CZĘSTOCHOWA
TOURIST MAP
Click HERE to
view a tourist map of Częstochowa
showing locations of Jewish and general interest.
Częstochowa, Poland
Jerusalem, Israel
Melbourne, Australia
New York City, U.S.A.
A Biographical Guide to our Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery continues to be prepared,
containing a register of identified tombstones,
short footnotes about the deceased and some detailed biographies.
If you can supply biographies, details of graves and even pictures of people buried in our cemetery, then
the authors want to hear from you!
You can post your suggestions, contributions and comments onto our Yahoo Email Group or
email our Webmaster and Email Group Moderator: Andrew Rajcher
Alon Goldman Tells His Family Story to Częstochowa Youth
April 2013
While visiting Poland to attend the 70th Anniversary commemorations
of the Warsaw Ghetto, Alon Goldman, Chairman of the Association of
Częstochowa Jews in Israel, visited Częstochowa and delivered
a lecture on his family's roots to students and staff at the Jan
Długosz University and at two senior high schools.
Click HERE to read more and to view how local
Częstochowa TV station Telewizja Orion reported on his visit.
Mazal Tov Henry & Sigmund!
2nd March 2013
It was both a joyous and emotional occasion, when our President,
Sigmund Rolat, celebrated his Barmitzvah (albeit 70 years late)
together with his grandson Henry, in New York City.
Amidst all the family and friends who attended the celebration,
there were so many people with a connection to Częstochowa
that it felt like a "mini-Reunion".
Israeli Students Help Preserve Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery
17th July 2012
As part of its Gidonim Project, a group of students and teachers from the Reut High School
in Jerusalem spent several days extracting matzeivot (tombstones) from the ground at the
Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery and recording their inscriptions.
This is the school's fifth visit to our cemetery.
The Raising of Rabbi Ben-Zion Oliwenstein's Tombstone
12th April 2012
Cedric Olivestone describes how he searched for, found and raised the
tombstone of his ancestor, Rabbi Ben-Zion Oliwenstein, who was buried
in the Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery.
He describes himself as being very lucky to have the time, the will
and the ability to do this kind of thing and feels very privileged to
have been able to travel to Częstochowa and to see this important
work successfully completed.
From our
World Society Webmaster
ANDREW RAJCHER ...
Dear Częstochowa Friends,
During the week commencing 27th February, I had the privilege of being in New York City, having been invited to celebrate
the belated Bar Mitzvah of our President, Sigmund Rolat, together with his grandson Henry. With landsleit from
New York joined by landsleit from abroad, the event felt very much like a "mini-Reunion".
Given that Sigmund, at the age of thirteen, was a prisoner within the HASAG-Pelcery slave labour camp in Częstochowa,
watching Sigmund stand on the bimah (albeit seventy years late), being watched by his children and grandchildren together
with so many of us descended from Częstochowa Jews, was living proof that Hitler didn't win - that no matter what was
done to our ancestors, we survived - and have thrived!
On a strange, coincidental and very personal note, in the synagogue, I experienced my own feeling of "dejavu" - as I heard the
"maftir" and "haftorah" being read, I suddenly realised that these were the same portions that I had read on my OWN Bar Mitzvah!
After so many years (no, I'm not going to do the arithmetic), I found myself reciting along - from memory! I guess your Bar
Mitzvah portion is like learning to ride a bicycle or learning to swim - once you learn it, you never really forget.
The hospitality and generosity of Sigmund and his family are legendary - and they were ever-present during the week we spent in
New York City. To Sigmund, Samantha, Isaac and Henry, I say "thank you so much" for enabling me and so many others to share
in your "simcha" and for making our time in New York City so memorable. A special "thank you" must go to Geoffrey, son and uncle of
the Bar Mitzvah boys, who was in charge of the overseas visitors. He organised our time to within an inch of our lives, arranging
tours and events which will give us pleasant memories for many years to come. Geoffrey, "Thank you!".
Photographs from the event are now on the website - just follow the links to the pics and the album. Finally, after Sigmund has
recovered a little strength from that week's festivities, he will soon write his next letter..
Andrew Rajcher
THE WORLD SOCIETY OF
CZĘSTOCHOWA JEWS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS
FOURTH REUNION
in Częstochowa, Poland
2nd-5th October 2012
Click on the link below each picture
to view the entire photo album for each event.
TSKZ
Tuesday, 2nd October 2012
Click HERE for photo album
WELCOME
Tuesday, 2nd October 2012
Click HERE for photo album
and TV coverage
BANQUET DINNER
Tuesday, 2nd October 2012
Click HERE for photo album
and TV coverage
JEWISH TOUR
Wednesday, 3rd October 2012
Click HERE for photo album
and TV coverage
SUKKAH LUNCH
Wednesday, 3rd October 2012
Click HERE for photo album
and TV coverage
FOUNDATION LAUNCH
Wednesday, 3rd October 2012
Click HERE for photo album
and TV coverage
HUBERMAN CONCERT
Wednesday, 3rd October 2012
Click HERE for photo album
and TV coverage
CONFERENCE
Thursday, 4th October 2012
Click HERE for photo album
and TV coverage
CEMETERY CEREMONY
Thursday, 4th October 2012
Click HERE for photo album
and TV coverage
"GENESIS" CONCERT
Thursday, 4th October 2012
Click HERE for photo album
THANK YOU
to our President, Sigmund Rolat,
without whom the Reunion and its activities
would not have been possible.
THANK YOU
to the Mayor and Council of the
City of Częstochowa,
for their assistance with
the Reunion's public events.
World Society Webmaster
Interviewed on Polish Radio
While he was in Warsaw, after our Fourth Reunion, our
webmaster, Andrew Rajcher, was interviewed by the Kol
Polin service of national broadcaster Polskie Radio.
Andrew was interviewed, in English, by Polskie Radio's Hagay Hacohen. To listen to that interview, simply
click on the link below.