Fanya Barbakow wrote these words from a bunker in Druja,Belarus to her sister Chaya and her brother Manos. in the 1940/41 academic year, while under Soviet rule, Fanya was scheduled to complete her studies at the Russian high school. After the German victory, The Barbakow family was incarcerated in the Druja ghetto together with all the town’s Jews,
A farewell greeting to all before death, from Fanya and from all the members of the family.
My dear ones!! I am writing this letter before my death, but I don’t know the exact day that I and all my relatives will be killed, just because we are Jews. All of our Jewish brothers and sisters were murdered and died a shameful death at the hands of the murderers… I don’t know who will remain alive from our family, and who will have the honor of reading my letter and my proud greeting before death to all my beloved and dear ones tortured at the hands of the murderers.
Dear Chayaleh! Dear Monuska!! It is possible that you will remain alive. Live happily and well. We are all marching proudly towards death, for this is our fate.
As far as we know, Bluma and all her family have already perished. I cannot continue writing. All the relatives are crying and bemoaning their fate. I am leaving the letter with the best of our friends, who has done so much for us until now.
Yours,
Fanya and all the family
We are all lying in one bunker. I am absolutely sure that you will all know the location of our burial. Mother and Father are barely holding on. My hand trembles and it is hard for me to finish writing. I am proud to be a Jew.
I am dying for the sake of my people. I have not told a soul that I’m writing a letter before our death. But!… How I yearn to live and reach some good in life. But all is already lost… Farewell. Your relative Fanya in the name of everybody: Father, Mother, Sima, Sonia, Zusia, Rasia, Hatza (Yehezkel).
And in the name of Zeldaleh the toddler, who doesn’t understand anything yet.
Druja
In the concentration camp, before we will all be shot to death, in hiding.
Tuesday 4 AM
June 16, 1942.
Farewell to all.
Yours, Fanya
God is just and His judgment is just. We have sinned. Our meager possessions are concealed at home. But we have lost our lives. It is all finished. Brothers from all countries, avenge us. We are being led like sheep to the slaughter.
Fanya