In the Second World War the Nazi beast transformed the occupied territories into a gigantic graveyard for European Jewry. Swept away were old and flourshing Jewish communities, which had been the sources of our spirit and wisdom. The Jewish people was left cut off and orphaned, having lost its dearest part, and the remnant of the horrible catastrophe, which was saved by a miracle, have been cast out and across all the countries of the earth. They have brought with them memories of inhuman sufferning in the concentration camps, bunkers, and forests, and also their great love and longing for for the old Jewish home and its people, who have been so mercilessly destroyed by the Hitlerian killers. So their love and attachment to the old home has brought together the survivors in townsmen's societys with a shared past and a common effort toward mutual assistance.
The Disna Jewish community was also swept off the earth. And the remainder, after having gone through the seven circles of Hell, have gathered for the most part in Israel, with a smaller part in America. They are organized in two townsmen's societys: in Israel as the Irgun Yotsei Disnah v-ha-Savivah (Organization of Emigres from Disna and the Environs) and in the United States as the United Disner Benevolent Association. Until 1959 the Disner townsmen's society in Israel was involved only with the organization of a commemorative ceremony once a year, on the anniversary of the downfall of our holy sanctified ones in the Disna Ghetto--a day after the first of Tammuz--we came together, to hear the Kaddish and Al mi-lo rachmayim, cry our hearts out and then to leave one another. No constructive work, such as help for new immigrants, loans, help with advice, getting work, or perpetuating the memory of Disne for later generations-- none of this was undertaken till 1959. The Disne Townsmen's Society was not even registered in the Israeli administrative book of charitable organizations. Nor were any by-laws worked out for the society.
Only in 1959, when a new administration was elected with a slate of: Shalom Mints--President; Dr. Aharon Belin, Vice-president; Zvi Meiri (the former Berl Milnder)--Secretary; Yehuda Zamir (Smirin)--Treasurer; Rafael Rashaf (Risyevich), Moshe Sushkovich, Nina Smushkin, Avramson Fishl, Shalom Tsirlin and Dod Bliachman--members of the administration (afterward the late Gershon Zeidl was added). Closer contact was established with all fellow townsmen in the country and we embarked on a broader social mission: we got in touch with the United Disners in America, helped get Disners settled, who had come into the country during in those years from behind the Iron Curtain, we set up Purim and Chanukah evenings, where our fellows would exchange recollections of the old home, and in this way a connection was established between the members and their representatives. The administration had an address for every Disner who had needed help or advice. In ever party at a Disner's house a representative of the administration was always present with a nice gift.
The administration has always seen as its main task the perpetuation of the memory of Jewish Disna. We gave ourselves a strict account, that we were the last generation, on whom their lay a sacred obligation to preserve a living monument to our city, not in stone or metal, but in the form of a living word. Fortunately for us, there were capable and gifted memebers to be found in the administration who did not begrudge us their energies and time, so as to bring to fruition the sacred duty of memory.
With time almost all the members withdrew from active work. Mem. Mints resigned his office as president and in his place Dr. Aharon Beilin was elected. We remained a small band of idealists -- three in all: Dr. Aharon Beilin, Shalom Tsirlin and Yehudah Zamir -- who decieded to carry out the task to the end. They may get no thanks for it, but their enthusiasm and persistence is admirable, without regard to the difficulties in gathering materials and means, and in spite of the indifferent attitude from the side of the members, they managed to create a true picture of our Disna, where they lived, had their joys and later cried to the bitter end.
Besides the present book, which the administration has the honor to deliver into the hands of our fellows, they have not neglected still other forms of memorial. We have erected a memorial tablet for Disna in the Martyr's Cellar on Har-Zion in Jerusalem. The tablet was unveiled on October 27, 1959, 25 b-Tishri TSh''Ch, in the presence of a great crowd of Disners who came specially to Jerusalem from all corners of the land, to participate in the unveiling. In the monument a little cask of marmor is built in, in which there is a scroll with the names of the dear departed. This is the scroll which Mem. Yehudah Zamir is reading in one of the memorial ceremonies (a photograph in the book).
Lastly I can report, that it was an agreeable duty to fulfill, that on the occasion of my visit to New YOrk I met with our Disner comrades and the president of the United Disner Association Mr. Nathan Abramson. I felt myself at home amongst them, in Disna. I was very pleased and gratified by their enthusiastic reception of idea of the book and of myself as president of the Disner-Israel town society. yashar coach to the President Nathan Abramson, for it is thanks to his energy and persuasiveness that the United Disner Association has helped us with a part of the expenses for the production of the book.
Thanks are due also to the member Nechman Eisenberg, with whom we have been in close contact the whole time and who has enriched the book with pictures, photographs and souvenirs.
Blest be all who put a hand and a shoulder to the holy work of memory!
