Murder story of Kheyrus Jews in the Dzhankoy Area

- How did that happen? You say that the Germans had the lists. Where did they get the lists from? - Every village had a “Head” and a policeman. - Also your village? - Yes. - Who were those people? - I don’t remember. - Was there one policeman, or more? - I think it was one person. - Was it someone local? - Yes. They also changed quite often, so it is really hard to remember now. They went to each house and took people. One teacher, Elizaveta Stern – Semionova - she had a boy – she came from Leningrad to visit her parents – or his parents… So she was born Stern and took the name, Semionov, as it was her husband’s. Her boy was about 10 years old. They didn’t take the boy. Beforehand, we walked together to another village, some 20 km from here, and we talked. She trusted me since our fathers were both officers. She said: “Can it be that we will be shot?” Obviously she already knew something. I remember that. - Could you please describe again how they gathered up the Jews? Was it done by the Germans or by the locals? - The Germans. They came, they had sub-machine guns… - How many soldiers were there? - I can’t tell you. There were a few cars. One could see an approaching car and the soldiers who were jumping out. They surrounded the whole village.... -I was living there -Tell us, do you remember that day? Could you describe us that day? -It was in January 1942. There was an attempted landing of Soviets in Kerch. There was a Rumanian garrison. There were Rumanians and Germans. In the morning, I do not remember the date, but it should be before January 10, on either 7th or 8th the covered trucks arrived from which German soldiers jumped out and surrounded the village. Those [Germans] who entered the village had of course the lists by them. They [the Jews] were gathered there, as far as I remember some of them were loaded upon the carts and were taken to Sovietskoye (Ichki) to the Gramatyukovo train station and from there they were taken to Dzhankoy. They were shot in Dzhankoy. How do I know it? Mitya Ingerman-they were a large family, as far as I remember, 6 children and a mother-he was born in 1924 and married to a Russian Vera Vasilenko, she too should be born in 1924, she went together with him. She told that in Dzhankoy some elderly man told her: "Girl, they are going to be shot, if you wish to stay alive, go away, they will let you go". And she has returned and told [us]... - The whole operation was organized in secret. Maybe they didn’t even tell the local police. They came and took them. - So what happened after they surrounded the village? - They put people on the wagons and drove them away. - How did it happen? Did they enter every house? - Yes, they called for people to leave every house. I don’t know if they told them to take anything… I saw it from far away, the cars and all. - Where exactly were you? At home or on the street? - I was standing next to my own house. - In the yard? - Next to my house. - How long did it take them to gather the Jews? - I think they were done by lunch time. - Did they come in the morning? - Yes, early in the morning. - Did you see how they evict the people from their houses? - Yes, I saw the neighbors taken out. Both our neighbor families were Jewish. - Do you remember their names? - Yes, Sheremovich (husband, wife and their son, Yosia). We lived in their house afterwards. After the liberation, their daughter came to visit. - Did the people take their belongings? - Some did. - What was the excuse to evict them? Do you know? - I don’t. - How did they know what houses to go to? Did the “Head” tell them? Or they knew themselves? - I guess it was the “Head”. I couldn’t see. - Did you see how they evicted Sheremovich. - Did they have something with them (a bag maybe)? - Yes, for sure. - How many soldiers took them out? - I don’t remember. - Did the Jews know they would be taken? - I think they didn’t expect it. You know, in some cities they wore armlets, but here, in Kheirus, they didn’t have to do anything like that.