Savran Pogrom

Growing up, my grandmother told me stories of fleeing Ukraine in the wake of the Russian revolution to the relative safety of Bucharest, Romania. My grandmother's story was that during a pogrom in their home village of Savran, Ukraine she was hidden in an oven to avoid injury. The mental image of my grandmother in an oven puzzled me: was it like the oven in my New Jersey kitchen? Or the ovens of the Nazi camps?

Either way, I didn't have a clear idea of just what a pogrom was. A few years ago a gentleman sent me an account of a series of pogroms in Savran that occurred shortly before my grandmother's birth at the hands of the followers of Kozakov, Petliura, and Denikin. It is a painful account: translated below. The name "Bershadsky" is mentioned - and I believe he is a cousin.

The Attack on SAVARN in Podolia County

After the Passover 1917, a group of bandits came to Savran to raid the town, and started attacking and raiding people homes,  “AGUDAT HAMAGEN” the protective group, scared them away. One of the bandits was killed. The Christian town people  retaliated, and killed the head of “AGUDAT HAMAGEN,” Dr. Klein, and his father-in-law, Liev Alters, and attacked many Jewish homes and stores.

From there on, there was no rest for the Jews of Savran: Kozakov's troops raided Savran. Kozakov called the two village rabbis and demanded a 200,000 Rubles  “contribution” and made them responsible for all that would happen if this would not be paid within one hour. The town Jews collected the money, but failed to do so in an hour, so Kozakov left the town with the two rabbis, captive, and killed them in a horrific way, torturing them to death, making them eat rotten eggs and burning their beards while singing praises for him. After crossing the river he caught three more Jews, an old man, and the two sons of Moyshe Barshedsky and killed them as well.

The 200,000 rubles where given to the widows and orphans of the rabbis by the town  people.

After a while the troops of Danikin started to come to Savarn, the first group caused no harm, and only asked for food supplies and clothes, but after came Kazaks from those troops, and after taking what they wanted (e.g., food clothes) they took a respected man, Shimon Elizepan, and whipped him fifty lashes just for saying: ”We can’t leave a Jewish town without leaving any  mark passing through.”  They laughed and the man fell to an illness for three months after this.

And when the Danikinians were killed of the hands of the Soviet troops, they came back to Savarn and slaughtered the entire Jewish town folks,  it was Saturday (morning of Shabbat) that the first faction came of fleeing Danikinians  and demanded “contribution” but then the town bells started , and they fled. But at noon came the second faction, and started the slaughter any Jew caught by the faction was killed on the spot. Old people were butchered, little children were torn to pieces which were thrown to the faction's dogs, every women between 12 and 70 years of age were raped  and then killed in many horrific ways.

At first the Danikinians  tortured their victims to get word of the hiding places where they stashed their belongings. After taking their possession they  also took their lives. Thus, they took 200,000 rubles out of the old man BOYKES hands and promised when he gives the money they will let him live, after taking his money, they put him against the wall pour oil on him, and torched him alive, counting the  money in front of  his eyes, while the poor soul  was  screaming  and burning to death. Then they killed his son.

SHAUL (SAUL) CHERNOAUS son, a five year old, they found under the bed, hiding , they asked him ”Where is your father?” "I don’t know" the boy said. Immediately they cut him to pieces and threw his remains to the dogs.

Israel Arages' wife, a very beautiful and graceful women, they took, raped, and decapitated.

 

The faction was accompanied by many of the important Christian community leaders which led them to the hiding places of the Jews.

All the Jews were killed by crude weapons. One Jew plead to be killed by a rifle, and got this answer: “Every bullet is now very expensive,  pay us the bullet price, and you will get killed this way.”

The killing lasted three days,  and after ten more days, more Danikinian factions came and again butchered, raped, robbed and pillaged the town Jews. The casualties toll came to approximately 800 people. Many of Savarn Jews fled to the nearing  villages where they died of cold or hunger. In Savarn few Jewish families stayed, but they were also harassed and driven out by the Christian families.

The state of these families is evident by this fact:

A Jewish student from Savarn traveled to Odessa with two Christians, and they stayed in an inn together over night, were they stole his money: 35,000 rubles. When the Soviets learned of this, they came to the hotel, checked the Christians satchels and found counterfeit money in their possession  and guns. They were of course arrested. After a few days a poster was hanged on a wall in Savarn :

“Communist Yids:

If you will not return our people, we will slaughter you all. Petliura slaughtered you all and didn’t finish; Danikinians slaughtered you all and didn’t finish;  we will slaughter you all - and will not leave even a baby in his crib.

The Alliance of Destroyers.”

(These are the words of Savran refugees.)

The Attack on Savran in Podolia County. from "Hebrew Yearbook for Autobiography, Ethnography and Folklore - Reshumoth" (Volume 3). Berlin 1923 (Moriya – Devir publishers, Jerusalem –Berlin). Pages 425 - 426. 

I am grateful to my cousin Ruby for translating this horrific document.