A Tribute to Erwin and Riva Baker (continued)

When the Russians took over Mezeritsh, they saw the wealth of Motel Burko. How could such a capitalist exist under a communist regime? The Russians accused Burko of being a kollack (a rich landowner). A court trial was held at which time it was determined that Burko was indeed a kollack with the penalty being deportation of both Motel and Faiga to Siberia. Panic struck the pair. Their son-in-law, Yitzchak Baruch, intervened with the Russians and fabricated a story that the land really belonged to all of the children. Somehow, Baruch prevailed and the Burkos were not deported to Siberia. However, the Russians gave the Burkos 24 hours to vacate their house and give up all of their possessions. Motel and Faiga were not allowed to live together. Faiga remained in Mezeritsh, while Motel went to live with Zelda and her family in Dubna. Faiga told Rivka that it was bad enough to live under Russian occupation. However, it was still better than the Nazis because once the Nazis come in, they would kill the Jews.

It did not take long for the Nazis to occupy Mezeritsh. The Nazis entered Mezeritsh on July 2, 1941. All the Jews were forced to register and were given a yellow Star of David band (referred to as latta (patch) by Rivka). Izak was forced to work for the Germans.A ghetto was also formed. Conditions deteriorated in the ghetto very quickly.

Rivka's brother, Ben-Tzion, died in the ghetto. The family did not initially tell Rivka until she came to the house where her family was staying and saw that her brothers had not shaved. This is one of the requirements of the Jewish laws of mourning (shiva and shloshim). In tears, Faiga Burko said that at least he died a natural death. He was buried in the old cemetery in Mezeritsh.

The first mass slaughter occurred on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, May 25, 1942. Rivka remembered hearing the Germans shout: "Jews to your death". With chaos in the ghetto, Rivka's mother shouted to her to come with her. Rivka refused and said she had to wait for Izak. Finally, Izak came and they ran into a home and hid behind an armoire. Armoires were very common in Europe. They were basically large furniture closets. When the pandemonium in the ghetto subsided, Izak and Rivka came out from behind the armoire. Izak noticed that there was an attic in the house. He and Rivka climbed the ladder and remained in the attic. Cleverly, Izak took the ladder with them into the attic. There they hid in fright. Suddenly, the door opened and Rivka remembered hearing Russian being spoken. One of the Russians asked the others if they should search the attic for Jews. The other responded that if anyone were stupid enough to hide in the attic, they would kill themselves coming down. Of course, they did not realize that Izak kept the ladder. Large

numbers of Jews had been herded up and taken to Nevirkov, a few kilometers from Mezeritsh, where mass graves had been dug. The Jews were machine gunned by the Nazis and fell into the graves.

With silence returning to the city, the remaining Jews came out from their homes. Rivka did not know if any of her family members had survived. Suddenly she saw her mother. They embraced and cried hysterically. Faiga had thought that Rivka had perished. Faiga told Rivka that she miraculously survived the first mass slaughter. However, Faiga would not allow Rivka to take another chance with her life. Faiga sent Rivka to hide with Polish gentiles in the country by bribing the gentiles with gold. Rivka remained there for a number of months. She always reminded me over and over again that her mother saved her life. Meanwhile, Izak continued to work for the Germans.

Word had gotten out that the Germans were going to annihilate the remainder of the Jews in the Meziritsh ghetto. The Polish gentile that was hiding Rivka sensed something was going to happen. He was afraid to keep Rivka any longer. Anyone found harboring Jews would be killed along with the rest of their family. He gave her three choices:

1. Take her back to the shtetl. How could Rivka return to Mezeritsh? She would be killed instantly.
2. Take her to Izak's mill in Zalesnitza. How would that help?
3. Take her to the forest. Rivka was afraid the animals would rip her apart.

Of the three options, none were viable. She cried and cried and begged him not to take her anywhere until her husband arrived. The gentile refused. He was preparing his horses to take her away. The weather was miserable with much rain and mud all around. As she was about to leave, Izak appeared, having run all the way from Mezeritsh. Can you imagine her emotions when she saw her husband?

The rest of the Jewish community of Mezeritsh was slaughtered on the first day of the Jewish holiday of Succot, September 23, 1942. Again they were taken to Nevirkov where the mass graves had been dug and the Jews were machine gunned into the graves. The entire Jewish population of Mezeritsh (3,000 people) was annihilated in the two mass killings.

The two of them left for the forest where Izak dug a giant hole in the ground covered with branches. Riva referred to this as the grib (the grave). They remained in the grave for approximately one and one-half years. Can you imagine.