A few weeks after the Russian army captures Lithuania, you are
summoned to appear at headquarters. As you hobble into the camp on
crutches, a high-ranking officer greets you warmly and leads you to the
tent of the commanding general. You are totally surprised when the general
pins the Order of Lenin on your tunic, kisses you on both cheeks, and
salutes. For heroes of the Revolution like you,
he explains, nothing is
too good. Now, I order you to return to Vilna. We have arranged that you
will work for the Ministry of Education.
You are expected to teach about Russian government to groups of families that meet every evening in order to become better Communists. Soon, however, you realize that what you are doing is not education but propaganda — much of what you teach is not even true.
Even more troublesome is the disappearance of many well-known Jewish scholars, writers, musicians, and actors. When you try to discover where they are gone, the authorities simply don't respond. You begin to fear the worst; it's almost as if Joseph Stalin was repeating Hitler's elimination of the Jews.
These and other disturbing facts convince you that you must leave Russia.
If you decide to attempt the difficult task of obtaining an official exit permit, continue to page 125.
If you choose to simply start walking out of the country, continue to page 126.