2026 Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery Clean-Up is Done
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Sources: Alon Goldman, Paweł Kulig, Asia Sidorowicz
On an almost annual basis, Alon Goldman, Vice-President of the World Society of Częstochowa Jews & Their Descendants and Chairman of the Association of Częstochowa Jews is Israel, has organised and led a clean-up of the Częstochowa Jewish cemetery. Over time, Alon has been joined by volunteers from various organisations, both adults and young people in this holy work.
DAY 1: Wednesday, 27th May 2026
From early morning, the voices of high school students could once again be heard throughout our Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery, as students from the Technical Secondary Schools Complex (Zespół Szkół Technicznych) and the Technical Training Institute (Techniczne Zakłady Naukowe), together with our friends, volunteers from the Adullam Foundation, arrived to help on the first day of the concentrated clean-up week at our Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery.
Regular student involvement in this work is the result of ongoing cooperation with the city’s Education Department which, this year, has recruited ten secondary schools to assist us in our efforts.
At our request, the city’s Environmental Protection Department arranged for a container for collecting plant waste and portable toilets to be placed in the parking area. Very quickly, we had to call them and ask them to replace the container, which had already been filled with tree trunks, while piles of branches, intended for shredding, began piling up beside the path.
World Society friend, Krzysztof Strauss, found time away from his other duties and worked wonders with the brush cutter, mowing down dense green vegetation and exposing previously hidden gravestones.
As each year, our friend Paweł Kulig added his efforts to the clean-up and, of course, as always, Asia Siderowicz came, with her camera, to document the event photographically.
Elsewhere in the cemetery, the students and Marcin Bocian cleaned fragments of a broken gravestone in order to identify a grave that had not been located in the mapping carried out by historian Wiesław Paszkowski and the Gidonim Project.
By matching the gravestone fragments to an old photograph Alon Goldman found on the Yad Vashem Institute website, identification became possible. It was deeply moving, through a video call, to show the donor of the photograph, in real time, that the grave of her family members had been found in the cemetery.
DAY 2: Thursday, 28th May 2026
Today, students from the Economic Secondary School and the Jan Kochanowski Secondary School joined our friends, the volunteers from the Adullam Foundation.
The students were divided into two work groups:
The first group, led by Paweł Kolig, continued feeding branches, which had previously been cut, into the wood-chipping machine and filling the containers with tree trunks and plant waste. A new pile of wood chips quickly accumulated and, once again, we had to call the city authorities to empty the two containers, which had filled up with tree trunks, branches unsuitable for chipping, and plant debris.
The second group, led by Robert Kamela of the Adullam Foundation, cleared an area, where several gravestones had been hidden. The girls, who were working with him, cleaned the stones so that they could be identified. Unfortunately, some of the gravestones are no longer legible. In some cases, the marble plaques bearing the names have been broken, smashed, or stolen.
When the picture that emerged did not match the existing cemetery mapping, Alon Goldman contacted historian Wiesław Pszczkowski, who promptly came onsite. Together, they we deciphered the situation and identified the graves.
At noon, Alon Goldman met with Zdzisław Wolski, Acting Mayor of the City, and Deputy Mayor Łukasz Kot. They discussed the ongoing efforts to preserve Jewish heritage and the urgent need to resolve the issue of ownership of the cemetery.
At noon, Alon Goldman, World Society Vice-President, met with Zdzisław Wolski, Acting Mayor of the City, and Deputy Mayor Łukasz Kot.
They discussed the ongoing efforts to preserve city’s Jewish heritage and, of course, the continuing urgent need to resolve the issue of ownership of the Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery.
DAY 3: Friday, 29th May 2026
On this third day of our clean-up, we were joined by students from the Częstochowa Bolesław Prus Secondary School and the W. S. Reymont School of Fashion and Advertising Industry.
As on previous days, volunteers from the Adullam Foundation also took part. The volunteers were divided into two work groups led by Robert Kamela of the Adullam Foundation and Paweł Kolig.
Observing from the sidelines, it may be difficult to grasp the scale of the work being carried out. Most of the cemetery is covered with perennial vegetation, which we decided not to tackle this year. During January and February, when the cemetery was free of vegetation, we hired tree workers who removed fallen trunks, broken branches and numerous shrubs that obstructed pathways between rows of graves.
Many local residents have visited the cemetery in recent months and freely collected tree trunks for heating their homes during the winter. Even on the days we are working, people still occasionally come asking to take some wood home.
It is these trunks, branches and shrubs which we are dealing with this year and which are being cleared by the students. The trunks are loaded into the containers, provided by the city, while the shrubs are fed into the wood-chipping machine we have rented.
For the second time this year, we are testing the possibility of controlling the perennial vegetation without the use of chemicals. Pathways, alongside rows of graves, which have been uncovered beneath the greenery, have been covered with an ecological membrane, on top of which we have spread wood chips. It is said that, after some time, perennial vegetation will cease to grow in areas treated in this way.
Not far from the cemetery entrance, beneath the dense vegetation, students working with Robert uncovered the graves of three children: Yehuda, son of Yaakov Aharon Broniatowski, Meir, son of Chaim Kopeček, and Lucia, daughter of Markus Gradstein, who died in Germany and was brought back to her native city of Częstochowa for burial. Following identification, these graves will be assigned numbers and incorporated into our cemetery mapping project on the Gedeonim website.
Lucia’s grave is particularly unusual. It originally consisted of two sections, the upper part of which has fallen—or been knocked down. At a later stage, we will try to restore it to its original position.
(Pic left) Today, in an area from which we had cleared shrubs for the woodchipper, a huge tree trunk was discovered. It had apparently fallen during the past winter, and only the gravestone of Hanna Gottlieb z”l prevented it from crashing to the ground. Miraculously, the monument was not destroyed.
Removing the trunk requires specialist expertise to avoid causing further damage. We have therefore approached the Częstochowa volunteer fire brigade for assistance, hoping they will agree to help us.
DAY 4: Monday, 1st June 2026
Today we were joined by Częstochowa students from Maria Skłodowska-Curie Gastronomy Secondary School and the Automotive Mechanics Secondary School. As number of students was lower than usual, together with the Adullam Foundation volunteers, work focused on a single task – that of removing cut tree branches from the section bordering the cemetery fence and feeding them into the wood-chipping machine.
Despite the smaller number of students, the amount of work accomplished was very satisfactory.
Alon Goldman took advantage of the day to photograph gravestones, which he will add to the inventory website when he returns home.
During the day, a group of 200 young cyclists visited the cemetery as part of a cycling tour of heritage sites in the city. One of the organisers was a teacher, who had participated in the clean-up work last week. He asked Alon’s permission to include the cemetery in their tour and, of course, he agreed.
For most of them, it was their first visit to the cemetery and their first opportunity to hear from me about the long history of the Częstochowa Jewish community and its tragic fate during the Holocaust, and the reasons why the cemetery is in its present condition. Perhaps some of them will return in future years to volunteer here.
At the end of last week, we learned that, after many years in office, the head of the Jewish Community [Gmina] of Katowice had been replaced. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Attorney Strauss and Alon Goldman travelled today to meet the new director of the community.
The main topic of our discussion was the cemetery. We hope that, despite all the difficulties, the new community leader will succeed in advancing the long-overdue resolution of the cemetery’s ownership status.
DAY 5: Tuesday, 2nd June 2026
This morning we began the fifth and final working day of our intensive cemetery clean-up week for 2026. Joining the volunteers from the Adullam Foundation today were students from the General Anders Secondary School in Częstochowa.
Today, we continued focusing on removing tree trunks and branches that had been cut down, by the professional tree cutters whom we employed in January and February, in the section bordering the cemetery wall. (Under Polish law, tree cutting is prohibited in Poland between March and October).
At the end of the previous week, Alon Goldmn approached the city authorities requesting that they address the area of the mass graves, where the vegetation had grown very tall. Since these graves are officially designated as “war graves”, responsibility for their maintenance lies with the Polish government and its representatives.
This morning, the city sent a work crew, who mowed the overgrown vegetation, and the mass grave area has, once again, taken on a dignified appearance.
Another work week has come to an end, but the mission is far from complete.
Much work remains throughout the cemetery – more tree trunks and shrubs need to be cut and removed, and piles of plant debris, tree trunks and shredded branches still need to be cleared away.
This is how local Częstochowa Orion TV covered the cemetery cleanup (click on settings for English audio):
During this week, ten secondary schools from Częstochowa participated in the clean-up effort, together with approximately 200 students, volunteers from the Adullam Foundation and many good friends.
Throughout the week, Alon Goldman photographed many gravestones, including newly uncovered ones and, after processing the information, he will upload everything to the Gideons’ website.
We cannot conclude without expressing our gratitude to:
- Elżbieta Francz, Director of the Adullam Foundation, for recruiting and organising her volunteer group, for caring for, storing, and maintaining our tools year after year, and for supporting all logistical aspects of the work.
- Robert Kamela of the Adullam Foundation, a dear friend with an exceptional work ethic and a huge heart, who helped manage the work at the cemetery, supervised the Foundation’s volunteers and the students, worked tirelessly every day, and contributed greatly to the project’s success.
- The volunteer team from the Adullam Foundation – hard-working individuals, who willingly volunteered to assist with every task requested of them.
- Rafał Piotrowski, Head of the Education Department of the City of Częstochowa, who recently completed his term of office, for his cooperation over recent years, his assistance in recruiting schools and students, and my best wishes for success in his new role.
- Tomasz Tomczyk, Director of the General Anders Secondary School Complex, for establishing connections with school principals and organising the weekly schedule for all participating schools.
- The principals of the Częstochowa schools and their students, who volunteered to help with the work and had the opportunity to learn something about the history of Częstochowa’s Jews and their tragic fate during the Holocaust.
- Krzysztof Strauss, our dear friend and partner, for his commitment to the work, support and assistance whenever needed.
- Dr. Ryszard Stefaniak, Deputy Mayor of Częstochowa, who helped promote the recruitment of students and schools.
- Łukasz Kot, Deputy Mayor of Częstochowa, and Andrzej Szczerba, Head of the Environmental Protection Department, for their logistical support in providing portable toilets for the students and containers for plant-waste disposal, and for ensuring the safety of workers at the cemetery.
- Paweł Kolig from “Guardians of Memory,” a true friend, who came to Częstochowa and helped organise the work on several days, drawing on his extensive experience in cleaning the Łódź Jewish Cemetery.
This work week has ended, but we already preparing to host a group of students from the United States, who will arrive between 13th and 15th July 2026, to volunteer at the cemetery as part of the L’Dor V’Dor Heritage Program, led by Dr. Dan Oren and Rev. Dr. Steven Reiss.
This work has been made possible through the generosity of good people. However, to continue these efforts, we need additional support to hire professional tree cutters, who can remove trees and branches without damaging gravestones, operate the wood-chipping machine, purchase gloves, water, mosquito and tick repellent sprays, repair tools and to replace worn-out equipment.
Information about donation methods appears below – please help us in this holy work!
Together, with your support, we can do much more!
!יחד עם התמיכה שלכם נוכל לעשות הרבה יותר
The Association of Częstochowa Jews in Israel supports these works by financing the purchase of tools and gloves,
as well as protection against ticks and mosquitoes.
We also hire skilled aborists and mulching machines as needed.
Together, with your support and contribution, we can do more! A donation to support our activities can be made as detailed below:
Vale Dr. Jolanta Urbańska
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Source: Życie Częstochowy, Andrew Rajcher
It is with immense sorrow that we learned of the passing of the World Society’s great friend, Dr. Jolanta Urbańska, who died suddenly at home, in Częstochowa, on Monday, 25th May 2026.
Dr. Jolanta Urbańska was born on 22nd January 1959 in Częstochowa. She was a graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University, holding a PhD in humanities. She was a local government official and social activist.
In the 2018 local elections, she won a seat on the City Council and became Deputy Chair of the Częstochowa City Council.
In subsequent years, she served as a councillor during the 7th and 8th terms of the City Council as a member of the Together for Częstochowa club. She held the position of Deputy Chair of the City Council and worked on the Treasury Committee and the Education Committee.
By decree of the President (Mayor) of the City of Częstochowa, she was also appointed Honorary Consultant for the Jewish Community, acting as an advisor and liaison between the City Council and the Jews of Częstochowa.
When there were events linked to Jewish festivals and holidays, Jolanta was there with us. When there were commemorations of past tragedies linked to the Holocaust, Jolanta was also there by our side.
From 2016, she served as President of the Democratic Republic Association (Stowarzyszenie Demokratyczna RP). From 2023, she became primarily a social and civic activist.
We bid farewell to our dear and true friend. Jolanta, we in the World Society and, especially, in Częstochowa will truly miss you.
May your memory be a blessing to all who knew you.
Vale Professor Dr. hab. Jerzy Mizgalski
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Source: Alon Goldman, Andrew Rajcher
It is with immense sorrow that we learned of the passing of the World Society’s great friend, Professor Dr. hab. Jerzy Mizgalski. Surrounded by his family, he died at home at 10pm on Tuesday, 5th May 2026.
Prof. Mizgalski was a true friend of the Jewish people and the Jewish community of Częstochowa, dedicating his life to preserving memory. Through his extensive activities and numerous publications regarding the history of the Jews of Częstochowa, he restored the voices of the past and ensured that the legacy of past generations would not be forgotten or disappear.
Between 1990 and 2022, he held many senior positions at the Jan Długosz University of Częstochowa, including Deputy Director of the Institute of Philosophy and History, Deputy Dean for Student Affairs at the Faculty of Philology and History, and Vice-Rector for Teaching and Education. He was a renowned historian and political scientist. He was one of the initiators of the Polish-Jewish dialogue, co-organising the international meetings of Częstochowa Jews in the city.
For many years, Prof. Mizgalski was the Chairman of the Board of the Częstochowa City Museum, and due to his expertise and exceptional knowledge of the history of the city’s Jews, he was the curator of the exhibition of the Museum of Jewish History in Częstochowa. His commitment to preserving the Jewish heritage of a “No Longer Existing Community” went far beyond academic excellence and reflected a deep moral responsibility and human sensitivity.
Prof. Mizgalski was a man of rare integrity and nobility. In his activities and publications, he educated many generations of students at the Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa, standing as a bridge between the past and the present, between memory and continuity. In his work, he inspired not only historians, but also all those who believe in the importance of memory, honor and historical truth.
At the recommendation of our World Society Vice-President Alon Goldman, in 2015, Prof. Mizgalski was recognised for his extensive activity in preserving Jewish heritage, when he was awarded the “Laurel Crown” decoration by the Israeli Ambassador to Poland in cooperation with the Polish Ministry of Culture.
We bid him farewell as an outstanding Polish researcher and historian, a dear and a true friend, in whose heart burned the fire for the perpetuation and preservation of the Jewish heritage of his and our city – Częstochowa.
Prof. Mizgalski is survived by his wife Krystyna, his children Marcin and Magdalena, their partners and his numerous grandchildren.
Jurek, we in the World Society will truly miss you. May your memory be a blessing to all who knew you.
This is how local Częstochowa ORION TV paid tribute to b.p. Professor Jerzy Mizgalski (change the settings for English):
This is how local Częstochowa ORION TV reported the eulogies delivered (in Polish), during the Mass, in honour of b.p. Professor Jerzy Mizgalski:
This is how local Częstochowa ORION TV reported on the final journey of b.p. Professor Jerzy Mizgalski:
Częstochowa TSKŻ Commemorates 83rd Anniversary of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
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Sources: Text – Alon Goldman, Video and Photographs – Marcin Bocian
On Friday 17th April 2026, in Samuel Willenberg Square at the memorial dedicated to the Częstochowa Jews who perished in the Holocaust, a ceremony was held to mark the 83rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Members of the local Jewish community, friends and officials from the city and the region, together with high school students and kindergarten pupils, gathered to pay their respects and remember those heroes who, almost without any chance of survival, rose up against their Nazi persecutors.
The ceremony was hosted by Izabela Sobańska-Klekowska, chair of the Częstochowa branch of the TSKŻ, with the participation of students from the Słowacki High School who sang songs, and kindergarten students who planted yellow paper daffodils, which have become the symbol of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Photographs and video created by World Society friend Marcin Bocian. (You can set automatic translation in Hebrew/English subtitles in the settings.)
"A Bridge to Yesterday's World - Remembering the Jewish Residents in Today's Częstochowa"
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Source: Alon Goldman
On 31st March 2026, the Juliusz Słowacki High School auditorium was the venue for the conclusion of the competitions of the fifth year of the “Bridge to Yesterday’s World – Remembering the Jewish Residents in Today’s Częstochowa” educational project.
The project, was born five years ago from a conversation Alon Goldman had with Małgorzata Kaim, the late principal of the Słowacki High School in Częstochowa, in which the discussed ways in which it would be possible to allow local youth to understand the multicultural history of the city, to restore its memory and to make knowledge about the Jewish community, which existed in Częstochowa before World War 2, accessible to youth, as well as to strengthen and encourage youth in the city to live in a spirit of acceptance and dialogue with the local cultural heritage.
Together with her team of teachers, Małgorzata Kaim put the idea into practice and, in co-operation with Rafał Piorowski, head of the Częstochowa Municipal Education Department, launched the educational project as a competition amongst local high schools and elementary schools in several areas – poetry, design and multimedia.
This year, following the tragic passing of our friend Małgorzata Kaim, the late principal of the Słowacki High School, a few individuals took on the task of continuing the project. These included Mr. Tomasz Szczygłowski (the new principal) and teachers Monika Wąsińska, Ewa Izydorczyk, Elżbieta Szajbel, Agnieszka Łuczak -Wielgórka and Dorota Chamoń.
This year’s competition attracted about sixty elementary schools and high schools!
- “A Life and a Street Away” – a poetry and prose reading competition from the works of the late Irit Amiel, a Jewish writer born in Częstochowa.
- “A Lost World, a Saved World” – in which teams of 2- 4 participants from each school were asked to create a prototype of a board game with QR codes,exploring the history of places and people related to the Jewish community in Częstochowa.
- Izabela Sobańska-Klekowska (Chair of the TSKŻ Częstochowa branch),
- Ilona Kowalska (co-author of the script “Map of Childhood”, a cinematic poetry salon dedicated to Irit Amiel, representing the Władysław Bieganski Public Library in Częstochowa)
- Ewa Olesz (literary secretary of the Adam Mickiewicz Theatre in Częstochowa).
- Ewelina Rygał – Deputy Principal of Słowacki High School (pic left),
- Izabela Sobańska-Klekowska – Chair of TSKŻ Częstochowa branch (pic centre) and
- Krzysztof Straus – Board member of the Memorial and Renewal Foundation (pic right).
The ceremony included artistic performances by students of the Juliusz Słowacki High School in Częstochowa, who performed musical pieces, as well as poetry readings by the competition winners. The event program highlighted the multicultural heritage of Częstochowa.
Certificates and prizes were awarded to elementary and high school students – winners of the reading competition “Poetry and Prose by Irit Amiel” and the multimedia competition “A Lost World, a Saved World“.
The event was organised by Agnieszka Luczek-Wilgorka, Dorota Częmonska, Monika Wasinska, Ewa Izydorczyk and Elżbieta Szybel.
The music was provided by Dorota Merlinska and Katarzyna Błaszczyk
The project was conducted under the auspices of Alon Goldman, Chairman of the Association of Częstochowa Jews in Israel
and the Memorial and Renewal Foundation in Częstochowa (Fundacja Pamięć i Odnowa w Częstochowie)
Many thanks to the organisers of the project, which we consider to be of great importance,
and which is part of the process of preserving the city’s Jewish heritage.
Częstochowa TSKŻ Celebrates Chanukkah & TSKŻ's 75th Anniversary
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Source: TSKŻ Częstochowa, Alon Goldman
As every year, Częstochowa’s Jewish community, as well as the city’s supporters of Jewish culture, took part in a celebration of Chanukkah. The Częstochowa branch of the TSKŻ was also celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Jewish Social and Cultural Society (TSKŻ) in Poland.
During the event, there was a presentation of photographs taken during the many years of the TSKZ Częstochowa branch’s activities. It was specially prepared to also commemorate those who are no longer with us, important people for the TSKŻ – activists and veteran members.
TSKŻ Częstochowa branch chair, Izabela Sobańska-Klekowska, welcomed the guests and thanked all the supporters for spreading knowledge about the history and culture of Polish Jews in general and in Częstochowa in particular. Then followed the Chanukkah candle lighting ceremony. The first candle was lit by Częstochowa Deputy Mayor, Dr. Ryszard Stefaniak, followed by other members and guests, including the younger participants present.
Częstochowa Deputy Mayor, Dr. Ryszard Stefaniak, gave a short speech after which he thanked TSKŻ Częstochowa branch chair, Izabela Sobańska-Klekowska, for her many years of public activity. As a token of appreciation, he presented her with a medal commemorating the “1000th Anniversary of the Polish Crown”.
The event also featured a ceremony in which the TSKŻ board of directors awarded Dr. Anna Goldman the “Excellence in TSKŻ Activities” medal, honouring her many years of Jewish communal involvement.
Patricia Siewert-Szybka and Grzegorz Szybka, entertained the audience with a concert of Chanukkah songs performed in Polish and Hebrew, as well as lullabies and songs by famous Jewish writers and composers. Following the concert, those present were invited to enjoy refreshments, which included donuts and other sweets. All enjoyed the food and talked about the many years they have spent at the TSKŻ club.
The beautiful venue for the event, the TSKŻ social rooms, is in the same building as the Jewish Museum of Częstochowa,
located ul Katedralna 8, in the Częstochowa Old Town.
Częstochowa Jews in Israel Hold Annual Memorial Evening
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Source: Alon Goldman
On Wednesday, 19th November 2025, around forty second and third generation descendants of Częstochowa Jews gathered for the Annual Memorial Ceremony, conducted by the Association of Częstochowa Jews in Israel, marking eighty-three years since the liquidation of the Częstochowa Ghetto and the deportation of approximately 40,000 Jews to their deaths in Treblinka.
The event opened with remarks by Alon Goldman, Chairman of the Association of Częstochowa Jews in Israel. This was followed by the recitation of Kaddish by Steven Glaser, in memory of our relatives from Częstochowa who perished in the Holocaust.
A recently released episode about Częstochowa’s forgotten Jewish history was then screened. It is from the new documentary series “The Road of Memory and Oblivion”, produced by the Polish public television channel TVP World. The global premiere of this episode aired in Poland just two days earlier. The series’ concept creator, producer, screenwriter, and director is Rafał Kotomski.
You can view the film using the following link (subtitles are available in Hebrew, Polish, and additional languages):
https://youtu.be/lynxysGjmTc?si=qlDevKPJr7SfnHJf
Following the screening, Alon Goldman presented an update on the current, deeply concerning condition of the Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery. He outlined the factors that have contributed to this situation, the challenges we face – including the unresolved legal status of the cemetery – and the steps we are taking, even without a legally recognised owner, to prevent its total destruction.
An open discussion then followed amongst the attendees. Many shared short, personal accounts of their families’ roots in Częstochowa. Amazingly, this exchange led to the discovery of previously unknown family connections between several attendees.
The evening then concluded with the singing of “Hatikvah”.
Israeli High School Students Clean Our Cemetery
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Source: Alon Goldman
After finding the broken matzevah, covered in vegetation and dirt, Ruth and Gail cleaned it, all the students gathered around the grave and performed a short ceremony.
Marcin Bocian recorded a video of the students’ visit and of the twins’ discovery of their great-grandfather’s grave:
Local Częstochowa television, TV Orion, reported on the students visit to the Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery:
Częstochowa TSKŻ Commemorates 83rd Anniversary of the Beginning of the Częstochowa Ghetto Liquidation
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Sources: Izabela Sobańska-Klekowska, Agnieszka Małasiewicz
The Częstochowa branch of the TSKŻ commemorated the 83rd anniversary
of the beginning of the liquidation of the Częstochowa Ghetto
by organising a ceremony at the Częstochowa Jewish Memorial.
The ceremony was led by Częstochowa TSKŻ Chair Izabela Sobańska-Kleklowska.
Those present included Częstochowa Deputy Mayor, Ryszard Stefaniak, Częstochowa Museum Director, Katarzyna Ozimek, Director of the Częstochowa Museum, Director of the Częstochowa Regional Cultural Centre Director, Małgorzata Majer-Sęstowska, directors and professors of Częstochowa schools with banners, students from secondary schools, primary schools and pre-schoolers came in large numbers.Also present were members of the Old Town-New Life Partnership, the President of the Adullam Christian Foundation, the Pastor of the Word of Faith Church, the Democratic Association of the Republic of Poland, the city guard, the media, representatives of the Polish Army Soldiers’ Association, Museum employees, members of the Jewish community gathered in the TSKŻ and the Descendants of the Righteous.
All those gathered commemorated the victims of the ghetto with a minute of silence, followed by the laying of flowers, lighting of candles and placing traditionally symbolic stones at the monument..
Israeli High School Students Clean Our Cemetery
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Source: Alon Goldman
Eighty Eitan High School students from the Israeil’s Gezer Regional Council of Israel visited our Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery. After learning a little about its history, they volunteered to help in the cemetery cleaning work.
World Society friends, Krzysztof Straus, Elżbieta Ferenc and Robert Kamela were on site to help coordinate the activity.
After about half an hour of instruction about the cemetery, the Mass Graves and the grave of those murdered in the Kielce pogrom, the students began the cleaning work and, after an hour, cut tree trunks and branches were piled up on the path, waiting to be shredded or removed. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the students’ working time, professional loggers, hired by us, went to work several days before the students arrived and cut down bushes and fallen tree trunks so that the students could focus on removing vegetation from between the rows of graves and bring them to the central pathway.
Thank you to the students of Eitan High School, to our World Society friends Elżbieta, Robert and Krzysztof, as well as guides Erez and Yuval.
Without you this work would not have been possible