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For 500 years, Jews
have lived and existed in your area. They were 70% of the total population.
In the center of the market, was the Saltzkromen. The farmers of
the area came here to buy supplies and sell their wares. These shops were
destroyed by the German Nazis. Today, there is a Memorial Park in this
place. In the park, there is a memorial stone in memory of the Belo-Russian
and Jewish martyrs and a tombstone for the Red Army soldiers who fought
to free Kletzk from the invading Nazis.
The market square,
shops, municipal buildings, medical buildings, pharmacies, restaurants
and the rest of the services needed for a modern city are situated around
the park. There are the shining streets around the same sun that didn't
appear on that day. Jewish Kletzk was a place in which Jews lived a cultural,
communal, traditional and religious life. The inhabitants were artisans,
business people, intellectuals, artists, and philosophers. There were
social services and a clinic for those who couldn't afford medical care.
There were five schools
representing all the streams of Jewish thought. There were six synagogues
and a community building. The youth were affiliated with youth groups
from all parts of the political spectrum.
This whole world
disappeared. It was destroyed and obliterated from this earth. The German
Nazis murdered our people using a preconceived plan in a pedantic and
devastating fashion. This liquidation was perpetrated due to the fact
that they were Jews.
Now we are here again.
To our great sorrow we have come to consecrate a Mass Grave. Jewish History
has known persecuation, pogroms, gas chambers, and "execution trenches".
But The Eternity of Israel Will Survive. Four thousand years of
Jewish History proves that we will continue to exist. We returned to our
ancient homeland after 2000 years of exile. We have reestablished our
country. We built it with the sweat of our hnds and we sacrificed the
blood of the holocaust survivors and their sons.
We call upon all
peoples to witness what we have written on the memorial stone. Never
again. Let's return to the same freedom and brotherhood of men to
men. We extend a hand in brotherhood to all peoples, to all religions,
and especially to the Belo-Russian people, who encompassed many hundreds
of thousands of Jews.
We have a special
request to the citizens of Kletzk. Kletzk began its history over 1000 years
ago. For 500 of those yeares we lived together in peace nd harmony. Kletzk
had not previously known internal strife. We, the few survivors --the
sons of Kletzk, born here --turn to you. Please help safeguard and protect
this memorial. This tombstone, which has been raised for our parents,
our brothers and our sisters, is a part of Kletz history. It will then
be a place for us to come on the high holidays and in grief and sorrow,
to visit and honor our parents' grave.
Elimelech Benari