קלוקוטניה

In the winter of 1941, deportees from the Sarogod Ghetto whose origins were from Burkovina, Serbia and the Dorohoi district, were brought to Klokotonia. A forced labor camp was established there and the internal security of the camp was left in the hands of one of the residents.

The deportees in this camp paved roads. The foreman responsible for both organizing the forced labor groups and for internal order was one of the deportees, but the ongoing regulations were set by one of the Ukrainians charged with guarding the deportees. This guard abused and whipped the deportees and forced them to complete the work assigned, often late into the night.

The deportees lived in barracks that had formerly been cowsheds, and their only food was soup made from spoiled vegetables. Dysentery broke out and many of the deportees could no longer get out for work. Many of those who could no longer bear the burden of the harsh physical labor and living conditions escaped to Sargorod, and those who were left continued to suffer.

Even under these harsh conditions the deportees continued to observe Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) With the completion of the forced labor in the beginning of the winter of 1943 the deportees were returned to Sargorod. Source: Yad Vashem Archives