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344 LUBOML
Kovel. My division stopped at Kovel's defense
line [a town near Luboml].
We took part in a strong offensive action on
March 25, when I was wounded againin my
leg. I was given first aid and sent to a division
hospital. When I was examined, I realized I was
seriously wounded. A few days later the surgeon
came to me and told me if I wanted to stay alive,
I should consent to having my leg amputated.
After the amputation, I was sent deep into
Russia, somewhere in the Caucasus, where I remained
until the end of the war. On April 15,
1945, I left the hospital, after its commissar
awarded me two medals, one for victory over the
Germans and one for bravery in action.
In Libivne After the War
After a period of time, during which I got
married, I and my wife decided to go to Libivne,
the town where I was born. The first Jew I met
upon leaving the railroad station and reaching
Chayim Reyzman's house was Moyshe
Rakovestser. He remembered me and we began
to tell each other stories! Tears filled his eyes as
he described his experiences during the German
occupation. As we said goodbye, I wept
out loud at the destruction of my hometown
and its inhabitants.
As I continued on my way, I did not recognize
any of the streets. Near the house of the
Gelmans I found the skeleton of our synagogue:
a huge desolate place amid ruins of walls, on
which huge letters spelled out, Ma tovu
oyholecho, Yakov, mishk'no'secho Yirsroel [How
goodly are thy tents, 0 Jacob; thy dwellings, 0
Israel!].
Not far from the house of Kalman Faveles, a
young man approached me. He recognized me
at once and even remembered my name, but I
did not recognize him. He told me he was the
son of Avrom Sojbel and his name was Nathan.
He also told me he lived on the same street and
that if I wanted, he would take me in to stay with
him.
I stayed with him and found a real home
there. The next day I met more Libivne Jews who
had saved themselves by hiding with gentiles.
At first I found it very difficult to stay where
so much Jewish blood had been spilled. Some
gentiles, on meeting me, would ask me, "And
how did you manage to stay alive?" They were
surprised a Jew had managed to escape death!
I tried to make a home there and create a
new life for myself together with the small remnant
of our former Jewish community; but I
found it almost impossible to live where the very
air breathed of the fresh deaths of all those who
were near and dear to me. We therefore left our
once-dear Libivne and emigrated to Israel.