Amidst the pogroms, Reb Baruch Meir suffered a personal disaster in Mezritch:
On Monday 5th of Iyar [24/4/1882] my property that I inherited from my father-in-law, rest in peace, was burnt down.
The new year brought no relief:
During Nissan [May] Balta [Ukraine] suffered a massacre not witnessed before, as many of the Jews died horrible deaths, they cut people in pieces, even the belly of women, and raped many women and virgins. Many committed suicide and others lost their mind out of distress and fright.
Many towns in the neighborhood of Balta were robbed and many towns were burnt down. Pogroms continued:
Also on this month, Iyar [May, 1882] many towns were set on fire by the. gentiles - the town of Kamenetz-Podolsk and all around it and also Kovno and other towns in Lita, Volyn and Poland. Some Jews left for America and the Land of Israel to till the land. Once there, 11 people from here united with people from Brisk.
Baruch Meir notes the fact of 11 people of Mezritch joined a group from Brisk to make Aliya to Eretz Israel.
A blood libel was spread in Hungary that a Christian girl was slaughtered by the Jew. This became known as the Tiszaeszlár Affair and led to further pogroms there, as Baruch Meir noted in his diary.
The Libel in Hungary has not been solved yet. Twenty honorable people are held under arrest.
The libel issue in Hungary has not been settled as yet and as a result the population started raids in several towns, but the government did not let them destroy and mutilate like in Russia. May god help and disprove this libel.
This month, Sivan, [23/5/1882] harsh dictates were issued against the Jews; they were not to settle in villages, they were not allowed to buy or rent fields and other bad measures to hit the livelihood of the Jews.
During the same month [8/6/1882] the oppressor Ignatyev was removed from his post and the Jews gave thanks in prayer. May God help and keep from further disasters.
He noted:
Many Jews left for the Holy Land and took along money to till the land, to become merchants, build industry. The poor who made Aliya suffered hunger.
| Notes: Sufot BaNegev: Storms in the Negev [Desert], a reference from the prophecy in Isaiah 21:1 -- as storms in the Negev passing from the desert, from a terrible land. Lithuania: the historic Jewish region, as distinct from the modern country. |
