The Jews of Częstochowa (1947)
Czenstochower Yidn
This Yizkor Book was published in New York, in 1947, by the United Czenstochower Relief Committee & Ladies Auxiliary. In all probability, it is the second Yizkor Book, relating to Częstochowa, to be published after the War, second only to Adam Zilbersztajn’s “The Ghettoes – Warsaw, Częstochowa“. So that, to the book’s contributors, their memories would still be very fresh.
According to this Yizkor Book’s Editorial Committee:
The “Kehilla” of 30,000 Jewish souls in Częstochowa, with the exception of a small remnant, shared the fate of the 3,500,000 Polish Jews and of the six million Jewish victims of Nazism and Fascism in Europe. Yet our book, “Czenstochower Yidn”, was not created as a stone “matzevah” in the cemetery of Jewish Częstochowa, but as a “Book of Life”.
The writing of this “Book of Life”, about all of the generations and layers of Jewish population who struggled and who created our home city, was our duty. The memory of Jewish Częstochowa has been sanctified a thousand-fold by the martyred deaths of our brothers and sisters.
Our “Book of Life”, “Czenstochower Yidn” is also our “Book of Lineage”. The Częstochowa neighbourhood, which was built and inhabited by Jews, is now either utterly ruined or settled by non-Jews. A large number of institutions, which were the pride of the Jewish community, will most likely be taken over by strangers. All the Jewish streets, all the Jewish houses, all Jewish institutions belong to us. We will always take pride in them and honour those who created them.
This Yizkor book, in its entirety, has been professionally translated into English.
The professional English translation of this Yizkor book has been made possible by the financial support of the
Wolf Rajcher z”l and Dora Rajcher z”l were both Holocaust survivors from Częstochowa.
They were prisoners in both the “Big Ghetto” and the “Small Ghetto” and, until liberation, were slave labourers in HASAG-Pelcery. Following the War, they emigrated to Melbourne Australia.
Upon the passing of both his parents, their son, Andrew Rajcher, established this charitable fund in their memory.
Click on SECTION HEADINGS to reveal chapters.
Chapters are listed in the order in which they appear in the Yizkor Book.
(The numbers in brackets, after each article, correspond to the appropriate page numbers in the Yizkor Book.)
Introduction (I-II)
Table of Contents (III-IV)
Foreword – from the Editorial Board (V-VI)
Preface – from the Editor (VII-XII)
Introduction (1-2)
Dr. Jakow Szacki: The Jews in Częstochowa to the First War World (3-31)
Ch. L. Szwarc: Częstochowa Becomes a City (32-46)
D.Bezbrodko: The Jews in Industry (47-50)
Dr.R.Mahler, J.Sz. Herc, A.Chrobolovsky: Professional Workers’ Unions (50-60)
A.Chrobolovsky: Professional Union of Commercial Employees (60-61)
A.Gotlib: The Craftsmen’s Union and Guilds (61-64)
A.Szymonowicz: The Craftsmen’s Ha’Chalutz (64-65)
A.Buchman: The Gardening School (66-68)
A.Gotlib: The Crafts School (68-70)
Chaja Wage-Rotman, A.Chrobolovsky, R.Federman: The I.L. Peretz Workers’ Kindergartens & Primary School (70-77)
S.Wirstel: The Jewish Gymnazjum (78-79)
A. Chrobolovsky: Evening Courses (79-80)
P. Szmulewicz, A. Chrobolovsky: Lira & the Jewish Literary Society (80-85)
A. Chrobolovsky: Jewish Libraries (85-87)
W. Gliksman, A. Chrobolovsky, R. Federman: Yiddish Theatre in Częstochowa (87-92)
A. Chrobolovsky, M. Ceszynski, R. Federman: The Yiddish Press (92-101)
A. Chrobolovsky: The Jewish Sports Movement (101-103)
A. Kaufman: The New Study-Hall (103-104)
Dr. Kohn-Kolin, F.Szmulewicz: Dobroczyność (105-107)
From the Częstochower Wochenblatt – 31st October 1913: The Jewish Hospital (107-108)
F.Szmulewicz: The Popular Bakery (109-110)
Dr. Kohn-Kolin: TOZ (110-111)
A. Chrobolovsky: Częstochower Cooperatives (111-111)
Pictures for the Article The I.L. Peretz Kindergartens & Primary School (112-112)
C. Szpaltyn, F. Szmulewicz: The Relief Committee for Refugees from Germany (113-114)
Icek Gurski, S. Fajnrajch, Fajtel Szmulewicz, A. Chrobolovsky: SS (Zionist-Socialist Workers Party), “Vereinigte”, “Independent” (115-122)
M. Fajnrajch: SS (Zionist-Socialist Workers Party) in the War Against the “Good Boys” (122-123)
Sz. J. Herc: The General Jewish Labour Bund (123-144)
Jakow Kenner: Left-Wing Poalei Zion (144-150)
Chaim Landau: Ha’Shomer Ha’Tzair (150-152)
A. Chrolobovsky, H. Zigas: Political Persecutions and Trials (152-156)
Gina Medem: Jewish Fighters in the Fields of Spain (157-165)
Dr Raphael Mahler: Foreword (165-166)
Mark Liber: The “Rabunek” – the Pogrom of 1902 (166-170)
H. Fajwlowicz, A. Chrobolosky: The Second Pogrom (170-177)
Sz. Herc & Correspondents of the New York “Tog”: The Third Pogrom (177-183)
A. Chrolobovsky: The Last Year (183-186)
L.Brener: The Settlement’s Catastrophe (187-201)
A.B. [Aron Brandes]: Testimony (201-206)
Abram Iżbicki: Testimony (206-212)
Szymon Gotajner: Jews Deported to Germany via Częstochowa (212-215)
W. Gliksman: The Obliteration of the Synagogue (the New Shule) (215-218)
A. Iżbicki: A Night in the Częstochowa Ghetto (218-219)
D. Koniecpoler: The Last Twenty-Four Hours in HASAG (220-222)
M.Kusznir: Activity of the Jewish Ordnungsdienst – the Jewish Police (223-226)
M.Kusznir: Activity of the Bund Under Hitler’s Occupation (226-230)
L.Jurysta: The Activity of the Kibbutz During German Occupation (230-232)
Chaskiel Brzeziński: How the Party Banners of the Left-Wing Poalei Zion were Hidden (232-232)
D.Koniecpoler: The Craftsmen and the Destruction (233-233)
Regulations of the German Authorities – from the Archives of the Central Jewish Historical Committee in Poland (233-239)
Dr Josef Kruk: The End (239-243)
Reprinted from the “Landersberger Lager Zeitung”: Revenge is Sweet (243-246)
Reprinted from the Częstochowa “Głos Narodu”: The Nazi Bandit Shall Hang at the Scaffold (246-247)
L.Brener: For the Third Anniversary of the First Jewish Uprising in the Częstochowa Ghetto (247-249)
Wolf Gliksman: The New Częstochowa (249-252)
Ida Merżan: The Children’s Home in Częstochowa (253-254)
Introduction & Documents re: General Overview of the Fraternal Aid (255-256)
A. Chrobolovsky: A General Overview of the Fraternal Aid (257-264)
A. Kaufman: Czenstochover Aid Society and Czenstochover Relief Committee in New York (265-269)
A. Chrobolovsky & A. Kaufman: The United Czenstochover Relief Committee in New York (269-277)
A. Chrobolovsky: Czenstochover Relief Activists in New York (277-281)
J. Kirszenbaum: The Częstochower Shul [Synagogue] in New York (281-282)
Josef Kaufman: The Czenstochauer Young Men’s (282-285)
A. Kaufman: The Czenstochover Young Ladies Auxiliary in New York (286-288)
A. Litman: Częstochower Branch 261 Arbeiter Ring in New York (289-292)
D. Tanski: Częstochower Branch 11 of the Jewish People’s Fraternal Order (292-298)
J.Win: Częstochower Branch of the Jewish National Workers Alliance (298-299)
D. Tanski: The Częstochower Patronage in New York (299-302)
Founders, Members and Supporters of the Czenstochover Aid Society and Czenstochover Relief Committee (303-303)
R. Pozner: Chenstochover Neighbourhood Educational Society in Chicago (303-305)
Mary Rozen: There Once Was a Shtetl Działoszyn (328-330)
R. Federman: Erste Zaloshiner Chevra Anshei Bnei Achim in New York (330-337)
P. Kalka: Nowo Radomsko (337-340)
P. Kalka: Nowo Radomsker Landsmannschaft in New York (340-342)
H. Jelen: Kamyk (342-344)
Częstochowers in the Land of Israel (345-347)
F. Szmulewicz, G. Frajtag: A Gathering of Częstochowers in Tel-Aviv (348-350)
Documents from Częstochower Organisations in America & Canada (350-350)
W. Gliksman: Chenstochover and Vicinity Aid Society in Toronto (Canada) (351-352)
W. Gliksman: Chenstochover and Vicinity Aid Society in Montreal (Canada) (353-354)
S. Wirstel: Society of Częstochower Landsleit in Argentina (354-355)
D. Wrocławski: Częstochowers in Paris (355-358)
Abram Rajzen: A Day in Częstochowa (359-360)
Lajbisz Lehrer: Częstochowa, My Częstochowa (360-361)
A. Chrobolovsky: In and Around the Workers Club (361-362)
Szymon Biro [Birencwajg]: Częstochower Coalminers (363-364)
Dr L. Lazarowicz: Doctors (364-366)
F. Gerbowski : A Bunch of Flowers (366-367)
Bela Goldwirt : Anonymous Landsleit (367-368)
A. Chrobolovsky: The Malarskies (368-373)
Raphael Federman: From My Life (374-398)
The Editorial Board: The History of the Book Czenstochover Yidn (399-403)
Dr Mahler’s Biography & a Few Co-Workers (404-404)
In translating the following “Who’s Who” section, every effort has been made to transliterate, from the Yiddish texts, as accurately as possible, the names as they would have been spelt in a historically, accurate manner (surnames may have been changed post-War). This includes the use of Polish diacritics where appropriate. (Such care and research may not have been carried out in translations of this section appearing elsewhere.)
Nevertheless, if you cannot find a name you seek here, please try alternate spellings: e.g. Rajcher/Reicher, Rubinsztajn/Rubinstein, Dembiński/Dębinski, Chorowicz/Horowicz, Nusyn/Nusen, Chiel/Chil, Rywka/Rifka, Sara/Sura, Jacob/Jakób/Jakub, etc.. Different spellings, such as these, may also impact any family tree genealogical research.
Should you need any advice regarding the appropriate Polish spellings of Jewish names or surnames, please feel free to contact the Webmaster.
Index of Names Appearing in this “Who’s Who” Section
א [Aleph] – surnames beginning with A, I and O (I-IV)
ב [Beit] – surnames beginning with B (IV-XIII)
ג [Gimel] – surnames beginning with G (XIII-XXVII)
ד [Daled] – surnames beginning with D and J (XXVII-XXX)
ה [Hey] – surnames beginning with H (XXX-XXXIV)
וו [Vav] – surnames beginning with V and W (XXXV-XLII)
ז [Zayn] – surnames beginning with Z (XLII-XLV)
ט [Tes/Tet] – surnames beginning with C and T (XLV-XLVII)
י [Yud] – surnames beginning with J and Y (XLVII-XLIX)
כ [Chof] – surnames beginning with Ch (XLIX-L)
ט [Tes/Tet] – surnames beginning with T (LI-LI)
ל [Lamed] – surnames beginning with L (LI-LVIII)
מ [Mem] – surnames beginning with M (LVIII-LXI)
נ [Nun] – surnames beginning with N (LXII-LXIII)
ט [Samech] – surnames beginning with C and S – L and N listed out of order (LXIII-LXVIII)
ע [Ayin] – surnames beginning with E (LXVIII-LXIX)
פּ [Pey] – surnames beginning with P (LXX-LXXII)
פֿ [Fey] – surnames beginning with F (LXXII-LXXVIII)
צ [Tzadik] – surnames beginning with C and T (LXXVIII-LXXXII)
ק [Kuf] – surnames beginning with K (LXXXII-XCIV)
ר [Reish] – surnames beginning with R (XCIV-XCVIII)
ש [Shin] – surnames beginning with S (XCIX-CVIII)
Addendum – miscellaneous surnames (CIX-CXVI)
Częstochowers in the Fight Against Fascism (CXVII-CXXXVIII)
Those Who Have Gone to Their Eternal Repose (CXXXIX-CXLIV)
Index of Names Appearing in this Yizkor Book
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Dave Horowitz-Larochette
IMPORTANT NOTICE
While the English translation is available for download, it may not, either in part or as a whole, be distributed or published without the prior written permission of Andrew Rajcher, the copyright-holder of this English-language version of this Yizkor Book.