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During the war Aunt Fruma was at the front, and her mother and son remained in Belorussia (they lived in Belorussia, in Khatin). The Germans came there and took all the Jews together and led them off to be shot. Aunt Fruma’ s son, a little boy, bit a German in the hand and he grabbed him, fractured his spine and flung him into the pit. Most of Fruma’s relatives were killed there. Those who were half dead were buried alive in the pit.
Only one sister survived (I don’t remember her name). She was hiding in some little store-room, but she was betrayed later. A Russian politsay [that was the name for Russian people who agreed to work for the Nazis in the occupied territories and served as a police force, keeping “order” among civilians] came, grabbed her and took her to the commandant's office. Two Germans were ordered to take her aside to the bushes and to shoot her there. She was just 17, but she understood German. When they reached the place the Germans told her:
Daughter, you are young, beautiful, - run to the forest.
She replied:
Shoot me, why are you tormenting me?
They repeated: Run, you are young; we shall shoot; don’t be afraid of it.
She recalled later,
“I moved away, saying Well, shoot!, and then I ran, thinking, Am I alive or not? I came running into the forest, fell, and only two days later regained consciousness and saw that I was alive.”
In this way, she was saved by the Germans. What happened to those who hid her, she doesn’t know, as she didn’t go back. She ran away into the forest, and only then was found by our people in the forest.
Only one sister survived (I don’t remember her name). She was hiding in some little store-room, but she was betrayed later. A Russian politsay [that was the name for Russian people who agreed to work for the Nazis in the occupied territories and served as a police force, keeping “order” among civilians] came, grabbed her and took her to the commandant's office. Two Germans were ordered to take her aside to the bushes and to shoot her there. She was just 17, but she understood German. When they reached the place the Germans told her:
Daughter, you are young, beautiful, - run to the forest.
She replied:
Shoot me, why are you tormenting me?
They repeated: Run, you are young; we shall shoot; don’t be afraid of it.
She recalled later,
“I moved away, saying Well, shoot!, and then I ran, thinking, Am I alive or not? I came running into the forest, fell, and only two days later regained consciousness and saw that I was alive.”
In this way, she was saved by the Germans. What happened to those who hid her, she doesn’t know, as she didn’t go back. She ran away into the forest, and only then was found by our people in the forest.
Period
Location
Belarus
Interview
Irina Voinova