September 29th 1941

I am not wholly certain whether I am looking at the atrocity of Babi-Yar, and am unable to contain its detail solely within my First Book. However, I concentrated upon its very pernicious and murderous nature. So I am looking again at its detail, while recognizing that even both my Books on its subject are unable to express the total horror. Nor in fact is even the shame of the World commensurate with such a Slaughter as was perpetrated here. A World’s responsibility is somewhat understated, and not enough recognises what could and should have been done to even preserve a modicum of human decency.

But, and we should feel for what was perpetrated within Babi-Yar as establishing a deadly precedent in the mass destruction of these 33,771 Jewish People felled here. It is incumbent upon all of History to know the very detail within its all encompassing scientific search to know each of its constituent parts. We simply cannot ignore some part of any history, regardless of how we see things on an individual basis. Bias does not work for the factual necessity the truth must endorse as integrity demands.

On September 29th 1933 Hitler approves the Decree banning German Jews from farming.

On September 29th 1938 The Munich Conference is attended by Hitler, Mussolini, Neville Chamberlain, Britain’s Prime Minister, and Edouard Daladier, France’s Premier. They all see to it that Czechoslovakia will be forced to accede the Sudetenland. The Jews of Germany too are now prisoners of Allied latency, and as Britain now signs a Friendship Treaty with Germany in which Chamberlain declares:

“..peace in our time.” Neville Chamberlain.

the Jews within Hitler’s immediate sphere of influence are immediately threatened.

On September 29th 1939, and as Hitler clearly avows that Poland will cease to exist as a separate state, his Wehrmacht marches into Warsaw. Germany and Russia then agree upon the spoils of War and Poland is to be partitioned. Russia now also signs pacts with Estonia and Finland as a decoy to future Russian expansionist wishes. Now, there are more than 2,350,000 Polish Jews under German control, with a further 1,300,000 Polish Jews in the Russian sphere of Poland. At this time, the SS deports more than 8,000 Jews from Pultusk, and eventually, over 8,300 Jews of Pultusk will be eventually murdered.

On Monday September 29th. 1941 “..No distinction was made between men ..women ..children. ..made to lie down on top of Jews ..already ..shot. ..children ..kept with their mothers and shot with them. ..Masses kept ..coming from ..city to this place.” Fritz Hoefer.     

On September 29th 1941 This is the First Day of the Babi-Yar Aktionen and as the Murders are undertaken by SK4a, Waffen SS and members of Poliziergiment South, we begin to Recognise, the overall undertaking will not be accomplished by just 3,000 Einsatz personnel. So we are understand that these are supplemented by a further 100,000 of German Wehrmacht, Waffen SS troops and police battalions. The sheer weight of the Slaughter of 2,000,000 Jews in the field expands the involvement of even more Murderers than we are led to believe.

“..Personally ..I stand here for ..murdered 6,000,000 Jews of The Holocaust and in merely extracting from that overall catastrophe ..I wish to point to an individual atrocity that has no comparison. I recall ..figure of destruction which consumed 33,771 Jewish People ..in a two day horror of disproportionate savagery that we call Babi-Yar.” Patrick Dempsey.

It is here in Babi-Yar that we arrive at the epitome of Hitler’s hate filled, callous, murderous enterprise and endeavour. The Slaughter here is a feat of accomplishment unparalleled even from within the Death Camps. Here, during the days of September 29th 1941 and carrying on into September 30th 1941, 33,771 Jews of Kiev were marched toward an uncertain destination, but where they were were intended for their immediate massacre. This devastating assault upon Kiev’s Jews so caught my attention, I realised this one Book would prove insufficient in detailing how utterly terrifying and horrifying this single event proved to be, but the Book stands as a memorial to what 33,771 Jews of Kiev would not be allowed to survive. All that said:

Babi-Yar A Jewish Catastrophe

is explored and it eventually occurred to me, that this one Book alone would not prove sufficient. Nor in fact will it become substantial enough to elicit my total shock, horror, and condemnation of what could be so easily achieved against innocent Jewish People. It must be utterly consistent in reminding us all to always remember, that this, and subsequent Slaughters were all addressing the Jewish Question, as the Final Solution. This is terminally ensuring the Jews are to be eliminated for no other reason than being Jews. Within the Slaughter of The Holocaust these Jewish People stand as equals and present a fall from grace of societal civilisation. The Jews proved no more different to us than any belief in humanity should engender. 

On September 29th 1942 while 800 of Serniki’s Jews attempt to escape, 500 of these Jews are killed.

On September 29th 1944  Over 1,500 Jews are transported away from Theresienstadt and towards their deaths within Birkenau.

On September 29th 1947 the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial, Case Number 9,  ‘The Einsatzgruppen Case’, begins, when an amended indictment is filed. Twenty Four defendants, are indicted as merely the limit set by their seating arrangements. It has to be recognized that all leading members and active participants in these Einsatzgruppen, these German mobile killing units, are directed toward all Jewish communities and are also charged with the murders and ill-treatment of POWs, and of the civilian population in occupied territories. der Einsatzgruppe are also charged that in search of that aim, in which they acted with a wanton disregard for the rule of law, and with a destruction that could not be justified by military necessity, they acted with impunity. Justice then was absent while there was no presentation of as many of the 100, 000 criminals as could be identified. Intention set aside the crimes against the Jews to placate the appeasement of a defeated German mode of horror we had to invent terms to Recognise it’s colossal dimensions. So was borne the term, The Holocaust, a Genocide of historical proportions.

On Thursday September 29th. 1966 “..all kinds of people were killed in Babi Yar ..but only Jews were murdered ..because they were Jews. ..don’t forget ..this was ..first case of mass extermination of ..Jews. ..Auschwitz was later.” Viktor Platonovich Nekrasov.

On September 29th 1991 and with a Menorah shaped monument, which was erected at Babi-Yar, the Jewish Slaughter of Kiev’s Jews is finally being Remembered.

September 30th 1941

“..Operations and Situation Report No. 6 by ..Einsatzgruppen of ..Security Police and SD in ..U.S.S.R. period October 1-31, 1941. ..c) Jews. ..bitter hostility of ..Ukrainian population against ..Jews is extremely great ..because it is thought that they were responsible for ..explosions in Kiev. They are also seen as NKVD informers and agents ..who unleashed ..terror against ..Ukrainian people. All Jews were arrested in retaliation for ..arson in Kiev ..and altogether 33,771 Jews were executed on September 29th and 30th. Gold ..valuables ..clothing were collected and put at ..disposal of ..National-Socialist Welfare Association (NSV) ..for ..equipment of ..Volksdeutsche ..and part given to ..appointed city administration for distribution to ..needy population.” OSR No. 6.

There can never be any comparisons in the Deaths we memorialize. As each life is held differently, and for those whose grief and loss measures that capacity which so impacts upon us, we register a pain that is mutually felt. But within The Holocaust itself, such measures of an atrocity can only be attributable much more carefully. Separately, and towards varying arenas, tragic events, Killing Sites and even Death Camps, differing degrees of brutality are to remonstrate with us. Here, where the Jewish People were thrown headlong into an abyss, The Holocaust grades our loss. In the past, I worked tirelessly on World War Two, even looking astounded at the image of Stahlecker’s ‘coffin map’. But this was not as concerning as I found The Holocaust to be.

“..SK 4a in collaboration with Einsatzgruppe HQ ..two Kommandos ..police regiment South ..executed 33,771 Jews in Kiev on September 29th. and 30th. 1941.” OSR No. 101.

While this evidence, was not giving it the due diligence such an astounding atrocity imparts, I held the maps grasp at some subconscious level. Then, and with the image of Tovah ‘Tokele’ Olshak, this 4 year old Jewish Child, all was transformed into an almost 30 year accusation. Here stood a response, and against a World which has sought to justify why it did so little to prevent such an atrocity. What so many various people sought to deliver toward 6,000,000 Slaughtered Jews, happened as so many other people looked the other way. Some even stood askance at what they witnessed and buried it deep within an indifferent soul. But here is where I drew inspiration from, and within The Holocaust period which had not quite reached my initial source of inspiration in a Jewish 4 year old Child, murdered even after her Survival, Tovah ‘Tokele’ Olshak.

On September 30th 1938 the Jewish Medical Certification ban comes into force and Jewish Doctor’s may only nurse Jewish patients.

On September 30th 1939 the Polish government in Exile is Created in Paris, abandoning all of Poland to the Germans, and leaving 3,550,000 Polish Jews at the mercy of Hitler’s legions, and all the while, General Wladyslaw Sikorski was its Commander in Chief.

“..In all of this ..there are these 33,771 Jews of Kiev ..and as with ..entire 6,000,000 Jews ..and even more of a Jewish People who were merely pawns ..they are cast into oblivion to be ignored in ignominy.” Patrick Dempsey.

The sheer weight of this singular atrocity, ensures that it escalates Babi-Yar into another sphere of gross conduct against humanity. This one atrocity within a multitude of all too many destructive efforts, then moved me to afford History my Second Book on the massive undertaking to drive these 33,771 Kiev Jews into the ravine in the Babi-Yar and this becomes:

The Jews of Babi-Yar

and this Book is mindful of the depth of hatred which destroyed these Jews. We Recognise in such countless numbers, so carefully enumerated by Hitler’s der Einsatzgruppe, and legions of his killers, steeped into the devastation within Babi-Yar, 33,771 is an accountable assessment ramping up the scale of atrocity still to come. But do not think Babi-Yar can be easily consumed within the tenets of The Holocaust with Nazis all vying to excell in Slaughtering of as manyvJews as possible.

“..empty apartments ..put at ..disposal of ..population. ..apartments ..available through liquidation ..36,000 Jews ..September 29 ..30 ..1941. ..Jews ..Kiev ..ordered to appear ..Monday ..September 29 by 6 o’clock. ..In cooperation ..HQ ..Einsatzgruppe C ..2 Kommandos ..police regiment South ..SK 4a executed 33,771 Jews ..September 29 ..30. ..Gold ..valuables ..linen ..clothing ..secured. army ..approved ..measures taken.” OSR No. 106.

On September 30th 1941 this is the Second Day of the Babi-Yar Aktionen as the Combined Aktionen sees the total of 33,771 of Kiev’s Jews murdered. der Einsatzgruppe detailed this very slaughter in their own Operational Situation Report’s, OSR’s. Also, 1,446 
Trakai Jewish Men, Women and Their Children are murdered, as are 700 of Berezhany’s Jews, along with the Massacre of the Jews of Volodymyr-Volynsky.

On September 30th 1942 16,000 of Lodz’s Jews are murdered at Chelmno in a week long exercise as 10,000 Zelechow Jews are murdered at Treblinka and 4,000 Parysow Jews are also murdered at the Death Camp Treblinka.

On Wednesday September 30th 1942 “..now that ..Jews ..have forced this war upon us no amount of military force and no length of time will ever be able to conquer us ..and ..if Jewry is starting an international world war to eliminate ..Aryan nations of Europe ..then it won’t be ..Aryan nation which will be wiped out but Jewry.” Adolf Hitler.

On September 30th 1943 25 Prisoners from the Sk 1005 operation attack their SS overseers. Barely 14 managed to Survive and escape while all others were shot. In a memo to Himmler, Oswald Pohl points to the high mortality rate amongst those workers in Majdanek. This has nothing to do with the Gas Chambers which had been in operation since September 1942.

“..Within Babi Yar ..Blobel’s SK 4a unit murdered 33,771 of Kiev’s Jews ..plundered all their clothing and stole their valuables in less than 48 hours ..at ..rate of 700 Jewish persons per hour.” Patrick Dempsey.

I remind myself constantly why these 2 Jewish Children on the cover of my 2nd Book on Babi-Yar, but Malvina Babat, and her Sister Polina Babat should never allow me to forget their presence. These Sister’s were taken away from amongst the ranks of the human nations, as they were not required to live, because they were Jews. And not just here at Babi-Yar, nor for Tovah even, elsewhere in the landscape of The Holocaust, Jews could not be allowed to survive. These are all that those Jews, who established the framework by which I have fully developed my human search, and then a literary concern, deliver words I hope will give more memories for those whose memory was meant to be crushed.

“..largest of ..actions ..after ..occupation of Kiev. ..against Jews ..their ..families. ..difficulties ..overcome ..by requesting ..Jewish population to assemble. ..5-6000 Jews ..expected ..more than 30,000 Jews arrived ..until ..their execution ..believed in their resettlement.” OSR No. 128

Hidden amongst these 6,000,000 Slaughtered Jews of Europe are these 33,771 of Kiev’s Jews. Set to be destroyed, and to be hidden from view for eternity, in a 2 day assault upon humanity sense’s, the darkness descended upon all of humanity. But the cruellest of fates befell, not just Malvina and Polina here, when overall there were 1,500,000 Children to be so abused, and they too were Jewish, and all were to be exterminated.

“..With over 700 Jewish People murdered for every hour of that deliberate undertaking in ..Yar ..with over 11 Jews falling into ..ravine every single minute ..news was bound to seep out. With lines of communication established ..it was only a matter of time before ..intelligence agencies of ..West knew ..full extent of ..‘Aktionen’. By deciphering of ..Einsatzgruppe codes ..West was already fully briefed on ..progress of ..Einsatzgruppe locust.” Patrick Dempsey.