Szymon Amiel

... Szymon Amiel ...

... The postwar Bialystoker committee in Paris began its wished each other a happy holiday. work under difficult circumstances. Receiving no aid Approximately one hundred sat at beautifully dec- from abroad, it used its own resources to give each Bia- orated tables. Szymon Amiel led the seder. Mr. Babicz’s lystoker Jew passing through Paris money and other son asked the ‘four questions.” assistance to obtain temporary visas and to emigrate Dr. Youchnovetzky welcomed the guests with further. warm holiday greetings. Fiszl Fajnfeld suggested that A group of Jandsleit who arrived in Paris directly everyone rise in tribute to the martyrs of Bialystok. He from Bialystok was warmly received by the committee, expressed warm wishes for the Bialystoker Center in which offered all necessary aid. New York, as well as for Bialystokers all over the Many thanks to Izaak Rybal-Rybalowski, who world. Special greetings were sent to the /Jandsleit in found temporary quarters for transient Bialystokers. Australia who had obtained visas for hundreds of Bia- Furthermore, the committee resettled the fifty Bualy- lystokers, saving them from the Nazi clutches. stoker children who arrived in Paris fro ...

... Zalmen Edelman from _ Bialystok; Awremel Karasik, Monjek Rajzner, Somojl, a carpenter; Judel Lew, Kulkin from Grodno; Bereszczanski, Ruwke Perlszteyn, Welwel Szyf from Jaszynowka; Judel Goldn- fentk, a glazier; Owsejewic from Wilno; Lewitansi, a locksmith; Prusak from Grodno; Furmanski, a painter from Warsaw; Josef Lew, Kaplan, a carpenter from Polna Street; Aronczyk Zubowski, Szymon Amiel (wri- ter of this article); Szlojme Rozenblum from Sanok; Nysel from Charuwjeszow; Abramowicz from Slonim; Dowid Rak from Grodno; Lipiec (three brothers from Grodno) Jeshaje Lipiec from Grodno; Lojkes from Grodno; Grodnicki from Grodno; Chaim-Berel from Grodno; Szlojme Gelbard, a painter; Slobodwic from Lapy; Zbinowic from Horodok; Mejszel Gerszuni, Tewele Wrubel, Jojne Lis, Chackel Fendzak, Szyjele Ofersztejn, Awremel Boczkowsi and brother. ...

... Several in our group suggested they could contact the Partisans through Polish connections. On November 1, 1943, we sneaked out of our place of work in the ghetto. Under the cover of night, we crawled on our bellies through the streets until we reached our Pol- ish contacts. We numbered eight: Szymon Amiel, Berel Szacman, Mojsze Grotkowicz, who owned a locksmith business on Nowolipja Street: Trocki, Meir Bez, a weaver from Horodok; Henach Lupe, Drzakanski, and Icele, a barber from Lodz. Unfortunately we were dis- appointed, for we were told that the Partisan who was to take us to the resistance forces had been shot and nothing more could be done for us. A Polish interme- diary hid us for a couple of hours in a pigsty but soon afterward forced us to leave because he did not want to jeopardize his life. He told us the Gestapo was combing the area for us, since we, numbering eight men, had turned up missing. The cold, hunger and terror caused one of our group to develop a persecution complex; he repeated over and over that we were surrounded. We could do nothing to calm him down. ...

SZYMON AMIEL ...