Treblinka was an extermination camp in Poland on the Bug River in the area referred to as the General Government. Opened in July 1942, it was the largest of the three Operation Reinhard killing centers. Between 700,000 and 900,000 persons were killed there. A revolt by the inmates on August 2, 1943, destroyed most of the camp, and it was closed in November 1943.
The Deportation of the Zabludow Jews to Treblinka Death Camp
On Sunday November 1st, 1942 a heavily armed German unit surrounded the small Jewish Ghetto in Zabludow which was located in the area of the leather factories. As many as 1,800 Jews may have been located here under very poor conditions for about 16 months. On the morning of Monday November 2, 1942 many Polish peasants arrived in Zabludow with their wagons by order of the Germans who had told them that they were going to be needed to transport the Jews. Apparently word of this order had reached the Jews the previous day from Polish Christians, but the Jews did not know where they would be taken. That morning the Jews were removed from the Ghetto and under heavy guard loaded on the wagons. Two Jews, Phinia Korovski, and Yosef Intoligator managed to hide in the barn of Vinchick Velosovich which was located near the leather factories, and thereby avoided the expulsion. For almost a week they were given food, and information by Velosovich and perhaps other Christians, but were asked to leave by Velosovich's wife. Phinia Korovksi writes in the Zabludow Yizkor book,
"The helpful Christians wife came to the barn begging me to leave "there were whispers in the city that you were not seen among the people in the wagons, saying that you are probably hiding" she asked that I pity her, because if I would be caught her family will be held responsible, and they will be punished severely. I was able to convince her to let me stay until Sunday, I assumed that on Sunday it would be easier for me to escape, she had no idea that Yosef Introligator was hiding in the barn with me. In the middle of the night we looked around to make sure that we didn't hear any peoples steps, we parted and Yosef went out secretly from the town. I listened tensely, to see if I heard any gunshots… I stayed in the barn by myself and waited until Sunday, and in the night slipped away from the burnt and destroyed Zabludow that had no more Jews. I passed through gardens; I wanted to get to the cemetery, I stayed there for a good hour, and I wept bitterly. Then I turned sideways to the nearest village."
Several other Jews also tried to hide to avoid the expulsion but were found and murdered by the Germans. Among them were Yitzhak Herschel Vaniavski, and Avrahamel Finemen. Phina Korovski describes the expulsion in the Zabludow Yizkor book,
In the morning the villager's wagons started to arrive, the expulsion occurred on Monday, November second, 1942. Panicked voices of anxious people were coming out from the factories. Some were running to the Christians to get their children that worked there as shepherds, we were looking through the barn’s holes, we saw everything from our hiding place. Here they are throwing bundles on the wagons, hearing screams and cries; the Nazis hurried them, "quickly, quickly!" Around everyone there was a ring of Gestapo people, this was the last time I saw everybody. Here is my mom coming out; she cant climb onto the wagon; she is being helped… they are taking out my weak sister and supporting her arms… they are carrying Tilka Rogovski, that just gave birth… The wagons are leaving. I see my father walking near the wagon, leaning on his cane, and under his armpits a tallis and tfillin. Looking back one last time at the barn where I was hiding…"
The Zabludow Jews were taken that morning to the the former camp of the Polish Tenth Calvary near Bialystok. This camp was being used by the Germans as a collection center prior to transport to Treblinka for Jews being expelled from all the small towns nearby Bialystok during the first week of November of 1942. This was part of a general German policy decision to make the Bialystok area Judenrein (rid of Jews), except that the Germans decided that the Bialystok Ghetto would remain for the time being due to it's productive capacity from slave labor.
The Zabludow Jews arrived at the Polish Tenth Calvary camp sometime later in the day on November 2, 1942. Conditions there were extremely overcrowded and unsanitary. There was little to eat, and brutality from the Germans could be experienced at any time. Jews from many of the towns nearby Bialystok were located there, and the Jews expelled from Zabludow found that many of those who had fled Zabludow for surrounding towns as early as June of 1941, were now located at this camp. At the 10th Calvary Camp the Germans killed Zabludow Jews Zalman Rogovski and Gershon Slotski. According to the the Bialystoker Memorial Book, at the postwar Bialystok trial of Fritz Gustav Friedl, commander of the Bialystok Gestapo's Jewish Section, Friedl was held personally responsible for shooting thirteen members of the Zabludow Judenrat (Jewish Council) while they were held at the 10th Calvary Camp. Some Zabludow Jews managed to escape from the Camp into the Bialystok Ghetto. According the the Zabludow Yizkor Book Shimon Wessotski was saved from the 10th Calvary Camp by Barash- the head of the Bialystok Judenrat (he was later shot dead trying to "run the ghetto fense"). Osnat Goldstein and her children may have also been saved this way. Eitsche Coplinski (survived and lived in Israel), Nisel Baker, Isar Zerolnick's son, Zalman Voiles and his son, and other's managed to escape from the camp and enter the Bialystok Ghetto. Only a very few Zabludow Jews located in the Bialystok Ghetto survived. Most were vulnerable for selection in the deportations from the Bialystok ghetto to the death camps, due to the fact that they were from outside overcrowded Bialystok, had entered the ghetto illegally, and lacked good connections and infuence there.
On November 10th, 1942 approximately 1,400 Zabludow Jews were transported by train from the 10th Calvary camp to Treblinka. Almost all were gassed and burned in the crematoria that very same day. To my knownledge Yizthok Rubbins was the only Zabludow Jew deported to Treblinka who survived the war. In the Zabludow Yizkor book Rubbins writes,
"It is impossible the horrible sufferings that we suffered for three weeks, until we were expelled to Treblinka. I can’t remember the exact date, I am all confused about the time; I think it was on the 20th, or 21st of November (It was actually on November 10th). On that day, the bitter and horrible day, the Jews were brought to the gas chambers and were burned by the murderer Germans, may their names and memories be erased! That is how our dear town and dear Jews of Zabludow were erased from earth. May their memory be blessed".
Honor Their Memory!
Links to More Information on Treblinka
Nizkor Project-Treblinka
History Net-Treblinka
Map of Treblinka
Photos of Treblinka Memorial
Web: 2003 Tilford Bartman
