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HOLOCAUST DATA
The
Sephardic Jews of Monastir, 1839-1943. A web companion
to a new history.
The
list published in Last Century is the first to present
in English all the names, addresses, ages, and occupations
of the 3,276 Monastir Jews killed in the Holocaust.
After
the Second World War, the United States held the largest
Monastirli community in the world, but until now it has
been extremely difficult, if not impossible, for American
Monastirlis to uncover information about the Monastir
Jews murdered by the Nazis. Now, those looking for lost
relatives or conducting genealogy research can mine this
list for information.
Paper
graveyard
In
this paper graveyard of the Monastirlis, as in actual
graveyards, it is possible to wander among the dead and
gather small clues about their lives.
Over
there is Alegra Mois Ovadia, wife of Mois Eliso Ovadia,
who became a mother when she was only 15 years old. Here
is Mois Leon Sarfati, youngest son of Leon J. Sarfati.
He was already working as a tailor by the time he was
13. The parents of Merkado A. Talvi surely saw their other
children die, because to ensure his survival they arranged
for him to be "bought" (mercado) by another
family so that death would not find him.
The
Holocaust in Monastir
All
the Jews of Yugoslav Macedonia were deported from their
homes on Thursday, March 11, 1943. On that day in Monastir,
police and soldiers gathered at the police station at
2 a.m. to receive instructions for the removal of the
Jews.
Solomon
Alcosser was 29 and his wife Buena was 23. Alegra Haim
Aruesti was three years old. Mati Avram Bechar, 18,
made his living selling coffee. Buena Josef Calderon,
13, was a schoolgirl.
At
7 a.m. the Jews walked to the railroad station. A train
was waiting to take them to the neighboring city of Skopje,
where a temporary detention center had been established
at the state tobacco monopoly warehouse known as Monopol.
Rafael
Avron Calderon, 35, was a community official. Isak Simon
Demajo, 15, was a shoemaker. Baruch Salomon Eschkenasi,
35, made brooms. Rachel Juda Franko, 86, lived alone.
Rebecca Hasson, 18, was a salaried employee.
For
the next 11 days the Monastir Jews, together with Jews
from Skopje and Shtip, more than 7,000 in all, lived in
crowded, filthy conditions in four warehouses at Monopol.
The weather was cold, there was little food and few blankets,
and the Jews were continually searched, beaten, and humiliated.
Women and girls were raped.
Rekula
Faradschi was 18. Alegra Florenti was 25. Stela Tschelebon
Franko was 20. Alegra Israel was 17. Klara Avram Kamchi
was 32.
Between
March 22 and March 29, three trains carried the Jews to
Treblinka. The last train carried 2,404 Jews, approximately
2,300 of whom were from Monastir. This train departed
for Treblinka at 12:30 p.m. on March 29 and reached the
death camp on April 5 at 7 a.m.
Avram
Behar Cohen, 14, worked as a greengrocer. Bohor Moshe
Cohen, 65, was a merchant. Isak Kolonomos, 65, mended
clothes. Avram Konfino, 17, and his brother Marsel,
15, were electricians. Reina Majo was two years old.
Isak Schabitaj Nachmias, 57, drove a coach. Jakov Haim
Ovadia, 22, was a sack maker. Boena David Pardo, 12,
earned money working as a maid. Mois Samuel Peso, 24,
sold milk. Samuel B. Sacharia, 15, was a shepherd. Nissim
Saporta, 30, was a baker. Buena Sarfati had only recently
been born.
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