The reality of Polish life in the countryside, outside the cocoon of sheltered yeshivah life
When Yehuda Leib (Yudi) Gordon arrived at the Mir Yeshivah in Poland in 1932, he was the second of three brothers from Queens who merited to study there. Yudi was a curious, intelligent, and expressive individual who often penned letters to his family back home describing his experiences. These letters provide an invaluable window into the world of prewar Mir.
The area around the small town had been the site of some historic battles, and as a result the Polish military would occasionally carry out maneuvers and war games involving infantry, cavalry, artillery, and aircraft. Naturally this was a spectacle to behold, so young Gordon — after an internal struggle over missing second seder — went to observe. As it turned out, he wasn’t the only one. “I noticed that it was bedecked on both sides with outstretched necks.… Singling out a group of our yeshivah boys, I joined them.”
Trying to get a better view of the action, they inched closer, until they were suddenly confronted by several Polish soldiers and hauled in front of a general. Bewildered, he and Moshe Shain (husband of Ruchoma Shain of All for the Boss fame) wondered, “What could these soldiers desire from innocent American Mirrer yeshivah students?” This was followed by an interrogation at the Mir police station.
“Why did you come to Poland?”
“To study at the yeshivah.”
“Aren’t there yeshivos in the US?”
“The Polish teachers are more qualified….”
After a harrowing few hours they were released, and Gordon summarized the affair:
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