Polish Jews In Siberia: Fact-Based Fiction

[kowalskil]

Some of you might be interested in this:

 

http://pages.csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/siberia.html

 

This piece of facts-based fiction was written as my second assignment, at the memoir writing workshop for senior citizens. The first assignment was to write a true memoir; it is also freely available online. The link is

 

http://pages.csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/dedenievo.html

 

Comments will be appreciated.

 

Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)

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[CraigD]

I found both your memoir and your fictional “David Lipman” story fascinating and informative, Ludwik. :thumbs_up

 

I was especially surprised by Lipman’s account of, in 1942, waiting as a refugee in Teheran, Iran for immigration to a kibbutz in (present day) Israel. Given the present terrible diplomatic relationship between the governments of Iran and Israel, I found the idea that Iran (commonly still referred to by westerners then as Persia) was in any way instrumental in the immigration of Jews to (then named) Palestine amazing. As such immigration was restricted by the British colonial government of Palestine from 1934 until 1938, was David and Hanna’s immigration have illegal? Were they aided by an Aliyah Bet organization? :QuestionM

 

I've known and read accounts of people with experiences like the fictional ones of David and Hanna, but this is the first account of a "Persian connections" I've encountered. I know, and have been able to learn little of history of the relationship of Iran and Israel, a history I think is very relevant now.

[kowalskil]

I found both your memoir and your fictional “David Lipman” story fascinating and informative, Ludwik. :thumbs_up

 

I was especially surprised by Lipman’s account of, in 1942, waiting as a refugee in Teheran, Iran for immigration to a kibbutz in (present day) Israel. Given the present terrible diplomatic relationship between the governments of Iran and Israel, I found the idea that Iran (commonly still referred to by westerners then as Persia) was in any way instrumental in the immigration of Jews to (then named) Palestine amazing. As such immigration was restricted by the British colonial government of Palestine from 1934 until 1938, was David and Hanna’s immigration have illegal? Were they aided by an Aliyah Bet organization? :QuestionM

 

I've known and read accounts of people with experiences like the fictional ones of David and Hanna, but this is the first account of a "Persian connections" I've encountered. I know, and have been able to learn little of history of the relationship of Iran and Israel, a history I think is very relevant now.

Sorry I cannot answer your questions, Craig. Story of Lipmans was based on about one hundred of real stories (in a Polish book). The question of legality was not mentioned in any one of them.

 

Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)