Chaim (Harry) Farber

Memories of World War II in the Russian Army Chaim (Harry) Farber

Living in a small Polish town, Chaim (Harry) Farber was surrounded by family, friends, education and industry. But on September 1, 1939, everything changed, as German and Russian forces invaded Poland, splitting it between them. A larger shock occurred two years later when the Nazis, breaching their agreement with Russia, stormed the rest of Poland. Suddenly Chaim Farber found himself whisked into the Russian army. Working diligently-and being cautious with his words-Chaim was assigned to manage a central food warehouse for the army's battalions. Soon his responsibility grew, his status increased and he began embarking on assignments for the Russian Defense Department. Chaim made frequent connections, travelled throughout the vast Russian expanse, and, despite his feelings toward the Communist regime, developed respect for the country's people and its army. As the war concluded, with few of his family having eluded the Nazi terrors, Chaim risked a perilous border crossing to freedom, eventually reaching Canada, where he joined his sister and her husband. From there, relying on determination, guts and instinct, Harry started a building company that continues to thrive. From his home in Toronto, serving the legacy of a family long vanished but never forgotten, Chaim Farber now commits his story to paper more than six decades after having lived it. It is a story written not for enjoyment or entertainment, but for knowledge, and for wisdom, and out of love.