the seats are made of good material. From our town to Warsaw we had to ride two days. An American train that has to go two days usually has at least a berth where you can sleep, but there they haven’t any such thing as a berth in a train. The second class is not so pleasant, but the third class is the poorest of them all. There the poor people ride. In Poland the poor are many and the trains are filled with them.

It is almost unbelievable what I saw in my own town! During the World War not only people were killed and wounded but many horrible things happened that it is almost unbearable to think of. The Russians and Polish were fighting around our vicinity. One day a Polish army would come in, rob the people, kill some, and wound others. The Russians would then rush in and make a terrible attack.

All of this murdering and wounding was dreadful. Many people lost their feet or arms. Many people became deaf and there were some who even became dumb from the great shock they received.

Bandits armed themselves as soldiers and often came to rob the people. The following scene I shall never forget. It was a hot Friday afternoon when the stores were closed and the Jewish people were ready to receive the Sabbath. “Bandits! Robbers!” we heard a call all of a sudden. We had to hide somewhere or else get killed. As our house was built with a barn in front we locked the doors and prayed to God that we might be saved.

“Open the door!” came a call from outside. As we recognized the voices we let in a rich family that were seeking protection. After being in the house about an hour one man said that he had forgotten to let his cow in the barn, and that he would even endanger his life to rescue the cow. All our urging and pleading was in vain. He went out where he met some robbers. They asked him if he was not afraid of them. He replied that he was a shepherd and didn’t know anything about the confusion. After the cow had been driven into the barn the man turned back to our house. Upon his entering, three bandits surrounded the house. The door was opened by one of them. Immediately they started to hit the man who had gone for his cow. They wanted money but he insisted that he hadn’t any. When the blood was running down his head he sent his daughter-in-law with a baby in her arms to the cellar to get the money. The poor woman couldn’t find the money and one of them wanted to kill her but the other bandit told him to leave her alone. On leaving the lady they rushed into another house where they killed the father and the son became deaf. They came back to our house and compelled the man to give them money.

The three robbers finally went out of the house. They tore the money because it was of no use to them and then rode away. This is one of the horrible events that occurred in a little town during the World War.

Many dreadful scenes took place in my old home before the town fell under the Polish rule. The Russians and the Polish were fighting around the town. Each commander wanted to get possession of it. During those horrible days most of the people used to hide in caves and in cellars. However, a few people stayed at home for they said that God would protect them at home just as he would protect them in the caves. Food became scarce and as a result many people starved in their hiding places.

What a summer it was! The sun had been shining every day. Trees were blossoming. The grass was growing. Birds seemed to sing melancholy songs. Yes, everything was indeed sad. “A new day, a new wound” was the saying. It’s a wonder that the remainder of the people didn’t go mad when they heard how their sisters and brothers had been wounded.

On a bright summer day one family ran across the market place and they were suddenly attacked by some soldiers. The father was shot in the head. He lingered in the hospital a few days and died. The mother was shot in her right arm. The arm had to be cut off. That poor woman is living without an arm and is trying to support her five children.⁶ How miserable, I hope there will never be such a terrible war as the last one.

At last when the bridge was cut by the Russians on one side of the city the Polish entered on the other side. After this we knew that we would be governed by Poland.⁷

The Polish government had been very harsh at first. Of course the signs in the stores had to be changed from Russian to Polish. The stores had to be closed on Sunday. A tax was put on every little thing. We had to do everything different from what we were accustomed to doing. Little by little naturally we got used to the new rules.

Finally most of the people agreed with the new methods of life. Peace reigned at last, for the havoc of war had passed.

One bright frosty morning when I was about to go to school my mother told me that we would sail for America the next month. I was so excited by the news that I forgot all about school that day and many other days that followed.

My thoughts were confused during the coming month. At times I felt very unhappy at leaving my old home, a home where I had spent my childhood and many happy hours, a home where I had friends, a home where the people spoke a language that I understood, a home where I was not a stranger.

The sad feelings soon vanished when I thought that I would soon see my beloved father.⁸ However I was also glad to travel and see the world. I was glad to come to America, a land that everybody wanted to go to, a land that thousands of people dreamed of.

What became of our property that my mother worked for? Our house and the store full of kitchen utensils were soon turned over to a cousin who was an orphan.⁹ We had many valuable things that we wished to take along but we were unable to. However pillows and cushions were permissible to carry. For remembrance we have absolutely nothing except the pillows that reached us after we landed.

Many were the hardships that we had to undergo even in our own little town. My mother had to go about a hundred times to the city hall before she could get a passport. We also had to take pictures to put in different booklets. The booklets stated that we were leaving Poland for some time. They also stated that we had to leave Poland before a certain date.

At last came the day that we left. We were more happy to leave than to stay, because the last few days it was almost impossible to bear the Polish rules. We left at midnight. Two o’clock in the morning I could still see my old home but as we rode on we lost sight of it forever.

Early the next morning we stopped at the neighboring town.¹⁰ There we had to stay one week, because we had to get some more information about our leaving Poland.

This town was larger in size and population than my own. The many fine buildings were of two or three stories high. The streets were paved while in my town we often had mud. Many fine school buildings were erected.

They had factories and manufactured many things especially leather. Their market place was much larger and displayed more products. Newspapers were distributed among the people. Of course these people knew more about what was going on in the world than the people of our town who very seldom read a newspaper.

As a whole the people of the neighboring town were more self-reliant. They progressed more than the people in our own home.

When my mother got the information that she needed we took a train to Warsaw. This trip was long and tiresome. We had to ride about a day and a half. There were no berths in which we could sleep. However, finally we reached Warsaw, where we had to stay two weeks.

Our next stop was Danzig. There we stayed three days in the barracks. The barracks are houses built especially for passengers that sail for America. The place seemed to be comfortable. We were provided with food and berths. Saturday morning we left. About two o’clock that afternoon we arrived at the port where a boat was waiting for us.

Everything was comfortable during the first day. The ship sailed on her way and the passengers enjoyed themselves on the deck. The last two days were terrible. A terrific wind dashed the ship backwards and forwards. Everybody was sea-sick. Even the sailors had not been seen the second day. However, the coast was finally reached.

Again we lived for a few days in a quiet place. Then we came to a port where we got a glance at the Atlantic Ocean. The high waves were dashing and roaring. Young as I was then the ocean made me feel sad. Suddenly a big ocean liner appeared. This huge vessel was to take us to America.

We spent two weeks in the Franconia. The boat was one of the largest oceangoing vessels. The Franconia could carry 20,000 tons. All modern ideas of oceangoing luxury had been realized in the ship. The ship contained restrooms, sport areas, swimming pool, gymnasium, card room, garden, lounges, smoking room, lounge and dining saloon.

For many days we couldn’t see anything but the blue sky and the bluish water. Some days we felt comfortable on the ship. However, there were other days when the Atlantic was stormy and everything seemed to be gloomy. The first Thursday when we were on the deck the sky became heavy with water. The ship began to rock to and fro. We saw that a storm was approaching. Water appeared on the deck. The sailors told us then to go down to our staterooms. When I awoke in the morning I heard everybody chattering about the day before. They were all thanking God, for having been saved in the midst of the Atlantic. That day a feast was held. In the afternoon, music was played and a party for the children was held. During the party they gave us little books concerning the ship.

The ship was an English one. The sailors spoke English. There were also many American people on board. A young American fellow was on deck. He had been in England and was sailing home. How kind he was. He tried to teach us to count in English. What fun it was when he said that in three weeks we would be able to speak the English language. He was comical, but at the same time he could not speak our language and we could not speak his. There was one girl and she had a heap of fun with him. When once he expressed himself in the wrong words the girl became angry at him though he didn’t mean to say it. Well, the last few days were enjoyable. At last we approached where our hearts longed to go. We reached the “Promised Land,” when we finally landed in Staten Island.

¹ The name of the river is the Vilya. The electric power mill was owned by Avrohom Rojch.

² While the school had no auditorium there was a very active dramatic society in Shumsk at this time. Many teenagers and adults belonged to it. It mounted its performances in the erstwhile beer house, the Brover, owned by the Wilskier family. The author would have been too young to take part in the drama group. See the chapter “The Drama Group in Shumsk” in the Szumsk Yizkor Book, http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/szumsk/szumsk.html

³ The curriculum of the “Tarbut School” the author attended has been found among the microfilmed annual school reports to the Polish Ministry of Education Inspectors of the appropriate years and is kept today in the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People in Jerusalem. Note that the name of the school on all official documents is not “Tarbut School” but rather “Talmud Torah School.” Intensive studies in both Jewish and secular subjects were offered. See the chapters on schools and education in the section “Organizations and Different Movements” in the Szumsk Yizkor Book, http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/szumsk/szumsk.html

⁴ The author was in the middle of her last year of study at the school in Shumsk when the family left for the United States. Elementary school in the Polish system lasted only for four years. To insure that Jewish children remained in school for eight years, each of the four grades of the “Tarbut School” was planned by the staff so that it lasted for two years. When the Polish inspectors visited the school the older children were sent home so as not to reveal to the authorities that they were still pupils. (Oral communication from Ruth Sztejnman Halperin)

⁵ In the United States the author’s family resided in Newark, New Jersey. The author did attend the Newark Talmud Torah for a while in addition to public school, until forced by financial circumstances to get an after-school job. She often reminisced that those in her class who did continue their Jewish education “became Hebrew teachers and rabbis, yet from my schooling in Shumsk I knew Hebrew much better than they did.”

⁶ The name of this woman was Rachel Akerman. To help her support her family, the Bat family, who owned a row of stalls for vendors in the marketplace, saw that Mrs. Akerman obtained one of the stalls. Mrs. Akerman perished in the Holocaust in August 1942, when almost all the Jews of Shumsk were massacred. (Oral communication of Penina Dorfman Sharon, whose mother’s maiden name was Bat.)

⁷ It took a few years for the Soviet Union to impose Communist control of the area on its side of the international border, which at this point passed just east of Shumsk. After that occurred there was no more contact between the Jews of Shumsk and their relatives who were in nearby towns such as Ostrog, Slavuta, Kornitsa and Belogorodka, which were now a part of the Soviet Union. Even when Shumsk became a part of the Soviet Union, in 1939, in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrof Pact, this border remained sealed. It was opened briefly by Soviet authorities in July 1941 when Germany attacked the Soviet Union and people were allowed to cross the border on their way east. See the Holocaust section of the Szumsk Yizkor Book, http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/szumsk/szumsk.html

⁸ The author’s father, Jacob David Waldman, son of Simcha Waldman of Shumsk, had left for the United States in 1913, leaving his wife, Sarah, with six little children. The oldest two were children of his first wife, who had died in childbirth; Sarah raised them as her own. Jacob’s plan was to earn enough money to send for his family after a short time, but the outbreak of World War I and financial hardships caused a long delay.

⁹ The pottery workshop and shop that belonged to the Waldman family in Shumsk produced dishes and clay cooking pots which were used by the Ukrainian peasants of the area. Three or four Ukrainians were also employed in the workshop. The author’s elderly widowed grandmother and her daughter-in-law, Sarah (the author’s mother), ran the shop until Sara’s departure for the United States. The shop was then given to Mendel and Layke Waldman, younger brother and sister-in-law of the author’s father. They worked there until August 1942, when they were massacred with their three adult children, Hasya, Usher ( a graduate of the Rovno Yeshiva and a teacher) and Freida. (Information gratefully received from Avraham Chasyd and David Moldawan)

¹⁰ The author is referring to the city of Kremenets.