Danon Dr Jakov - Jadovno 1941.

MILAN COHEN, Eyewitness - Israel
This is my story: I am Milan Cohen, sometimes Milan
Kohn. I was born in Slunja on March 29, 1927. My father’s
name was Drago and my mother’s maiden name was Kabiljo In
Slunji my grandfather Ludvig and grandmother Gizela had two
children: my aunt Anka and my father Drago. My aunt Anka got
married to Mićo Grgurić and they had a son Milan. My
grandmother Gizela died in 1925 and my grandfather, later on
he got married to Lili and he lived up to 1935. Lili outlived
the war and a long time after the war she died in Zagreb in
the Ladislav Švarc Home. Anka and her husband Mićo died
tragically in Slunja. Milan stayed alive and got married in Zagreb. He had two children.
Milan and his wife died and I knew that their children live in Zagreb now. My mother’s
origins Kabiljo are from Sanski Most. Her father David Kabiljo was born in Sarajevo where
he was educated for rabbi. He got married to Flora Levi and was sent as a rabbi to Sanski
Most before the World War One. He had six children with Flora. My mother Bukica was born
in 1904; Mordehaj, alias Puba, born in 1906; Anula born in 1908; Rivka –Kika born in
1910; Cadok-Sado born in 1913 and Lunčika born in 1913. After my grandma died from
Spanish fewer in 1918, my grandpa David go married to Atijas Simha from Bihać. They had
two children Zevi-Cico born in 1923 and Flora-Seka born in 1925.
In the small place such as Sanski Most, wage from Rabbis and Muslim Priests wasn’t
high enough for supporting a big family. People from Sanski Most knew him under the
nickname "Hodža" (Islamic Priest). He opened the consumers shop. In due time his son Puba
got involved in the shop and took over the business in the shop. He got a licence for selling
salt and took over business in the shop. He got a licence for selling salt because salt was under
the State monopoly. The business was running well; therefore they became famous,
prominent and rich tradesmen. The children got married and spread all around the world.
Sado finished the Gymnasium in Banjaluka. Cico finished the four grades of the Gymnasium
in Prijedor and enrolled the Textile School in Leskovac but he didn’t finish it because of the
war. In 1930, Kika started her studies in Zagreb where she joined the Zionists, went to
pilgrimage in Golenic, got married in 1934 and arrived in Palestina. Puba got married to
Lunčika Baruh from Sarajevo in 1938. Sado got married to Malka Kister from Osijek. The
youngest daughter of Lunčika got married to Jozef Levi from Prijedor in 1940. Anula got
married in 1930. My mother got married to my father Drago Konha in 1926.
We lived together in Banja Luka since I was 3 years old. Even now I feel that
Banjaluka is a part of me because I spent there the most beautiful days of my youth. Banja
Luka used to be a big town with two Jewish municipalities – the Sephardic headed by rabbi
Atijas and the Ashkenazi headed by rabbi Kohn. Both municipalities had their own temple.
Apart from that Zionistic youth organization was active within Keno (Hebrew – Youth Club)
WIZO. There were regular meetings, tea parties and outdoor parties for every holiday such as
Hamishoshi, Purim, Pasha, Rosh Hashanah, Hanukah etc. Life was normal. Our parents
socialized in the Jewish’s Home, children and youth in Kenu. We were friends with the Jews
and those who were not Jews. There were no differences.
In the eve of the World War II, the internal unrest occurred among the members of the
Jew municipalities because of anti-Semite disturbance in Germany with a picture of robed
Jewish property and killed ones. It all started on March 28, 1941 the school was broken up for
the war. I didn’t get the Certificate for a 4 grade and I didn’t pass the final exam because the
regime was changed for the Jews. As of the beginning of 1941 everybody was sure that it
wouldn’t be finished so easily that the Germany would attach the old Yugoslavia. This
assumption became true in the fatal April 1941 after the crash of the Yugoslav army on April
6 and forming the NDH in April 10, 1941.
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