Refoel Rajzner at the beginning of his book, The Fall of Bialystok Jewry — 1939 to 1945. The book continues to portray the influence of Soviet control in Bialystok and the events that took place shortly after the Russian occupation: day after the Soviets arrived, the local com-‏ סמ די' mandant issued an order rescinding the state of emer-‏ gency that was in effect since the beginning of the war.‏ Because of this the city was once again illuminated after‏ three weeks of darkness. People began moving about in‏ a normal fashion. The Jews in Bialystok were able to‏ breathe freely. Under the Soviets, a new economic and‏ social order was formed, totally unlike what had pre-‏ vailed before. Some of these changes, however, made‏ the lives of the inhabitants more difficult. For example,‏ it was virtually impossible to obtain necessary commod-‏ ities. As it turned out, during an unusually bitter win-‏ ter, 1939-40, people were forced to get up very early in‏ the morning to stand on line in order to obtain bread‏ and other vital staples. Not infrequently some had to‏ remain on line round the clock, in the bitter cold.‏ Finally, when one would reach the door of the store, he‏ would be bitterly disappointed to learn that everything‏ was sold out. People would leave these stores frozen,‏ ravenously hungry and deeply embittered because life‏ had become so difficult.‏ Severe unemployment ensued under Soviet rule. People went around idle, life becoming more unman- ageable from day to day. Later on, however, at the end of the winter of 1940, unemployment eased. Life gradu- ally returned to normal and, ultimately, necessary con- sumer goods became more attainable. In addition, the population grew accustomed to the new way of life, reinvigorated with hope for better times to come. But there were other difficulties as well. A pro- found housing shortage emerged in Bialystok caused by various factors. First, a large number of dwelling places were converted into factories. Second, thousands of Russians — Soviet officials, soldiers, commissars and many others — arrived, most of them with their wives and children, entire families occupying many houses. Third, tens of thousands of Jewish war refugees from various parts of Poland descended upon Bialystok. It was well known that most of these unfortunate men, women and children wandered on foot from place to place as they fled the Nazis. One was fortunate to succeed in running away from the German hell and to enter areas under Soviet control. Until the war, Bialystok numbered approxi- mately 100,000 residents. All of a sudden, in the first months of the Russian occupation, the town swelled to almost 200,000 people. The housing shortage was there- fore acute. It should not be forgotten, however, that after the Russians succeeded in ‘‘normalizing” life in Bialystok, the new authorities also carried out a ‘‘house-cleaning operation” among the local population, including many 52 Jews. When Jewish and gentile refugees were expelled from Bialystok for refusing Soviet citizenship, thou- sands were arrested and banished to Siberia. The offi- cial Soviet reason for these expulsions was that those deported — “the dangerous elements’? — must not be allowed to live in Bialystok, since it was too close to the border. Among the “‘menaces” deported to Siberia were former manufacturers and merchants, leaders of the various political parties, activists in Jewish institutions before the war, clergy of all faiths, former Polish offi- cials and ordinary people the authorities considered ‘“‘unstable.”” These sweeping expulsions, particularly when they involved the deportation of the Bialystoker Jews and Jewish refugees, left a bad impression on the Jewish community. For a long time the fate of the deportees was unknown. Only months later were their letters received by their families and friends. The exiles wrote that they were dying of hunger and that they required immediate relief. Various measures were taken at once to assist them. Food packages were dispatched, bringing about an improvement in their condition. A New Life for the Jews In time, life in Bialystok gradually returned to nor- mal. All factories in the city operated at full capacity, and even some new businesses were created. Naturally, everything in the town belonged to and was under the supervision of the Soviet authorities. State-operated stores multiplied from day to day and scarce commodi- ties became more plentiful. Jews in Bialystok were hired for various jobs; others in time were transferred to other occupations and agencies.