SURVIVOR; ARON BALBARYSKI
"I was born in 1927, my father Abraham was killed by the Nazis in Ponar- Vilnius on the 28th of July, 1941 . My mother Chana Selz was taken from the Ghetto Vilna to a concentration camp in Estonia and there to Auschwitz- Birkenau, where she died in a gas chamber in 1944. My brother Samuel and sister Zlata perished in Ponar- Vilnius in September 1943.
Vilnius was a city with a great Jewish culture, for such reason it was called "Yerushalaim De Lite"; it had a very important religious life, in all aspects it was one very pretty city. It contained around 100 synagogues, theaters, libraries in Yiddish, important great and well-known writers, rabbis, cantors, artists, etc. In Vilnius a great amount of institutions were established, schools in Yiddish and Hebrew, 4 daily newspapers published with great circulation in Yiddish. Vilnius had 250,000 inhabitants, of whom 70,000 were Jewish.
I was educated in a religious atmosphere, my father studied to become a rabbi, and we belonged to a middle-class. I studied in high school until which by today' standard would be second year of secondary school...and then World War II exploded...on the first of September of 1939 Vilnius was occupied by the Russians and in 1940 it was given to the Lithuanians.
On the 22 of June of 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the Russians and 3 days later, the 25 of June, Vilnius was occupied by the German army where the majority of the Christian population welcomed them. Then the shortages, the sadism began, actions to catch the Jews, and we, the Jews, became the first victims .
In Vilnius there were 2 ghettos and in October of 1941, there were many selections by the Nazis. We lived in the first ghetto, one black and sad night, they took us with other thousands of Jews and what we believed, the transfer to ghetto number 2. In order to go to the second ghetto it was necessary to turn to the left, but by the right we realized that they did not plan to take us to ghetto. My mother reacted fast ( my father was already killed at that time) and we hid in a bombed building, we put the yellow standard Magen David and in the morning we went to the second ghetto, we asked if people had arrived from first ghetto....we found out that they had taken them to Ponar, shooting them all. Once again we managed to be saved. In Ponar they shot to almost 100,000 Jews. In this second ghetto we were very few weeks but in cruel conditions, we lived 20 to 30 people in a place, first we had to find a place to put our heads to rest and later to see how obtain something to eat....
...Resistance of Jewish youth formed In ghetto.The partisan that fought in the forests were led by Hirsch Glick, a young person of 24 years, who composed the Hymn of the partisans that we sing until today in each act of commemoration. Glick was killed in 1944. One of the surviving partisans is my cousin Baruch Shub that today lives with his family in Israel. After 2 years of existence of this ghetto it was liqudated and only a few who saw the liquidation on the 3 of September of 1943, are here today, after 64 years.
I was in favor of hidding in a cellar next to 150 Jewsin during the liqudation in 1943 . When they discovered us, they transported us like cattle in trains to Estonia, another concentration camp where they had us to do works very hard, many died by mistreat, hunger and diseases.....
For the survivors a very difficult stage began: to return to live like the others, orphaned, without families nor home, but with pride and concerted effort of overcoming we have created new and good families with the new generations, demonstrating to the world that the Jewish people will forever live and exist. "For us it is a legacy to speak and to count what it has made a human species in the past century. All we are it jeopardize in preventing another Shoah of the Jewish people. We do not allow that made similar they are repeated. "Not to forget nor to let forget the barbarisms that I have happened to see under Nazism, how I have been tortured and how they have tortured and killed my beloved whom I will always remember.
This it is a small summary of my history, survival and a sad page of the Shoáh ....
A much longer interview could be seen in the Shoah Foundation :
Int Code 45445 Name Balbaryski, Aron Language Spanish
Balbaryski, Aron Jewish Survivor
Question Answer
Name of Interviewee Aron Balbaryski
Aron Balbaryski (release name)
Balbaryski (current name)
Aron Balbaryski (name at birth)
Balbaryski (last name during war)
Aron (Yiddish name)
Gender Male
Date of Birth 5/12/1927
City of Birth Vilna (Poland)
Religious Identity (Prewar) orthodox Judaism
Religious Identity (Postwar) traditional Judaism
Ghetto(s) Vilna (Poland : Ghetto)
Camp(s) Dormettingen (Germany : Concentration Camp)
Stutthof (Danzig (FC) : Concentration Camp)
Bergen-Belsen (Germany : Concentration Camp)
Narva (Estonia : Concentration Camp)
Kivióli I (Estonia : Concentration Camp)
Ereda (Estonia : Concentration Camp)
Aseri (Estonia : Concentration Camp)
Went into Hiding No
Member of Underground, Resistance or Partisan Group(s) No
Liberated by armed forces, British
Location of liberation Bergen-Belsen (Germany : Concentration Camp)
Forced (death) Marches; Yes
Other Experiences; escapes from Aktionen
displaced persons camps
State of Interview; La Paz
Country of Interview; Bolivia
Language(s) of Interview; Spanish
Length of Interview; 3:00
Interview Code 45445
Yekhezkel Balbariski was born in Lithuania in 1871. He was married to Sima and a teacher in Ezra school. Prior to WWII he lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war he was in Wilno, Poland. Yekhezkel perished in 1941 in Wilno, Poland. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted by his grandson
Balbariski Sima
Sima Balbariski was born in Lithuania in 1874. She was married to Yekhezkel. Prior to WWII she lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war she was in Wilno, Poland. Sima perished in 1941 in Wilno, Poland. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted by her grandson
Balbariski Avraham
Avraham Yizhak Balbariski was born in Wilno in 1900 to Yekhezkel and Sima. He was married to Khana and lived on Vilkomirski street number 78. Prior to WWII he lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war he was in Wilno, Poland. Avraham perished in 1941 in Ponary, Poland. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted by his son. More Details...
Balbariski Khana
Khana Balbariski nee Seltz was born in Wilno in 1905 to Shmuel and Hena. She was married to Abraham. Prior to WWII she lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war she was in Wilno, Poland. Khana perished in 1943 in Auschwitz, Camp. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted by her son
Balbariski Shmuel
Shmuel Balbariski was born in Wilno in 1929 to Yitzkhak and Khana nee Seltz. He was a child. Prior to WWII he lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war he was in Wilno, Poland. Shmuel perished in 1943 in Wilno, Poland at the age of 14. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted by his brother
Balbariski Zlate
Zlate Balbariski was born in Wilno in 1934 to Abraham and Khana nee Seltz. She was a child. Prior to WWII she lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war she was in Wilno, Poland. Zlate perished in 1943 in Wilno, Poland at the age of 9. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted by her brother
Belbriski was born in Wilno to Yekhezkel and Sima. She was married to Yosef. Prior to WWII she lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war she was in Wilno, Ghetto. She perished in 1942 in Ponary Area, Poland. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on 20-Apr-2006 by her relative Baruch Shub, a Shoah survivor.
Balberishski Khatzkel
Khatzkel Balberishski was born in Poland. He was a teacher and married. Prior to WWII he lived in Vilnyus, Poland. During the war he was in Vilnyus, Poland. Khatzkel perished in 1942 in Vilna, Ghetto at the age of 70. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on 25-Dec-1998 by his grandson Mikhail Gurvich
Shifra
Shifra nee Balberishski was born to Khatzkel. She was married. Prior to WWII she lived in Vilnyus, Poland. During the war she was in Vilnyus, Poland. Shifra perished in 1941 in Vilna, Ghetto at the age of 45. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on 25-Dec-1998 by her nephew
Submitter's Last Name
GURVICH
Submitter's First Name
MIKHAIL
Pausner Breine
Breine Pausner nee Belbriski was born in Poland to Liba. She was married to Yitzkhak. Prior to WWII she lived in Wilna, Poland. During the war she was in Wilna, Poland. Breine perished in Wilna, Poland. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed on left) submitted on 01-May-1957 by her brother-in-law.
I googled his name and "La Paz" and found:http://www.mundoisraelita.com.ar/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=260&Itemid=27
DEL SOBREVIVIENTE ARON BALBARYSKI
"Nací en el año 1927, mi padre Abraham fue fusilado por los nazis en Pomar- Vilna el 28 de julio de 1941. Mi madre Chana Selz fue llevada del Ghetto de Vilna a un campo de concentración en Estonia y de allí a Auschwitz- Birkenau, donde murió en una cámara de gas en 1944. Mis hermanos Samuel y Zlata murieron fusilados en Pomar- Vilna en septiembre 1943.
"Vilna era una ciudad con una gran cultura judía, por tal motivo la llamaban "Yerushalaim de Lite"; tenía una vida religiosa muy importante, en todo aspecto era una linda ciudad. Existían cerca de 100 sinagogas, teatros, bibliotecas exclusivamente en idish, grandes y conocidos escritores, rabinos, artistas músicos,etc. En Vilna funcionaban una gran cantidad de instituciones, colegios en idish y hebreo, diariamente se editaban y salían a circulación 4 periódicos escritos en idish. Vilna tenía 250.000 habitantes, de los cuales 70.000 eran judíos.
"Me eduqué en un ambiente religioso, mi padre estudió para rabino, y pertenecíamos a una clase media. Estudié hasta lo que hoy sería el 2º año de secundaria. Al estallar la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el 1º de septiembre de 1939 Vilna fue ocupada por los rusos y en 1940 fue entregada a los lituanos.
"El 22 de junio de 1941 la Alemania nazi atacó a los rusos y 3 días más tarde, el 25 de junio, Vilna fue ocupada por el ejército alemán donde la mayoría de la población cristiana les dio la bienvenida. Entonces empezaron las penurias, el sadismo, razias para atrapar a los judíos, y las primeras víctimas fuimos nosotros, los judíos.
"En Vilna había 2 ghettos y en octubre de 1941, después de una de las tantas selecciones realizadas por los nazis y después de permanecer en el primer ghetto, una noche negra y triste nos juntaron a unos miles de judíos y se emprendió lo que creíamos, el traslado al ghetto número 2. Para ir al segundo ghetto había que desviar a la izquierda, pero a nosotros por la derecha y nos dimos cuenta que no nos llevaban al ghetto. Mi madre reaccionó y nos escondimos en un edificio bombardeado, nos sacamo la insignia amarilla del Maguen David y por la mañana nos fuimos al segundo ghetto, preguntamos si había llegado gente del primer ghetto, pero no, la habían llevado al Ponar, fusilándola. Una vez más logramos salvarnos.
En Ponar fusilaron a casi 100.000 judíos. En este segundo ghetto estuvimos muy pocas semanas pero en condiciones inhumanas, vivíamos 20 a 30 personas en una pieza, lo primero era ver dónde poner la cabeza y después ver cómo conseguir algo para comer.
"En el ghetto se formó una resistencia de la juventud judía, los partisanos que luchaban en los bosques entre los que estaba Hirsch Glick, un joven de 24 años que compuso el Himno de los partisanos que cantamos hasta el día de hoy en cada acto de conmemoración.Glick fue atrapado y fusilado en 1944. Uno de los partisanos sobrevivientes es mi primo Baruj Shub que hoy junto a su familia vive en Israel. Así transcurrieron los 2 años de existencia de este ghetto y los pocos que hoy quedamos, después de 64 años, vimos la liquidación el 3 de septiembre de 1943. Estuve por un tiempo oculto en un sótano junto a 150 judíos, al descubrirnos nos transportaron como ganado en trenes a Estonia, otro campo de concentración donde nos habían hacer trabajos forzosos, muchos murieron por maltrato, hambre y enfermedades.
"Para los sobrevivientes comenzaba una etapa muy difícil: volver a vivir como los demás, habiamos quedado huérfanos, sin familias ni hogar, pero con orgullo y con gran esfuerzo de superación hemos formado nuevas y lindas familias con nuevas generaciones, demostrando al mundo que el pueblo judío siempre vivirá y existirá.
"Para nosotros es un legado hablar y contar lo que ha hecho una especie humana en el siglo pasado. Todos estamos comprometidos en impedir otra Shoa del pueblo judío. No permitamos que hechos semejantes se repitan.
"No olvidar ni dejar olvidar las barbaries que he pasado bajo el nazismo, cómo he sido torturado y cómo han torturado y matado a mis seres queridos a los cuales siempre tengo presente.
"Este es un pequeño resumen de mi historia, sobrevivencia y una triste página de la Shoá vivida en carne propia."