[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Re: Jewish underground

[Günther Böhm]

Van:

>I found the reference to a Jewish underground intriguing, because in notes
>related to my grandmother's escape from Russia, they were aided by a "jew"
>who transported them from Warsaw to a place  near Zagorow, Poland where they
>crossed by bribing the border guards.
>
Hello L (van de Bruggen) and everybody,
I think, it is too extensive to speak of a Jewish underground in terms 
of an organization. Indeed there was a loose Jewish network of trading 
and smuggling connections on the edge of or beyond legality. They 
depended on certain Russian officials and border guards open to bribery. 
On the other hand, every Volhynian German bought from Jewish wandering 
tradesmen, knew some of them personally and communicated with them in a 
common language (Yiddish being an old, medieval German dialect). So it 
was obvious to ask a Jewish tradesman for aiding an escape. But as there 
was no Yewish organization in the Volhynian coutryside (of course there 
was the Jewish social democrat "Bund" and later some intellectual 
zionist organizations in the greater cities), there is little chance to 
find out the aiding individuals.

Guenther
of Hilden, Germany