Murder Story of Poczajow Nowy Jews on Lipovaya Street in Poczajów

On 25 Elul 1 [i.e. September 9] 1942, two days beforehand, the Ukrainian [auxiliary] policemen [from the Poczajów's vicinity], accounting 200, were brought together to the town. Nobody knew for what purpose. They remained [in the town] for several days, until Sabbath, at 6 p.m., since by that time those inmates of the ghetto [who performed forced labor outside the ghetto] came back. On Sunday no one worked. Then the ghetto sealed off. There is no one incoming or outgoing. [Each] Ukrainian policeman was positioned every 5 steps around the ghetto. The Judenrat tried to make efforts asking that some water would be given to the horses, but even this was forbidden…. The Judenrat's query what suddenly happened [that the ghetto had been closed], was answered that the Jews were roaming outside [the ghetto] to look for products and therefore they were punished [i.e.] no one was allowed to leave the ghetto. This lasted until Tuesday at 4 p.m. Then two vehicles with 30 Gestapo men arrived from the Wiśniowiec Street. They drove to the town's hall, to the police [station that was situated at the town's hall]. There an outstanding feast had been prepared for them. They gorged themselves well, got drunk… and together with the Ukrainian policemen sang Ukrainian songs that were heard well deep inside the ghetto. They [Gestapo men] demanded that all the Judenrat members together with the Jewish Police appear at the gate [of the ghetto]. The head of the Gestapo asked the Judenrat how many people were [interred] inside the ghetto. After Judenrat transmitted him the number, he ordered to expel everybody outside the ghetto.… Several trucks were brought for the sick ones. Shortly afterwards the Gestapo and the Ukrainian police raided on the houses [of the ghetto], beating and killing. The voices [of the Jewish inmates] reached the heavens, people were kissing each other [saying] goodbye. People felt that their last hour arrived. At the ghetto's gate a selection had been carried out: Men apart, women apart, and the sick ones [were loaded] onto trucks, [then] the people were driven away threw the fields to the [Polish] … cemetery…. Near the cemetery there had been prepared beforehand a huge pit-mass grave. Near the pit [Germans] were yelling at people to get undressed. [Then, Germans] positioned machine-guns and put in line the naked Jews, and began shooting them and [the bodies of the victims] were thrown into the pit. Thus [this shooting operation] ended up with 800 people [dead]. Finally several hand grenades, that exploded, had been thrown into the pit. Then the bodies were covered with chlorine and the pit was covered [with earth].