Resumo de Akiva Lubecki Aishishok Poland

I can close my eyes and picture my
Grandfather running deep into the forest escaping his execution. I always
wondered, if they tortured and burned innocent Jews, what they would have done
to one who escaped. My Grandfather was a courageous man who found happiness in
knowing the ones who he loved were happy. His name was Akiva Lubeck he was born
on April 17th 1915, in a small town in Poland known as Eishishok. He was
about 25 when the Nazi regime conquered Poland forcing him and his brother to
escape. Nothing short of fate brought Akiva to America where he worked as a
carpenter. In Brooklyn, New York my Grandfather lived with my
Grandmother Miriam. If it wasn?t for his courageous escape he would have been
executed along with his family. My Grandfather is my hero, and if it wasn?t for
his actions I would not be living today.

Germany attacked Poland on September 1st
1939. Within weeks the Polish army was defeated and the Nazis quickly took
control of Poland
destroying everything which lay in their path. It wasn?t until 1941 when the
Nazis invaded the small town of Aishyshok.
All 3,500 Jewish residents were executed, except the brave souls who dared to
escape. My Grandfather was one of these courageous people. Akiva and his
brother took survival in their own hands. Akiva knew staying behind with his
family would only result in his death. He and his brother made an escape into
the woods of Lithuania.
The forest was deep and the thick trees made for a good coverage. During the
Holocaust there was a small group of people who rebelled against the Nazis.
They were know as Partisans and were made up of mostly Jews who escape
concentration camps and others who fled their towns. My Grandfather and his
brother joined this rebellion and helped derail hundreds of Nazi trains and
killed over 3,000 German soldiers. This was a hard life for my Grandfather and
the other Partisans. They constantly had to move from place to place in order
to avoid discovery. They raided farmer?s crops for food and lived in small shelters
built of logs and branches. Sometimes the local villagers assisted the
Partisans, but most of them refused to help. This was partly due to the spread
of Anti-Semitism, but most villagers feared the consequences of helping the
Jews and the punishment they would receive. Akiva lived this way for several
months and his life was as fragile as thin ice. At any time the ice could break
and residents of the towns could inform the Nazis of the Partisans whereabouts.
My Grandfather fought along side of his Jewish brothers until spread of word
reached the rebellions that the war had ended. Upon the great news, Akiva and
his brother returned to their home town of Eishyshok. They arrived at their home which
once filled with happiness and love, was now saturated with the smell of death.
Akiva remembered that his father?s gold watch along with some cash was buried in
the back yard. He dug for hours eventually finding the cash. The watch however
was never recovered, this never sat well with Akiva. Their time at home was
slowly diminishing as the Russian Army was coming closer and closer. Akiva and
his brother caught a train to Germany
where Holocaust survivors were given food and shelter. Vessels would come and
go transporting survivors to several different locations. I am a believer of
destiny and it was nothing short of fate which brought Akiva to America. The United States was held on a pedestal and talks
of freedom and liberty filled my Grandfathers head as he decided to take a boat
to America.

Akiva
Lubecki was now known as Akiva Lubeck. Along with many other immigrants my
Grandfathers last name was shortened and americanized. It was in the early
1950s when Akiva reached America
and made his home in a small Jewish community in Brooklyn.
Even with this new life and the ability to exist without fear of execution,
Akiva was not satisfied. Back at home peopletalked about America being a place where you can
become something. Akiva, who was now in his thirties, knew this and took this
new life as an opportunity to make something of himself. He was always good
with his hands, often he helped out his mother fixing various things around the
house. My Grandfather decided to become a carpenter. For years he worked low
paying jobs around the city. He rapidly progressed in the field of carpentry.
Soon he was known all over the area as one of the best carpenters around. He
made a good living for himself and eventually moved away from the small Jewish
community. He bought a small house in Canarsie. Several years past and he
decided to take a trip to Israel
where his sister lived. She was much older then him and moved away from their
home in Eishishok prior to the Holocaust.

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