Small Riga Ghetto

189
schewski cigarette factory. All of them were barely recognizable. My comrade
Schelkan and others had moved to other barracks camps. Everyone was trying
to get out of this hell in any way he could, for this was the worst period at
Kaiserwald. During this time, the notorious Stützpunkt * was set up. Initially,
those who were to be transported to it were fetched from the concentration
camp by a large group of guards carrying machine guns. Later on, the same
group of guards waited for the transports at the gate, so as not to cause any
agitation in the camp.
Once – it was a Saturday, a holiday on which we didn't have to work – we
Jews celebrated Hanukkah (the festival of Chasmonea) and Shabbat roschchojdesch
(the first Saturday of the month). I organized two religious services
in our barrack. Cantor Serensen prayed in one corner and the cantor from
Hanover (who had the voice of a giant) in another. All the others were standing,
praying and weeping. Afterward a Hazkoro (prayer of commemoration)
was spoken and those present said Kaddish (the prayer for the dead).
Everyone truly did say Kaddish!
XIX.
I had never experienced a harsher winter than that of 1943. I clearly saw my
destruction before me. Nobody was interested in the political news any longer,
and because I myself cannot remember it as well as the news we received in
the ghetto period, I will skip over it here.
At that time, not only the German Jewish elite of the ghetto but also the former
police chief Haar were brought to the concentration camp. The VIPs were
received by us with many beatings, in accordance with their earlier behavior
toward us. Unfortunately, Haar was unassailable. He was brought by Kommandant
Roschmann personally and delegated to a work crew by Sauer. Because
the German Aryan prisoners regarded Haar as a rival, they agreed to get
him out of the way. This decision was implemented on New Year's Eve
1943/44.
Haar was invited to a small New Year's Eve party organized by the Aryan
prisoners. In the middle of the night they dragged him to the latrine and tried
to drown him in the filth. A former boxer, he reportedly defended himself
fiercely. After he had been pulled out of the latrine half-dead, he was killed for
good. The ones who did it were the murderer Mr. X and the Pole Bolek. We
* [Ed.: Usually, ten men were taken to the forest, wher they disinterred earlier victims and
burned them. They were replaced by new crews every few days, after having been killed.]