indescribable. The evening of Rosh Hashanah approached, and the synagogue
was occupied by soldiers. Every heart again poured out its anguish to God
in private. There were only a few separate minyans where neighbours came
together to pray collectively. Thus, we and a few neighbours gathered at Hershl
Pietrkowski’s house and prayed together. We had to pray in silence, pouring
out our bitter hearts to God in silence. [11a] There was more cannon fire
during the night, but a little further from town, and, thank God, the night
passed peacefully.
Thursday, 13 [14] September 1939, first day of Rosh Hashanah. We rose
early and at 6 in the morning we gathered again at Hershl Pietrkowski’s,
2 or 3 minyans. We had gotten hold of a shofar. Noyekh led the prayers from
start to finish and Yankl Litvak blew the shofar. By 9:30 in the morning,
we had finished praying. Returning home from prayer, we heard the terrible
news, may God preserve us, that Lekechbeker and his son Yekhiel,
who lived in [Nowe] Zakopane, had been murdered. We buried them on the
first day of Rosh Hashanah. The night passed peacefully and we no longer
heard any heavy cannon fire. Many soldiers arrived during the night, so
we were unable to say the evening prayers collectively. The whole town was
occupied by soldiers.
Friday, 14 [15] September 1939, second day of Rosh Hashanah festival.
We rose very early but were unable to gather to pray like the previous
day, because there were soldiers everywhere. We couldn’t start prayers until
8 o’clock. The prayer leader was Levi Lejzerowicz. May we all see better times,
so well did he lead the prayers. [12] And so by 9:30, we had finished praying.
The whole day passed peacefully. The night also went by without cannon fire.
Saturday, 15 [16] September 1939. No change. We prayed collectively.
People began to be taken for work. The last refugees from the villages and
towns had arrived. The bakers had to bake throughout the Rosh Hashanah
holiday and even on the Sabbath. Although people forced them to do so, they
were willing because they did good business.
Sunday, 17 September 1939. Got up very early. A beautiful summer’s day,
but we were unable to go out on the street because they were rounding up
men, especially Jews, to work burying people and horses. It turned out that
they had worked in Noworabka,⁸⁶⁰ where the army had been positioned, and
860 Possibly Nowa Rabka, a district of Głowno.
