A letter containing a thrilling testimony about the Bolsheviks breaking into the house of Jews for robbery and ...

A letter containing a thrilling testimony about the Bolsheviks breaking into the house of Jews for robbery and murder in Hoshana Rabba in the early evening of 1919

A letter in the handwriting and signature of Peretz Parzuk who was saved from death when the Bolsheviks broke into the Aharonson family during the pogroms in Ukraine during the intermediate days of Succot, by the resourcefulness of Rebbetzin Aharonson, 1919.

'על נפשה יקרה ועדינה אני בוכיה' He wrote these words on the 30th anniversary of the death of Rebbetzin Deborah Aaronsohn, who saved all the inhabitants of the house. The writer describes how "on the day of blood and disturbances that spread to the people of Israel in the Ukraine during the Sukkot holiday of 1919. During the middle of the intermediate days of Passover, rumors spread that the Bolsheviks were going to break into the Jews' homes ... On the night of Hoshana Rabba they came to the courtyard of Rabbi Aaronsohn, Closed so that the Bolsheviks would not notice them. " We sat in the dark just like living dead in the grave," he goes on to describe how the Bolsheviks came to the same hiding place and "the trouble when we live from it comes knocking at our doors and every time stronger than ever ... and no one will move." When the Bolsheviks saw that they were not opening the door, they fired one shot in the air. Then Rebbetzin Aharonson went out to them and spoke to them with ease and supplication, and promised that she would give them anything they wanted, provided that no clean blood flowed. And he goes on to describe how the Rebbetzin went with them to the house and spoke to them 'quietly with wisdom and gentleness' and gave them everything they wanted to take so that they would not hurt their souls while they were in hiding. A few minutes later, one of the murderers entered the hiding place and approached Rabbi Parzuk saying, "Give money a Jew, otherwise I will slaughter you right away." He raised the sword of the swordsman in his hand. While threatening to kill him, again the Rebbetzin appeared saying, "You want money, come with me." When the murderers followed her to the house to receive money, Rabbi Parzuk recounted how he had escaped to another hiding place and thus saved his life.

Peretz writes his name at the end of the story. Various hypotheses arose as to the identity of the writer and the identity of Mrs. Deborah Aaronsohn, the heroine of the story. It is possible that it was connected to the family of Rabbi Yehoshua Moshe Aharonson [1894-1994], a disciple of the Admor of Sochaczew, although this was not fully clear to us. at any rate, we have before us a importanat historical document.

[1] leaf written on both sides. fine condition.