Until WW1, Siniavka in the center of Belarus, was within the borders of Czarist Russia. During the war when battles neared the village, the Jews were expelled by order of the military authorities. Like along the whole of the front line, the Jews were accused of espionage and that they were offering information to the Germans. The Jews of Siniavka had to leave their homes and property and wandered to the east. At the end of the war the refugees returned to the village empty handed. Slowly and with great effort the succeeded in rebuilding the destruction and organizing their life from scratch.

In between the two World Wars, Siniavka lay within the borders of Poland, close to its eastern border. The important road connecting Warsaw with Moscow, ran through the village. The shtetl belonged administratively to district Novogrodok. Its neighbors and partners to trade were Kletsk, Lakhovich and Baranovitz. They influenced the shtetl spiritually and culturally.

Close to the shtetl there was a small river, a rivulet of the big river Schara. It was surrounded by villages, estates and thick forests which provided timber for export through the Liakhovitch station. It had 3 broad streets: the main street, the Moscow-Warsaw road, named Shosiena. Two streets branched out from that street; one in the direction of Pinsk – Pinsker street, and the other, leading to the municipal office of the community was called the gemina.

The houses were wooden with wooden shingles. Among the public buildings – the post office, a stone building which was built in the Czar’s time; the Provoslav Church; the Polish public school and opposite it - the government infirmary.

The synagogue on Pinsker street stuck out a bit because of its size and height. Next to it was the rabbi’s house and a special room in it for the religious court. Not far from the synagogue was the public bathhouse built of stone and it it a modern mikva and purification house for the dead.

The population of Siniavka was mostly Jewish – about 100 families – and the rest were Christians, Belarussian. They dealt with small trade and craft. There were various profession: smiths, carpenters, cobblers, tailors, etc. There were also coachmen who dealt with transport of timber from the forests, especially railway-sleepers, to the near stations and loads and travelers between the shtetls.

Almost every family had a piece of land a fruit orchard or a garden with vegetable and also poultry, cows, etc. Thursday was market day in the shtetl. Many farmers from the neighborhood brought in their product and bought items for the household. This was an important source of income for the Jewish population.

The shtetl underwent two distinct periods of spiritual development. Until the middle of the twenties folklore and way of life were in accordance with religion and tradition. Way of life was very defined with no breaches from generation to generation, and among all circles and classes. The synagogue served as the center of social and spiritual life. Every day between minkha and ma’ariv, lessons were given in mishnayot, Ein Yaakov and Gemara. Quite often speakers used to preach on the pulpit in matters of religion and morals. Meetings and conventions were also held in the synagogue in which they argued and reached decisions in matters of the municipality. On Sabbath and Holiday the synagogue was cramped with praying peopled. Nobody was absent. However over time, new winds blew and changes occurred. The new generation started being more permissive with religion and tradition.

The rabbi was the leader and head of the community. Meetings were held in his house with the participation of the chosen and honorable people. His salary was paid from the customs called korovka levied on selling of yeast and Sabbath candles. His family members took care of that. Second to the rabbi was the shokhet [ritual slaughterer] who was also a khazan [cantor]. The shamash played an important part in the municipality, managed all needs of the synagogue from calling upon people to come to the pulpit to read from the scrolls of the Tora – and as such helped the gabais – to cleaning of the synagogue and taking care of lighting and heating. He was also the shamash of the religious court and the community council.

Among the honorable members of the shtetl and its activists: R’ Eliyahu Starosta an excellent speaker and Khazan; the shokhet r’ tzvi leibovitz, a learned man; the shamash R’ Yoseph Lampert, R’ Tzvi Zblotzki, R’ Yitzkhak Skuler; my father eliyahu Neimark – head of the community and philanthropist, R’ Tzvi Z’ukhovitzki, Yaakov Gol who took care of the library, Aharon Tarbur – activist; Shimon Shkuler – treasurer of the municipality; Yoseph Shmidt – teacher and a Zionist activist; Among the young generation: Shmuel Hokhberg, Shimshon, Mordechai and Yaakov Mlidzinov, Sar and Beinush Neimark, Elka Kokushitzki, Etel Zelkind, Yehay Kosovski, and others.

There was no formal community administration in Siniavka. It was annexed legally to the community of Kletsk. However there was a council consisting of some activists who led the community in coordination with the administration in Kletsk…

Children were taught in kheders – reading, Khumash [five first books of Bible] with Rashi commentary, and the Bible – in the traditional religious way. Eventually – Kheders were added where Hebrew, history geography and arithmetic were taught. After the age of 13 young boys were taught gemarah by teachers brought from outside. When older – youth, boys and girls, went to the big cities to study at Yeshivas of Meer, Baranovitz & Kleck or in Hebrew highschoos such as “Yehudia” in Baranovitz or in government and private schools – according to their means and various tendencies.

When these [outside students] returned to Siniavka for the Holidays or vacation, brought with them the spirit of enlightenment and Zionism, and had influence over the local youth. They initiated a drama-club, public library and a modern Hebrew school.

Voluntary Bikur Kholim and Linat Tzedek institutes attended to the needy and sick – offering medical treatments and means medical instruments. They worked out a schedule of voluntary night watch over the needy sick, to relieve the tired families. There was Khevra Kadisha and an old cemetery with a pinkas [register] of the names of the dead some where some important events were also noted down. Special societies attended to Ma’ot Khitin for Passover, for marrying off poor girl, Talmud Torah etc,.

On the whole the Jews of Siniavka were imbued with love and dedication to Zion and settlement in the Holy land and contributed to national funds according to their means. In every wedding, Brit-Mila, or celebration they had the blue-box for contributions to the Keren Kayemt. The annual money-raising for the Keren HaYesod was celebrated with the whole community and were an elation to the spirit.

Zionist activity was carried out especially by the young. There was a branch of HeKhalutz [Pioneer] that included all the young generation the working and the studying. Many attended later kibbutz-traning and were privileged to make Aliya and settle in the Holy Land..

Religious Zionism did not develop here for various reasons. They had many sympathizers but they lacked activity and organization.

Siniavka was small and of no big population but lively in many aspects. Its Jews worked honestly for their living. It almost had no idlers, greedy or fast-earners. They had the spirit of a village, earth and nature.

After working in the fields they would hurry either to pray or study, read, or participate in the branch of heKhalutz to listen to a lecture, dance and sing. They were blessed with love of Israel, love of their fellow people and ready to help either openly or in secret.

Holocaust came suddenly. According to rumors, the Nazis ordered all of the Jews – men women and children – to dig graves for themselves and shot them all in the close forest.

Jewish Siniavka was annihilated.