Shmuel Leib Katz

 

1903 STORM DAYS

 

It happened  a winter Saturday night of 1903. I was expelled of Odessa and was in Pruzhany under police control. That time was the beginning of the revolutionary movement in Pruzhany.  

 

A small group of friends met in the Pharmacy of Seltzer St. , to discuss organization tasks. Mrs. KRONIK was pharmacy owner  In front of it, was located the house where inhabited TANIA MESHENGISER, GUTE AVERBACH and REINE of Linowo, house owner's sisters.

 

That Saturday evening, everything was as usual in the pharmacy. In it's bottom  was a room where we met.  A thin wall and a small door divided the room, of owners house. REINE as usual, entered  the room through the small door. We, as always, were seated talking calm. Suddenly, we listen an uproar, a clamor, of the other side of the wall : "We don't accept this! We know what we should do! We don't want them to come here!. We know what you by doing, we won't allow it. Don't dare to come here again!".

 

Now listen what happened: same night we discover a youth (the son-in-law of somebody of which I cannot remember) who began to organize a movement against us. He hung a poster in Great Bet Medresh, inciting population saying that we were a negative element, and they should destroy us. Everything began with the incident caused by the Jew that attacked us with screams and threats.

 

This same night we had a meeting where ABRAHAM GELMAN, me and others thought what should be done. Through a young friend, we discovered that up mentioned youth traveled this same night to Warsaw. He marketed manufactured products and for that reason he traveled frequently to Warsaw. Having this information, we tried not to lose time. Immediately, ABRAHAM GELMAN writes a letter to FISHEL VAINER, telling him what happened. We thought that some good blows and breaking his bones, would help the situation. FISHEL VAINER, didn't need to make a great  effort to find him. He knew where met those of Pruzhany (TN in Warsaw) . All stayed in  same hotel. In synthesis, FISHEL VAINER met some people of the organization and cleared happenings.

 

Were presented him two strong young men, he was with them, and showed them the  "guest". What happened, we can already imagine. They broke his bones and threatened him so that he stopped provoking us, otherwise he  will have a bad end. Let me tell that this influenced. He and those that were with him, got scared and they didn't provoked any more. This was the first victory that we achieved in route to freedom.  

 

As you see, truth is in eternity. If you want your freedom, then hit the enemy until death!.