Emmanuel Alper was born in Pinsk, Poland in 1927. His father, David, was a prominent educator, principal of the prestigious Tarbut Gymnasia (a Jewish high school), and active in the Zionist movement. His mother, Shoshana (nee Barlas) taught with her husband at the high school.
On September 1,1939, Germany invaded Poland, starting World War II. At that time, the Soviet Union and Germany were allies. They had agreed to divide Poland in half, each controlling part of Poland. Pinsk was occupied by the Soviet Union, and the Jews living in Pinsk felt relatively secure since they had little information about the rise in antisemitism under the German occupation.
In July 1941, the situation changed when the Germans occupied the rest of Poland and immediately began anti-Jewish measures. They set up a Jewish Council in Pinsk to facilitate their planned murder of the entire Jewish population of the city. Emmanuel’s father was chosen to head the Council, but he resigned within two days, when he realized what would be required of him. Ten days later, the Germans executed him.
On April 30,1942, the Germans set up a sealed-off ghetto and forced the entire Jewish population, including Emmanuel, his sister and his mother, into the ghetto. It was overcrowded and lacked adequate food and sanitation. Between October 20 and November 1, 1942, nearly all of the 20,000 Jews remaining in the ghetto were rounded up by the Germans and murdered.
Emmanuel was fifteen years old.
