Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
There are things I don't know or remember
but anyway, here is the story
This is a story of two families
My grandfather from my mother side, and my grandfather from my father side
I will start with my mother side
It is the Bichovsky family, quite a large family
In 1898 the Russian got permission to build the trans-siberian railway
then many Russian workers came
to build the railway, which was completed around 1902-1903
some workers remained here, and told other how good is Harbin
for trade and other business
so many Russian came here. After the Pogroms of 1903/1904
many jews started to come too
My grandfather and his family migrated here from Russia/Ukraine area
somewhere from Mogiliov district
and they got here around 1910 or 1911
I know my mother was about 2-3 years old, she was born in 1908
She got here as a small child
There were 3 brothers, Solomon Yehuda and Grisha Bichovsky
Yehuda Bichovsky is my grandfather
Solomon Bichovsky is the father of Martin
Grisha Bichovsky died in Israel, his sun and daughter were killed by the Nazis in Brussels
The 3 borthers started a Fur trade company
They bought the furs here and sold them in China, USA and Europe
and I beliive they succeded, they open branches in Belgium and USA
then Solomon moved to the USA with his family
and they are the Bates of Buffalo
Grisha opened the Belgium branch
and my gramdfather, Yehuda, remained in Harbin
At some point my father was a wealthy man, he had his own home
don't know the exact location, but I was born there
so this is the family
my grandfather and grandmother died in Tienzin
my grandparents lived here, Raya lived here and the Bates here
my grandparents, after they retired moved here
I slept here many times
and it looks just as it was, maybe it was in better maintanace
Mesh Potatoes and Shnitzel? I don't remember
Not mesh potatos, Noodles with...
I think they lost the business or went bankrapt, I don't know
I know that when they lived in Tienzin, my father supported them
Belgium at that time was, probably, open to jews
mainly in the universities
so that was probably why, and it is the same on the other side, they all went to study in Belgium
Grisha, my mother's brother, was a painter and he went there
he study there, don't know where
and he became a painter, also children book painter
There he met Adel, a refugee from Poland or Rumania
The other side is Kisliov, grandfather on my father side
he was a Rabi, and when the community here grew, don't know how much
I only know, that it was the largest Russian city outside Russia
maybe 15,000 jews
Anyway it was quite a large community, they asked in Moscow for a Rabi
by the way, he study in Yeshiva with Bialik,
He came here, I think, in 1913-1914
Kisiliov is a strange name, although there are many Kisliovs
Kisiliov is a known name in Finland and Rumania, generals and more
I bellive that there was a Kisliov vilage
And people from there were called Kisiliov - like many other places
anyway, they came, he was the Rabi of Harbin
Later he became the chief Rabi of the far east, including China, Japan, India and more
and he lived here all the time
including the Japanse times
The Japanese took large parts of China
in the 1930's
here, Harbin area, they established a pupet state called Manchuko
he was even arrested once by the Japanese
but, a a Rabi, he was released
Tedi Kaufman father was arrested with him
he was Dr. Kaufman, the head of the jewish Harbin community
my mother and father met in Harbin
both graduated in Harbin
this is the Jewish school
this was my parents school
this is the school main entrance, and here Udi is going in
there are Starts of David, yes, I see a lot of them
there was a jewish school, a jewish club
what is this well this is
this was were the women worked, grandma worked here
here were the offices of the comunity
my father was the Rabi in 2 synagogues here
I want to visit them, although they are not synagogues today
my grandfather worked here, but mainly in the old synagogue
this was built in 1921
restoring the synagogue, the second synagogue here
this is the model of the second synagogue, with the star of David
this is the old synagogue, now it is a factory for some rails parts
this are the old stairs that remained
here was a star of david, the whole building is in restoration
school here was in Russia, here it was all Russian, in Tienzin it was english
grandfather had 6 childs, the one that died here
2 boys and 4 girls
1 boy and 1 girl went back to russia, and lost contact
Mark that imigrate to Israel from Russia knew about them
they think they were killed in Russia, she was a jurnalist
and she upset the communist party there
Riva, Gila's mother and my father sister, was the only one
the only one that didn't study in the university
all the other study in Liege in Belgium
my father and 2 sisters
my father study chemical engineering
the 2 systers study in Belgium and married there
they become lowyers, married and stayed in Belgium
they died, but we keep in touch with their daughters
Lili wanted to write a book about the family, but I don't think she realy knows
she have stories about the Rabi wanted to study something else
you must understand that all the Jews here didn't have any passport
they came from Russia, which became communist, and we were like refugees
we only had temporary residence in China
after the second world war
in 1945, the Russian offered all ex-Russian the option to return, some did
for example my friend, he got to Russia, and later made Aliya to Israel
here there were many youth organization in addtion to Beitar like Labor, Macabi and others
in Tienzin there was only Beitar
so my father study Chemistry in Belgium and returned to China
and he was 29 when he married my mother
she was 21
honeymoon in Beijin
I was born here, in Harbin, in 1931
In the Bichovsky grandparents house
there are photos of me and I gad a Russian "Nanya" that took care of me
I know the street were the house was, don't know if the house exist
so I was born here
The Chinese established a Harbin Jew Research Group
and they have good relation with the Chinese Jew Organization in Tel-Aviv
we are at an exhibition prepared by the research group
most of the picture are also in the Harbin Jew book that we have
They put us in this room, we don't know why yet
I hope they can show us what I want to see
first I like to see the graveyard where ny grandfather is buried
he is the olny one from our family that is buried here
and his wife? she is buried in Israel
After he died she came to Israel, she even knew Udi
Udi was 6 month old when she died
she was a real character - but that's another story
I also want to see Raya parents and uncles graves
Yellow Mountain - Harbin jewish cemetery
it was moved from the city center in 1958, when the city was growing
Raya parents, Efi fine grandparents, Raya fixed them a year ago, but she wasn't here
Altshuler is Gila's
when I was 6 month old we moved to Shanghai
and we were there for 3 years
then my father got a job in Tienzin and we moved there
Abe, my brother was born in 1936 in Tienzin
my father became independent, he started an oil factory
and he did OK as we are in good shape
opened a margarine factory
invested in a *** factory
and was involved in those types of businesses
he didn't konw how to drive, but he bought a car
I asked hom why - as n investment he told me
The boxers was a Chinse grou that wanted to expell the foreigners
then the foreign powers, including USA, England, france, Japan, Russia, Italy
fought and forced an agreement
that allow each power a "concession" or part of each major city
Beijin, Shanghai, Teinzin, Nanjing all had "concession"s
So Tienzin was a city that had an English part, American part, French part, Italian part, Russian and Japanese
we lived in the English part
we spoke english, had english police and everything was english
and the same for the french and the italian and others
movement between the parts was free
but if you went to the french, as example, you will be under french low, with french policeman and language
the shop were french, and the smae for Russian, Japanses and the others
this is how I grew up
The Japanese brought armed forces to their part
it was allowed
and the day after Pearl Harbour, they simply marched into the city and took them
with almost no resistance - other had only police
and from then to the end of the war, the Japanese had control of the city
they trreated the jew ok, there was no problems
was there shortage? I was a boy, I don't know, but in our home - there was no shortage
no shortage at all
toword the end of the war there was bombing from B29s nothing serious
I went to school in a jewish school in Tienzin
in English
Here in Harbin - all was Russian, Shanghai amd Tienzin - English
my mother tounge is dual - Russian at home and English at school
I finished school in English, Tienzin had 3,500 jews
You can imagine the size of the school - I will show you the house
we started school at the age of 5 and did my final exams at 16.5
I graduated from Cambridge, written exams in 1947
Jewish study included the bible and hebrew, we did hebrew shows
I was shouting in hebrew without understanding, probably some holiday show
there was a synagouge - which we went a lot more than today
but as kids we were playing there
Beitar was the only youth organization
did your parent had any religious inclination? Not at all
Tradition yes, maybe a bit more
they did fast on Yom Kipur
going to synagouge on holidays
Rosh Hashana, Passover and a few more times a year
my Bar-Mitzva was completly religious
I was the Rabi grandchild, I got presents from Tienzin Rabi
We didn't eact Kosher or anything religious at home
Beitar and School were next to each other
we has sports, and Russian and French and Italian schools
also american school, and we played sports against them
footbal, voleyball, no basketball for some reason
but many sports like pingpong, boxing and
can I say something? - yes - You are quite old
with all those things you must be a bit old
a bit old? why do you think that? how old am i?
you had too many things
(Orr) - He reached age 17 in the story - I am 17 - its not old
all this story and only 17 - actually 17.5 years old
at 17.5 I went to Israel
and as I told you - it took 2 months
I got to Israel in 1949
I stayed at the Aharoni family in Rehovot
I worked in their orange grooves - oicking oranges - for 1 lira per day
1 Lira per day was a good sallary in 1949 (today 4,000,000 Lira is 1$)
Lunch was a bread like this, cut there and Halva inside
and ornages of course
This is an old map, from my time, streets name in English
we are here
this is our hotel, next to the river, this is the river
we are here, the park is here
this area include the synagouge and the jewish club
Victoria Cafe and other places
and our home is around here
school is here, if it still exists, yesterday I saw a park there
school was here
Leopold Building - 11 floors next to the school
this was the tallest building then
and here was the school, 4 years ago it existed
where was Gila's home?
second floor?
Gila's home on Victoria road
Victoria park, next to the hotel, where Shmuel used to play
It looks just as it was - the tables were not there
don't tell mom, but there, on the last bench, I used to sit with my girlfriend
who? - she is in Israel now - fat like this
Lili from our class
all come here for a moment
Very nice park, inspite of the rain
the park was the center
this building used to be British Pertolium
this used to be a very narow street
this blue building used to be a very fancy ouse of the jewish club, noting remained
what was called the Kuntz
the hiuse was very fancy, including a concert hall
a restourant, playing area - very nice
4 years ago it was rebuild
how was it financed? by the 3,500 jews
they were organized, building the school and everyone donated
they were very organized with synagouge, helping the poor, the club
a proper jewish activities, including outside concert and perofmances
only 3,500 jews
as you can see, 11 floor building is the tallest in Tienzin
this used to be the Empire mobie theater
and with Gila - our game was how to get in without tickets
at the age of 8 or 10 we used to just look for our father or run in
movied then was special - there were so few
this KFC used to be Victoria Cafe
Gila's father was the manager of the Cafe
so we could always get some free coffe or a some drink with a cake
my grandparents used to live there, we will go there
then we will go to the synagouge - you can see it here
I had my Bar Mizva there
The Cafe had 2 floors
who used to live there? - grandfather of grandfather
demolishing the Tienzin synagouge
this was a very small street
this is all new
again, we are next to synagouge, lets look for some stars of David
there was a canal here, My Bar Mizva here, Holidays I played outside
while the parents were praying or talking or gossiping
the only synagoue here, used to be very nice, but a very small street with a ditch on the side
a small garden, we can go in
4 years ago it was a chinese restourant, it will be demolished soon
nothing remained
this was the praying hall
here were the stairs for the women section
here is a lamp
this is the remain of the entrance
all this wasn't there, the floor is different
the Talit I gave you, was a gift from the Rabi in my Bar Mizva
The synagouge is here
and from here we will go there
It is called in Chinese Machang - horse racing
all those houses are the same, maybe renovated a little
many small shop there
but this side didn't change
Language academy - used to be something else
the other side was not developed - there was almost nothing there
we lived about 500 meters from here
Looking for the house - Also calling Abe for help
very quiet street - some local works but no sound from the main road
I think this is it
it's not this one, living room was in the other direction
[using Gila picture to pin point the house - 57 years later]
here, on the left, was the living room
here was a small elevator to bring the food from the kitchen below - they are not using it
we had the piano there
and this was the dining area with a large table
this was the pantry
the food was brought up there
and served to the table there
and beloow was the kitchen and the cook sleeping area
upstair - mid floor - was my father study
this was the toilet, only one upstairs none downstairs
Abe and my room - with a balcony
my parents bedroom
there was a door connecting to the children room
the children room is on the other side, maybe the door was in the center?
Micro, stereo system, TV, Karaoke, Wisky
what makes a 17.5 boy to live home and go to Israel?
and after my graduation exams I was approached by 3 universities
and my parents pushed me, but I was raised Zioni
I was realy raised as a Zioni
and I didn't hestiate - and after me, the whole family came
and I imigrated to Israel at that age
and then I joined the airforce - and you know the rest