Sierpc Jew Killed Saving Torah Scrolls, 1939

Sierpc, Poland
September, 1939

 The German army entered the town o Sierpc in September, 1939. On the night of the 29th of September, the second night of Sukkot, they set fire to the largest synagogue in town. (Virtual Shtetl) 

 Hela Lipstapad-Izakowicz relates that some Jews, her father included, tried to put out the fire but could not do so. One was killed by the Germans during the attempt: 
"A certain yeshiva student, the son of Farber, who forced his way into the synagogue with self-sacrifice, was shot by the Germans." (Yizkor Book)

 Another townsperson, Beila Rabinowicz, recalled the awful night: 
"I will never forget the great fire that spread through the Jewish streets when the Germans set the synagogue on fire. We ran to a neighbor. From there, we looked out the window. Suddenly, my father shouted, 'Children, look. The Holy Ark is tumbling down.' We heard a shot. Victims who ran to save the Torah scrolls fell." (Yizkor Book)

This event was also reported in the Hebrew press. Hazefira reported that "The synagogue in Sierpc went up in flames, and the man who tried to extinguish them was killed on the spot." (Hatzefira, 1 Dec 1939)

Zvi Arpa related the impossible situation of the Jews:
"At ten o'clock we see flames coming from the direction of the synagogue. We hear an order in German: 'Jews, get out of your houses and put out the fire in your synagogue!' The voices reached all the Jewish sections. Everybody left his house with full buckets to save their dear and holy place, or at least to remove the Torahs from the tabernacle. Jews came running from all directions. They knew that this was the work of the Nazis. But maybe they will succeed in putting out the fire? But the Nazis did no call the Jews from their homes to douse the flames, but to cause panic and chaos among them. German soldiers surrounded the conflagration. When the Jews approached with water to put out the fire, they were beaten. The murderers yelled, 'Why did you come here? Go home!' When the Jews turned to go home, they shouted, 'Who told you to go home? Go put out the fire.' Warshawska Street was full of Gestapo men, who came to see the show. They constantly fired shots into the air. That evening, there was one young victim, 20 year old. It was Pinchas Walcman, the son of the painter. When he was running, carrying buckets to put out the flames, he was shot by a Nazi. He was wounded and bleeding when he feel at the boots of the German murderer pleading for his life and to be allowed to life. The murderer's response was another bullet." (Yizkor Book) There is a witness page for Pinchas Felcman that relates the same tale.

Another story tells of the same event from a different angle:
The Germans set fire to the synagogue at the end of September 1939. They ordered all the Jews in town to congregate and watch the synagogue burn. While it was burning, a young man named Moshe bolted into the synagogue while it was on fire and ran to the Ark to remove the two Torah scrolls. When he attempted to flee the building with them, he was shot by the German soldiers. He fell holding the two Torahs and was burned in the synagogue. (Museum of Tolerance)

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