SKALAT - Judenrein for Eighty-Two Years

Yesterday, the seventh of Sivan, we met at our regular time, in our regular place, along the eastern fence of the cemetery in Holon. There is a long row of monuments in memory of communities which were destroyed in the Holocaust. There are now a few rows of graves between the monuments and the fence, graves that were not there last year.

We were about two dozen people, including a few children who are three generations removed from Skalat. The only actual survivor in attendance was Bronia, thinner and frailer than last year, and using a  walker. But of course nearly everyone there is a survivor, children and grandchildren of Jews who lived through Skalat's last days eighty-two years ago or who managed to leave before 1941.

One of the two monuments in Skalat

Zvika spoke as usual. He updated us about the maintenance of the two memorials in Skalat and collected some money for the two local caretakers. Bronia spoke briefly. Amnon Weissman spoke
eloquently. Haim Bronstein's son spoke. (Haim, who wrote the yizkor book for Skalat, used to run these memorial meetings.)

We said kaddish together and a couple of prayers (one chapter of Psalms was read by Shammai Segal's grandson).

After about forty-five minutes, we bid our farewells, hoping to see everyone next year.