Dnepropetrovsk Yizkor Book (Memory Book for Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine)

Awaiting them at the harbor were many thugs, there to rob and beat them. The passengers of the ship begged and asked the crew to turn the ship around, but their request was denied. When the ship arrived at the dock, the thugs attacked it and they started doing unthinkable acts. A few dozen people were wounded then were thrown into the water and afterwards, about 10 bodies were pulled from the river's water. At 7:30 am the next ship was due to arrive, and it was our duty with all our available resources to prevent a similar catastrophe from happening again. We immediately informed the fighting unit and we advised that at a certain hour in the morning that they should use the outer roads of the city. With that, we started negotiating with the management of the steamline and we demanded that they send a boat in the morning towards the ship that will prepare them for the danger. At that particular moment, the telephone rang and it was from Ulyanovskya Street, that was at the edge of the city, from the house of a Jewish merchant. From there we informed that close to the house, on the corner of Kharsonskya and Skakovaya Streets many voices were heard and it appears that they were attacking the Jews and that the Jews are asking for help. We called the commander of a 32 man fighting unit, and after a short conversation he returned to his group. After an hour he came to us and his eyes were burning. He performed his duties - the thugs paid with their blood - but the Jewish merchant continued to phone and according to him the rioting did not stop. After the attack by our group, even though it was calmer for a time, afterwards the noise increased again and the rioters came closer to Ulyanovskya Street. It was necessary to apply stronger means to defend the neighborhood.

We decided to concentrate four units in two places and to surround Ulyanovskya Street at both ends. In the action, the following took part: the group at the command of Arkady Upitnisky, two groups from our organization at the command of Peretz and Pilka, another group was a mixed group from our members who belonged to the Bund. All these groups were supposed to assemble at the corner of Waskersonskya and Basarnaya Streets and from there two groups to go to Ulyanovskya Street.

From these groups three arrived at the place that was planned ahead, the fourth one, Pilka's unit, did not yet arrive. At the same time the soldiers stationed at Basarnaya Street in the fog did not observe them, then the rioters opened fire. After a few attempts to get away from the shooting, our group left the place and reassembled in two private apartments. Pilka's unit, because they didn't know any better, came to the corner of Provzavanovskaya and Vazarnaya and did not go to the corner of Waskersonskya and Basarnaya because they did not recognize the situation in the fog. The unit marched to Ulyanovskya Street via Starogorodnaya Street. On the way over there, this unit met a group on guard duty that was composed of people that lived in this part of the city. After the unit joined that particular guard duty group (that were armed with pistols), they directly entered Ulyanovskya Street where from there many loud noises were heard (furniture and windows that were breaking). The group ascended the street and from there opened fire on the thugs, who immediately fled. The thugs left approximately 10 dead. Our group ran to the house of the Jewish merchant and from there we were advised of the situation from Pilka that the help arrived on time. After one day, the thugs took revenge and they set afire the house of the Jewish merchant. They found a good time to do it to avenge their people that were killed...

At the Hospital After the Pogrom

On Saturday evening (at the close of Sabbath) the authorities stopped the telephone. From the main telephone exchange we were advised that telephone was broken. "Broken" was understood to mean that it was the telephones used to stay in touch with the defense forces of the area itself. Afterwards it was found out that it was done under the orders from Governor Nydhart in order to disrupt our defense campaign on Sunday when the Pogrom was supposed to finish.

Therefore the defense force could not continue the campaign under one command and in concert as a single organization. The city turned into a military camp. Soldiers and Kossacks were everywhere and did not give our units an opportunity to communicate with one another. Houses and apartments that belonged to Jews stood out. It was enough to look at the doors and windows. If on the doors and windows there were not painted white crosses, and the windows were drawn it was a sign that behind them people holding their breath were hiding, and they became a sacrifice to the mob.

The defense force now was active in a form that was riot very well organized and it was every unit working on its own. The main hall where I was stationed at the time was useless and no longer had any purpose. We were advised that we should leave the place and change the telephone number. Broken and tired, we left the apartment and we went someplace else to a house that was across the street - a simple Jewish family's place.

In the morning, our friends came to visit us and advised us that the pogroms ended. In all the places there were posters that were put up from the Governor where he is informing everyone of the end of the rioting and he is advising the defense force to give up their weapons. I decided to go to the hospital because I heard that they needed help there. Approximately at 2 pm. they called me to go out to the corridor where there were two important, well-dressed people who were a little excited and red-faced.

"You are Mr. D.?" " Yes, that's me ."
"Could you make some decisions on matters that involve the defense force?"
" No, I cannot."
"Is it convenient now for a conspiracy?"
"I have ties to the defense group of my organization and it is not active right now."
"The Governor is requesting that the defense force give up its weapons and that it should stop shooting on the streets. Only in this instance will the march end that is now taking place from Sobibor (the main Orthodox Church in the city) and not cause a new pogrom ."
"If there is a new pogrom then it would only because of the Governor and not from us. What do you want from me?"
"We are going to go to the Governor. Promise us that the defense force will give up the weapons."
"This kind of a promise I cannot give you. But in order that the community will not blame us later on, I am willing to intercede in the name of our organization, and that is the strongest organization within the defense force, that we will not start the rioting, if they are not going to start a new pogrom.
"With what can we promise the Governor that you are going to keep your word?"
"In my name. Inform him that I am a Pole, that I am currently at a certain place and in case my promise does not come to pass he can arrest me."

After less than an hour passed, and the footsteps of approximately ten people were heard below. Approximately 50 middle-aged Jewish laborers and merchants, brought wounded on stretchers. From all sides came nurses. The pogrom started again! It was evident from all signs. This was an attack on Schneider house (as it was known in the Yeketerinslav Pogrom), there they found 18 bodies. The doors and the street were full of blood. The unexplained cruelty was evidence that the police thought that the Schneider house was a den for the revolutionaries.
According to the official information, 126 Jews were killed in the Yeketerinslav Pogrom at the hands of the thugs and from the shots of the soldiers. From the other side, approximately 47 men were killed. According to our numbers, it was 63.