Akiva Lubecki Aishishok Poland
(Seth Michelson)
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.
Resumos Relacionados
- The Black Thoughts ?leaves 2? (les Idées Noires "part 2")
- The Black Thoughts ?leaves 2? (les Idées Noires "part 2")
- Night
- Oscar Schindler
- Protecting His Own
|
|