With the outbreak of the war, the family fled on foot on a difficult journey to the city of Jelgava in Latvia. From there they went to Kattaqurghon in the Samarkand region of Uzbekistan. The situation there worsened with the arrival of increasing numbers of refugees. Szmerl's father was conscripted into the army and his mother was ill, so Szmerl and his older sister sold candies to bring the family some income.

At the war's end the family returned to its city of origin. There they found no friends or relatives, so went to Poland, from whence they planned their immigration to Palestine.