was burned down. In his naïveté, a young man tried to save the holy building
and was shot. The next morning, soldiers stood on guard outside the remaining
batei midrashim to prevent Jews from setting their synagogues on fire and
blaming the Germans. [. . .] seized a large number of young (unmarried) men
and expelled them across the Narew [. . .] side.
On 18 [. . .] the administration in Sierpc changed. Fresh edicts were
issued [. . .] the Jews [. . .] not conduct any [. . .] not use any electricity [. . .],
give up their possessions. Personal levies were imposed: I received a demand
for five thousand zlotys. The pretext was that the Jews had concealed basic
commodities. On 30 October gend[armes] confiscated the Jewish tradesmen’s
stocks and locked and sealed the shops. In the evening, 60 men (unmarried,
myself included) were taken to prison and subjected to a cruel gymnastics
session. This was meant to serve as a frightening example for Jews who had
not paid the levy. First, we had to run for 2 hours. The pace was murderous.
All those who fell behind were driven on with staves and sticks. We had to
run over planks and through puddles; we were black with mud. [. . .] own cold
sweat and tears. [. . .] everyone was more dead than alive. We also had to run
through stinging [. . .]. The victims no longer even felt that they were alive.
Then they took a young man, [. . .], bound him hand and foot, chained his
legs, laid him in a grave and began to fill it in. When he had almost stopped
breathing, he was [. . .] taken out of the grave.¹⁸⁵² While this show was going
on, the officer in charge delivered a moralizing lecture about Jewish usurers
and price-hikers, the [. . .] in the war, and the greatness and nobility of
Hitlerite Germany. [. . .] All the tortured victims had to listen to the lecture.
In conclusion, the [. . .] that everyone had to pay the levy amount immediately.
We all stood in the cells till 4 a.m. (we were not allowed to sit down). At 7 a.m.,
covered in blood, we sang Hatikvah and ordinary songs for [. . .] hours. After
the choir singing, we did physical exercises again. Wives and mothers stood
at a distance. The Germans wanted to torment the women sadistically, too.
At 9.30 they released us so that we could pay the tax. A fresh batch of victims
took our place. When a Christian doctor examined me in order to give
me a certificate, he wept together with me. I fled to Płońsk, where I hid [. . .]
shutters for two weeks. From there I fled to Warsaw.
1852 Cf. Docs. 137 and 138.
