Saturday, October 7, 2017

75th Anniversary of Senkevychivka Ghetto's Destruction

Tonight starts the 75th yahrtzeit (anniversary of death) of those killed during of the destruction of the ghetto in Sienkiewiczówka, Poland (now Senkevychivka, Ukraine).  Among those murdered were three of my great grandparents (Avraham Tzvi Diamond, Tzivia Zutelman Diamond and Avraham Bajcz), a great-great grandfather (Moshe Dovid Fine), a great aunt (Malia Bajcz) and great uncle (Shlomo Diamond).
My great-great grandfather, Moshe Dovid Fine.  Murdered 75 years ago today.


My grandmother's aunts Sara Fine Wollich (and her husband Yosef) and Baila Fine were killed that day as were Sara's children Moshe Wollich and Chaike Wollich Chechman.  Chaika's young daughter Devora was murdered that day as well.
All of these relatives were killed 75 years ago today, with the exception of the man seated in the middle who had been murdered earlier.  They are:
Standing L to R: Sara Fine Wollich, Moshe Wollich, Chaike Wollich Chechman; Seated L to R: Yosef Wollich, Mendel Chechman, Devora Chechman

For an in-person account, you can read my grandmother's account of that day here.  She details how she survived and how so many others were killed.
My grandmother's sister Malia and father Avraham were both murdered when the Senkevychivka Ghetto was destroyed

Senkevychivka's ghetto housed Jews from many surrounding villages, including Biscupice (now Berezhanka) where my paternal grandfather lived with his family and Shklyn where my paternal grandmother lived with her parents, siblings and grandfather.  It is also the town in which my grandmother attended school when she lived in Shklyn and where her aunt Sara lived with her family before the war.

Senkevychivka's Holocaust Memorial (from my 2016 visit) which commemorates a mass killing from earlier in 1942

My grandmother's school friend Sonia Resnick Teitelbaum recounted that day in a video made available by Yad Vashem here.

Senkevychivka Train Station (which my grandmother remembered).  Photographed September 2016
Note that there are no photos in this post of my grandfather's family members who were killed that day--because so far as we know, any were destroyed along with the ghetto.

May all of their memories be for a blessing.

Note:  I'm on Twitter.  Follow me (@larasgenealogy).

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3 comments:

  1. may this stand as a light for all to see that they are remembered for them will shine in the dark of the night, may they be a blessing to all

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