Page 64 - LEIBY

64 Leiby – Border Smuggler 2

other areas of Poland will remain democratic so we’ll be able
to emigrate from there to Eretz Yisrael.” Leiby’s eyes sparkled
with hope, and he looked at the map of Poland on the back
page of the newspaper and began to mark it with long arrows,
trying to find the quickest way to get to Warsaw.

Leiby began to plan their journey to Warsaw. He didn’t have
a penny to his name, and so he decided to turn to the Jewish
committee of Minsk to try and find people who possibly would
be willing to be their partners for the journey and finance it.
He knew how to find his way anywhere and could guide the
group on the least dangerous route. In addition, he still had his
automatic rifle hidden away, which would provide a measure
of security as they traveled through the towns and villages. He
also knew how to talk to the farmers and villagers they would
encounter on the way, and to build their trust, so he hoped that
he would succeed in finding people who would want to join
him.

The very next day Leiby made his way to the train station. He
arrived there early in the morning in the hope that he would
be able to catch the train, but when it came, it was filled to
bursting point with armed Russian soldiers who did not allow
any civilians to enter the carriages. Leiby tried bribing some of
the officers, but they refused to listen. Leiby was puzzled; in
Russia bribery was always a viable option and as the popular
joke went, anyone could be bribed except for Stalin himself,
because everything in Russia belonged to him! He didn’t
understand how it was that suddenly all the soldiers had become
so law-abiding, until he noticed two tall, grim-faced men who
appeared to intimidate even the toughest of soldiers and were
apparently secret agents for the government.

“If anyone may have imagined that we’re still in Poland, here’s
the proof that we are most definitely in Russia,” Leiby thought
dolefully and kept a safe distance from the train. “It’s bad
enough that I am a deserter, I certainly have no wish to be
accused of espionage as well!”

Leiby went to the train station every day that entire week