Tsyelyakhany
“With the start of World War II Hitler’s sadistic forces immediately started to bully, rob, shoot and dispossess the large number of Telekhany Jews. In August of 1941, almost the entire Jewish population of 2000 was annihilated by the Nazis, thus ending the centuries long Jewish community” (“Telekhany, Belarus.” Yizkor Book Project, JewishGen)
“There was no ghetto in Telekhany, no holding places, crematoria or special “children’s aktsias.” The date of our tragedy was August 4, 1941. The Nazi murderers herded the entire Jewish community – men, women, children of various parents, and the elderly, and told them to dig three long graves along the broad Glass Factory street. They ordered local gentiles (including those of surrounding villages who committed a pogrom against the Jews six weeks earlier) to shoot them. The ignorant gentiles, poisoned with hatred of Jews, shot them all – to the last Jew, the last child. Some didn’t die and were set afire.” (“Telekhany.” Telekhan Memorial Book, edited by Sh. Sokoler, translated by David Goldman, JewishGen Yizkor Book Project)