Churban Czenstochow (1948)
Churban Czenstochow (1948)
"The Destruction of Częstochowa" - by Benjamin Orenstein
This Yizkor Book was published, in 1948, by the Central Administration of the Częstochower Landsmannschaft in the American Zone in Germany. Being published so soon after World War Two, when memories of the horrors are still fresh, it provides us with even more insights into the destruction of Częstochowa Jewry.
As Dr Filip Friedman states in the book’s Foreword:
The author set himself the task of encompassing the tragedy of the Częstochowa Jews as comprehensively as possible. He described it in the tone of the pulsating Jewish life in Częstochowa prior to the War. ….
I am sure that Orenstein’s work introduces much new information with the abundance of materials that he has gathered, with his comprehensiveness and descriptions and his systematic and transparent composition of the historical material. …..
It is a work which constitutes an important contribution to the historical research of the era of destruction, and is concurrently a worthy and earnest memorial to the Jewish community of Częstochowa …
In his introduction to the book, Dr Cwi Kantor writes:
… the book has been published in the Latin script. [In] this, the Central Administration has taken into account the fact that – to our great regret – there is still a great part of the Jews in Germany and overseas for whom it is difficult or who are completely unable to read any quadrilateral Yiddish letters.
[Webmaster: There are two Yizkor Books written with the same title – “Churban Czenstochow” – one by Szlomo Waga and, this one, by Benjamin Orenstein. As far as we know, this is the FIRST PROFESSIONAL, English-language translation of this book.]
This Yizkor book has been PROFESSIONALLY translated into English,
for the FIRST TIME, in its entirety!
The professional English translation of this Częstochowa 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 PART No. 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 book.)
Introduction (1-3)
Table of Contents (4-7)
Foreword – by Dr Filip Friedman (8-9)
The Book Churban Czenstochow – by Dr Cwi Kantor (10-11)
Introduction (12-17)
Excesses Against Jews in Częstochowa (18-22)
Economic Life (22-27)
Jewish Communal Life Before the War (27-33)
Political Life (33-36)
Cultural Life (37-47)
The Outbreak of the War (47-50)
“Bloody Monday” (51-53)
The First Days of the German Occupying Authorities (54-56)
The Establishment of the Judenrat (57-62)
The Unpaid Work Force (63-65)
“The White House” (65-67)
The Formation of the “Big Ghetto” (67-70)
The Jewish Police – Inspectorate of Street Traffic & Jewish Ordnungsdienst (70-72)
Life in the Ghetto (72-78)
The Workers Council (79-86)
The End of the Workers Council in the “Big Ghetto” (86-88)
The First Test Run & First “Resettlement” – 22nd September 1942 (89-94)
The First to be Barracked in HASAG-Pelcery (95-96)
Other Barracks Sites (97-98)
The Second “Resettlement” (98-100)
The Third “Resettlement” (100-100)
The Fourth “Resettlement” (100-100)
The Fifth “Resettlement” (101-102)
The People in the Bunkers and Their Fate (102-119)
Selection Amidst the Ghetto Police (120-121)
The Möbellager (121-124)
Metalurgia (124-125)
Braland (125-126)
Ul. Garibaldiego (126-127)
Raków (128-130)
Enro (130-132)
Warta (132-136)
Częstochowianka (136-138)
The Underground Movement (139-145)
The Jewish Fighting Organisation [ŻOB] (146-151)
Production of Grenades in the Częstochowa “Small Ghetto” (151-154)
Mojtek Zylberberg (155-156)
Rywka Glanc (156-158)
Josl Kantor (158-159)
Nute Słomnicki (159-159)
Jechezkel Kantor (160-161)
Arje Mendelbaum (161-161)
Berl (Bolek) Gewercman (161-162)
Janek Krauze (162-164)
Izrael-Awigdor Szyldhaus (164-165)
Eliezer Szmulewicz (165-166)
Cwi Rozenwajn (167-169)
Gerszon Prętki (170-170)
Mojsze Lubling (171-172)
Bernard Kurland (172-174)
Marzej Krauze (174-178)
Mordche Herman (178-178)
Rozenberg (180-180)
Mojsze Domb [Dąb] (181-184)
The Role of Częstochowers in Treblinka (185-193)
The Formation of the “Small Ghetto” (194-195)
Life in the “Small Ghetto” (196-197)
The Attitude of the Polish Populace Towards the Persecuted Jews (198-200)
Jewish Communal and Cultural Life in the “Big Ghetto”, the “Small Ghetto” and the HASAG-Pelcery Camp (200-219)
Częstochower Folklore During the Nazi Period (220-222)
“Aryan Papers” (223-225)
Obłway – Round-Ups and Manhunts (225-229)
Selections (230-234)
Propraganda (234-236)
The Murderers of Częstochowa Jewry (237-246)
The Development of Events in the “Small Ghetto” and Its Liquidation (247-257)
Life in HASAG-Pelcery and Its Organisational System (257-261)
Selections in HASAG-Pelcery (262-263)
Life in HASAG-Pelcery, Until November 1944, Following the Selection on 24th July 1943 (263-269)
Dr. Bresler (270-271)
Bartenschlager’s Rule in HASAG-Pelcery – From November 1944 to 16th January 1945 (271-274)
The Fate of Those Removed From HASAG-Pelcery (274-277)
The Evacuation Transport from Częstochowa to Buchenwald (277-281)
Life in the Dora Concentration Camp (281-291)
What is a Kapo? (291-292)
The Evacuation from Dora to Bergen-Belsen (293-295)
Liberation in Bergen-Belsen (295-297)
Częstochowa’s [Surviving] Remnant (301-311)
Speech by Estera Epsztajn (312-313)
Speech by Henoch Pradelski (314-316)
Speech by Dr Cwi Kantor (317-319)
Speech by Benjamin Orenstein (319-321)
Speech by Aron Gelbard (321-324)
Speech by Cwi Rozenwajn (324-326)
Speech by Dr. Szmul Gringauz (327-327)
Speech by Mendel Goldberg (327-328)
Speech by Chaim Sztajer (328-328)
Poems by Szulim Bergman (329-332)
Second Congresses of the Liberated in the American Zone (333-334)
Częstochowa Delegation at the Unveiling of a Monument in Mallersdorf (335-336)
Life Goes On (337-337)
Isroel-Josef Kutner z’’l (338-340)
Efrojim-Nechemje Trombkowski z’’l (341-343)
Introduction (347-347)
Religious Authorities – Rabbi Nachum Asz z’’l (348-349)
Religious Authorities – Rabbi Mojsze Halter z’’l (350-350)
Religious Authorities – The Częstochower Maggid (350-351)
Religious Authorities – Rabbinical Judges [Dayanim] (351-352)
Religious Authorities – Ritual Slaughterers [Shochtim] (352-353)
Cantors – Abram-Ber Birenbaum z’’l [and Zyskind Rozental, Josef Badasz] (353-356)
Artists – Professor [Icchak] Zaks (356-357)
Artists – Ajzyk Karpiel (357-358)
Artists – Professor [Perec] Wilenberg (358-359)
Synagogue Custodians [Shamoshim] – Urn Shames (359-360)
Synagogue Custodians [Shamoshim] – Kalman Szczekacz (361-361)
Synagogue Custodians [Shamoshim] – Majer Biczner (362-362)
Jewish Kehilla Presidents [& Public Figures] – Szmul Goldsztajn (362-363)
Jewish Kehilla Presidents [& Public Figures] – Josef [sic Jakób] Rozenberg (363-363)
Jewish Kehilla Presidents [& Public Figures] – Chaim Weksler (363-364)
Jewish Kehilla Presidents [& Public Figures] – Szmul Niemirowski (364-366)
Jewish Kehilla Presidents [& Public Figures] – Icyk-Mendel Epsztajn (366-368)
Jewish Kehilla Presidents [& Public Figures] – Abram Działowski (368-368)
Philanthropists – Henryk Markusfeld (369-370)
Philanthropists – the Zygman, Markowicz and Helman Families (370-370)
Philanthropists – Emanuel Wajcenblat (371-371)
Philanthropists – Icze Rotholc (“Porper”) (371-372)
Philanthropists – Dr Hipolit Gajsler (372-372)
Philanthropists – Dr Arnold Bram (373-373)
Philanthropists – Icchok-Majer Krel (373-374)
Paramedics [Felczerzy] – Kopel Kijak (374-375)
Paramedics [Felczerzy] – Wolf [sic Dawid] Windman (375-375)
Women in the Financial Arena (375-376)
Booksellers – Henoch Lapidus and Emanuel Bajgele (376-377)
Booksellers – Fiszel Zajdman (377-378)
The Press – Bocian, Kac and Wajsberg (378-379)
The Press – Editor Ido [Izydor Izaak] Siemiatycki (379-381)
The Press – A. Ch. Sziper (381-382)
The Press – Mojsze Gotlib (382-382)
Teachers – Szacherowna (382-383)
Teachers – Lajbel Landau (383-385)
Sport – Jewish Sportsmen (385-386)
Sport – Efroim (Fredek) Szmaragd (386-387)
Actors – Szaja Borensztajn (389-389)
Actors – Chaim Orbach (389-390)
Częstochower Klezmers (390-391)
Local Characters – Szaje’le Kromołowski (391-392)
Local Characters – Three Noteworthy Families (393-393)
Local Characters – The “Toughs” (393-394)
Local Characters – Organ Grinders & Thieves (394-394)
Local Characters – Królowa [Queen] Jadwiga (395-395)
Local Characters – Madmen (395-396)
Calendar [Chronology] & Yuhrzeits (397-399)
Protocols of Authentication (400-400)
Material Sources (401-403)
Bibliography (404-405)
To All the Częstochower Landsmannschaften and Landsleit (407-407)
In Eternal Memory – Part 1 (409-436)
In Eternal Memory – Part 2 (437-463)
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Dave Horowitz-Larochette
IMPORTANT NOTICE
While this 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, this English-language version copyright-holder.
Academic Consultative Panel
Academic Consultative Panel
- preserving the words of our Holocaust Survivors for future generations
WHY DO WE HAVE AN ACADEMIC CONSULTATIVE PANEL?
In order to aid in the accuracy of the facts, contained in the texts of authors in the Yizkor Book translations within our Częstochowa Yizkor Book Project, we have formed an Academic Consultative Panel, comprising four outstanding Polish historians, who each have considerable knowledge and experience in the Jewish history of Poland.
The World Society is very fortunate to have found DAVE HOROWITZ-LAROCHETTE as our translator who, not only translates from Hebrew AND Yiddish, but is also pedantic as to the accuracy of his translations. He is also very aware of any historical anomalies that arise and he goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to explanations to help the reader more fully understand the text. This is attested to by the many footnotes which he adds to his translations.
When details of a particular incident, from before, during or after the War, differ in the account of one Yizkor Book article writer, from details about the SAME incident as written by another Yizkor Book article writer, these anomalies will be referred to the Academic Consultative Panel for their opinion. These anomalies usually relate to differences in dates, the names of the Nazis involved, the names and numbers of victims and even the names of streets and places which may have since changed. While the text of the article will be translated as written by the author, the Panel’s opinion will be included as a footnote on the appropriate page.
We believe that having this panel of experts will further our aim and obligation – to translate, into English, ACCURATELY AND COMPLETELY, the words of Holocaust Survivors speaking, from the “beyond the grave”, to us and to future generations.
THE ACADEMIC CONSULTATIVE PANEL
Professor Dr. hab. JERZY MIZGALSKI
Professor Mizgalski is a long-term friend of the World Society of Częstochowa Jews & Their Descendants, having been the creator and curator of “The Jews of Częstochowa” exhibition, which has now found a permanent home in the Częstochowa Jewish Museum. He has served the Pedagogical University in Częstochowa (now the Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa) as Deputy Dean for Student Affairs in the Faculty of Philology and History and as Deputy-Rector for Teaching and Student Affairs. One of his special academic achievements is the development of research into the history of the Jewish population in Częstochowa in the 20th century. Professor Mizgalski has written three monographs, forty-four chapters in monographs and academic articles and edited or co-edited thirteen collective works.
Professor Dr. hab. MAGDALENA RUTA
Professor Magdalena Ruta, a native of Częstochowa, is Associate Professor at the Institute of Jewish Studies at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, where she teaches Yiddish language and literature. She has translated several prose works from Yiddish into Polish and published numerous articles on modern Yiddish literature and culture. She is the editor of several books, among them being Under the Red Banner: Yiddish Culture in the Communist Countries in the Post-war Era (co-edited with Elvira Groezinger, 2008), and a tri-lingual (Yiddish-Polish- English) anthology, Nisht bay di taykhn fun Bovl / Not on the Rivers of Babylon: An anthology of Yiddish Poetry in the post-WW2 Poland, (2012). Her monographs include Without Jews? Yiddish Literature in the People’s Republic of Poland on the Holocaust, Poland and Communism (2012).
Professor Dr. hab. JANUSZ SPYRA
Professor Janusz Spyra, a history graduate from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, is a professor at the Institute of History at the Jan Długosz University of Humanities and Sciences in Częstochowa. He is the author of nine monographs, incl. Rabbiner in der Provinz. Die Rolle des Rabbiners im Leben der jüdischen Gemeinschaft in Teschener und Troppauer Schlesien, Peter Lang Verlag, Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Warsaw, Vienna 2018 and over two hundred academic articles. He specialises in the history of Górny Śląsk (Upper Silesia) Jewry in modern times in Upper Silesia, especially in Cieszyn Silesia.
Professor Dr. hab. DARIUSZ STOLA
Professor Stola is former Director of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. He is a renowned historian and is currently a professor at the Institute for Political Studies in the Polish Academy of Sciences. He specialises in the history of the Holocaust, Polish-Jewish relations, human migrations and in the history of Poland’s post-War Communist regime. He has authored and edited numerous books, and over one hundred scholarly works. In recognition of his achievements, Professor Stola has received numerous scholarships, awards and accolades.
Click HERE to return to Częstochowa Yizkor Books Project main page.
The Częstochowa Yizkor Books Project 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.
Czenstochower Yidn
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.
The Ghettos - Warsaw, Częstochowa
The Ghettos - Warsaw, Częstochowa (1945)
Possibly one of the first Yizkor Books published after World War II.
This Yizkor Book, by Adam Zilbersztajn, was published in Israel in December 1945. Of all the Yizkor Books relating to Częstochowa, this must be the earliest or one of the earliest to be published after the War.
As such, the memories of the events, contained in this book, must have been very fresh in the author’s mind at the time of writing. This, according to Professor Dariusz Stola, former Director of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, makes this book “an historical treasure”.
We do not know whether the author wrote the book’s chapters near the dates to which he refers in chapter headings (e.g. “Warsaw 1941), or at War’s end. Either way, his memories give us yet another vision of the tragic events in both Częstochowa and Warsaw.
We have known about the existence of this book for a long time and, for a long time, we have endeavoured to obtain a copy or scan of the book for us to be able to translate it into English. Thanks mainly to the efforts of World Society Vice-President Alon Goldman, we were able to receive a clear scan of the book, thus enabling us to have it professionally translated into English.
[Webmaster: As far as we know, this is the first PROFESSIONAL, English-language translation of this book.]
This Yizkor book has been PROFESSIONALLY translated into English
– for the FIRST TIME in its entirety!
To view or download a PDF scan of this original Yizkor Book in HEBREW,
click HERE
The professional English translation of this Częstochowa 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.
English-translated chapters are listed below 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 book.)
Introduction (1-2)
Table of Contents (compiled by translator)
Warsaw 1941 (3-12)
The [Ha’Shomer Ha’Tzair] Movement at the Beginning of the War (12-23)
The Agricultural Farm and Kibbutz in Częstochowa (23-31)
The Department of Statistics (31-34)
“Testing Facilities” – Informational Operations Amidst the Jewish Public (35-44)
“The Small Deportations” in the Reich – Mordche Meets Merin (44-49)
The Great Deportation from Warsaw – “Vernichtungskommandos” (Extermination Squads) (50-57)
The Deaths of Józef and Szmul – Józef’s Will (57-62)
The Fighting Organisation’s First Operations (62-67)
The Deportation from Częstochowa and the Vicinity (67-75)
The Battle of 18th January in Warsaw (75-81)
Relations with the Polish Underground (81-85)
The Weapons Problem (85-97)
The Ghetto on the Eve of the Liquidation – “The Battle of the Newspapers” (97-102)
The Revolt (102-111)
The Liquidation of the Ghetto in Częstochowa (111-115)
The Poles (115-122)
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Dave Horowitz-Larochette
IMPORTANT NOTICE
While this 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, this English-language version copyright-holder.
The Community of Żarki
The Community of Żarki (1959)
A Town in Its Life and in Its Destruction
This Yizkor Book was published, in Israel in 1959, by the Organisation of Żarki Jews in Israel. Its Editor is Yitzchak Lador. The majority of its articles were written in Hebrew, while the articles in the last section, “Żarki in Life and in Death” were written in Yiddish.
According to this Yizkor Book’s Organising Committee:
This book, which we have before us and which is dedicated to our ‘shtetl’, contains testimonies and memoirs near to the heart of all the Żarki landsleit, wherever they may be.
The book raises before our eyes Żarki’s distant and recent past, as well as the days of the Great Holocaust which passed over our town, until its bitter end, when all the people of the ‘shtetl’ were annihilated – and now only a few individuals are scattered throughout the globe, the majority in Israel.
It is our hope that this memorial endeavour will stand as a living monument for the younger generation and those of the future.
[Webmaster: As far as we know, this is the first COMPLETE, PROFESSIONAL, English-language translation of this book. To the best of our knowledge, prior to this, only the Table of Contents and Necrology seem to have ever been translated into English.]
This Yizkor book has been PROFESSIONALLY translated into English
– for the FIRST TIME in its entirety!
The professional English translation of this Żarki 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 book.)
Introduction & Table of Contents (1-4)
With the Appearance of This Book (5-6)
Yitzchak Lador: One of the Burning Candles … (7-12)
A. Ajzenberg: Yizkor! (13-13)
Mordche Gebirtig – Abram Lewenson: The Shtetl is Burning … (14-14)
THE TOWN IN THOSE DAYS
Pinchas Wajnberg: The Shtetl Żarki in its Traditional Ways (17-65)
Yakow Fajner: “Revolutionary” Winds are Blowing (69-78)
Pinchas Lauden: The Ha’Shomer Ha’Tzair Cell in Żarki (78-87)
Jechaskiel Majtlis: Ha’Chalutz and Maccabi in Żarki (87-97)
Lipa Hirsz: 2nd November 1917 in Żarki (97-98)
A. Ajzenberg: The Town in Its Years of Awakening (98-104)
Izrael Majtlis: Żarki My Town (104-106)
Izrael Majtlis: Żarki My Town (104-106)
Jakow Fiszer: The Matter of the Holocaust (109-143)
Uszer Lauden: The Last Days of Żarki (143-160)
Josef Siwek: Myszków (Fragments of a Diary) (160-164)
Aron Brandes: The End of the Jews in Żarki (164-180)
Chajka Klinger: A Visit in Żarki (181-181)
H.Tzemach: In Memory of the Martyrs I Knew in Żarki (182-182)
Abraham Shlonski: A Vow (Poem) (183-183)
Aron Brandes: The Last Chapter in the Life of Cwi Brandes (187-189)
Chajka Klinger: How Has Cwi Fallen? (189-191)
A.L.: Perec (Berisz) Frank (192-194)
Malka: Juda, Son of Cwi-Ze’ew Sztajnbrecher (Chatzav) (195-195)
Eliszewa: Mordche (Motek) Sztorchain (196-197)
Sz.Korcfeld: From the Dreary Past (198-198)
Abram-Josef Sztybel: With My Heart (201-204)
A.Ajzenberg: Figures from the Town (205-207)
Pinchas Wajnberg: Personalities & Ways of Life (207-213)
Abraszka Ajzenberg: Żarki-Myszków (213-215)
Abram Ajzenberg: About the Brandes Household (215-216)
Yehoshua Ben‐Tzvi: The Spring in Leśniów (217-218)
Introduction to Yiddish Section (220-221)
M.Gebirtig: The Shtetl is Burning – Dos Shtetl Brent (222-222)
Jakow (Jancze) Fiszer: The Destruction and Annihilation of Jewish Żarki (223-281)
Cypora Szporn‐Ajzenberg: Pages from the Sorrowful Past (281-288)
Zalman Grynszpan: Two Last Letters (288-289)
Abram Frank: Pages From an Old Diary (290-294)
Szajndla Preger-Tajtelbaum: My Memories (294-301)
Eliezer (Lejzer) Ryterband: About the Shtetl of My Birth (301-304)
Jakow Fiszer: A Look Back (304-310)
Abram Ajzenberg: My Shtetl (Episodes) (310-313)
Yakow Fiszer: Liquidation [a poem] (314-315)
A.A.: In Memory of Jechiel Rozyner z’’l (316-316)
A Kaddish for Our Loved Ones (317-318)
Necrology – Names of the Heads of Families in the Shtetl Who Perished During the Holocaust (319-324)
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Dave Horowitz-Larochette
IMPORTANT NOTICE
While this 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, this English-language version copyright-holder.
A hard copy of this English-language translation may be purchased from JewishGen by clicking HERE.
Krzepice - "Beyond Silence"
"Beyond Silence" (2015)
- by Moshe Dekel z"l, the son of Krzepice Holocaust Survivors
Moshe Dekel (Chaskelewicz) z”l was born in Munich to Krzepice Holocaust survivor parents. As a child, he tried asking his parents about their lives during the War years – and was met with silence. Dekel did not give up. As an adult, he tried to reveal the painful memories and secrets.
Having no one to ask, Dekel used radio programmes and newspaper articles to locate survivors, who knew a little about his parents. And so, from meeting to meeting, Moshe reveals a little more and another scrap of information from the past his parents had wished to conceal.
Dekel documents the exciting meetings and surprising stories he heard in his book “Beyond Silence” – a book which has turned into a sort of quest for roots, or a fascinating detective story, which traces the experiences of his family members and of Polish Jewry as a whole. Anyone who grew up in the home of Holocaust survivors can identify with it.
This quote comes from the book’s editor and publisher, Orly Amit. It is obviously the personal story of a man on a quest for his roots. However, it does contain a great deal of information about Krzepice and the vicinity, including Częstochowa.
In the absence of any formal Krzepice Yizkor Book, it has been decided to treat it as a “pseudo Yizkor Book”, to translate it into English and to publish it, here, on our website.
To this end, our translator, Dave Horowicz-Larochette, wrote to Orly Amit, seeking permission to do this.
Orly’s reply came prompty, stating:
Moshe Dekel z”l, to our great sorrow, passed away about a year and a half ago. I have approached his wife Zahava and she has given her permission to translate the book. She says that her husband, Moshe z”l, would have certainly agreed and would also have rejoiced in the initiative which originates from a desire to commemorate communities and to document the events of the Holocaust.
We sincerely thank Zahava Dekel for giving us permission to translate and publish her late husband’s book and Orly Amit for assisting us in this endeavour. We have made every effort to convey, in English, what her late husband expressed in Hebrew.
(The picture in the top left-hand corner is that of Moshe’s father, Majer Chaskelewicz z”l, in Polish Army uniform.)
This “pseudo Yizkor Book” has now been PROFESSIONALLY translated into English
– in its entirety – for the FIRST TIME!
The professional English translation of this Krzepice “pseudo 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.
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 booklet.)
Introduction (1-3)
Table of Contents (5-5)
Preface (9-13)
The Beginnings of the Quest: Munich and the Hospital in Which I was Born (14-20)
The Towns Częstochowa, Krzepice and Lututów (21-31)
My Volunteer Work for the Holocaust Survivors (32-40)
The Work of Radio Personality Yaron Enosh (41-43)
First Meeting – Ester Pe’eri (née Mendelewicz) (44-52)
Second Meeting – Rachel Geshuri (née Granek) (53-57)
Third Meeting – Sh. (née Granek) (58-60)
Fourth Meeting – Hinda Klug (née Granek) (61-62)
Fifth Meeting – Fela Kopel (née Lachman) (63-72)
Sixth Meeting – Moti Cheruti – the Ural Mountains (73-74)
Seventh Meeting – Josef and Chana (née Lachman) Kamil (75-79)
Eighth Meeting – Cesia (Cypora) Granek (80-83)
The New Appeal to Yaron Enosh (84-85)
Ninth Meeting – Yaakov W. and [his mother] Frida (née Monat) (86-95)
Tenth Meeting – Abram-Abe Besser (96-100)
My Father Majer Chaskelewicz (101-108)
My Mother Miriam Chaskelewicz (109-113)
My Uncle Juda (Lajb) Halperin and His Family (114-117)
Zvi (Hersz) Cirulnik (118-121)
The Journey to Poland, July 2009 (122-134)
Closing Words (135-137)
A List of the Victims (138-141)
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Dave Horowitz-Larochette
IMPORTANT NOTICE
While this 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, this English-language version copyright-holder.
The Prospect of a Krzepice Yizkor Book
The Prospect of a Krzepice Yizkor Book (1963)
- a Matzevah for the Town of Krzepice and the Vicinity
The town of Krzepice lies in the Kłobuck County of the Śłąsk Province of Poland – around 17.5 kilometres from Częstochowa. At the outbreak of World War II, the town’s population was approximately 5,000 – 45% of whom were Jews.
In 1941 and at the start of 1942, skilled Jewish labourers were selected in the Krzepice ghetto and deported to the ghetto in Częstochowa. On 22nd June 1942, the majority of the Jews in Krzepice were deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. The remainder were deported to the Sosnowiec ghetto from where, later, they too were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Krzepice’s last remaining Jewish resident passed away in 1993.
In 1963, the Organisation of Krzepice and Vicinity Jews in Israel formed a Yizkor Book Committee and compiled this booklet, the main purpose of which was to appeal to Krzepice landsleit, around the world, to submit material for a proposed Krzepice Yizkor Book.
Included in the booklet is a chronological timeline of the history of the town of Krzepice, a brief history of the Kuźniczka Shule and an outline of the chapters to be included in the proposed Krzepice Yizkor Book.
However, there is no sign of any Krzepice Yizkor Book – either online or in any online library catalogues where it would be expected to have been included. We suspect that the proposed Yizkor Book may have never actually been written but, if anyone knows of its existence or can shed any light on why the project never actually went ahead – please contact our Webmaster. (Click on the envelope icon at the top of this page.)
[Webmaster: Much of this booklet is written in Yiddish and duplicated in Hebrew.]
This Yizkor booklet has now been PROFESSIONALLY translated into English in its entirety
– for the FIRST TIME!
The professional English translation of this Krzepice Yizkor booklet 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.
Chapters are listed in the order in which they appear in the Yizkor Booklet.
(The numbers in brackets, after each article, correspond to the appropriate page numbers in the booklet.)
Introduction (1-2)
From the Yizkor Book Committee (3-5)
A repetition, in Hebrew, of what was written, in Yiddish, on pages 3-5 (6-7)
A Historical Chronology of the Town of Krzepice (8-9)
The Shule in Kuźniczka (9-11)
Yizkor – May G-d Remember (11-11)
Yizkor – Memorial Monument (12-17)
In Memory of Our Town Krzepice (17-20)
Chassidim in Krzepice (20-21)
A repetition, in Yiddish, of what was written, in Hebrew, on pages 8-9 (21-23)
Regarding the History of the Jews in Krzepice (24-24)
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Dave Horowitz-Larochette
IMPORTANT NOTICE
While this 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, this English-language version copyright-holder.
The Book of Częstochowa - Volume 2
The Book of Częstochowa (1968) - Volume 2
Sefer Czenstochow
According to Dr.hab.Magdalena Ruta of the Department of Jewish Studies of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków:
In 1967-1968, a two-volume work was published in Jerusalem. In both Yiddish and Hebrew, it was entitled Sefer Czenstochow [The Book of Częstochow] and was edited by M. Szucman. Its contributors included such well-known names as Jakub Szacki (dec. 1956), Szlomo Waga and Dawid Koniecpoler.
The first volume contains articles about the history of the Jews in the city (by J. Szacki and Sz. Śpiwak), which were divided by topic: Jewish communal institutions in the 19th and 20th centuries, political movements, charitable institutions, commercial life, education and culture, religious life, as well as portraits of individuals associated with the religious life. Pages 637-760 contain the memoirs photographs of people associated with the city.
The second volume is devoted to the Holocaust and the functioning of the ghetto, e.g. religious life, the children, party organisations, etc. Other wartime topics include deportations to Treblinka, the mass murders, Polish-Jewish relations (e.g. the chapter entitled Mencsclecher tat fun a poilisher froi [The Humane Response of a Polish Woman] by Szmuel Niski), the resistance and uprising in HASAG, Jews in the city following liberation, portraits of Częstochowa Jewish activists in the diaspora, landsmannschaften in Israel, the USA, Canada, Argentina, Australia and Paris. The book contains the memoirs of individual people (pp. 285−325), including shorts texts about the co-authors of previous memorial books – E. Chrobołowski, Rafael Federman, Prof. Wolf Lesław and Josef Kojfman. A part of the book is devoted to neighbouring Jewish communities in Krzepice, Żarki, Kłobuck, Lelów, Kamyk, Janów, Olsztyn, Mstów, Pajęczno and Koniecpol. The illustrated material includes pictures of the city, people and activities, copies of various documents, as well as maps.
There is no English translation of this book. [Webmaster: until NOW!]
FOR THE FIRST TIME,
both complete volumes of this Yizkor book
have now been PROFESSIONALLY translated into English.
The professional English translation of this two-volume 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.
VOLUME 2
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 column numbers in the volume.)
Introduction (1-8)
The Book Committee: From Generation to Generation (9-20)
Zvi Wiernik: The Holocaust on European Jewry (25-28)
Szlojme Waga: The Germans in Częstochowa (29-32)
Mojsze Konsens: It Began Even Before the War (33-36)
Dawid Koniecpoler z’’l: Tearful Dates (37-46)
L.Bergman: The First Victims (47-48)
Registration for Forced Labour Announcement (49-52)
Szlojme Waga: Looting and Sadism (51-58)
Chaim Szymonowicz: Terror and Destruction (57-62)
Szlojme Waga: Extermination (61-72)
Natan Eck: In the City of Good Hope (71-86)
Szmul Niski: The Ruined Yom Kippur (85-88)
Czaryski Janusz: The Mass Grave on Ulica Kawia [Street] (87-90)
Chaim Birnholc: Men Killed for a Few Potatoes (91-94)
Szmul Niski: A Polish Woman’s Good Deed (93-94)
Zvi Rozenwajn: The Workers Council in Częstochowa (95-100)
Szlojme Waga: The Terror Increases (101-114)
Zvi Rozenwajn: The Aleje After the Destruction (113-116)
Szlojme Waga: The Fifth Akcja (115-122)
J. Rużański: After the Liquidation of the “Small Ghetto” (121-126)
Chaim Szymonowicz: An Evening Service in the Daytime (125-125)
Zvi Majerowicz: The “Kapo” Changed His Mind (127-128)
Noach Edelist: Religious Jewry in the Holocaust (129-132)
The Book Committee: Religious Life in “HASAG” (131-134)
W.Gliksman: The Destruction of the New Synagogue (135-138)
Lipman Rajcher: The Shabbes Kitchen (Shabbes-Kych) in the “Big Ghetto” (137-138)
Children in the Holocaust (139-140)
Juda Cymerman: The Gordonia Movement in the Holocaust (139-140)
Hela Wajnrach: Hiding Inside a Machine (141-142)
Chaim Szymonowicz: All Israel is Responsible (143-144)
Yeshayahu Landau: The Use of Poison (144-144)
Szlojme Waga: The New Ghetto (145-156)
Chaim Szymonowicz: On the Day of Liberation (155-156)
Izaak Wiślicki: The Road to Treblinka (157-160)
Aron Gelbard: Nineteen Days in Treblinka (159-164)
Arie Kudlik: I Was Freed By the Revolt (165-170)
Szmul Willenberg: The Revolt in Treblinka (169-174)
Częstochowa Jewish Cemetery: The Częstochowa Partisans Monument (177-178)
Szlojme (Stefan) Grajek: The Struggle of the Częstochowa Jews (181-184)
Ajzik Diamant: The Beacon of Fire in the Dead of Night (185-188)
Yeshayahu [Szaja] Landau: Fortitude of Spirit (189-196)
Zvi [Hersz; Jacek, Heniek] Wiernik: In the Struggle Against the Nazi Beast (197-214)
Jakób Alebarde: Conspiratorial Activities (215-216)
Maciej (Mojsze) Krauze: Ready for Battle (217-220)
Adam Sztajnbrecher: Resistance in HASAG-Pelcery (221-230)
Chunon Kiel: The Hero Machel Birencwajg z’’l (231-234)
Jakób Leber: Sabotage with Delft Tiles for Cookers (235-236)
Abram Wirsztel: Members of “Freiheit” Create “Fives” (236-237)
Bolek Gwircman: The Chronicle of the Koniecpol Unit (238-270)
Dawid Koniecpoler z’’l: The Workshop at Aleja 14 (273-275)
Zvi Wiernik: The Złoty Potok Group (275-277)
Sara Edelist [née Gutgold]: The History of the Underground Group “66” (277-282)
The Book Committee: The ŻOB in Pilica (283-284)
Memorial Stones (285-326)
In Memory of the Heroes (327-332)
Moshe Yishai: This is How I Remember My City (337-344)
Szaja Landau: The Bygone Częstochowa Community (343-352)
Dr Zvi Kantor z’’l: The Glory and Radiance of Jewish Częstochowa (352-353)
Izaak Wiszlicki: With the Harassed Folk of Częstochowa (354-356)
The “Ichud” Zionist Organisation in Częstochowa (358-358)
After the War (361-380)
Izaak Wiszlicki: Murders – Already After Liberation (381-382)
Majer Rotholc: How the Banners Were Concealed (381-384)
E. Ben-Moshe: Dr Józef Kruk (389-392)
Abram Zak (Buenos Aires): Dr Józef Kruk (391-396)
The Book Committee: Reb Szlojme Zalman Shragai (originally Fajwlowicz) (395-398)
The Book Committee: Reb Jakób Leslau (399-402)
E. Ben-Moshe : Reb Jakób Lewit (401-404)
E.B.M.: Dr Elyahu Horowicz (405-406)
The Book Committee: Abram J. Gotlib (407-410)
The Book Committee: Simcha Rajch (409-410)
The Book Committee: Isachar Szwarcbaum (409-410)
Częstochowers in the “Brigade” (411-412)
E.H.: Uszer Ilan (Szwarcbaum) (411-414)
Ha’Shomer Ha’Tzair in Israel (1963) (413-414)
Moshe: Mojsze Klarman z’’l (415-416)
The Book Committee: Captain Michael (Micha) Ron-Besserglik z’’l (417-418)
Dawid Gliksman z’’l (419-420)
Felix Beatus (419-422)
E.B.M.:Mordechai (Motek) Kusznir z’’l (421-424)
J.Ch. Plai (Filik): Reb Berisz Częstochowski z’’l (423-424)
D.Sz. Kamiński z’’l: Reb Srul Kamiński z’’l (425-426)
The Book Committee: Duwid Majer Granek z’’l (427-428)
The Book Committee: Józef Arieli (Kaluszyński) z’’l (427-428)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe: Juda (Judl) Dancyger z’’l (429-430)
E. Ben-Moshe: Perec Lasker z’’l (429-432)
Tzemach Tzmarion: Dr Zvi Kantor z’’l (431-434)
The Book Committee: Izrael Tyberg z’’l (433-434)
The Book Committee: Jakub Tyberg z’’l (433-436)
The Book Committee: Juda Srebnik (435-438)
Abram Gotlib: The Association of Częstochowa Jews in Israel (437-442)
M.Ch. Tyberg: Religious Pioneers in Israel (441-444)
The Max Fein Vocational School in Tel-Aviv Adopts Jewish Częstochowa (445-446)
A Glorious Chapter from the Near Past (447-454)
Godl Frajtag: Częstochowa Landsleit Fight and Build (453-456)
Częstochowers in Jerusalem (455-456)
Częstochowers in Haifa (457-458)
Karl Wargon: “United Czenstochover Relief Committee” and “Ladies Auxiliary” in New York (465-468)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe (Jakubowicz): Opening Ceremony of the Kfar Saba Children’s Home (469-472)
E.Ben-Moshe: Rafał Federman (471-474)
Rafał Federman (473-474)
The Book Committee: Kune Chrobołowski (473-476)
Prof. Wolf Leslau (475-476)
Józef Kaufman (477-478)
G.F.: Szmul Prokosz (477-478)
Harry Grauman: Częstochower Society in Los Angeles (479-480)
Abram Gotlib: Henry Grauman, Los Angeles (481-482)
Abram Gotlib: Majer (Max) Fefer (481-482)
Mojsze Krauze: Czestochowa and Chicago (483-486) and (509-510)
The Book Committee: Mojsze Ceszyński z’’l (485-486)
Ruben Luks: Czenstochover Society in Detroit (487-488)
Ruben Luks: Kalman Grosberg (487-488)
Dr Benjamin Orenstein: The Częstochower Landsmannschaft of Montreal (489-490)
Mojsze Frank: The Częstochower Landsmannschaft of Toronto (491-494)
Jakób L. Jakubowicz : The Częstochower Circle in Argentina (493-498)
I. Gans (Gancwajch) z’’l : The Częstochower Circle in Australia (497-502)
The Book Committee: Izrael Leib Gancwajch* z’’l – Australia (501-502)
The Book Committee: Leibel Rayman [Rajman] (501-502)
The Book Committee: Dr Leib Kurland (Paris) (501-502)
Dr Kurland: Jews from Częstochowa in the Vicinity of Paris (503-504)
Mojsze Wajnman: The “Friends of Częstochowa” Society in Paris (505-510)
Towns Around Częstochowa (517-524)
M.Sh.Geshuri: Amstov [Mstów] (Emes-Tov) [Truly Good] (524-528)
Yehuda Kishon: The “Twin Towns” of Pajęczno and Sulmierzyce (527-530)
Daniel Pagan (Chicago): Koniecpol (529-532)
Bibliography (531-536)
Table of Contents (537-542)
In Memoriam (I-III)
The Degania Bet Group [Kibbutz] (V)
Chaim Benclowicz: The Benclowicz, Grynman, Lenkiński and Wajsberg Families (VI)
Jakób Benclowicz: About the House of My Father z”l (VII)
The Braun, Pomeranc and Wajnsztok Families (VIII)
The Granek Family (IX)
The Granek Family (X)
The Dzialecki Family (XI)
The Wajsfelner Family (XII)
The Tyberg Family (XIII)
The Lenczner Family (XIV)
The Srebrnik Family (XV)
The Epsztajn Family (XVI)
The Cygler Family (XVII)
The Rajchman Family (XVIII)
The Rajcher Family (XIX)
The Rapaport and Lewkowicz Families (XX)
The Frankenberg and Szancer Families (XXI)
The Sztajnhart and Landau Families (XXII)
The Szyldhaus and Kantor Families (XXIII)
The Szapiro (Szpiro) Family (XXIV)
The Gotlib and Berliner Families (XXV)
The Holand and Gutfrajnd Families (XXVI)
The Zborowski and Gelbard Families (XXVII)
The Grauer and Grauman Families (XXVIII)
The Lewkowicz and Cytter Families (XXIX)
The Fuks and Najman Families (XXX)
The Kolin and Danielewicz Families (XXXI)
The Kalka and Gotlib Families (XXXII)
The Krakowski and Wajnsztok Families (XXXIII)
The Szuldynger and Waldberg Families (XXXIV)
The Engel and Erlich Families (XXXV)
The Berger and Szwarcbaum Families (XXXVI)
The Brukarz and Galster Families (XXXVII)
The Gancwajch and Diamant Families (XXXVIII)
The Gliksman Family (XXXIX)
The Granek and Hofman Families (XL)
The Willinger Family (XLI)
The Jakubowicz and Lewenhof Families (XLII)
The Lew (Lewkowicz) and Lipski Families (XLIII)
The Lancman and Lenczner Families (XLIV)
The Samsonowicz and Fogel Families (XLV)
The Koniecpoler and Wasserman Families (XLVI)
The Kornberg and Klajman Families (XLVII)
The Rozencwajg and Ruszecki Families (XLVIII)
The Rychtygier and Szwarcbaum Families (XLIX)
The Szulowicz and Szternberg Families (L)
The Szczerbala, Orbach and Brzuski Families (LI)
The Zilbersztajn, Zelcer and Lewkowicz Families (LII)
The Klajman, Rajcher and Szpigelman Families (LIII)
The Liberman, Langfus, Niziński and Fridman Families (LIV)
The Cymerman, Kuszynski and Krauze Families (LV)
The Rozencwajg-Rużanski, Szwarcbaum, Szajkowicz and Szymonowicz Families (LVI)
The Gotlib, Szwarcbaum, Goldrajch, Grundman and Hauptman Families (LVII)
The Haberman, Wiernik, Cohen and Mandel Families (LVIII)
The Fajerman, Frank, Cymerman and Kolin Families (LIX)
The Kurland, Kromołowski, Kartuz and Rozencwajg Families (LX)
The Rozental, Rajcher, Sztybel and Szczekacz Families (LXI)
The Abramowicz, Borkowski, Bieruski, Guterman, Herszlikowicz, Wilinger, Wajntraub and Wiślicki Families (LXII)
The Warszawski, Zomper, Zilberberg, Jechimowicz, Jakubowicz, Kon, Lorje and Laks Families (LXIII)
The Milsztajn, Fiksel, Frank, Fridman, Częstochowski, Kolin, Kuszynski and Rozen Families (LXIV)
The Rajchman, Sztrajsberg, Szychter, Szylit, Szajnweksler, Rozen, Szperling and Berman Families (LXV)
The Abramowicz, Essig, Bocian, Gryn, Horowicz, Halperin, Wajsfelner and Wiewiorka Families (LXVI)
The Tobiasz, Jarzombek, Lewkowicz, Nutkiewicz, Niski, Federman, Fajerman and Fiszhof Families (LXVII)
The Baum, Częstochowski, Działoszyński, Krakauer, Haper, Rotner, Rapoport, Zalcberg, Moszkowicz, Landgarten, Lustiger, Muszynski, Landau, Potok, Storozum, Rotholc, Pfefer and Szlingbaum Families (LXVIII)
The Obrach and Helfgot Families (LXIX)
The Judkiewicz, Kopel, Amsterdamer and Aleksandrowicz Families (LXX)
The Goldberg, Wolman, Jakubowicz, Lancman, Laskowski, Majerowicz, Kifer and Rosenberg Families (LXXI)
The Kantor, Kon, Moszkowicz, Rzonsiński, Plawner, Borzykowski, Lenczycki and Szprynger Families (LXXII)
The Wolman and Jelen Families (LXXIII)
The Frajlich, Rużański, Szenwald, Wajnman and Braun Families (LXXIV)
The Rostensztajn and Kremski Families (LXXV)
The Grinsztajn and Widman Families (LXXVI)
The Bida, Ratner and Fisz Families (LXXVII)
The Wolski, Birnholc and Gliksman Families (LXXVIII)
To view this Yizkor Book in its original Yiddish/Hebrew format
click HERE.
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 English-language version copyright-holder.
Other fully or partially translated
Częstochowa Yizkor Books are available on
Click HERE to view them
The Book of Częstochowa - Volume 1
The Book of Częstochowa (1968) - Volume 1
Sefer Czenstochow
According to Dr.hab.Magdalena Ruta of the Department of Jewish Studies of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków:
In 1967-1968, a two-volume work was published in Jerusalem. In both Yiddish and Hebrew, it was entitled Sefer Czenstochow [The Book of Częstochow] and was edited by M. Szucman. Its contributors included such well-known names as Jakub Szacki (dec. 1956), Szlomo Waga and Dawid Koniecpoler.
The first volume contains articles about the history of the Jews in the city (by J. Szacki and Sz. Śpiwak), which were divided by topic: Jewish communal institutions in the 19th and 20th centuries, political movements, charitable institutions, commercial life, education and culture, religious life, as well as portraits of individuals associated with the religious life. Pages 637-760 contain the memoirs photographs of people associated with the city.
The second volume is devoted to the Holocaust and the functioning of the ghetto, e.g. religious life, the children, party organisations, etc. Other wartime topics include deportations to Treblinka, the mass murders, Polish-Jewish relations (e.g. the chapter entitled Mencsclecher tat fun a poilisher froi [The Humane Response of a Polish Woman] by Szmuel Niski), the resistance and uprising in HASAG, Jews in the city following liberation, portraits of Częstochowa Jewish activists in the diaspora, landsmannschaften in Israel, the USA, Canada, Argentina, Australia and Paris. The book contains the memoirs of individual people (pp. 285−325), including shorts texts about the co-authors of previous memorial books – E. Chrobołowski, Rafael Federman, Prof. Wolf Lesław and Josef Kojfman. A part of the book is devoted to neighbouring Jewish communities in Krzepice, Żarki, Kłobuck, Lelów, Kamyk, Janów, Olsztyn, Mstów, Pajęczno and Koniecpol. The illustrated material includes pictures of the city, people and activities, copies of various documents, as well as maps.
There is no English translation of this book. [Webmaster: until NOW!]
FOR THE FIRST TIME,
both complete volumes of this Yizkor book
have now been PROFESSIONALLY translated into English.
The professional English translation of this two-volume 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.
VOLUME 1
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 column numbers in the volume.)
Introduction (9-20)
The Editorial Committee: Preface (21-24)
The Book Committee: On the “Monograph” That Was Never Written (25-28)
Dr. Yaakov Shatzky: The Jews in Częstochowa to World War I (33-72)
S. Śpiewak: The Jews in Częstochowa – a Little History (73-106)
S. Śpiewak: A Little History Page on the Częstochowa Jewish Community in the 19th Century (105-110)
The Book Committee: The Building of the Old Study-Hall – a Historical Chapter (109-112)
The Book Committee: Częstochowa Jews Fight for Their Rights (111-116)
David Koniecpoler: Our Community and Its Institutions in the Last Generation Before Its Destruction (121-134)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe: The Last Municipal Elections – Before WWII (133-136)
M. C. Tiberg: The “Chevra Kadisha” (135-140)
Dr. W. Gliksman: The Czêstochowa Jewish Community in 1856 (139-142)
Cz. C.: The Rabbi of Częstochowa Makes Peace (143-148)
A. G-B.: Our New Mikvah (147-148)
Israel Buchman: My Memories of the 1935 City Council Elections (149-150)
Dr. W. Gliksman: The Kehilla and Its Activities (151-156)
Dawid Koniecpoler: From My Memories of the Zionist Organisation in Częstochowa (161-164)
The Book Committee: Documents on the History of Zionism in Częstochowa (163-174)
On the First Steps of the Zionist Movement in Our City – Excerpts From the Press (175-184)
Zionist Organisation Events in Our City –Collected from the “Ha’Tzfira” Newspaper in 1918 (183-188)
Naftali Grebowski: A Bunch of Flowers
– in Commemoration of “Keren Hayesod” Public Figures in Częstochowa (189-192)
Sz. Oderberg: Zionist Youth in Częstochowa (193-196)
Jakob Leslau: The History of “Ha’Mizrachi” in Częstochowa (197-200)
Jakob Leslau: The “Tzeirei Ha’Mizrachi” Organisation in Częstochowa (201-206)
Sz.Z.Shragai: A City and Mother in Israel! – of Częstochowa that is no more (207-212)
Mojsze Chaim Tiberg: “Ha’Chalutz Ha’Mizrachi” in Częstochowa (211-218)
Izaak Kac: On Religious Zionist Youth in Częstochowa (217-218)
Pinchas [Pinkus] Michałowicz: The “Religious Craftsmen’s Center” Branch in Częstochowa (219-220)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe: The Poalei-Zion (Right) Party in Częstochowa (221-226)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe: The Zionist Labour Party “Hitachdut” in Częstochowa (225-228)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe: The Revisionist Zionist Movement in Częstochowa (227-230)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe: The State Party Movement (231-232)
Z.K.: The Trumpeldor Youth Alliance (Betar) in Częstochowa (233-238)
Chaim Landau: “Ha’Shomer Ha’Tzair” in Częstochowa (237-244)
Juda Cymerman : The “Gordonia” Movement in Częstochowa (243-246)
Noach Edelist : “Agudas Yisroel” in Częstochowa (247-250)
Lipman Rajcher: The “Poalei Agudas Yisroel” Organisation (249-250)
Lipman Rajcher: “Bnos Agudas Yisroel” (251-252)
The Book Committee: Częstochowa at the Time of the Opening of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (253-256)
Rabbi Nachum Asz z”l: “For Out of Zion Shall Go Forth the Torah” (257-262)
The Book Committee: Zionist News from the Past Year (263-266)
The Book Committee: The Great 1925 “Keren Ha’Yesod” Fundraiser in Częstochowa (265-270)
A “Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel” Forest in Memory of Marshall Józef Piłsudski (271-274)
Abram Szymonowicz: “The Craftsmen’s Ha’Chalutz” in Częstochowa (275-278)
Jakub Chuna Plai (Filik): The Formation of the National-Religious Movement in Częstochowa (277-284)
The Book Committee: Częstochowa Farewells Its Pioneers – November 1924 (285-288)
E. Ben-Moshe: The Horticultural Farm in Częstochowa (289-292)
Abram Gotlib: The “Poalei Zion” Party in Częstochowa (291-298)
Abram Brum: A Bundle of Memories About the Left “Poalei Zion” in Częstochowa (299-306)
Mojsze Oderberg: Częstochowa Takes in Party Leaders (307-310)
Mojsze Oderberg: Party-Discipline and My Experiences in My Young Years (309-312)
Majer Fajnrajch: The Renaissance of the Jewish Worker in Częstochowa (311-316)
Elkune Chrobołowski z’’l: The “S.S.” (Zionist Socialist Party) in Częstochowa (315-324)
Abram Gotlib: The Jewish Labour Party “Bund” (323-332)
Adam Sztajnbrecher: Jews in the Communist Movement (333-346)
Professor Ch. Z. Hirszberg: From a Notebook of Memoirs on the Expulsion at Zbąszyń (353-356)
Dr Sz. Kaminski z’’l: A Kitchen for Jewish Soldiers in the Polish Army (355-360)
The Book Committee: Charitable Institutions in Our City (359-362)
The Book Committee: The “Dobroczynność” Philanthropic Society (363-372)
Izrail Buchman: The Jewish Hospital’s Financial Crisis (371-374)
Godl Frajtag: The “Tomchei Ani’im” [Supporters of the Poor] Society (373-376)
The Book Committee: The “Beis Lechem” [House of Bread] Institution (375-378)
The Book Committee: The “TOZ” Society (379-384)
The Book Committee: “Gmilus Chassodim” Funds (385-386)
The Book Committee: The “Malbish Arumim” Society (387-388)
Sz. Niski: The “Hachnoses Kallah” Society (387-390)
The Book Committee: The “Linas Ha’Tzedek” Society (389-390)
The Book Committee: The “Ezra” Women’s Society (391-392)
E.Ben-Moshe: The “Hachnoses Orchim” Society (391-394)
Jakób Lewit: Industry in Częstochowa – Its Creation and Development (401-414)
The Book Committee: The Merchants and Manufacturers Union (415-418)
The Book Committee: The Boycott Instigated Against Jewish Commerce (417-422)
T.C.: Jews Conquer Zawodzie (423-424)
The Book Committee: Banks in Częstochowa (423-428)
A. Gotlib: The Craftsmen’s Union and Its Guilds (427-436)
The Book Committee: The Retailers’ Union (435-438)
The Book Committee: The Municipal Mortgage Bank – “The Credit Society” (437-440)
E. Ben-Moshe: The “Lira” Society of Music and Culture (445-448)
The Book Committee: Libraries and Reading Rooms (447-452)
Majer Horowicz: The Hebrew Gymnazijum [High School] (451-456)
Lipman Rajcher: The “Beis Yaakov” School for Girls (455-458)
The Book Committee: An Impressive Chanukah Evening at the Hebrew Gymnazijum (459-462)
The Book Committee: Dr. Axer’s Gymnazijum (463-466)
The Book Committee: A Celebration at the Zofja Wajnsztok School (465-468)
A. Gotlib and M. Fajnrajch: The Crafts School (467-474)
The Book Committee: Supplementary Courses at the Craftsmen’s Union’s Trade School (473-476)
The Book Committee: The ORT Organisation (475-478)
The Book Committee: The Judaic Institute (477-480)
The Book Committee: I.L. Peretz Educational Institutions (479-484)
The Book Committee: The Jewish Society for Knowledge of the Country (483-486)
Szeftel Zak: Jewish Theatre (487-492)
Fiszel Blumenkranc: A Few Words About the Drama Circle (491-494)
E. Ben-Moshe: Our Jewish Press (493-500)
Chaim Birnholc: Sport and Sportsmen (501-520)
Jakób Chune Plai (Filik): Rabbis, Judges and Shamoshim (525-530)
Jakób Chune Plai (Filik): Rabbinical Judges (531-532)
The Book Committee: Shamoshim (531-536)
The Book Committee: Synagogues, Study-Halls and Chassidic Shtieblech (535-538)
Z.D. Koplowicz: Beis Ha’Talmud at the Study-Hall (537-542)
The Book Committee: The Holy “Etz Chaim” Yeshivah at the Local Study-Hall (541-544)
Moshe Ben-Dov: From the Memoirs of a Yeshivah Student (543-546)
M.Ch.Badad: Częstochowa – a Source of Charity and Goodwill! (547-550)
Noach Edelist: The Machzikei Hadas Cheder (549-554)
Mojsze Chaim Tiberg: Cheders, Melamdim and Their Pupils (555-560)
Ch.Z.Rozen: Reb Mordka Jechiel Grin hy’’d (561-562)
Jakób Landsman: Reb Leizer Landsman hy’’d (561-562)
The Book Committee: List of the Melamdim and Cheders (563-566)
The Book Committee: The “Little Yom Kippur” (567-568)
M.Sz. Geshuri: In Memoriam of the Rebbe, Reb Pinches Menachem Eluzor Justman ztz’’l (567-570)
Mojsze Dawid Wajcman: Reb Pinches Menachem Justman (569-572)
Izaak Zander: Reb Chanoch Henech Gad Justman hy’’d – the Rebbe of Pilica (571-576)
M.Sz.Geshuri: The Rebbe of Żarki – Reb Duwid Aron Twerski hy’’d (575-578)
M.Sz.Geshuri: The Rebbe Reb Awigdor Szapira ztz’’l (577-580)
M.Sz.Geshuri: Reb Szulim Rotenberg, the Rebbe of Wolbrom (579-580)
Ch.Z.Rozen: The Shtiebel of the Aleksander Chassidim (581-588)
Tzvi Józef Kaufman: The Shtiebel of the Otwock Chassidim (587-588)
Z.D. Koplowicz: The Shtieblech of the Ger Chassidim (587-592)
Icchok Majer Katz: From My Memories of the Gerer Shtiebel (591-594)
Mojsze Chaim Tiberg: The Shtiebel of the Stryków Chassidim (593-598)
Chaim Ben Shlomo: The Shtiebel of the Kromołów Chassidim (597-600)
Icchok Zander: The Shtiebel of the Radomsko Chassidim (599-602)
Izaak Jakobi: The Shtiebel of the Radoszyce Chassidim (603-606)
Jakób Chune Plai (Filik): The Shtiebel of the Szydłów Chassidim (605-608)
The Book Committee: A List of Rabbis and Religious Dignitaries Until the Holocaust (607-610)
The Book Committee: A Few of the Rabbi Reb Nachum Asz’s Witticisms (609-614)
The Book Committee: Some Details Regarding Religious Life (613-618)
Lipman Rajcher: The Pilcer Rebbe ztz’’l (617-620)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe: Simchas Torah with the Rebbe of Żarki z’’l (619-622)
E. Ben-Moshe (Jakubowicz): The Gerer Shtiebel at ul. Nadrzeczna 36 (621-624)
Szmul Frank z’’l: Around the New Study-Hall (623-626)
E. Ben-Moshe: The Machzikei Hadas Cheder (627-636)
The Book Committee: The Rabbi and Prodigy Reb Nachum Asz z’’l (643-646)
The Book Committee: Rabbi Meier Henoch Iszajewicz z’’l (647-648)
A. G.-B.: Rabbi Mojsze Halter hy’’d (648-649)
The Book Committee: Rabbi Józef Szymon Koblenz z’’l (649-651)
The Book Committee: The Halachic Authority Reb Józef Prokosz z’’l (651-652)
T.K.: Director Henryk Markusfeld (651-659)
The Book Committee: Reb Szmul Goldsztajn hy’’d (659-660)
The Book Committee: Reb Chaim Weksler (660-661)
The Book Committee: Jakób Rozenberg (661-662)
The Book Committee: Bronisław Huberman (661-670)
Samuel Landman: Rabbi Jacob Samuel Zuri z’’l (669-677)
J.Guterman: Professor Perec Willenberg (678-682)
M.Sz.Geshuri: Reb Abram Ber Birenbaum z’’l (681-684)
The Book Committee: Professor I. Zaks (684-684))
M.Sz.G.: Edmund Sigman (684-685)
The Book Committee: Sculptor Arnold Monat (685-685)
D.K.: Natan Gerichter (685-686)
E. Ben-Moshe: Dr Arnold Bram hy’’d (686-686)
Z.D.K.: Abram Luzor Szajnfeld hy’’d (687-688)
The Book Committee: Felix (Fiszel) Szapira hy’’d (688-689)
D.K.: Anczel Warszawski (689-689)
The Book Committee: Reb Abram Henech Finkelsztajn (690-693)
D.K.: Dr Mering hy’’d (693-693)
Yeshayahu [Szaja] Landau: Ze’ev-Wolf Icek hy’’d (693-694)
D.K.: Szmul Niemirowski hy’’d (694-695)
Yeshayahu Landau: Professor Lauer hy’’d (695-695)
The Book Committee: Jakób Krak hy’’d (695-695)
Dawid Koniecpoler: Dr Hipolit Gajsler hy’’d (695-696)
Hala Szapira: Reb Icchok Majer Krel hy’’d (696-697)
J.C. Plai: Reb Srul Częstochowski (697-698)
L.Rajcher: Reb Michal Leib Mindycz (698-698)
N.E.: Reb Duwid Icchok Edelist (698-699)
D.K.: Maurycy Neufeld (699-702)
The Book Committee: Dr Józef Russ (702-702)
The Book Committee: Dr Ludwig Batawja (702-702)
D.K.: Engineer Assoro-Dobraj (703-703)
The Book Committee: Reb Icyk Menachem [Mendel] Epsztajn hy’’d (703-703)
The Book Committee: Chaim Wajnsztok hy’’d (703-704)
D.K.: Abram Działowski (704-704)
G.F.: Dawid Filipowicz (705-705)
D.K.: Józef Goldberg (705-705)
The Book Committee: Szlojme Krauskopf hy’’d (706-706)
The Book Committee: Salomea Sztarke hy’’d (706-707)
From the “Częstochower Zeitung”: S.B. Helman (707-707)
D.K.: Dr Zaks hy’’d (707-708)
The Book Committee: Dr Chaim Markowicz (708-708)
The Book Committee: Icek Rotholc -“Forfer” (708-709)
The Book Committee: Reb Nachman Kryman (709-709)
Zvi Józef Kaufman: Reb Kasriel Lewenhof (709-710)
Yeshayahu Landau: Reb Dawid Pelc hy’’d (710-710)
The Book Committee: Reb Mosze Izrael Zomper (710-711)
J.Ch.Plai: Reb Mojsze Częstochowski (711-711)
The Book Committee: Reb Juda Leib [Lewek] Kantor (711-712)
Izaak Zander: Shoichet Reb Mojsze Zander (712-713)
S.B. Szancer: Shoichet Reb Mojsze Szancer hy’’d (713-714)
M.Sz.G.: Cantor Reb Zyskind [Ber] Rozental (714-715)
The Book Committee: Cantor Reb Abram Fiszel hy’’d (715-716)
The Book Committee: Cantor Józef Badasz (716-716)
The Book Committee: Cantor J. Cholewa hy’’d (716-717)
D.Koniecpoler: Reb Izaak Mendel Horowicz hy’’d (717-718)
A.B.: Zvi [Hersz] Granek (718-718)
Sz.Oderberg: The “Trio” Which Once Was and Its Remnants (719-720)
The Book Committee: Juda Leib Horowicz hy’’d (720-721)
The Book Committee: Reb Berl Bocian (722-722)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe (Jakubowicz): Editor Szmul Frank (722-724)
E. Ben-Moshe: A.Ch. Sziffer hy’’d (724-725)
E. Ben-Moshe: Fiszel Blumenkranc hy’’d (725-727)
E. Ben-Moshe: “Mister” Zeligfeld hy’’d (727-727)
Godl Frajtag: Aleksander Haftka (727-729)
J.Ch. Plai-Filik: Abram Nuchem Sztencel (729-730)
Yeshayahu [Szaja] Landau: Zvi Herszel Lipszyc hy’’d (731-731)
The Book Committee: Gerszon Prentki hy’’d (731-731)
G.P.: Józef Częstochowski (732-732)
A.G.-B.: Mojsze Gotlib (732-732)
The Book Committee: Henoch Lapides and Emanuel Bajgele (732-733)
The Book Committee: Fiszele Chiap hy’’d (733-734)
The Book Committee: The City’s Public Figures (734-734)
M.Ch.: Three of the City’s Oldest Families – Szczupak, Szwarcbaum and Zilberszac (735-743)
Z.D. Koplowicz: The Family of Reb Józef Dziubas z’’l (743-748)
Yitzchak Alfasi: The Rotenberg Family in Częstochowa (748-750)
J.Ch. Plai-Filik & A.G.-B.: The Gotlib and Wargoń Families (750-754)
Janina Schleicher: Five Generations of the Kohn Family (754-760)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe: The Pogrom of 20th May 1919 (765-766)
A. Chrobołowski: The Bloody Tragedy (767-772)
The Book Committee: The Three-Day Pogrom – in May 1937 (771-774)
M.Ch. Tiberg: The Events of Sorrowful Days (773-774)
Ch.Z. Rozen: The “Repentant Sinner” (775-776)
Chaim Szymonowicz: The City’s Characters (775-778)
Mojsze Asz: Some “Regulations” of the Bygone “Tailors’ Society” (777-782)
Godl Frajtag: The First Jewish Kehilla – an Interesting Episode (781-784)
The Book Committee: The Jewish Combatants’ Union (783-784)
Chaim Szymonowicz: Fragments of Jewish Life (783-786)
Lipa Gutfrajnd: The First Concert – Old Memories (787-788)
Godl Frajtag: From My Memories (789-790)
M.Ch.T. : Simple Jews (789-796)
Elkune Chrobołowski : The Shriek of the Bird (797-800)
Zvi Rozenwajn: The Aleje [Avenues] of Częstochowa – Reflections (799-802)
Ester Rozental (Sznajderman): In Pusch’s Courtyard – Memories (801-808)
Ester Rozental (Sznajderman): The Miracle (807-812)
Ezriel Ben-Moshe (Jakubowicz): The Stary Rynek [Old Market] During the Day (811-818)
I. Elchunon [Chune] Plai-Filik: A Courtyard on Ulica Warszawska (817-820)
Dawid Koniecpoler: Jewish Częstochowa – on the Eve of the Second World War (819-834)
Table of Contents (835-840)
To view this Yizkor Book in its original Yiddish/Hebrew format
Click HERE.
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 English-language version copyright-holder.
Other fully or partially translated
Częstochowa Yizkor Books are available on
Click HERE to view them
Czenstochov
Czenstochov (1958)
A New Supplement to the Book "Czenstochover Yidn"
This Yizkor Book was published as a supplement to the Yizkor Book “Czenstochover Yidn”, which was published in New York in 1947.
According to this Yizkor Book’s Editors:
As the “United Czenstochover Relief Committee”, we had originally intended to publish a booklet in honour of our Częstochowa landsmann Raphael Federman, [who is] well‐known by all, to mark the 50th anniversary of his communal activity for the benefit of the public and, especially, for our hometown of old ‐ Częstochowa. At first, we planned to issue a booklet, on a modest scale ….
However, the response on the part of landsleit and friends everywhere, both here and in whichever other countries our landsleit find themselves, was so favourable, that we were forced to change the entire plan …. Jewish writers presented themselves with articles and memoirs and … we were forced to abandon the original modest project and, instead, we decided to publish a book the same size as “Czenstochover Yidn”, entitled ”Czenstochov”. And, as the reader may perceive, this current book is of no lesser value in important historical treatises than the first book, “Czenstochover Yidn” …..
May this book “Czenstochov” constitute an Eternal Monument to all those near and dear and always remind us of our old hometown’s spiritual heritage.
[Webmaster: As far as we know, this is the first COMPLETE, PROFESSIONAL, English-language translation of this book. To the best of our knowledge, prior to this, only a handful of chapters seem to have ever been translated into English.]
This Yizkor book has now been PROFESSIONALLY translated into English
– for the FIRST TIME in its entirety!
The professional English translation of this Częstochowa 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 book.)
Introduction (I-IV)
Table of Contents (V-VI)
Foreword – by the Book Editors (VII-VIII)
DEVELOPMENT AND DESTRUCTION
Introduction (1-4)
L. Brenner: The Rise of Jewish Settlement in Częstochowa (1700-1939) (5-10)
Dr.Zvi Cohen: The Jewish Kehilla in Częstochowa – Its Composition and Activity (11-20)
Dr.Zvi Cohen: The Zionist Movement in Częstochowa – General Zionists, Mizrachi, Revisionists (21-24)
Ch. Kiel: Ha’Shomer Ha’Tzair – a Page of Memories (25-26)
Dr.W.Gliksman: Częstochowa’s Streets – the Aleje (27-31)
Motl Berkowicz: A Jewish House in Częstochowa (32-36)
Introduction (37-38)
Dr.Benjamin Orenstein: Częstochowa Jews During the Nazi Era (39-46)
Zvi Rosenwein: The Hunger Strike in the Częstochowa Ghetto (47-49)
Zvi Rosenwein: The Arbeiterrat in Częstochowa (49-51)
Szlomo Waga: The Blood of the Annihilated Screams from the Ground (52-56)
J.Soski: The Mobilisation (56-57)
A.L.Bomba: My Escape From Treblinka (57-59)
Minutes of the First National Conference of Częstochowa Jews in Poland (60-61)
Dr.Benjamin Orenstein: The Częstochower Landsleute in the DP Camps in Germany (62-66)
Dr.Benjamin Orenstein: Częstochowa Folklore During the Nazi Period (66-67)
Dr.Phillip Friedman: Destruction and Resistance of the Częstochowa Jews During the Nazi Occupation (a Bibliographical Overview) (68-78)
Introduction (79-80)
Raphael Federman: The “Bund” in Częstochowa in the Years Following the Second World War (86-96)
Sz. L. Sznajderman: This is How Częstochowa Looks Now – Impressions From a Visit in Autumn 1957 (97-108)
PERSONALITIES, REMEMBRANCES AND PORTRAITS
Dr Zvi Cohen: Jakub Frank in Częstochowa – an Historical Chapter (110-112)
Dr Zvi Cohen: The Rabbi and Prodigy Reb Nachum Asz ztz’’l (112-115)
Dr Zvi Cohen: The Częstochower Rebbe, Reb Awigdor z’’l – a Portrait of a “Good Jew”, Who was Unlike All Others (115-118)
Dr Zvi Cohen: The Great Musical Artist Abram Birnbaum – Head Cantor at the New Synagogue for Twenty Years (119-121)
Dr Zvi Cohen: Abram Wiewiorka – A Chapter of Memories (121-124)
Ephim Jeshurin: Abram Wiewiorka Bibliography (124-125)
Mojżesz Dłużnowski: Wolf Wiewiorka – Pages of Memories (125-129)
Chaim-Leib Fuchs: They Were Three Brothers – The Perished Wilczyński Brothers (129-133)
Lotty Malach: Icek Jurysta (133-135)
Z. Turkow: Perec Willenberg – a Chapter of the Book Theatre Memories (136-137)
Dr B. Orenstein: Dr Jakub Szacki’s Contribution to the History of the Jews in Częstochowa (137-138)
Raphael Federman: Dr Aron Singalowsky – Aron Częstochower (139-140)
Raphael Federman: Józef Aronowicz (141-143)
Raphael Federman: Zalman Tenenberg (144-144)
Raphael Federman: Herszl Frajman – Herszl Blacharz (Tinsmith) (144-145)
Raphael Federman: Aron Peretz (145-146)
Raphael Federman: Izaak Samsonowicz (146-147)
Raphael Federman: Szmul Frank and his Family (147-151)
I.Sz. Herc: Rajzla and Mojsze Berkensztadt (152-152)
I.Sz. Herc: Eli Alebarde (153-153)
A. Chrobolovsky: People and Times – Częstochowa Memoirs (154-163)
A. Chrobolovsky: The Legend Lives – Memory of the I.L. Peretz School, the Children’s Homes, the Teachers and the School Activists (163-168)
Abram Litman: Hersz-Dawid Nomberg in Częstochowa (168-170)
Abram Litman: The Great Secret (170-171)
Abram Litman: A Chassidic Demonstration (172-173)
Raphael Federman: Sholem Asch [Szalom Asz] z’’l in Our Częstochowa of Old (173-175)
Josel Berliner: I am a Pioneer in California (175-176)
Harry Dziubas: America Has Lifted Me Up – Notes of a New-Arrival (176-178)
D. Najmark: My Impressions of Częstochowa (178-179)
Herszel Epsztajn: From Nowo Radomsko to Los Angeles – Pages of Memories and Notes (179-181)
A. Chrobolovsky: “Reb” Dwojra Masz (182-182)
Chonon Kiel: “Tzimmes” (183-184)
Chonon Kiel: Riwe’le (184-186)
LITERATURE AND REVIEWS
Chonon Kiel: Poems – “To the Warta”, “The Old Synagogue”, “I Seek” (189-190)
A. Wilcz (Chaskiel Wilczyński): In the Labour Camp (191-193)
A. Wiewiorka: Yom Kippur (193-193)
Chaim-Leib Szwarc: My Desire (193-193)
Berisz Wajnsztajn: An Easterly Streak – a Poetic Chapter (194-197)
S.D. Singer: On the Shores of the Warta and East River – by Raphael Federman (197-200)
A. Chrobolovsky: Częstochowa Becomes a City – by Chaim-Leib Szwarc (200-203)
Szoszana Częstochowska: “The Day After”, “In the Storm” (203-203)
Dr W. Gliksman: Notes and Reviews – Yizkor Books (204-210)
OUR JUBILEE CELEBRANTS
A. Chrobolovsky: Dr Józef Kruk’s 70th Birthday (212-222)
I.N. Steinberg: For Alkona Chrobolovsky’s 70th Birthday (222-225)
Dawid Tański: Jakub-Ber Silver [Zylber] – at Seventy-Five (225-226)
Ben-Mordechai: Raphael Federman’s Fifty Years of Social Activity (226-227)
Zvi Rosenvein: Raphael Federman (228-230)
CZĘSTOCHOWERS IN AMERICA AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Dr W Gliksman: The Activities of the United Częstochowa Relief Committee in New York – 1950-1957 (232-239)
Morris Sztern: Częstochowa-Łódź Branch 324 Arbeiter Ring in New York (240-240)
Józef Kaufman: The Czenstochover Young Men (241-241)
S. Goldberg: The East Bronx Czenstochover Society in New York (241-241)
Ruben Luks: Czenstochover Regional Union in Detroit (242-242)
H. Grauman: The Activity of the Czenstochover and Vicinity Aid Society in Los Angeles, CA. (243-243)
Dr B. Orenstein: The Activity of the Częstochower Landsmannschaft in Montreal [Canada] (243-246)
Abram Gotlib (Israel): Częstochower Landsleit in the State of Israel (247-249)
Emza Bern: The Activity of the Częstochower Landsleit in Argentina (250-253)
Dawid Wrocławski: The Częstochowa and Vicinity Society in Paris (253-254)
Dr Leib Kurland: The Activity of the Jews from the Częstochowa and the Vicinity Society in Paris (255-256)
IN MEMORY OF CZĘSTOCHOWA LANDSLEIT AND LEADERS IN AMERICA
Lea Szwarc: By the Open Window (to the Eternal Memory of My Husband Chaim-Leib) (257-258)
Dr W. Gliksman: Aba Kaufman z’’l (- a Brief Outline of His Personality) (258-259)
Raphael Federman: Jechiel Lewensztajn z’’l (260-261)
A. Chrobolovsky : The Memory of Szaja Jakow Mencoff z’’l (261-262)
Lajbel (Louis) Szymkowicz z’’l (262-262)
Regina (Rywka) Kuperman-Rozenfeld z”l (263-263)
Itta Lenczner (264-264)
Fanny Fajersztajn (264-264)
IN MEMORY OF THE CZĘSTOCHOWA JEWS WHO WERE ANNIHILATED
– SAINTS, HEROES AND MARTYRS
El Moleh Rachamim (266-267)
Abram Gotlib (Israel): To Commemorate Częstochowa Jewry (268-269)
For Eternal Remembrance [of Loved Ones} – א [Aleph] to ו [Vav] (269-277)
For Eternal Remembrance [of Loved Ones} – ט [Tet] to פ [Fey] (278-283)
For Eternal Remembrance [of Loved Ones} – פ [Fey] to ש [Shin] plus Addendum (284-289)
In Memory of the Fallen Bundists (290-297)
In Memory of Our Dear, Unforgettable Parents, Brothers, Sisters and Relatives (298-303)
Częstochowa [a song] (304-304)
INDEXES
Introduction (305-305)
Index of Names Mentioned in the Book Czenstochover Yidn (306-322)
Index of Names Mentioned in the Book Czenstochover Yidn (Translator’s Notes)
Index of Names from “Who’s Who” in the Book Czenstochover Yidn (323-327)
Index of Names Mentioned in the Book Czenstochov (327-334)
Notes to Other Indexes (Translator’s Notes)
Notes From the Editors (335-336)
Mojsze Kremski (I-I)
Menachem Fuchs (I-I)
Szyme (Szymon) Woznica (II-II)
Berl (Ben) Woznica (II-II)
Szulim Baum (II-II)
Wolf Srebnik (II-II)
Ajzyk Krys (II-III)
Dawid Diamant (III-III)
Adolf and Fannie Wilinger (III-III)
William Fridman (IV-IV)
Dr Morris Zajdman (IV-IV)
The Rykman and Stal Family Circle in New York (IV-IV)
Index of Names Appearing in this Yizkor Book
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Dave Horowitz-Larochette
IMPORTANT NOTICE
While this 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, this English-language version copyright-holder.