Page 184 - LEIBY

184 Leiby – Border Smuggler

the British, who are currently holding all the Polish gold that
was deposited there for safekeeping during the war.”

“And until when is the agreement withstanding?”

“We don’t know,” Akiva admitted. “The gates may slam closed
any day, and what we are able to do effortlessly today, may be
impossible tomorrow.” He breathed in deeply and continued.
“Masses of people, far more than you can imagine, are
swarming to the refugee meeting points and asking to leave.
Poland is about to turn into a communist regime, oppressive
just like Russia, and people are afraid to stay here. On the other
hand, the Jewish communists and Bundists are calling for their
fellow Jews to stay and integrate in Poland – as always, our own
people are our own worst enemy. They’re warning people about
the inhumane conditions in the DP camps in Germany and
convincing them that life will be far better for them in Silesia,27
and that there are empty apartments and shops just waiting for
them there. They say that the government is willing to let the
Jews settle there and will even help them find employment.Utter
nonsense!” Akiva was quite obviously extremely frustrated. He
looked at Leiby and went on. “Jewish blood is being spilled
daily in Poland, yet those so-called leaders are still endlessly
spouting the same drivel that misled so many before the war
– that anti-Semitism can be eradicated by assimilation. Before
the war, thousands of young people followed them blindly, and
today, after the vast majority of the leaders were exiled to Russia,
survived, and eventually returned to Poland, they’ve found
themselves without their followers, who have been murdered.
The few survivors realize that there is no place for them in

27 ^ŝůĞƐŝĂ ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ŶĂŵĞ ŽĨ Ă ŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂů njŽŶĞ ŝŶ ĞŶƚƌĂů ƵƌŽƉĞ͕
ƚŽĚĂLJ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ŝŶ ^ŽƵƚŚǁĞƐƚ WŽůĂŶĚ͘ ĞĨŽƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƐĞĐŽŶĚ ǁŽƌůĚ ǁĂƌ͕ ŝƚ ǁĂƐ
ƉŽƉƵůĂƚĞĚ ŵŽƐƚůLJ ďLJ 'ĞƌŵĂŶƐ͕ ďƵƚ ĂŌĞƌ ƚŚĞ ǁĂƌ͕ ŝƚ ǁĂƐ ĚĞĐŝĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ
WŽƚƐĚĂŵ ĐŽŶĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ ƚŽ ŐŝǀĞ ƚŚĞ ĂƌĞĂ ƚŽ WŽůĂŶĚ͕ ĂƐ ĐŽŵƉĞŶƐĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ
territories in the east that had been taken over and annexed to Russia. The
'ĞƌŵĂŶƐ ǁĞƌĞ ĨŽƌĐŝďůLJ ƌĞůŽĐĂƚĞĚ͕ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ WŽůŝƐŚ ŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ŚĂĚ ƉůĂŶƐ ƚŽ
ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚ Ă WŽůŝƐŚ ƉƌĞƐĞŶĐĞ ƚŚĞƌĞ͘ :ĞǁŝƐŚ ƌĞĨƵŐĞĞƐ ĂůƐŽ ŚŽƉĞĚ ƚŽ ďĞ ŐŝǀĞŶ
ƚŚĞ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ ƚŚĞƌĞ͕ ďƵƚ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŚŽƉĞƐ ǁĞƌĞ ĚĂƐŚĞĚ ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞ
ƉůĂĐĞ ǁĂƐ ƌĂƉŝĚůLJ ĮůůĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŶŽŶͲ:ĞǁƐ͘