“Religion,” Mr. Geldman recalled, “existed only in the heart.” For seven years, Abram “Adam” Geldman was a refugee in Europe during World War II.  
His religion, Orthodox Judaism, was one of many sacrifices. Yet he would  defy death and seek to better himself through education during his years as
a refugee. 

Life in Lublin

Adam was born May 4, 1922, in Lublin, Poland. Called the “Jewish Oxford,” Lublin was a center of Jewish culture in Europe. Yet, while home to thousands of Jews, Lublin was also home to anti-Semitism and the exclusion of Jews. As early as the 16^th century, the city began to deny residence permits to Jews.

Lublin was also—from the time of the Jagiellon dynasty—renowned as a major Jewish publishing hub. Adam’s family reflected this interest in Jewish learning. Both Adam and his brother were taught and educated at Jewish schools. While his father was a successful banker, he instilled in Adam Jewish values and morals. As such, the family remained kosher until September 9, 1939. When bombs fell on Lublin at the beginning of World War II, Adam was sent out from his house by his family with nothing but the clothes on his back. He was simply told to run. That was the last time Adam saw his family.

Adam’s journey began with a brutal eight-day march to the nearby town of Rovno. This exodus marked the beginning of Adam’s years as a war refugee. Yet to claim that Adam’s experience during World War II was defined by helplessness would be a misinterpretation of his story. Yes, he was forced to flee city after city as a result of the war. But as much as he was pushed away by the ongoing turmoil, he was pulled toward educational opportunities.

A Determination to Learn

Adam had studied his entire life. The war not only destroyed his family, home, and heritage, but also his ability to become educated. Growing up in Lublin, he was surrounded by cheders, Jewish schools of learning. On the run, however, he had little to no exposure to these religious schools. Yet their influence was clear: Adam was not resigned to being simply a refugee; instead, he was determined to finish the education that he had begun in Lublin.

After fleeing Lublin, Adam eventually arrived at Lvov, in western Ukraine. Prior to his arrival, he had avoided Siberian deportation and Russian custom officials. There was a clear parallel between Lublin and Lvov. Much as Lublin was a cultural center for European Jews, Lvov was a cultural center for all of Ukraine. Adam decided that here he would pursue entrance to the university. Lvov itself had fallen under Soviet occupation during the beginning of World War II. Earlier in Adam’s travels, he had received a Soviet passport that granted him minimal citizenship rights, including the ability to live within the Soviet Union. He applied to several universities, but they all turned him down because they did not have enough “room” for more students. They did not wish to accept someone without full citizenship.

One university, however, the Institute of Economics, decided to accept him because of his high math scores. The Institute prided itself on valuing academic aspiration more than Russian policy. Adam remembers handing in his exam to his proctor, who then also requested his passport. Looking at the evidence of incredible promise, along with potential difficulties with the Russian authorities, the proctor nevertheless decided to admit him.

In referring to his pursuit of higher education, Adam only stated, “I was a young person. What else was there to do?” This statement exemplifies Adam’s own perspective: learning was a necessity. When the war came to Lvov in 1941, he was forced to leave the university. His search for a new school began even as he contemplated joining the army as a result of poverty and hunger. He eventually ound a school:  the Samarkand Institute of Economics in Uzbekistan, which was far from the war. He was able to finish his studies in relative peace.

Postwar Recovery

As a result of Adam’s many years of study, he was able to help rebuild postwar Kishinev, Moldova. He was one of the 10 volunteers that Russia had specifically requested from Samarkand to ameliorate the devastated economy of Kishinev. Through Adam’s continued perseverance, he was able to guide the efforts to recover from the war.

Adam was a victim of one of the most terrible tragedies in human history. Yet at the same time, through his determination to keep learning, he refused to submit to anything or anyone. By his refusal, he demonstrated not only the tenacity of the human spirit, but also a firm belief in the power of education. 

Bibliography

Blackwell, Basil. The Jews in Poland. Ed. Chimen Abramsky, Maciej Jachimczyk, and Antony Polonsky. New York: Basil Blackwell Inc,
1986. Print.

“Lublin(III).” Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust. Ed. Shmuel Spector, Geoffrey Wigoder, and Elie Wiesel. Vol. 2. New York: New York University Press, 2001. 754-758. Print. 3 vols.

Mandelsberg-Schidkraut, Bella. On the History of Lublin Jewry. Tel-Aviv: Circle of Friends of the Late Bella Mandelsberg-Schildkraut, 1965. Print.

"Lublin." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/350407/Lublin