Sunday, August 10, 2014

Hitler prematurely took our zeides and bubbes from us - יארצייט




zeide a"h during WW2

Friday 12 Av is my zeide's yohrtzeit.

This may sound unreasonable to those of you a generation older than me, but it's how I feel. Hitler took our zeides and bubbes from us prematurely. Schneur will surely tell us how he, nor any of his friends, had any zeides and bubbes growing up, since they never made it out Europe. So, I'm being selfish. I see what my kids, b"h, have and I would've liked it as well. Why should I not have any memories of my zeide because he passed away when I was 8 years old? Had he lived just as long, but had he started to build his family years earlier, just like all others his age did, I could've had at least 10 more of spending yomim tovim and other joyous occasions with him. I say this today because today 12 Av is my zeide's 31st yohrtzeit. The kvius was just like today. The temperature was a whopping 104 degrees. On his return from a hard day's work his heart gave out on the front porch. It was our first experience with death in the family, us young children, and we had a hard time understanding why. Why others still had their zeides and we had lost one. He was just as young as some of the others - it was just not fair.  I was away from home punkt that week and I wasn't there witness the levaya and shivah. Only after the shiva did I return home and see my bubbe, who lived out of town. That lead me to ask questions, and thus I was told about life and death, and how my beloved zeide had left this world. These lines don't do my zeide justice, but nothing I can write here really does, so I apologize ahead of time.

My zeide was born in a small town in Hungary in 1911. His parents were Ashkeneyzishe Yidden who worked hard and had little to show for it. My zeide did not merit to learn in Yeshiva after his bar mitzvah - not everybody did back then. Most didn't. But I dare say that when it came to מעשה, which is the point of the לימוד, he did want. His devotion to Yiddishkeit was beyond dispute, despite losing so much of his family and suffering so much. During WW2 he was taken to forced labor, like many others in Hungary. He married my bubbe o"h in 1942 and they both b"h survived. His labor group was taken as far as Vitebsk, from what I understand. His siddurim and machzorim were worn with use over the years. Shabbos and YomTov were revered and special. Time set aside for learning whenever possible. The chinuch of his child was of utmost importance, no matter the hardship in sending away an only child. The joy of spending time with the eyniklech, which didn't happen that often because we lived in New York, is difficult to put into words. But alas! that didn't last as long as we dare say it could have. He did not live to see the eyniklach grow up, something I know would have made him burst with joy and pride! I had the zechus, together with an older sister, to spend the last Pesach with him and my bubbe, a"h. I distinctly remember the sefirah beard during chol hamoed and how I was tickled by the stubble. To an 8 year old these things stick in your mind. Don't ask why I'm sharing this with you...

I have lots of pictures on my dining room walls. Pictures of zeides and bubbes, going aback as far as I can. With my side it's only elter zeides and bubbes, and even that I'm not quite sure why my bubbe and zeide managed to salvage them. From my wife's side there are several more generations to display; they either got out soon before or were long gone, depending on the particular ancestor. I know the yichus well, on my wife's side I know it better than her siblings and cousins. They have so much to keep track of, it gets difficult for people who aren't into yichus. I try to tell my kids about my zeides, but they have a hard time relating. Even those kids who are named after their elter zeide/bubbe have a hard time. They get the lineage mixed up. "is it bubbe's mother, or zeide's mother," they ask. Then they give me a funny look and tune out. So much for that history lesson. If only they could to spend time with them; it would make life so much easier, They'd have that link to the old country, and they'd have a stronger sense of family. Which is why I say that Hitler, ימ"ש prematurely took our zeides and bubbes, from both us and from our children. Strong grandparent figures do wonders for kids growing up. Every child should have them. The problem is that, like every other good thing, we tend to not recognize how dear and important they are, and how we need to treasure each moment with them.

תנצב"ה

26 comments:

Azigra said...

I had no grandparents alive at my bar mitzvah, 3/4ths American born, the other emigrated 1920 though. I agree, it was hard seeing all my friends with grandparents to visit, to talk to,

Anonymous said...

Why would the Nazis yms take Oyberlanders all the way to White Russia for forced labor? One thing the Nazis were not was inefficient and that is a lot of diesel to get from Hungary to Vitebsk.

Anonymous said...

Nice nice post

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

Good question. I think it was forced labor attached to regular army units. I will try to find out.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

The axis armies, like Hungarian, Italian and Romanian, definitely went deep into Russia. Much further east than Vitebsk.

Not a Harry said...

Very strong points made. I would add that in reality, virtually all of us are victims of hitler ym"sh. If by way of a parent who couldn't show affection or a melamed a shlager in cheder, the trajectory of all of our lives has been affected.

SoMeHoW Frum said...

Ah, if this is the change that was necessary, it is a welcome change. Thanks for sharing a meaningful post.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

And thank you for your kind words

Anonymous said...

in hungary most did go to yeshivah till age 20

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

baloney.

Chaval al d'avdin said...

Anon 10:27 am,

Hungary had the highest assimilation rate in Eastern Europe. You meant most of those who didn't go off the derech?

rebcharles said...

Tayere Tzig

As I told you in person, when you showed me this picture, it is a bit misleading.

The avoidas perakh of the Munka Tabor did not allow for horse riding, if anything, Yidden R"L did the work of ferd.

It was no Mordechai HaTzadik with the L'vush and the Suss.

From Wikipedia:

The Fascist, Nazi-allied Regime commanders treated the Jewish units with extreme cruelty, abuse, and brutality. Men who worked in mine quarries were frequently pushed to their deaths off the man-made cliffs and embankments. These units were stationed all over Hungary, including the Eastern Front in Ukraine, where most of the men died. The gendarmes and Army men who guarded these "slaves" were mostly members of the Nyilas fascist anti-Semitic political party.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

הכל לפי המקום והזמן
We're talking early '40s, probably. Pre-occupation of Hungary

Anonymous said...

trains leaving hungary to go the lager were "inspected" by slimy arrow cross guards before crossing the border. they would try to sweet talk the yidden into passing their valuables through the openings to them. no one really complied at which point the fake smiles would turn to scowls and they would curse the yidden to die of hunger & thirst before reaching the lager

Nie Pest said...

Chaval al d'avdin
the assimilation were from the neolog jews, who were assimilating 100 years before Hitler, the boys going to yeshivas were from the orthodox camps

Nie Buda said...

Oddly enough, there is a huge machlokes today in Queens with a Neolog connection.

There are 3 characters who each claim to be "Chief Rabbi" of the Bocharian community.

One guy who might not be the cup of tea of bnei Torah for the kashrus standards of his hashgocho is the least controversial.

The next clown was previously the Chief Rabbi until a joint beis din of modern orthodox Queens Vaad rabbis & chassidishe rabbonim in Queens threw him out of Rabbonus. He claims they have no right to remove him.

Still one more clown got his semicha from the Neolog "yeshiva" in Hungary which incredibly is still operating. He is involved in some questionable hashgochos including a shechita on the outskirts of Boro Park. He is accused by the members of 100+ year old Ashkenazishe kehilla in the Corona section where the average member age is about 95, of stealing their shul building and drowning them out with imported Bocharian usurpers.

Leiner said...

1) To make it sound like kids always had grandparents until the last churban is not correct. There were always tzoros in Klal Yisroel that left some kids without them. Chmelnitzki, pogroms, crusades, inquisitions....

2) You should go back to your Oberlander roots and ditch Lubavitch.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

You mean wear a tzilinder and Davenport Ashkenazi? Eat kneidlech? Yum!

Any historians in the house? said...

That mention of the Crusades reminds me of a puzzling item I read in this past week's Yated.

Shtait dort that an infamous general of the First Crusade, Godfrey of Bouillion, a German who lived in France, had a run in with Rashi. Rashi told him if he goes crusading all of his men will be killed except for 3 other knights on horses who will return to France with him. Kach hava & Godfrey was planning on killing Rashi upon returning but then had a change a heart & wanted to ask Rashi mechila. Rashi however was niftar the same day he returned so he went to the levaya to pay respects.

Almost every historian says Godfrey died in the Middle East. The one shita that Godfrey died in England immediately after leaving the Middle East is heavily disputed. Even if Godfrey did die in England there doesn't seem to have been enough time for him to have made a pit stop in France.

The Godfrey in Ridley Scott's version of Robin Hood is a fake in the wrong crusade 100 years later. That "Godfrey" is based on the actual villain Guy of Gisbourne. Scott was attacked by critics for tampering with the historical record.

Not a Harry said...

Der tzlinder should certainly be brought back in to vogue

Leiner said...

"Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

You mean wear a tzilinder and Davenport Ashkenazi? Eat kneidlech? Yum!"

It is sad if that is all the Oberlander heritage means to you. Are you saying that was the sum total of your zeide's Yiddishkeit? That was the essence of the derech of those who followed the Chasam Sofer?

א מצב צו באוויינען, באמת

You have photos of them in tzilenders?

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

אוודאי נישט
But what do u mean go back to the oberlander heritage?
I have pics

MIB said...

Well written.
Sad, beautiful and true...

Leiner said...

"But what do u mean go back to the oberlander heritage?"

What does Oberlander Yiddishkeit stand for, or mean? I guess they didn't teach you that in Spinka.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

In Spinka they taught us a brand of Marmuresher Yiddishkeit

אוי לבנים שגלו מדרך אבותיהם said...

אוי!

החלפת (שלא בדעת וכוונה שלמה, אין די יונגע יאהרען) דרך (גליל) עליון (אבערלאנד) בדרך תחתון (אונטערלאנד). מר-מר-רש. ביטער און ארעם