Murder Story of Slonim Jews in Czepielów

At about 3 AM, I was awakened by the screams and cries that rang in the house where I was spending the night. The German orders "Juden, raus!" could be heard all around. Quickly, I got up to the attic.… I was startled by a voice: "If somebody is hiding here – you'd better come out! If you are found, you will be shot together with your family!" Unnoticed, I jumped down from the attic and mixed in with the crowd in the street. Some 500 people were being herded toward the square. A German officer came up to us and said in a calm voice: "The German authorities have decided to transfer you to a different place. If you behave in an orderly fashion, we’ll get there quickly. The conditions over there are much better than in Słonim."… When all the people had been assembled, the order was given, and we walked toward the railway station. Before reaching the station, the column was diverted into a side street that led out of the town, to the fields. Everything became clear to us.… Cries, screams, and prayers could be heard.… Two hours later, we arrived in a clearing near the road leading to the village of Chepelevo. We were ordered to stop and line up in two rows: the men to one side, the women and children to the other. When this was done, a new order followed: "Undress and fold your clothes!"… We were then herded along a path. We could hear gunfire; it sounded very close, as if they were shooting at us. As we walked uphill, we could see two large ditches, half-filled with the bodies of the slain. When a volley rang out, I jumped down into the ditch. At that moment, I passed out.… I regained consciousness because of the lack of air, feeling something constricting my chest.… I began to crawl out of the ditch toward fresh air....