PODHAJCE, UKRAINE |
On May 22, 2001, my husband and I made a trip to Podhajce, the shtetl from which my maternal grandparents came and about which I had heard so many times when I was a child. We were in Lviv on an Elderhostel trip to Ukraine and Russia. Prior to leaving the U.S. we had arranged for a driver and guide to accompany us on this one-day journey. Our guide, Svetlana, arrived at the agreed upon 8 a.m. departure time, and we were off. Podhajce was only 75 miles from Lviv, but the poor road conditions made for a slow ride. Typical sights along the way included cows being herded along the side of the road. Our guide explained that the owners take the cows out each day to graze along the road-side. The fields are all planted, so no grazing can be done there. Another common sight were horses pulling wagons. The wagons were sturdy and made of wood in various sizes and designs. Svetlana said that Podhajce translates roughly into "town under the woods." Other towns or villages through which we passed were translated as "wild trees", "under the big rock stream" (located on "the rotten lime tree river"), "dawn", and "peaceful". Our guide related the following information as we drove along. Podhajce was founded in the 13th century. The first Jews came in the 15th century. Country fairs were often held; in 1519, there were a number of fairs, and these helped the growth of the Jewish merchants. In 1820 alone, there were 11 fairs. The Jews lived in the southern part of Podhajce. Before WWI, there were 3,700 Jews living in Podhajce, and there were 4 Jewish schools. In 1921, 60% of the population was Jewish. The population of Podhajce is now 3,000, and there are no Jews, since all but a few were murdered in the Holocaust. |
(PODGAYTSAY) |
A LESS ELABORATE SIGN WITH A VIEW OF PODHAJCE |
THE OLD CITY HALL |
MICHAEL LEHRER HOME |
SOME OF MY FAMILY'S HOMES AROUND THE SQUARE |
KIMEL HOME |
MORDECHAI LEHRER HOME |
BARON HIRSCH HOME |
MILCH HOME |
FISCHER HOME, LATER A VETERINARY CLINIC |
HOME OF DR. SHER (DENTIST) |
HOME OF DR. KESSLER |
OTHER BUILDINGS IN PODHAJCE |
As we were wandering on a side street, a gentleman came along and struck up a conversation. He was Dr. Bohdan Metyk, a retired physician with a very good command of the English language.. It was "beshairt" that we should meet him. He identified some of the homes shown above, and then went with us to the synagogue. Now in ruins, the synagogue was erected in the first half of the 17th century. ( The number 1559 on the synagogue plaque is not the date of dedication.) |
HEBREW LETTERING OVER THE ENTRANCE (This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter into it-- Psalm 118) |
The synagogue itself was obviously once a large and imposing structure. Today, it is only a shell. On the side is a small open-air market. I am torn between saying it should be restored or saying leave it as a symbol of the lives that were destroyed in Podhajce. |
THE INSIDE IS STREWN WITH RUBBLE |
With Dr. Metyk leading the way, we walked the few blocks from the synagogue to the cemetery. It is in a large, partially fenced-in field. A horse who wandered up to us was an indication that the cemetery is used for grazing. There were hundreds of large grave stones on either side of the field. The middle portion was clear, as these stones had been removed and used for things such as paving blocks. Identifying individual stones would be a monumental task. |
Dr. Metyk said that he knew of a mass burial ground just outside of the city and asked if we would like to see it. He made a phone call to get directions and went with us in the car. Twice, we stopped to ask people for more specific directons. (Obviously, the existence of the grave was of common knowledge.) We came to a hill, at the top of which the grave was said to be. There was not a road leading to the top, only two ruts that indicated a path used by horse and wagon. However, our driver was determined to get us up there, and he did. There were two markers--one an old gravestone from the cemetery and the other a metal stele. On the latter, the Hebrew reads: This place is a mass grave of the martyrs that were killed for the sanctity of God by the Nazis, may their name be forever blotted out. God shall revenge their blood. |
The grave mound is still very visible. It is the final resting place of some 800 Jewish residents of Podhajce. To think that such horror could have occurred in such an idyllic setting. |
JEAN ROSENBAUM BAYTOWN, TEXAS email: mervinr@hal-pc.org |
AN INDENTATION IN THE DOOR FRAME SHOWS WHERE A MEZZUZAH USED TO BE |
