RelatioNet ME AS 29 TA PO
Full Name Menachem Mendal Asher
Interviewer:
Full Name: Noa Hazan
Email: noa13131@walla.co.il
Address: Kfar Saba, Israel.
Survivor:
Code: RelatioNet ME AS 29 TA PO
Family Name: Ascher First Name: Menachem Middle Name: Mendel
Father Name: Moshe Mother Name: Ester
Birth Date: 30.4.1929
Town In Holocaust: Tarnobrzeg Country In Holocaust: Poland
תקציר קורות חיים
מנחם אשר נולד בעיר טרנובז'ק שבפולין בשנת 1929. כשהיה בן 10 פרצה המלחמה, ואת זמן המלחמה העביר בעיקר בסיביר ובמקומות שונים באסיה, עד שעלה לבדו בגיל 19 לישראל והתגייס לצה"ל. לאחר שחרורו והגעת משפחתו לארץ עברו לכפר סבא, שבה הוא גר כיום
The Interview:
I was born in 1929, in Poland, in a town called Tarnobrzeg on the banks of the River Vistula. There is not much I can tell about my school or the people there, because I was there only for 3 years, and at the beginning of the fourth year, the war broke out.
After a month under the German occupation, the Germans decided to deport us. There were announcements ordering all the Jews to gather in the Market Square. They also took every valuable thing we had on us. They deported us to Russia. When we reached the Russia's part, the Russians wanted us to accept Russian citizenship. But we refused. As a result, they told us we couldn't remain there and they decided to deport us to Siberia. In Siberia it was very difficult because of the change of climate. It was already winter and in Siberia it reached 40 degrees below zero. After we left Siberia we went to Central Asia. At first we were in Bukhara but suddenly a plague broke out and there was no medicine, so we left. We continued to Samarkand, and then to Tashkent.
After the war ended, we found out that during the war the Poles had invaded our homes, and instead of returning the homes to the Jews, they just killed the Jews. After we heard about it, we knew we couldn't stay in Poland. Only individuals could possibly reach Israel, so I left alone. I was about 18 years old. The rest of the family remained in Poland and later they also came.
When I arrived in Israel I joined the army. I was released from the army in 1949 with 14 and half liras in my pocket. I began to look for work. When my parents reached Kfar Sava, they opened a book store, and I joined them, and the shop was a great success for 15 years.
The Town Details:
After a month under the German occupation, the Germans decided to deport us. There were announcements ordering all the Jews to gather in the Market Square. They also took every valuable thing we had on us. They deported us to Russia. When we reached the Russia's part, the Russians wanted us to accept Russian citizenship. But we refused. As a result, they told us we couldn't remain there and they decided to deport us to Siberia. In Siberia it was very difficult because of the change of climate. It was already winter and in Siberia it reached 40 degrees below zero. After we left Siberia we went to Central Asia. At first we were in Bukhara but suddenly a plague broke out and there was no medicine, so we left. We continued to Samarkand, and then to Tashkent.
After the war ended, we found out that during the war the Poles had invaded our homes, and instead of returning the homes to the Jews, they just killed the Jews. After we heard about it, we knew we couldn't stay in Poland. Only individuals could possibly reach Israel, so I left alone. I was about 18 years old. The rest of the family remained in Poland and later they also came.
When I arrived in Israel I joined the army. I was released from the army in 1949 with 14 and half liras in my pocket. I began to look for work. When my parents reached Kfar Sava, they opened a book store, and I joined them, and the shop was a great success for 15 years.
The Town Details:
The town is located in south eastern Poland, on the eastern side the Vistula's River. During the golden age of Poland, in 1593, Tarnobrzeg was founded.
The town became part of the Austrian Empire in 1772, and this continued until the end of the World War One (1918). As part of the Austro - Hungarian Empire and Galician Poland, was heavily damaged by foreign armies, due to its location, which was close to the Russia- Austrian border. After World War One Tarnobrzeg became part of the Second Polish Republic. During this period, between the two War Worlds, many people left.
Before the Holocaust, Tarnobrzeg was a successful traditional Jewish community. From early 60's the town grew rapidly: the population rose from 5,000 to almost 50,000.
