SARA. Laws are keeping silence during the war. Elena Fishtik

family owned this business for a long time and they were the main supplier of ice cream not only around L’vov, but also to many cities in Poland.

      Helbling family was famous for incredible kindness, there were always a lot of people in their home.

      They shared their food with the neighbors.

      And despite the fact that they were very wealthy family by themselves they lived modestly, with no frills.

      Although their house was large and it all was decorated tastefully.

      The father called Arthur:

      – Arthur, everything seems calm. Let’s go with me to the store.

      – Yes, father, – he turned to Sara and said to her, – I will come back soon. Arthur’s mother came to Sara and asked warily:

      – How long have you been known each other?

      – No, – plunging her neck to shoulders, – Sara whispered.

      – Who are your parents, Sara?

      – We came from Zaporojye with my brother and my mother, and my dad died long ago – after a pause she added – my brother was sent here to work.

      Mother’s heart could not help but feel that her son was seriously in love with this girl.

      She was well aware of that the situation is not so simple.

      Of course, not about such a girl she had dreamed of for her pet!

      Maria and her family are of the Polish nobility, with old-age traditions, they have quite firmly position in the society, they are rich and esteemed in their native L’vov and beyond it.

      She is Maria Tauber, she is from a family of magnates – manufacturers, her husband is just from the legendary family.

      Who does not know the Helbling family and their famous shops?

      How many those who desire from a noble family would like to marry into this family?

      And then suddenly – the Russian!

      And as it was seen to her – the Communist.

      Neither the beauty of Sara, nor figure, nor youth, nor her beautiful hair, no education and ballet classes, nothing could not soften the mood of Arthur’s mother, who made it clear to Sara by her whole appearance her fastidious attitude.

      The only thing that calmed her a little – that she is also a Jew.

      But still among Polish Jews, the elite practically, and Russian – there was a big difference, at least for the Jewish people.

      Fifteen minutes later Arthur ran into the room with the package in his hands and said to Sara:

      – All is quiet, Sara. I’ll take you home – and he handed her the package – this is for you and your mother.

      – What is it? – Sara was stupefied.

      – This is some food for you.

      Heavily sighed Arthur’s mother stood beside and waved a disapproving head, looking alternately at her husband, her son, Sara.

      – I will not take – said Sara and put the package on the table.

      – No, you will take – Arthur said persistently – giving the package to her.

      – Take it, take it, – Arthur’s mother announced generously.

      At this moment Arthur’s father entered the room and ordered:

      – It’s time. I checked everything – nobody! Arthur grabbed Sara’s hand and they walked toward the exit.

      Sara was thanking her rescuers on her way home.

      The house where Sara lived with her mother was very close, but to overcome even a small distance after what she saw was very scary.

      However, the street is safe – not a soul!

      Arthur and Sara went briskly away to the house of Sara, so they even didn’t meet anyone – all people were scared and hid in their homes.

      – Mum, Mum, – Sara rushed to embrace her weeping and wailing.

      – How are you, daughter? Where have you been? – trembling with fear for her, she clasped to her bosom her daughter, Emma again and again being still in a state of shock, she was muttering – Where have you been? Where have you been?

      – Mommy, I was worried about you! I just came out for some water… Just out… And they came down… And this is Arthur … – And I thought about everything – mother cried.

      – Do not cry Mum! Do not! Everything is good!

      – Yes, yes, my joy, my sun yeah!!! Everything is good! God is, God is! God is … – Emma was embracing Sara and did not notice Arthur.

      And Arthur was standing at the door and was happy for them, for their happy faces.

      He was smiling, he was good.

      Finally, Sara put a bag of food on the table and said to her mother:

      – Mum, this is Arthur. He saved me. He hid me in their house, they live near here, you know – this ice cream shop is theirs.

      – Thank you, thank you – mother repeated looking at Arthur. – So is this the young Helbling? Come on, why are you staying in the doorway? Do you work with your Dad?

      – And this is food Mum, – Sara interrupted her mother a little excited.

      – How?

      – It’s his family gathered for us.

      – Do not – Emma was so proud woman —she even changed in her face. She became strict and the recent gratitude smile disappeared from her face immediately.

      – Take it, take it, we are from the heart, – Arthur said smiling and hurried to leave, until Sara’s mother did not give him the package back.

      Singing his favorite tune Arthur went home and dreamed, dreamed… remembered how he was carrying Sara in his arms, how close they were to each other hiding behind the door, how she was lying on his bed.

      And he wanted to be at home as soon as possible, to lie in bed, where until recently lay a beautiful girl of his dreams.

      Chapter 4. The injunction

      Day by day the situation in L’vov was becoming more and more dangerous, it was extremely undesirable to appear on the streets of the city especially for a Jew.

      But this precaution was not very able to save, especially the Jews.

      Groups of people with the guns went from home to home and checked the lists of living.

      The Jews were taken away immediately.

      Polish authorities could not resist Banderas, Germans.

      They were ordered to monitor the Jewish families and resettle them to the basements and all the property was confiscated.

      The Germans entered L’vov in the morning June 30, 1941.

      Ukrainian Nationalists – Bandera fraction of the OUN, they immediately set up in the city their authorities and “Ukrainian people’s police”.

      The head of the Ukrainian government was Jaroslav Stetsko, in spring 1939 he published an article in the newspaper “The New Way” expressing his position on Jews.

      Stetsko insisted that the Jews – “self-seekers, materialistic, selfish”, “people without heroics of life, without the grand idea”.

      But the Ukrainians, according to Stetsko, “the first in Europe have understood the breaking down of work of Jews”, and as a result they distanced themselves from the Jews a century