Forward by the editor 9
For her reflection and recollection by Arie Kopilovitz 15

PART 1
THE HISTORY OF ILJA, A TOWN NAMED FOR ELIYAHU

Her origin and chronicles by Arie Avi Avihud 21
The “Ger Zedek” (Prince Potozki converts to Judaism) by Arie Avi Aviva 23
Reb Menashe from Ilja 1767- 1831 by Tuvia Ben –Chefetz 35
Reb Menashe (Ben Porat) from Ilja based on the article by S. Rosenfeld 37
Ilja as an inn off the Torah 69
The renowned Ilja Yeshiva by A. B. A K 71
The genius Rabbi Reuven from Dinburg (Dwinsk) by A. B. A K 73
The genius rabbi Moshe Shlomo Khary by A. B. A K 74
The genius rabbi Shmuel ben Yehoshua Zelig by M. Z. 77
The Genius Rabbi Wolf Broide by M. Z. 78
The genius Rabbi Moshe Yisrael Shapira the head of the Ilja Yeshiva from a “Yovel” book 79
Rabbi Yakov- Efraim son of Naftali Nachmin by Chaim Levin 81
Our Rabbi Avraham Eli Remez by Moshe Shlomo belkas 82

PART 2
THE PRIOD BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD WARS

By Yosef Winetzki (Mexico) 89
My Shtetl Ilja by Eliezer Shapira (Mexico) 91
The connection between Ilja and Eretz Israel (200 years of Aliyah) by Arie Kopilovitz in commemoration of his parents; Abba and Gita (daughter of Shalom Shepsel Broide) Kopilovitz and sister Malka. 145
1. Aliyah of the students of the Gaon from Vilna c 1800
2. The “Bilu”Aliyah
3. Rabbi Yerucham Chefez and his wife (daughter if Noach Hotner) make Aliyah “Bilu”
4. Mordechai Zafran and the daughter of Moshe Mazal make Aliyah “Bilu”
5. Rabbi Binyamin Broide Makes Aliyah
6. The second Aliyah; Ytzhak Mazal, son of Teybel and Moshe, makes Aliyah
7. Mr. Meir Dizingoff (mayor of Tel Aviv) visits Ilja
8. Hachalutz members make Aliyah;
9. Arie mazal (Chaim Leib) goes to Israel
10. Tuvia Chefetz (1899- 1959)
11. Nechama nee Rogozinski Meirovitz
12. Cousins; Ester Laberfarb Brazovitz and Yehoshua Lapidot
13. Ahuva (daughter of Eliyahu Solominski) Teitelboim
14. Zipora (daughter of Noach Riar) Kurbyenik
15. Aliyah of Maapilim;Arie Kopilevitz the first “maapil”
16. Dvora Sherman makes aliyah to Kibutz Tel Yosef
17. Sonia nee Remez and husband Leon Belkes make Aliyah in 1941!
18. Yaakov Sinder, son of Eliyahu comes to Israel with the polish Army in 1942
19. The survivors come to Israel;
20. Shraga Solominski
21. Shalom Sinder
22. David Rubin
23. Bat Sheva nee Brunstein and Yona (Jonah) Riar
24. Fallen heroes of Israel; Ytzhak son of Shneior Chadash and Ze’ev Rodinzki
25. Dvora Rubinzik (daughter of Efraim) and her two daughters
26. Pnina nee Zavodnik Gutenberg
27. Yosef, son of Yechiel Yeroshavski
28. Dan Mendelson
29. Brothers; Yechezkel and mendel Chaikin
30. Risia (Rishka nee Sinder ) and first husband Shepsel Epstein,
31. Roza (daughter of Binyamka Brunstein) and her husband; Shraga Reznik. Her brother David Bronstein in Argentina.
32. Hirshel- Zvi Berman
33. Lea the daughter of Chaika Sosensky from Batrina and her husband ; Monik Zelzer
34. Ytzhak Dokshitzki
35. Chaya Ladislobovski, Daughter of Eltka nee kagan and Shmuel Zimermzn
36. Yisrael, Avraham,Ytzhak , Mordechai Levkov and their sister; Nechama nee Levkov
37. Chaim Levin
The Zionist Movement by Arye bar Droma 211
*The establishment of Hachlutz
*The school “Tarbut” in Ilja established by; Yakov Kopilovitz, Chaim David Chaikin, David Chaikin, Yosef Slonovitz, Ben Zion Broide, Eliyahu Rogozinski, Eliezer, son of Zemach Shapira, Abba Kopilovitz, Binyamin Brunstein.
*The library “Cherut and Tchiya” and the librarians; Lyeshka (Eliezer) son of Baruch Levin and Chaim, son of Gdalyau Avril

“Hachalutz Hatzair”
The “Gordonia” movement and its leader; Bat Sheva nee Brunstein
‘Tiferet Habachurim” and David Zalmanovski
Bitar movment Hachalutz in Elja

Hachalutz in Elja by Ahuva nee Salominski Taitelboim 226
The Revisionist movement/ The new Zionists (Zeev Zabotinski) 229
*Reb Eliyahu Yesel
*The movment leaders in Ilja; Klok Binyamin, Broide ben Zion, Zoot Moshe, Lapidot Moshe and Kopilovitz Abba.
Remnants; my Shtetl Ilja by Tuvia ben Chefetz Z”L from 5-2-1949 meeting 233
*The synagogue yard

David the combs salesman
Yankel the Shamash
The Bait Midrash
The Rabbo Wolf Broide
Reb Shmuel Freydkas’ father in law of Reb Binyamin Broide
Reb Moshe Mazal a Leibale Kovner’ descendent and son in law of Reb Binyamin Broide
Yerachmiel Efraim Ytzas’
Rabbi Avraham Eli Remez
Reb Chaim Hendel Maa’’ze
Reb Yaakov Sinder the katzav (butcher)
Reb Baruch Yosef
Reb Moshe Weines’
Reb Yaakov Moshe Brunstein
Reb Zemach Shapira and Reb Shimon Zeidenkop
Reb Chaim Avraham Kopilovitz the “Starasta”
Reb Shalom Chaim The Kotler
Reb Shalom Sheftel Broide
Reb Efraim Koifman
Chazans and Magids
Torah reading
My mother; malka
Aliyots and geusts
Shabats’ Guests
The February revolution (1917)
“Pogrom”
the tragedy with the telephone
Tovia the wagoneer
The River

My Ilja by Dvora Sherman 264
Cheder teachers; Elia kanterovitz, Yakov Dinerstein, my father; Yakov Sherman,
Avraham Altman, Shlomo Chaim hapszer
Tarbut school “modern” teachers; the dardak brothers, Borochovitz, Mrs. Remez
H. Feldin
A poem “My Ilja” by Arye Miriams’ 267
From the ledger of recollection by Eliezer Dinerstein (U.S.A) 269
Yankel Rashas’, Yochanan Shimon Hutners’ Zemach Shapira, Bera levin, David Zalmanovski,
With the Hebrew/ Jewish Brigade to Eretz Israel in the first world war 271
Ilja natives in America who joined the brigade; brothers Yehuda and Shimon lichterman and lebel Cohen
Poems in Hebrew by Yehuda Lichterman written in New York 272
By Leibe Gitles’ 277

The small Beit Midrash
The communication with the world
The train station in Krasne (30 kilometers away)
The central town Vileika (30 kilometers away )
The bus service arrives in Ilja
Reb Elya Micles’ Kantorovitch
Reb Avraham Sheyes’ Altman
Reb Shlomo Chaim (Der Pasazer) Rodnik
Reb Moshe Yshayahu Zeidenkop
Mula (Shmuel) , Zemach Shapira youngest son.
Yosele “Der Mlaach”
Ilja’ market day

Part 3
The Holocaust

Words from the editors 303
Yizkor 307
The names of the martyrs 308
A tale of straggling, toil and tears by David Rubin 317
*The soviets (1939- 1941)

the Yudenrat members; Shlomo Koifman, Ben Zion Broide, Izik Seder
The ghetto
The Jewish resistance starts and the partizans in Chatzantzitz on March 14, 1942
The day of the slaughter, March 17, 1942
.June 7, 1942, the last day of the Ilja ghetto, with the perished; my fiancée Sara Susman and her little niece Yehudit, My parents; Rubin Ze’ev Wolf and

Eitke, siblings;m Rosa and mairim and my aunt with her two children.

I escape with the Jews Of Chatzantzitz
With the partisans in the forests
We attack the German base in Ostoshitzki Gorodok
A mission on the Ilja- krasne road
The attack on Plashentzitz
With the Soviet military intelligence
The blockade
I become gravely wounded during the last fight in the area.
The war ends and I immigrate to Israel

During the Slaughter, in the Ghetto and in the Forests by Bat Sheva nee Brunstein Riar 339
Survival against all odds the story of Bat Sheva and her baby Yehuda.
The struggle for survival by Shraga Soliminski 373
During that day by Zushke Gitlitz in America 403
The Holocaust By Yona Riar 421
A memorial for perished friends, sister and parents by Arye Kopilovitz 441
Yaakov Lapidot (Yankole) 442
Yaakov Brunstein 443
Reuven Kopilovitz and his mother Beila Malka 444
Mordechai Rogozinski 445
Shlomo Zalman Sherman 446
Eliyahu Avril 447
My sister; Malka Kopilovitz 448
A memorial to my parents; Abba and Gitle Kopilovitz 450

Part 4
Natives of Ilja around the world
The immigration to America by Ilja immigrants in New York 455
The immigration to Argentina with a list of families 459
Ilja natives in Argentina by Solomon Kopilovitz 462
The Shapira family in Mexico (Brothers; Yaakov, Eliezer, Gershon and Yehoshua
and sisters; Reyzel and Chana) 464
A list of names of Ilja natives in New York 466