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Braslav

Latitude: 55º38' Longitude: 27º02' 121.4 miles North West of Minsk
Also known as Braslaw, Braslau and Breslauja

Click on Photos to Enlarge


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#bras-7:	#bras-8: On the right-Meer Beliak, my grandfather Inna Avrutina	#bras-9:

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#bras-25:	#bras-26: Public leaders of the Braslav community	#bras-27:

#bras-28:	#bras-29: The Ghetto street during the war. To the right stands the police station.	#bras-30: Members of the Bikur Holim ("Visiting the Sick") institution of Braslaw

#bras-31:	#bras-32:	#bras-33:Ruins of desecrated cemetary of Braslaw

#bras-34: The dramatic society of Braslaw	#bras-35: Members of the drama group after a performance (1937): Standing (from left to right) Daniel Karasin, Perke Charmac, Mariaszka Rajchl, Hirszke Cepelewicz; Sitting (from left to right) Szimon Widerewicz, Szajke Dejcz	#bras-36:

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#bras-43: Folke Rafael Charat, son of Eisel and Avraham Baruch Charad. AVRUM BARUCH was the son of BERL-WOLF CHARAD and FRAIDA-RAUCHEL BANK. AVRUM BARUCH and his wife (Eisel) had 4 children ; SIMA, and three brothers * MEISHKE, ISROEL (both killed fighting the Nazis) AND FOLKE.The parents were murdered in Braslav. FOLKE fought in the Partisans and the Russian Army and finally settled in Israel, in Ramat Gan, in the early 1960's. Folke (or Ralph) has 2 children, a son MOSHE and a daughter	#bras-44: Israel 2. MEISKE and ISROEL Charad escaped from the Ghetto and joined the Red Army. They died in the WW2, (September of 1944 fighting the Nazis in the Russian Army). Their sister , Sima received notification of their passing from the Soviets.	#bras-45:

#bras-46:	#bras-47: View of the Town	#bras-48: Questionary regarding the situation

#bras-49:	#bras-50: Soldier	#bras-51: Recruits of the Polish Army

#bras-52: Bronze medal award to Chayim Dejcz	#bras-53:	#bras-54: Yerachmiel Milutin Partisan Papers

#bras-55:	#bras-56:	#bras-57: Luba Gamosz Bic Patisan Nurse Medal

#bras-58:	#bras-59: Emma Milutin Partisan Nurse Paper	#bras-60:

#bras-61:	#bras-62:	#bras-63: Isser Rabinowicz War Medal

#bras-64:	#bras-65: Zalman Charmac Letter of Commendation	#bras-66:

#bras-67:	#bras-68: Tombstone of Szymaryahu Wajnstein	#bras-69:

#bras-70:	#bras-71: The Pits	#bras-72: Tombstone

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#bras-76:	#bras-77: Memorial Stone on Mt Zion	#bras-78: Map of Opsa

#bras-79:	#bras-80: Opsa Fire Brigade	#bras-81:

#bras-82: View of Opsa	#bras-83:	#bras-84: Betar Group of Opsa

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#bras-88: Alexander Dagowicz Partisan Paper	#bras-89: Yehuda Leib Deutch (son of Sarah) of Braslav From the Album of Asaf Lurie <asi.look@gmail.com>	#bras-90: Sarah Deutch of Braslav From the Album of Asaf Lurie <asi.look@gmail.com>

#bras-91: A photograph of David Datz who was born in Braslav in 1938 OR Shimon Datz, 1947.	#bras-92: A photograph of Sima Datz, 1947	#bras-93: Sonia Zeidlin nee Eidelson was born in Braslaw, Poland. She was a housewife. Prior to WWII she lived in Druja, Poland. Sonia was murdered/perished in 1942 in Druja, Poland at the age of 45. This information is based on a Page of Testimony submitted by her stepson meir, a Shoah survivor.

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Created by Eilat Gordin Levitan

Read translation of the Yizkor book
http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/Braslaw/Braslaw.html

Historical Braslav district map;
http://www.jewishfamilyhistory.org/Map%20of%20Braslav%20District.htm

Please share your comments or photos or links for posting on our Guestbook Page here: egl.comments@gmail.com

View Our Guestbook Page

Yizkor Book | Read the Yizkor Book

http://www.belarusguide.com/cities/braslau.html

Family Portraits (originated predominantly in the Vilna region)

Yizkor book; Original Title: Emesh shoa; yad le-kehilot/gevidmet di
kehiles Braslaw...
English Title: Darkness and desolation; in memory of the communities
of Braslaw, Dubene, Jaisi, Jod, Kislowszczizna, Okmienic, Opsa, Plusy,
Rimszan, Slobodka, Zamosz, Zaracz
Editor: Machnes Ariel, Klinov Rina
Published: Israel 1986
Publisher: Association of Braslaw and Surroundings in Israel and
America; Ghetto Fighters House and Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing
House
Pages: 636 Languages: H,Y,E
Notes: 65 pages are in English

Libraries
Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, , Israel, Call No: D47(438)
Price Library of Judaica, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL,
United States, Call No: Has book
New York Public Library, Jewish Division, New York, NY, United States,
Call No: *PXW(Braslav) 89-8626
YIVO Institute for Jewish Research Library, New York, NY, United
States, Call No: nc
Simon Wiesenthal Center/Yeshiva University Library, Los Angeles, CA,
United States, Call No: 87-709

Braslaw Yizkor book, table of content

Original Title: Emesh shoa; yad le-kehilot/gevidmet di
kehiles Braslaw...
English Title: Darkness and desolation; in memory of the communities
of Braslaw, Dubene, Jajsi, Jod, Kislowszczyzna, Okmienic, Opsa, Plusy,
Rimszan, Slobodka, Zamosz, Zaracz
Editor: Machnes Ariel, Klinov Rina
Published: Israel 1986
Publisher: Association of Braslaw and Surroundings in Israel and
America; Ghetto Fighters House and Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing
House
Pages: 636 Languages: H,Y,E
65 pages are in English

Table of Content

Notes from the editors 10
Braslaw- Chapters from her story

Braslaw, historical notes - Ya’acov Levin 15
For the memory of Yerachmiel Mendel Meirson - Miryam Rothenberg ( Marishka, daughter of Gitel and Velvel Rajchel) 35
As told by Perke Fisher (Perl Mina, daughter of Ben Zion and Chaia Golda Charmac) 37
As told by Yehuda Cepelewicz, son of Zvia and Leiba 43
As told by Ziska ( Reuven) Szmuszkowic, son of Gitl and Leib 59

The Community of Braslaw during the Shoah

Poem; Deep Deep Pits, and Red Red Loam - Shmuel Halkin 65
For the memory of my father, Rabbi Zvi Hirsh ( Reb Hirszl Valin) Z'L -Yisrael Valin
For the memory of the Rabbi Avraham Abba Ya’acov Zahorie Z''L - Tuvia Fiszer 68
About Chayim Munitz ( Munic) Z"L, born in 1911 to Shaitel and Rafael Yaacov - Ran Leiser 70
Masha ( Masza, daughter of Brine Malka and Chayim) and Mendel Maron ( son of Sofia and Chayim Isaac) tell their story 72
The story of Chayim Band, son of Chaia Chana and Avraham Leib 80
A common story; imprisonment, exile and fight - Ya’acov Lewin, son of Chaia Sheine and Leib Meir       86
The story of Motel Hirsh Fiszer, son of Beile Zelda and Baruch       90
The story of Yerachmiel Bielak, son of Sara Gitel and Chayim Leib   96
The story of Tuvia Fiszer, son of Beile Zelda and Baruch   108
The story of Henka Fiszer, son of   111
The story of Yeta Wishkin, daughter of Fania and Rafael Fiszer 117
Like arrows at the hands of the hero so were the youth- Poems and Notes written during the Shoah 120
The story of Anna ( Neyuta) Zelikman, daughter of Rachel and Ya’acov Kantor 124
From the Hall of the courthouse; the indictment of Stanislav Jasinski 134
The infamous Stanislav Jasinski; The murderer of the Braslaw Jews 136
How I survived.-.Boris Ulman, son of Leah and Zelig 143
The story of Moshe Wishkin, son of Sarah Leah and Tuvia 145
A survivor story- Eliezer Fiszer, son of Chaia and Feibush 155
The story of Young girl who survived-Zipora Toker (nee Feige Tsippe, daughter of Gisia and Chonzka Bielak) 159
The story of Sarah Mowszenson, widow of Yehuda Moshe and daughter of Riva and Mendel Katz 164
The story of Chana ( daughter of Sheitel and Rafael Yaacov Munic) and Zusman Lubowicz ( son of Chaia Leah and Avraham) 217
The story of Moshe ( Mosze, son of Sonia and Ber Leib) Milutin 227
The story of Rafael Charat, son of Eisel and Avraham Baruch 234
The story of Avraham Bielak, born in 1924 to Henia Riva and Natan 239
The story of Chayim Eliahu Dejcz (son of Malka Reiza and Yitzchak Daitch) 245
The story of Yerachmiel Milutin, son of Sima and Avraham Yitzchak 254
The story of Yitzchak Rajchel , son of Batia and Ya’acov 258
The story of Lyuba Smidt, born in 1919 to Minda Peya and Eliezer Yitzchak Bik. Widow of Leib Gamusz and Moshe Kagan   263
The story of Ester Emma Milutin- Korner, daughter of Nechama and Yaacov Rosonik, widow of Yerachmiel Milutin 274
A 1946 letter from the Soviet Union by Chayim Munic ( son of Rachel and Levi Yitzchak) to his sister; Monka Shmutzer in Kibbutz Ein Yam 280
About Tevale (Tuvia) Bielak, son of Henia Riva and Natan- notes from his friends in the Partisans unit 283
About Moshe Baruch Bank and his two sons- Y. Lewin 286
From the Ghetto to the partisans and a soldier of the I.D.F. - Chayim Ben Arieh ( nee Bort) 288
About Issar Rabinowicz, born in 1914 to Gita and Shlomo 293
The story of Zalman Charmatz, son of Chaia Golda and Ben Zion 297
Letters from Peretz Levin (son of Chaia Sheina and Leib Meir) who fell as a Red Army soldier on 2-8- 1945 300
The three brothers Wajnsztein join the combat; Ther story of Shmaryahu Z”L, Shmuel Z”L and Israel Yosef, sons of Gitl and Uri   302
About Gershon) Jankelewicz, born in Braslaw in 1910, killed in combat; 9-9-1943- Y. Levin 308
About Michael ( Mendel) Sherman Z”L, A Shoah survivor who passed away in 1979 309
Braslaw after the war- Sarah Szmuszkowicz, daughter of Batia and Leizer Gamusz 310
On the terrain of Braslaw (Commemoration poem) - Yoel Nimnov 312

As a memorial to the fallen
A father; On the passing of my son I lament ( poem) 313
Amity Kort, born in 1936 to Ester and Arieh, fell in 1956 defending Israel 315
Chaim Robowitz, born in 1929 to Moshe and Shoshana fell in 1948 defending Israel 316
Zvi ( Yehoshua Heshel) Zeif born in Braslaw in 1912 to Chayim Abba and Chasia fell in 1948 defending Israel 316
Arieh Levin, born in 1946 to Yaakov and Zoya Chasia fell in 1968 defending Israel 317
Shmuel Berkman born in 1948 to Halina and Boris fell in 1973 defending Israel 318

The shtetl Opsa;

Reminiscence of Opsa- Ya’acov Aviel, nee Abelewitz, son of Ester and Zvi 323
The survival story of Motke ( Mordechai) Rosenberg, born in 1928 to Leib and Chaia Pesia 339
Opsa, the shtetl and her Jews - Arieh Munitz 352
Melehke the "Groy"( Hero), the story of Melech Munitz, son of Israel Yitzhak and Ester Golda- Arieh Munitz and his sister; Zahava Bilogoski 354

The shtetl Okmienic

The survival story of Alexander ( Shmaryahu) Dagowicz, born in 1923 to the sole Jewish family in Okmienic 354

The shtetl Dubene

The survival story of Sima Morzki, born in 1926 to Ester ( also survived) and Israel Yizhak Feigin 367
The survival story of Rivka Rokszin, daughter of Chaia and Meir Maron 377
The story of Mira Lotz, born in 1926 to Rachel Lea and David Shneider 381
After Dubene was liberated…Zalman Lewin, son of Sterl and Motl 389
The story of the sole survivor of a large family- Chana Fejge Berkman, born in 1915 to Ester and Hirsh Skopiec 390

The shtetl Zamosz

The survival story of Chalvina Pincow, son of Zvia and Menachem Mendel 393

The shtetl Zaracz
The story of Shlomo Rajchel, son of Reizel ( nee Krasin) and Mendel. The sole survivor of the only Jewish family in Zarach 397

The Shtetl Jajsi

The survival story of Szne'er Munitz, son of Rivka and Avraham Ya’acov Munic 399

Chapters for the shtetl Jod (Jody)

The survival story of Slawa Pincow, daughter of Sara and Chaim Shalom Bor 405
The survival story of Zalman Fisher, son of Chaia Sara and Yitzhak 427
The survival story of Luba Janowsski , born in 1925 to Miryam ( nee Zilberman) and Moshe Wilkicki 433
Partisans in the area of Braslaw- maps and notes from the book; Partisans in the Vileika region by Kilmov and Grakov 440
Partisans natives of Jod ( Pinchas Jofe, Binyamin Dobyonski, Avraham Wilkicki, Shimon Zilberman, Shalom Munitz, Piwel taruk, 441

The shtetl Slobodka

The survival story of Boris Berkman, son of Mira Leah and Shmuel Hillel 445
The shtetl Kislowszczyzna
The survival story of Masha Kapitza, born in 1929 to Zvia and Ya’acov ( also survived) Rakszin 451

Yizkor

To our perished community - Polia ( Pesia) kahat, daughter of Frida and Sander Weif 459
Facing the memorial stone (poem) Ya’acov Aviel 463
Those we'll commemorate....( Lists of Perished)
Braslaw 467
Opsa 482
Dubene 484
Zamosz 486
Jajsi 487
Jod 488
Slobodka 492
Plusy 494
Rimszan 495

My perished town; abridged version of the Hebrew text in Yiddish 497 – 573)

Darkness and Desolation- abridged version of the Hebrew text in English 636 – 573- paged backward, Hebrew version.

For more information on Braslav see:

http://www.seligman.org.il/slobodka_braslav_home.html

History of Braslav

http://www.seligman.org.il/braslav_history.html

Braslav during the holocaust;
http://seligman.org.il/braslav_holocaust.html

Jewish Partisans from the Braslav Area Forests
http://www.seligman.org.il/braslav_holocaust.html