Shomrim Farbrenges in Honor of their Victory
Friends and family gathered Monday night, the 22nd of Kislev, for a Farbrengen and Seudas Hodaah commemorating one year to the victory of the Shomrim Six. With a lavish Seudah, and words of thanks and Chizuk the group celebrated their continued ability to help and do good.
The Mishna says “that there are four people who have to thank Hashem”, one of those people is someone who was freed from prison.
The Shomrim six faced about 100 years of combined jail time due to a vicious Messira, which BH they emerged victorious, and indeed fall into the category of ‘someone who was freed from prison’.
Keeping with the directives of the Mishna the Shomrim six held a Farbrengen attended by family and friends, who heard words of inspiration from Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky.
The Farbrengen started off with Shomrim coordinator Gadi Hershkop thanking Hashem for all the kindness he bestowed upon Shomrim, and then proceeded to thank each and every volenteer for their dedication and continued good work.
He also noted that it is divine providence that the Shomrim victory falls out between 19th of Kislev, which was a victory over Messira, and Chanukah in which the minority won over the majority. He finished off saying that during the trial people asked him “why dont you just quit and give it all up?” so I thought about for a while and my answer was “If my Zaide who suffered through the labor camps in Siberia, and was able to leave alive and continue helping people in every way possible, certainly I, who hasn’t suffered anything compared to him, must continue to do good and not despair”, and concluded that “My Zeide is my inspiration”.
Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky spoke about the unfortunate situation that we have in our community, where Messira became a cheap thing R“L. Then he connected the Shomrim Six with the story of Yosef and his brothers.
Yosef was sold out by his brothers and suffered immensely, but ultimately he made his way to Egypt where he suffered even more anguish in the home of potiphars, and then later in prison, but from there he rose to great heights that he practically ran the worlds super power at that time!
So too, said Rabbi Bogomilsky, Shomrim was attacked through Messira by fellow Jews, they went through pain and anguish and eventually they prevailed, like Yosef did thousands of years earlier.
He then addressed the question that Gadi Hershkop mentioned earlier ”why not just quit?“ and he said “quitting is what they wanted you to do ”, “Yosef didnt quit either”. Then he proceeded to tell a story with a tremendous lesson in Chinuch and in life in general how one should never quit and keep on doing good things.
He finished off saying that he would like to make a suggestion, that at the weekly Shiurim Shomrim holds that they should add and learn at least one Halacha. He then wished everyone with Hatzlocho to go from strength to strength.
The next speaker was one of the attorneys for the Shomrim Six Mr. Tedd Blecher, he reminded everyone that this whole case was a political case, “ and it would of never made it to court if not for the political pressure” he said how he feels that “Shomrim should be given medals of honor, even after you were persecuted you continue to go out there and assist the community,” he said you have people that help others, and they do that because they have some kind of motive or gain by doing so. However, you guys are out there helping for no other reason than to simply do good, it’s amazing to see“.
The Farbrengen continued with the singing of ”Podoh Beshalom” and other nigunim with some volenteers sharing some Divrei Torah in connection to the event.
Donor to trial
I hope they continue to serve our community without menius veikuvim
keep up the good work
keep it up shmorim. its sad how yiddin will try to lock up 6 shomrim members cuz of poltics and hate.
amazing!
keep up the good work!
Fellow Shomrim Volunteer
After two year of my fellow Shomrim volunteers showing up to court and ending up in a six week battle for their lives, I personally thought that this was the end of our organization, the end of our shomrim family, boy was I ever wrong.
This is how it went….
After a full day or hours in court, having fellow Jews pointing at you like Nazis, one would think that the Six sitting on trial would call it a night.
Not So.
When a call came in as they were driving back from down town Brooklyn, guess who were the first to respond to calls?
If you said the Shomrim Six, you are correct.
Gadi Hershkop, our wonderful coordinator (may Hashem bless him and his family with health, wealth and happiness), has responded to more calls this past year then he did years before (and Gadi responded plenty before court).
The day of the verdict, when others would be bitting their nails, pulling their hair and having a nervous brake down, the Shomrim Six (and their families) were cool, calm and doing a lot of prayer.
Our other wonderful coordinator Aron Hershkop was told to go down to the action and buy (at all cost) any scooters he can get his hands on.
That day, the day of judgment for the Shomrim Six and Shomrim as a whole, two new scooters made it’s way to the streets of Crown Heights. Two new scooters that will help another in a time of need.
Since last year, our organization, our family has grown by leaps and bounds, B’gashmyis and B’rochnyise.
When it comes to Chessed (kindness), the Crown Heights community hasn’t seen anything yet.
Like the Crown Heights Rov, Rabbi Bogomilsky said at the Farbragen, “our greatest Yom Tov (as Chassidi Chabad) came out of Messira”. [Not to say g-d forbid that Mesira and this mesira is justified in anyway – you get the point].
I am lucky and privileged to be part of this great family. I am like an ant amongst giants.
“We were here yesterday, we are here today, and we will be here tomorrow for anyone who calls on us for assistance.”
Sincerely,
A Fellow Shomrim Volunteer
another fellow volunteer
it could not be written better! I feel priviliged!
MMB
Paul from Malbone, do you hear, SHEKER has no legs.
My Zeide is my inspiration
“If my Zaide who suffered through the labor camps in Siberia, and was able to leave alive and continue helping people in every way possible, certainly I, who hasn’t suffered anything compared to him, must continue to do good and not despair”, and concluded that “My Zeide is my inspiration”. (Gadi Hershkop)
Chapter 6
Years of Imprisonment & Forced Labor
I came to the Yeshiva in Vilna during a good and thriving period. I hoped to quickly become adjusted and get back into my learning. Clearly the Yeshiva had been in a dreadful state for a period of time. However, we tried to continue to carry on with the Sadder of the Yeshiva as much as possible. To uplift the situation, one of the older Timimim asked me if my father, HaRav HaChassid Reb Chaim Meir Lis, would come to Vilna as Rosh Yeshiva.
As I explained in the first chapter, according to the instructions of the Frierdiker Rebbe, my father served as the Mashpia in the Yeshiva in Warsaw and the influence he had on the students was well known. His chassidic image was dignified and also well recognized. Since the students knew that my parents were moving about in different places, they suggested that my father come to Vilna. He would serve as Rosh Yeshiva, and, thus, come by a safe place for himself and his family from the horrors of war.
After considerable thought, I realized that the Yeshiva was, in fact, appropriate for our family and my father would also have an honorable position appropriate for one of his stature. The proposal so captivated me that I decided to fulfill their request and steal back across the border into Russia to bring my father and family to Vilna. I had to go in person since there were no phones or mail. I received a sum of money for the voyage from the faculty of the Yeshiva and only a few days after my arrival at the Yeshiva, I was on my way back to Russia.
I knew that my parents had a plan to leave Matzuv and go toward L’vov. I headed towards that vicinity hoping to find them. Thus, I found myself, once again, trying to cross the border, but this time exactly in the opposite direction. However, the Russian soldiers spotted me and, yet again, I was arrested.
The Russian soldiers put me together with a group of detainees who were being guarded under the watchful eyes of many soldiers. Since this was in no-man’s-land, without a proper prison, they held us somewhere in a bathhouse.
My Zeide is my inspiration
We remained here for a few days awaiting a trial. I remember that every night, in the middle of the night, a warden would enter the room and would announce – in other words, he wouldn’t say the name of the prisoner whom he was looking for, he just announced – who is here whose last name begins with “ל’” (for instance). All those with their family name beginning with that letter said their name and when the warden heard the correct name, he would say: “Oh yes. “gather your stuff and follow me”. And then he was taken to be interrogated. Obviously this was intended to disturb the other prisoners.
Sunlight did not reach this place. We figured out the time according to the schedule of the food distributions. Breakfast and supper was each at a specific time. When the warden would announce that we had to sleep, we knew what time it was. Besides this, we were obligated to go on an “outing” every day in the yard. Each one of us went out separately with a guard. It was during this time that I managed to daven; that the davening should be done in a clean place.
During one of these excursions, I needed to go to the bathroom. I asked the soldier where to go since there weren’t any bathrooms. He didn’t know what to answer me at first, but then he told me to go into the field and return. I did as he suggested and went out to the open field. Suddenly, I realized that no one was paying attention to me and, in reality, I was free. I was able to go anywhere. I didn’t hesitate more than necessary, and, quickly began to run, trying to distance myself from the ‘prison’ as much as possible.
I covered approximately 2 km when I suddenly remembered that I left my Tefillin in the hands of the Russian soldiers. I said to myself: “Rebono Shel Holom”, I don’t have תפילין. How can I continue without tefillin? If I manage to escape, how will I put on tefillin tomorrow?” I felt that I could not continue without my tefillin in my possession and I decided to turn back… what will be, will be.
I had an additional reason for returning: When I had escaped across the border, a frum Jew, with the name Karp, was with me and we were arrested together. I was afraid that after my escape was discovered, the Russians would find Karp guilty of being a collaborator in my disappearance.
My Zeide is my inspiration
I turned back and sat down near the group of detainees. No one noticed that I was gone and no one noticed that I had returned. After some time we were brought to trial and accused of attempting to smuggle ourselves across the border. When I stood on trial, I was declared guilty of being a Polish spy, trying to discover the strength of the Russian army. This was the main charge against me. The Russian judge ruled that I had to sit five years in prison in accordance to paragraph 58 in Russian Law; that was the most severe sentence.
Once again, I returned to my cell and, for eight months, alternated among various Russian prisons. During this entire period I was not given any respite. Every few weeks I would be transferred from one prison to another, mainly by foot, so I would not become comfortable with any one place.
These eight months in the prisons passed with great hardships, mainly because of the idleness and lack of activity. What was there to do? Nothing! I remember that one of the wardens once asked me what I did in the cell from morning to evening. When I was silent and didn’t answer, he declared in contempt: “Yes. You eat breakfast and wait for lunch and from lunch wait for supper; that’s your whole occupation”.
My Zeide is my inspiration
The cells in the prison weren’t small. They were big rooms containing sixty beds to a room and as many prisoners. It is self understood that the relationship amongst the detained was very important. I made a strong effort to become friendly with as many of the prisoners as possible. I, thus, had their respect. They called me “Rebbe’le”.
I will describe an event where I earned the protection of the prisoners.
When the soldiers began to discuss the labor camps where we were expected to be sent, and about the hard labor that we would be “Zoche” to, one of the prisoners (a Jew from Vilna who wasn’t frum) stood next to me and laughed at me: “This Rebbe’le will be able to work?”, Then he proceeded to curse and swear, R”L. I was able to withstand myself being humiliated, however, the cursing of G-d almight hurt me very much. I just couldn’t restrain myself. I approached this prisoner, pulled him to his bed, and I climbed onto the bed after him (since he was much taller than me). I “honored” him with a ringing slap and I warned him that he shouldn’t dare continue to speak like that. Obviously he wanted to take revenge on me, but the Gentile prisoners separated us and warned him that if he would touch me, they would kill him.
My Zeide is my inspiration
Throughout the time in prison, I was wary of the smelly soup and the other “provisions” we received, so I ate only bread and sugar.
After eight months, I was part of a large group of prisoners who boarded prisoner trains heading towards a labor camp in Siberia. The difficult voyage took more than two months; I remember the suffering to this very day. The carts were tightly closed and we weren’t able to leave them even once during the entire two months. The food was given in measuring utensils; approximately 300g of bread a day, and sometimes a small box of smelly, salty fish. There was barely anything to drink. The prisoners did their private business in the corner of the cart, without even a pail.
Despite all these horrors, I tried hard to keep my head above water and keep track of the days. Every day I made a note to myself of what day it was so that, as much as possible, I could try to honor and enjoy the Shabbos; obviously there weren’t any means with which to do this appropriately.
We waited for the day when we would finally reach the camp, mainly just to be able to leave the train. Finally the day arrived, but life didn’t become easier for us. We came to a camp in Siberia called “Varkut Lagger” – an area where the sun doesn’t shine for many months during the year. The frost in this area was unbelievable – with temperatures dropping sometimes to 50 degrees below zero. However, the cold did not prevent our supervisors from sending us out to work; unless the temperature dropped to minus 40.
The day after we arrived, we were already sent out to work. The primary work done at this remote and far out place, during the years I spent in the camp, was building a line of railroad tracks. This area could not be reached by train and the Russians were interested in developing it.
If there were no trains, how did we manage to come to this forsaken place? We traveled with prison carts until Kotlas, the closest city to this area, where we continued by ship for 4 days and then went by foot for another few days. The trek went on for hundreds of kilometers in the frost; an arid and really dark, dreadful frost. The city of Kotlas had big food warehouses from which we equipped ourselves with food – mainly toast. A specific brigade carried the food sacks on their backs until we arrived at the labor camp.
My Zeide is my inspiration
When we reached our destination, we first built a temporary camp. As I mentioned earlier, the following day we already started to work. Each brigade received an area of 2 – 3 km to build and continue the tracks. When the work was completed in one part, the camp was moved to the next area to continue the tracks. Each similar camp had about 100 to 500 prisoners.
This track was designated for a train line between Kotlas, a city of prisoners, and Varkota, a city with a gold mine, since the Russians hoped to promote the production of gold.
Food was a severe problem because supply vehicles weren’t able to reach this area. Only once in a while would a supply truck succeed in bringing food or mail. We were cutting trees in the forest and using the logs to build a roadway wide enough to accommodate only one vehicle. Every 10 km we doubled the width for a short stretch to enable an oncoming vehicle to pass; otherwise it would not have been possible because of the mud.
Since the ground was muddy, many of the trees in the forest couldn’t withstand the winds and from time to time collapsed on top of the prisoners, killing them instantly. The danger was stronger for those who made their way walking between the trees.
Although this work was hard and extremely risky, B”H, I was able to keep up, even though I wasn’t from one of the stronger prisoners. The Gentiles used to say: “This little one can uphold himself better than the rest of us”.
Building a train track in this area was much harder than any other place – not only because the temperatures were tough, but also because the ground was saturated with water. There were surfaces that did not have any earth, only mud. What were we to do? We would dig in the ground about 4 meters deep until we removed the mud and finally found solid earth. We would then fill the ditch with regular sand that we chiseled off the mountains in the area. We leveled the ground and only then were we able to begin building the actual tracks.
My Zeide is my inspiration
The work also entailed bringing dry sand from the mountains which were at least 2 km away. We transported the sand in wheelbarrows, pushing them across wooden tracks which we previously prepared. In the winter, when the ground was covered with hard ice, we were forced to break through the ice with pick axes and remove the top portion of the frozen ground in order to reach suitable dry earth.
I explained in a “dry” fashion the hard work that we did, but the physical and spiritual hardships were really very brutal. During this entire period I didn’t put on tefillin because the soldiers took them away from me. I often thought of the irony… I ended up here because I didn’t want to escape without my tefillin and, here I am, living many long months without tefillin…
Of course, I often thought about my parents – how were they faring? Were they spared the sufferings of war? Where were they at this time? I also thought a lot about the Frierdiker Rebbe. Where was the Rebbe now? What was he doing? During real challenging moments, I would envision his holy image.
Being cut off from the world brought about an unrelenting worry. I knew a really big war was taking place, but I did not know that millions of Jews were being killed. From time to time, it would enter my mind that maybe the whole world had ended and I was amongst the few remaining – not a very positive thought for the state of mind. Amongst us were Gentiles who prayed constantly that the Nazis would defeat the Russians, hoping they would reach us and free us from this difficult work.
Today it is clear that this exile in the depths of Russia saved me and thousands of other Jews from the claws of the cursed Nazis, YM”S, but since we were unaware of it at that time, our morale was very low and embittered.
DG770
This is all very well, but it is important to note that the noble work of shomrim still remains to be completed. The 770 dormitory is still full of squatters, and these squatters need to be removed once and for all. I hope shmrim will collaborate with the administration of 770 to have the squatters removed from the dormitory once and for all.
Rabbi Bogomilsky words
Rabbi Bogomilsky speach has a very important message; Yosef full heartedly forgave his brothers. That is the only way to have Shalom. It takes a big man to forgive.
A chosid of Rabbi Marlow A H
I agree wholeheartedly with Rabbi Bogomilsky. He is one of the few intelligent people left in Crown Heights and he stands behind what he says. the lesson from Yosef is an important one.
At the same time I am realing from the past elections in Crown Heights. My mashpia Rabbi Marlow A”H’s son should learn from This lesson and not spreat the hate. He should appologize publically for his behavior and Loshon Hora regarding Rabbi Bogomilsky. I dont believe Rabbi Bogomilsky harbors any Ill Will towards him. However now that the elections are over He should send a written apology and publish it. Especially since he did not have a problem putting his name on something berabim.
Maybe the light of Chanuka will help us all to be brought closer to one another and ask Mechila for the wrongdoings we have done over the last few months.
Your latkeh sis
Zal and Ari, looking good.
GO GADI
What a beautiful and well deserved gathering. I hope crime in the hood did not go up while you were celebrating!