'The Wolf of Harbin'

Chapter 10

In 1899 S. I. Bertsel became the first Jew in Harbin. Within a year, 45 Jews had settled there to enjoy the 'boomtown' experience of a Russian settlement inside China. By 1903 this figure topped 500 and the Harbin Jewish Religious Community was established. Nearer to 3000 by 1906, the community doubled again in size by 1908. By 1920 the Jewish community in Harbin began to reach its peak of about 23,000. How then can we explain the drop to less than 2000 over the next five years? The C.E.R. (Chinese Eastern Railway) was jointly owned by Russia and China and declared suddenly that employees had to be Russian or Chinese nationals. The stateless Jewish railway workers lost their jobs and moved south to Tianjin, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The Jewish community of Harbin, after such a promising start, never regained its strength and with the arrival of the Japanese in 1932 it went into a terminal decline. Today, only one Jew officially lives and works in Harbin calling it home.

We leave the Trans Siberian and move forward five weeks later to the eve of the Jewish festival of Hanukah: Saturday, 12 December 1925

It had taken Meyer about fifteen minutes to walk back home to Caucasus Street after leaving Wolf. The street lay parallel to and between two other roads: Market Place Street to the south and Commercial Street to the north. This Saturday evening all three streets were busy with people preparing for the festival of Hanukah now that 'Shabbos', the Sabbath, was over. In just a few minutes all around the Jewish Quarter of Pristan, the lighting of the first candle on a thousand menorahs would take place. The 'Shamash', the servant candle, the candle used to kindle the others, would be made to light the first candle on the right to mark the beginning of Hanukah. Consequently, the whole district was full of life and sound.

Nearly home and safe, as he turned into Caucasus Street he never smelled on the cold air the danger coming his way; he was unaware of its approach as it strolled up and grabbed him by the throat. After all, this was his neighbourhood and there were people, Jewish people, everywhere. This was why he never even saw the arm that went around his neck and dragged him into an alley, and was roughly thrown down onto the neat mounds of snow swept there earlier from the pavement.

But he quickly realised who'd attacked him. "What do you want Vasily?" he asked disgustedly. "I'm tired of this!" Well, there was no avoiding this fight but at least it looked like Marchenko was alone for once. If he had to fight the tall Ukrainian at least it would be fair. But how had Marchenko known where to find him? "What do you want with me Vasily? I only took down a few posters and you've been chasing me all day because of it! I've had enough!" He paused but there was no response from the grinning Ukrainian. "Let's do it. Let's get it over with now," he said raising his fists with his thumbs out and elbows bent the way uncle Harry had shown him.

"Don't be so stupid. Do you really think this is about you tearing up a few bits of paper? And don't think that chink is going to save you every time you're in trouble. You won't always have a wolf to hide behind when you're in danger." Marchenko looked down in disgust, as Meyer stood ready to fight him. Instead of fighting, the Ukrainian smiled nastily. "Put your fists down. You know, you must be really thick if you honestly think I didn't know exactly where you were hiding earlier?" Lowering his arms, he remembered thinking the same thing: it had been obvious where he'd been hiding and Marchenko had all but made that clear. But that still didn't explain why he had done nothing.

"But if you'd known all along that I was under the counter why did you let me get away?" His face clearly betrayed the surprise and confusion he felt.

"Oh, that's precious! That's really rich. You don't know do you? You really haven't a clue."

"What don't I know?"