Evidence of Konzentrationslager in Russia's file / תיק – ראיות למחנה ריכוז ברוסיה

These documents document the events of Zionist activists in the Soviet Union who were persecuted and imprisoned for their ideological positions. The detailed testimonies describe the The harsh living conditions in concentration camps Like Kolyma and Eldan, focusing on hard labor, severe hunger, and torture during secret police interrogations. The text combines Personal stories of women and men who lived in secret communes and were active in youth movements such as "HaShomer Hatzair" before being sent into prolonged exile in Siberia. In addition, the sources include Name lists of prisoners and details about the bitter fate of the members of the Zionist underground under the Stalinist regime. In conclusion, the archive serves as A memorial to Jewish freedom fighters who suffered political oppression but maintained their identity and hope to immigrate to the Land of Israel.

The documents before us depict a broad and painful picture of the fate of the Jews in Eastern Europe during the 20th century, from underground Zionist activity in the Soviet Union and under the reign of Stalinist terror, to the destruction of communities in Ukraine during the Holocaust (H27-1f, H27-2f).

Events and key locations

• Underground Zionist activity in the Soviet Union: The sources describe an extensive network of young people from movements such as "HaShomer Hatzair", "Dror" and "Hechaluts", who worked secretly to learn Hebrew, receive agricultural training and prepare for immigration to Israel (H27-1f). This activity continued even under severe persecution by the NKVD (H27-1f).
• The imprisonments and the Gulag: Many activists were arrested and sent to long periods of imprisonment and exile in remote places such as Tashkent, Alma-Ata, and the forced labor camps in Siberia (H27-1f). Graphic descriptions of life inKolyma AndMagadan, where the prisoners worked in gold mines in extreme cold conditions of minus 50 degrees, under a regime of starvation and hard labor (H27-1f).
• The riots of the Ukrainian civil war: The sources go back to events in towns like Fold, Proskurov andPalestine (H27-2f). During the Civil War (1917–1921), the Jewish communities found themselves caught between the Red Army, the White Army, and the Petliura gangs, who carried out deadly pogroms (H27-2f).
• The destruction of communities in the Holocaust: A detailed description of the Nazi entry into Ukraine in 1941 (H27-2f). In the town of Kopel, for example, Jews were rounded up on Yom Kippur and other occasions and taken to firing pits inVolochysk and the surrounding area (H27-2f). The sources describe the heroic deeds of individuals who tried to save Jews, alongside the cruelty of the Nazis and local collaborators (H27-2f).

Key figures

Jewish victims and activists

• Dora Ginsburg-Rosenthal: A Zionist activist who was imprisoned several times in the Soviet Union, underwent harsh interrogations and wandered between detention camps and exile until she immigrated to Israel (H27-1f).
• Boris Ginzburg (Yosef): Dora's husband, a central activist in the Zionist movement in the Soviet Union, was arrested for his underground activities (H27-1f).
• Zvi Ram (Spelboom): A leader in the "Hashomer Hatzair" movement in the Soviet Union, who organized training groups and worked to preserve the Zionist spirit even in exile (H27-1f).
• Dr. Butterfly: A Jewish doctor and intellectual in exile in Siberia, who preserved the Hebrew and Zionist spirit among the prisoners (H27-1f).
• Masha Yanovich: A Zionist political prisoner who endured severe torment in the Kolyma camps, lost her son who was sent to a Soviet orphanage, but managed to survive and immigrate to Israel (H27-1f).
• David Rosenberg: A survivor who describes the horrors of war and the destruction of the Jewish community in Ukraine (H27-1f, H27-2f).
• Dr. Finkelstein: A doctor in the town of Koppel, who remained with his community until its last moments (H27-2f).

Nazis and figures in the service of the Soviet regime

• Osmonsky: A cruel NKVD interrogator who abused Zionist prisoners during their interrogations (H27-1f).
• Slavic: Another Soviet researcher mentioned in the context of the persecution of Jewish activists (H27-1f).
• The Nazi commanders in Volochisk and Kopel: Mentioned in descriptions of mass executions are those directly responsible for the murder of thousands of Jews in the region (H27-2f).

List of sources

• H27-1f : Detailed testimony about underground Zionist activity in the USSR, imprisonments, NKVD interrogations, and life in the forced labor camps (Gulag) in Siberia and Kolyma.
• H27-2f : Memories of community life in the town of Kopel and its surroundings, pogroms during the Civil War, and a description of the destruction of the community by the Nazis in the Holocaust.

 

– H27-1f

– H27-2f

** end of Evidence of Konzentrationslager in Russia files **

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