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LIFE, RECONSTRUCTION, AND CREATIVITY 121
of the war situation. But he did manage to help
quite a few families; because of him they had
enough bread to feed their families.
At the end of the war, the Austrians retreated
from the shtetl, leaving behind food, clothing,
and even guns. The Jewish youths took the guns
and organized their own watch to protect against
attacks and robberies during that confused and
lawless time of transition.
At that time of confusion, we had a taste of the
rule of the Bolsheviks, whom we called the "barefooted
ones" because they wore seedy uniforms
and worn-out shoes. They lasted about four or
five weeks in our town. But in this short time they
did us much harm. They robbed us, mostly of
food and clothing
After the Poles chased out the Bolsheviks,
order in the shtetl gradually was restored. The
starosta [regional governor] owned an estate in
Stavke. He was a good man who raised the people's
spirits after their terrible war experience.
From 1920 on, the Jews of Libivne again
began to get financial help from relatives and
compatriots in America; and their economic situ-
Pupils and teachers of the Yavneh school celebrating Chanukah, 1930.
ation was much improved. Moreover, emigration
to the United States became evident.
The new Polish government gave Jews permission
to organize a kehila [Jewish communal
self-government] to deal with social and religious
matters of the Libivner Jews. The first
chairman of the kehila was Moyshe Reyzman, of
blessed memory. The members were Manes
Greenberg, Hershl Lifshitz, Meyer Landgeyer,
Moyshe Sfard, Shloyme Yitshak Sirtchuk, Rabinowitch,
Kalman Kopelzon. In the 1930s, which
I remember more clearly, each shul proposed its
own candidate for the kehila council.
In 1936, just before the new kehila elections,
I was nominated to run for the council as a
representative of the small Stepenyer Shul, where
I used to pray. The members elected then were
Asher Tenenboym and Nachum Shtern from the
Trisker shtibl [small Chasidic shul], Avrom
Grimatlicht from the Rizhiner shtibl, Pinchas
Krupodelnik and Yankl Peretzson from the artisans'
shul, Aron Leyb Lichtmacher from the
Radziner, Sandlshteyn from the Kotsker shtibl.
The kehila's executive council lasted until
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