the horrible storm would soon burst with explosive impact. Jews were particularly apprehensive, for they felt that tragedy was zeroing in on them. Hitler was constantly threatening the Jews with destruction. Friday, September 1, 1939, well before sunrise, when no one yet knew of Hitler’s unexpected invasion of Poland, Nazi airplanes were already flying over Pol- ish cities, dropping their deadly bombs. Bialystok, which until the war was officially in East Prussia, was not immediately targeted for these bombing raids. The reason was that Hitler initially launched his blitzkrieg against the western portions of Poland. After the first two weeks of war, when the German armies penetrated various parts of Poland, Bialystok began enduring the full effect of the air raids. The locations most vulnera- ble were rail lines, railroad stations, and significant mil- itary and industrial targets. Understandably, many in the civilian population also fell victim to these attacks. Massive waves of Jewish refugees arrived in Bialy- stok from other Polish cities. To a large extent they were motivated by a desire to cross the adjacent border into the Soviet Union. Furthermore, these refugees heard rumors that the Soviet Army planned to march on Bialystok and occupy the entire area, which would probably remain under Soviet jurisdiction according to the treaty between Berlin and Moscow — the lesser of two evils. Those first two weeks of the war found Bia- lystok in chaos, without any governmental control. Soon thereafter, the tragedy for the Jewish community in Bialystok commenced. THE SUFFERING COMMENCES On Friday, September 15, 1939, the second day of Rosh Hashanah, as most of the Jews in Bialystok were praying in their synagogues, the news that a division of the Nazi Army was at the gates of the city spread like wildfire. Panic erupted as Jews fled in all directions to hide from the murderers’ onslaught. At midday, the first platoons of German soldiers appeared in Bialy- stok. Shortly thereafter, as the streets of the city were practically emptied of people, the Nazi soldiers scat- tered all over the town with their weapons. Not encoun- tering any passersby, the Germans began firing their guns into the windows of buildings. That was the bloody beginning, a weird introduction to the calami- ties that would come later. The shooting left many dead and wounded. Most of the victims were Jews. At the same time the new Nazi authorities declared a state of emergency in Bialystok, imposing a curfew from 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. The Germans participated in and inspired a wave of robberies of Jewish homes. A number of Jewish women were shot for refusing to part with their rings. The Nazi murderers routinely beat and shot anyone resisting the robberies. There was a rumor that the Nazis would not long remain in power in Bialystok. In fact, the German sol- diers of the Wehrmacht themselves spread the word that they would soon be gone, to be replaced by the Rus- sians. Adding to this widespread belief were official Soviet radio reports that on September 17 the Russian Army would occupy all of the areas of Poland that once belonged to the western Ukraine and western Byelorus- sia. Such announcements were soothing to the Jews, although no one could predict how the Soviet authori- ties would treat them. Everyone felt it was better to get rid of Hilter’s murderers, who displayed their brutality from the very beginning. It did not take long until the rumor became reality. The Bialystoker Memorial Book Thursday, September 21, during the day, three Soviet airplanes flew over Bialystok, dropping leaflets over the city. The people were informed that the Soviet Army would shortly take over. The next day, the eve of Yom Kippur, the Germans were seen packing their bags, heading for Warsaw. The Jews were greatly relieved, hoping that a new and better period was approaching. At the time of the Nazi withdrawal from Bialystok, a special committee of Jews and non-Jews was formed. They made preparations to celebrate the arrival of the Russian Army. Bialystok was notified that the Soviets would be entering the city that very day. Flags and flowers were feverishly hung at the entrance of the town, so the Red Army would feel it was being properly welcomed. All this excitement was understandable, since the prior Nazi regime in Bialystok revealed how much worse the Germans were and what might develop later should they return. It soon became known that during the week Hitler’s soldiers were in Bialystok sev- eral hundred Jews were killed. Moreover, many Jews were robbed, their property confiscated. The Nazis’ short sojourn in the town would never be forgotten. Bialystok under Soviet Control

‘People in the streets greeted the Russian Army with great warmth. The professional associations and political organizations in the city filled the streets with red flags and flowers. The encounter was enthusiastic and friendly. Jewish youth, at that time already alien- ated from traditional Judaism, embraced the Russian soldiers, who returned their friendliness. The Russians told of their life style in the Soviet Union, emphasizing that only there could people live in freedom.” That is how the arrival of the Red Army in Bialy- stok on Friday, September 22, 1939, was described by 51