Purim in Gora 1917
Purim in Gora 1917

The First World War was a disaster for the almost one million Jews of Galicia, as it was for much of Eastern European Jewry. Fond recollections Galician Jews had of life under the Austrian monarch Franz Josef soon faded under the brutality of the Russian army which invaded Galicia and faced the German Kaiser's forces which came to the aid of their Austro-Hungarian ally.

Destructive pogroms were perpetrated by Russian allied Cossacks and some Russian troops. Mass expulsions of

Ansky described the travails of Galician Jewry as “one of the darkest periods in Jewish history.

Jews from their homes by Russian forces on false pretexts of spying for Germany, resulted in horrors of starvation, homelessness, epidemics, and a general breakdown of Jewish life.

The Jewish writer, Shlomo Zanvel Rappaport, also known as Shalom Ansky, accompanied Russian forces in Galicia on behalf of Jewish relief agencies with the purpose of distributing aid to Jews ravaged by the war. During those years, Ansky penned an account of his travels and the horrors throughout Galicia. He described the travails of Galician Jewry as “one of the darkest periods in Jewish history.” These accounts are contained in his four volume, 'Churban Galicia'. (The destruction of Galicia)

Ansky related the following incident reported from a Jewish resident of the town of Gora.



When Russian troops arrived in the town, locals began leveling charges against the Jews with the intention of instigating a pogrom. Among the agitators were two Polish engineers who supervised the digging of trenches around the town. A local Jewish resident approached the Rabbi to tell him what was occurring and to seek his advice on how to avert the impending disaster. He also informed the Rabbi that he was an old friend of one of the local Russian commandants, named Yefremov.

In the spirit of the events of Purim in Shushan, the Rabbi advised him to “Throw a large party for a king. Invite the commandant and all his officers, as well as the two engineers. And during the feast, kneel before the commander as Esther did before the king, describe all the injustices and persecutions, point to the two engineers, tell him they are brutalizing the Jews—and G-d will help you.” 

The man followed the Rabbi's advice, and arranged the feast. Although the two Polish engineers declined the invitation, the other invitees arrived. They ate and drank merrily. When the guests were in high spirits, the local Jew addressed the commandant, pouring out his heart. He told him how the local Poles and the two engineers were plotting against the Jews by spreading lies.

The guests all listened attentively. Yefremov had tears in his eyes, and the others were moved as well. While they were deliberating on what could be done to ameliorate the situation, Yefremov's aide said he would intervene. He exclaimed, “During the High Holidays, the town will be off limits to our soldiers. And we will issue very strict orders that the Jews are not to be disturbed!” The commandant agreed. He kept his promise and the holidays, the time pogroms often started, passed without incident.

On that day, the town of Gora was relieved of a menace.

Many of the events in Gora are strikingly similar to those of the original Purim story in Shushan. However, the relief in Gora was a brief respite during the horrendous mayhem of the chaotic era of the First World War.

Yefremov would eventually leave and troubles would return to Gora, but as part of a Divine plan, Gora was spared during those crucial moments. Such was the decree of Israel's Rock and Redeemer who protected the Jews in ancient Persia and has assured their miraculous survival throughout history.