from the Book of Remembrance – written by Y. Lifshitz.
David Horodok was a Zionist city – since the days of “Zion lovers”. As we have already mentioned, the city was influenced by Lithuanian Jewry – from there the Enlightenment movement penetrated at the end of the 19th century. From there – also the Zionist movement.
“The Stray in the Ways of Life” by Peretz Smolenskin, “Love of Zion” and “The Blame of Samaria”, together with Shas – decorated the bookcases in the Jewish homes in David Horodok.
At David Horodok they read Hebrew newspapers. They bound the “Hatzifar” issues into a book, they read and studied Nahum Sokolov’s Shabbat evening articles.
The younger generation was brought up in a Zionist spirit – for this purpose they brought the chosen teachers to David Horodok, and they led the “corrected room” where they learned Hebrew in Hebrew. Even before the First World War, youth groups existed in David Horodok, who spoke, among themselves, only Hebrew.
In 1915, the youth held, on their own initiative, a memorial meeting for Dr. Herzl. The Existential Fund stamps were sold at weddings, when these stamps were just starting to appear. Shimon Leichtman and Shlomo Roseman were the ones who sold the stamps at every wedding. On the eve of Yom Kippur, it was customary to sit by the synagogues with “bowls” for the “Yishuv Fund”. Whoever donated 25 kopecks – his name was printed in a special book.
The “Salonimai” rabbi used to donate one ruble.
Because of the war and the tsarist regime, it was difficult to develop an extensive Zionist operation. Meetings on various Zionist issues were held secretly or under cover.
Increased Zionist action took place after the Kerensky Revolution in 1917. The forces of the people, dormant for many years, arose and shook it.
With great vigor, encouraged by the belief of many possibilities that the revolution would make possible – they approached Zionist action.
The entire Jewish population then devoted itself to public and political activity. To be non-partisan – it was a shame. Indeed, they were hardly non-partisan. They almost forgot livelihood and subsistence concerns and engaged in party work.
They vigorously engaged in election work for the Constituent Assembly in Russia, organized the Jewish community, founded a Hebrew school, a library, established cooperatives, the activity was in all areas of the life of the city and the community.
When the Bolsheviks took power in the city – activity in public life weakened, but when the Germans re-entered David Horodok – Zionist activity began anew, and the source of its encouragement was the Balfour Declaration that was given at the time. However, as mentioned – the city passed from hand to hand, the Germans left, the Bolsheviks entered again – and again the Zionist work stopped altogether.
When the turbulent period of the Polish Bolshevik war passed, a civil government was established in David Horodok and increased Zionist activity began.
The first visit of the Keren Hayesod emissary – Dr. Haimazon – in 1923, turned into a huge Zionist demonstration.
In the fundraising event for the Foundation, all the residents of the city participated, from all political parties, including the poorest residents. Even more impressive was the visit of the Keren Kemeyet emissary – Yehoshua Manouh of Degania. A holiday atmosphere enveloped the city. A messenger from Eretz Yisrael – is she the most Maltese?
The Jews wanted to gather around the messenger – to see his face – the face of a true worker of the land from the Land of Israel – they wanted to breathe the air of the Land of Israel.
The visit of Y. Manoah strengthened the Zionist spirit and consciousness. It was the immediate meeting with a farmer from Israel. During the aforementioned visit, the “Keren Ha-Hayyim Battalion” was founded in the city. This “battalion” was active in all areas of work for the existing fund – gathered around it all the Zionists (that is, the important people of the city from all streams) of all ages and existed until World War II.
At that time the immigration to the Land of Israel began and David Horodoc immigrated pioneers as well as whole families: l. Dushnik, D. Rimar, A. Lachovsky, S. Master, Z. Paine and more.
With the stabilization of normal public life, the political parties in the city began to operate.
The first to resume their activities were the general Zionists and the Zion youth. These were the two main parties during all the years between the two world wars, the largest in the number of their members, in their influence and in their actions.
The General Zionists, upon resuming their activity, approached a comprehensive information campaign, were active in Keren Hayesod, Keren HaKaymet and also renewed their library whose activities were silenced during the Polish Bolshevik War.
The general Zionists held assemblies and lectures, helped establish a “Tarbut” school and, later, founded their youth movement “The National Guard” (later: “The Zionist Youth”). The general Zionists participated in an election campaign, such as: final elections, for the municipal council, the community committee, the Zionist congresses, etc. For a while there was also a training kibbutz in the city – “the Zionist youth”, who came from different places and did their training at David Horodok. This kibbutz did not exist for a long time due to a lack of work in the city. It was liquidated in the first year of its existence – that is the year 1934. The youth of this kibbutz moved to training centers in other places and there waited for approval to immigrate to Israel.
In the ranks of the general scores were found wealthy people, homeowners, etc. However, craftsmen, laborers and youth in general – constituted a human reserve for the “Zeiri Zion” party.
Like the general Zionists, so did the “Young Zionists” – they renewed their activity in David Horodok and consolidated their power properly. It was a party whose members were mostly young people, aged 18-25. These young and dynamic forces were felt in every action. Full of faith and self-confidence, they aspired to encompass more and more wide circles – their action and influence, in all areas of public life, was, therefore, very evident: lectures, meetings, evening classes, action for the existing fund, gatherings, etc. The party was bustling with members who came, night after night, to fill work, as much as will be assigned to them.
The action to purchase work tools was a great demonstration for the working Land of Israel. A special committee was established to provide help to the pioneers who came from Soviet Russia.
According to their initiative, the action of the committee for orphans was also renewed. In 1923, they established the “Pioneer” and in 1924, the Lisovitz Training Kibbutz.
In 1925 it was founded by Po’at-C.S. The Peretz library which has developed nicely, both in the number of its readers and in the number of valuable books.
In the last years before World War II, it was the only library in the city. The “Freiheit” youth movement, founded in 1926, developed a broad educational activity among the youth, helped them complete their studies and led to the immigration of youth to the Land of Israel.
In 1931, the party began to organize the artisans for Aliya, “HaOved” was established and many of its members immigrated to Israel.
The party’s activity was hampered and severely damaged in the last years before the outbreak of the Second World War – and this was due to the accessibility of the reactionary – semi-fascist government that ruled in Poland. Thus, for example, the C.S. POA list was disqualified. In the elections to the community committee in 1937.
An important Zionist operation was conducted by “HaMizrachi” and “HaPoel HaMizrachi”. The latter founded in 1925 a training kibbutz in Dobrin and most of the members of this kibbutz immigrated to Israel.
“Ha Mizrachi” and “Hapoel Mizrachi” took an active part in the works of the Haysom Fund and the Basic Fund.
In 1925, a group of friends founded the “Union” party, which ceased to exist when its founders immigrated to Israel.
Besides the two youth movements “Freiheit” and “The Zionist Worker”, two other youth movements were active in David Horodok: “Hashomer Hatzair” and “Beitar”.
“Hashomer Hatzair” was founded in the city in 1927 and conducted a good educational activity among the youth of the city,
He was active in the work of the existing foundation and the League for the Working Land of Israel.
Many of his friends left for training and immigrated to Israel.
As already mentioned, David Horodok was an entirely Zionist city. The “Bond” was not in the city at all.
As a result of the anti-Semitic reactionary policy of the Polish government as well as the difficult and helpless economic situation of the youth – a small group of communists was founded in the city – but their number did not reach ten.
Their influence was zero, and the group disintegrated after some of them were banned. Some of the prisoners… immigrated to Israel, after being released from prison. The rest stayed in David Horodok and completely stopped their communist activity.
In 1939, when the Bolsheviks entered David Horodok – they were among the activists there, and caused quite a bit of trouble for the Zionist businessmen. Their whistleblowing led to the imprisonment of many of the Zionist leaders in the city.
Unfortunately, we do not have any material that can clarify the year 1905 in David Horodok. We must, therefore, draw our information from the mouths of people who remember that year – although they themselves did not take an active part in the stormy events of that period.
From these memoirs it turns out that in 1905 a small group of “Bond” was active in David Horodok under the leadership of Ehad Halpant, he is A. The famous Litvak. There was also a group of socialist territorial realists. We even have historical proof of this group: in the American “Forverts” at the time, a photo of 20 members of David Horodok was printed (we print this photo in our “Yizkor” book). According to the narrator, these socialist movements encompassed wide circles of youth. In a certain period of time, they even controlled the city. They organized self-defense, and they had weapons in their hands. They demanded a 12-hour work day. However, the workers themselves did not want to work so “little”, and the revolutionaries would forcibly remove them from work.
There were cases where children who belonged to the revolutionaries would come to their parents who employed laborers and take the laborers off work.
Apart from that, the revolutionaries were engaged in spreading education and self-education.
With the failure of the revolution, these movements disintegrated in David Horodok. Some of them were banned and sent to deportation. Many fled to America and eventually left David Horodok.
It is worth noting that after the Kerensky revolution in 1917, the “Poalei Zion” people organized and renewed their party. They were joined by all those who were active in the revolutionary movement in 1905. They showed dedication and activity and managed to organize all the workers as well as many supporters.
They managed extensive work: organized lectures, evening classes, libraries, an art class, cooperatives and a professional movement.
At that time, the city was divided into two parts: General Zionists and “Poalei Zion”. In the elections to the Constituent Assembly in Russia, the Zionist Organization received 740 votes compared to 620 votes received by the “Poalei Zion” party.
With the annexation of David Horodok to the Bolsheviks – the situation changed. Some of the leaders of “Poalei Zion” went over to the Bolsheviks, while the majority of the leaders and the rank and file did not join them. These retired from political life in general. Of the great “Poalei Zion” party, only memories remai