March to Freedom: The Story of Leon Rubin

Leon Rubin was born in 1936 in Dolhinow, Poland (today Dauhinava, Belarus). In September 1939, the town, together with the rest of occupied eastern Poland, was annexed to the Soviet Union. In the summer of 1941, with the German invasion of the USSR, anti-Jewish policies were implemented in the town. In March 1942 the first Aktion took place, during which Leon and his family hid in a hiding place in their home. About a month later, the family members were transferred to the Dolhinow ghetto. During the second and third Aktions, both taking place in May 1942, the family hid in the same hiding place and thus survived. After the third Aktion, they, as well as the remaining survivors of the ghetto, decided to flee to the surrounding forests and join the partisans. After joining the "Avenger" partisan detachment, the detachment's Commissar Ivan Timchuk turned to the detachment's headquarters and the decision was made to lead the 270 Dolhinow survivors, mostly women, children and the elderly, to the Soviet Union side through a breach in the front line. Nikolai Kiselev, a former Red Army soldier who had joined the partisans, volunteered to lead the group. He was later recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. In late November 1942, after two and a half months of marching for about 1,500 kilometers, the group managed to cross into the Soviet Union. After the liberation of Belarus, the family returned to Dolhinow. In the early 1950s Leon moved to Minsk where he studied physics at the university. He immigrated to Israel in the 1960s, married Jennifer. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

[@seemarajderkar3019]

Thanks a tonne to the entire Yad Vashem team for making such wonderful films, telling the real stories of survivors of world war two. Yad Vashem is doing a great job by preseving precious memories and history.

[@stephaniesnape6787]

After listening to the Yad Vashem testimonies of holocaust survivors what strikes me is how these so few souls survived against such incredibly high odds. Leon’s testimony of surviving 3 ‘Aktions’, then making it to the forests and partisans. And then such a unique individual as Kiselev guiding the group on such a perilous journey. And even later, travelling across Russia and then back to Belarus - and losing his mother to illness in the process. To me, I wonder how anyone could have survived. And then as a child to live in such sustained fear in worsening conditions - how could the survivors psychologically survive? I am so sorry Leon that you had to endure such harrowing events and I am so grateful for your testimony. And to Yad Vashem for recording and making available such testimonies.

[@seemarajderkar3019]

Thanks Leon for sharing your life story. Those were really traumatic years, when as a child, you went through horrendous situations, dangling between life and death.Thankfully, you survived to narrate your ordeal and led a peaceful life post war. Hats off to your courage.

[@yonat-admoni]

תודה רבה חשוב ביותר שתזכה לאריכות ימים בטוב ובנחת ובבריאות. לא נשכח ונמשיך לספר עד דור אחרון

[@lindaroberts2297]

these testimonies are miraculous - lovely guy xx

[@brendalandes1813]

המנהיג הזה שהוניספור מיוחד

[@brendalandes1813]

יפה מאד איש סימפטי מאד

[@brksk4309]

Old man crying is more devastating than the crime itself. What a shame.

[@helenh493]

What a Wonderful and uplifting story, of endurance, of a 'faith' to endure and to survive.. of a strong bond of trust and friendship between a hunted family's trek and their surprising saviors, with one goal bonding them as a unit, as comrades, as friendship... Trekking their way to freedom, one step at a time. These videos (intertwined throughout) were 'the icing on the cake', in this perfect story. A short, but very good documentary. I Loved-it! Bless everyone, of whom were involved in this courageous trek of survival... including the soldiers who took this hunted family group under their care to freedom.

[@helenh493]

I Love.. Love.. LOVED this (Leon's) story! As I mentioned before, it was so Uplifting and so Amazing! The video pics. are the icing on the cake.. showing how these amazing people made their trek (mostly by foot), into Russia and beyond.. into Freedom. And almost everyone survived, Men, Women, & Children! What an Amazing man Leons father! Without his know-how, his knowledge, and his faith and daring soul, there wouldn't have been a daring and amazing Trek, and no doubt, most, if not all would have perished under the Nazis unrelenting tracking, hunting and killing of the Jews and so many others who tried to help the Jews. So many others. "Bless" Leons father, and Leon and his family. and also all the people who made that daring & dangerous trek and all the people who helped them get to their freedom.