In 1908, two peasants engaged in a bet as to who could drink the most vodka. Since it was illegal to be served more than one drink, they each bought a bottle and opened it in the tavern. They continued drinking, and suddenly one man fell to the floor dead. Although innocent, my grandfather was brought to trial, convicted, and sentenced to two years in prison. He managed to escape and make his way to America. Within the next few years, until the outbreak of World War I, four of the oldest siblings left Maydan to join their father.
In the decade following World War I, the rest of the family, with the exception of brother Avram, immigrated to the United States. Avram, a decorated major in the Austro-Hungarian army in the War, chose to stay. In 1939, Avram, his wife Frieda, and their three children, Pepe, Munia, and Leah, moved to Zloczow, where they were murdered by the Nazis.
For my father and his remaining family, the years 1918-1920 were the worst of their lives. As a result of the Polish-Ukrainian struggles, there was a series of terrible pogroms against the Jews. My father told us of the many times he had to hide for weeks in the forest, existing mostly on berries and water. His mother and sister were taken into hiding by one of the friendly Polish neighbors. His house and tavern were completely destroyed by the Ukrainian gangs that came into the village.
The Jews, because of their declared neutrality, were accused of disloyalty and became targets of destruction at the hands of both the Polish army and the Ukrainian peasants. My father came to America in 1923, happy to escape the hardships. Chana, who remained with her brother Avram and his family, was the last to leave Maydan, arriving in New York in 1928.
Between the wars, the village of Maydan was under Polish rule. Following World War II, the Soviet Union took control of the entire Ukraine, including Maydan. With the fall of Communism in 1989, it became easier for Jews to make connections with their roots in this part of Europe.
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The theme of the recently published book The Lost is the search by author Daniel Mendelsohn for the story of his relatives killed in the Shoah. Mendelsohn credits the success of his endeavor to his Ukrainian guide, the historian and genealogist Alex Dunai, who did the on-site research. Mendelsohn’s family came from the town of Bolechow, southwest of Lviv in the now independent Republic of Ukraine. An immediate chord was struck within me, because my family’s town of Maydan is southeast of Lviv. We engaged Alex’s services, which proved invaluable.
No guide, no books, no stories could have prepared me for the emotional impact of stopping at the crossroads of Maydan and Gologory; for driving down the same dirt road my father walked every week; for the first sight of the storied town well, the source of joy and life for Maydan. A flood of my father’s childhood memories came rushing back to me. It was overwhelming when my sister and I drew water from the well and packed it up to bring home.
Maydan, a village of 70 families, has changed little these past 100 years. The single road in town is still used by horse-drawn wagons. As we strolled into the village, the chickens were running free near the houses, the apple, pear and cherry trees were blossoming, and the beekeeper was gathering honey, all exactly as my father and aunt had described.
We ran up the steps into the school my aunt attended, and although it was in complete disrepair we could imagine her sitting in the classroom and looking out the window at the fields in 1913.
