Gora Kalwaria, Poland

Story of Ger
(Góra Kalwaria, Poland)

51°59' / 21°14'

Translation of Megiles Ger

Edited by: Gregorio Sapoznikow

Published in Buenos Aires, 1975

This is a translation from: Megiles Ger, Story of Ger, Ed. Gregorio Sapoznikow, Buenos Aires,
Ger Societies in Argentina, Israel, and the U. S., 1975 (Y).

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Gora Kalwaria

This material is made available by JewishGen, Inc. and the Yizkor Book Project for the purpose of
fulfilling our mission of disseminating information about the Holocaust and destroyed Jewish communities.
This material may not be copied, sold or bartered without JewishGen, Inc.'s permission. Rights may be reserved by the copyright holder.

JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.

Translated by Gloria Berkenstat Freund

A City of Hasidus and Sanctity 7

From the Book Committee in Argentina 9

Megilus Ger [Scroll of Ger] - A Register of Jewish Tragedy and Eternal Israel Gershon Sapocznikow 11

A Headstone on the Horrible Ruin of Our Birthplace, Ger Mordekhai Chelmicz 13

Fulfilling a Sacred Duty 20

The Light of Exile of the Gerer Hasidus 23

The First Gerer Rebbe; the Chiddushei HaRim 23

The Sfas Emes 32

Our Master, Our Teacher, and Our Rabbi, Rebber Mordekhai Alter, may the memory of a righteous man be blessed 37

In the Court of the Gerer Rebbes Chaim-Borukh Szterenszus 49

Rosh Hashanah in the Hasidic Metropolis Pinkhas ben [son of] Eliezar 63

Shavous in Ger The Rabbi Avraham Zemba 73

Gora Kalwaria - The Shtetele [small town] Ger Y. LN 85

Not to Forget Menakhem ben [son of] Uri 90

Memories of Ger Menakhem Gilduni (Goldhecht) of blessed memory 102

How the Gerer Rebbe Survived the Hitleristic Hell Moshe Yehezkiel 110

The Cultural, Social and Worldly Life 123

Parties in Ger Moshe Rabski 125

The Progressive Movement in Ger Menashe Orzech 136

Ger and Gora Kalwaria, One City and Two Worlds Yakov Jurkewicz 152

Ger in My Childhood and Youth Yakov Poloniecki 169

The Sports Club at the Peretz Library Markos Gutsztat 177

The Drama Circle at the Peretz Library Bayle Garfinkel De Helman 182

Ger, Seen by a Gritser [Gorlec] Woman Henye Koper-Jurkewicz 188

Memories of the First Halutz [Pioneers] from Ger Avraham Mardyks 195

Jews Staged a Resistance Leyzer Mesing 202

A Headstone That Will Live Forever Avraham Mardyks 205

Ways, Types and Personalities 211

Types and Personalities from Former Jewish Ger Perl Orzech 213

Royzele the Seamstress Lipe Helman 217

The Shtetele [small town] Ger and its Communal Workers Yakov Jurkewicz 222

Nostalgia for the Home in the 91st Year Yitzhak Grajfman 235

Horror and Destruction 241

Ger Before the Destruction and After the Destruction Yitzhak Wajntraub 243

Gora Kalwaria (Ger) during the First Two Years of the Nazi Occupation From Ringelblum's Archive 255

The First Day of the War Leah Szrajbaum-Guberman 265

The Bloody Beginning and the Tragic End of the War Lipe Helman 272

My Seven Circles of Hell in the Time of the War Yisroel Rozenblum 279

Righteous Among the Nations Rywka Helfgot-Mojszewski 288

The Liquidation of the Ghetto in Otwock Josef Helfgot 294

The Death March to the Gas Chamber Rywka Kenigsztajn-Hubel 300

The Beginning and the End of a Jewish Shtetl [town] Henrik Prajs 312

A Jewish Child in Nazi Hell Rywka Helfgot 320

The Destruction of Ger Ezra Cwilich 328

Three Jews Remained in Ger Henrik Prajs 363

There Once Was a Jewish City Menashe Orzech 372

The Survivors Lipe Helman 379

A Cemetery without Graves Leibl Szrajbaum 389

The Last Notes from Jakub Prajs 394

The Spirit of the Ger Lives 401

Continuation of Gerer Hasidim in the Land of Israel 403

The Activities of the Association of Former Residents of Ger in Israel Menakhem ben [son of] Uri 417

The Activities of the Gerer Landsleit [people from the same town] in Buenos Aires A Landsman [person from the same town] 428

Eli, the son, rabbi and soldier Goldhecht 440

Eli, the son, rabbi and soldier 443

Historical meditations about Ger Menakhem Golduni, of blessed memory 447

Ger Lives in the Jewish World Menakhem ben [son of] Uri 460

Remembrance and Necrology 463

Necrology 470

Yizkor Book Project JewishGen Home Page

Yizkor Book Director, Lance Ackerfeld
Emerita Yizkor Book Project Manager, Joyce Field z”l
This web page created by Max Heffler

*A City of Hasidus* and Sanctity**		7
From the Book Committee in Argentina		9
Megilus Ger [Scroll of Ger] - A Register of Jewish Tragedy and Eternal Israel	Gershon Sapocznikow	11
A Headstone on the Horrible Ruin of Our Birthplace, Ger	Mordekhai Chelmicz	13
Fulfilling a Sacred Duty		20

The Light of Exile of the Gerer Hasidus		23
The First Gerer Rebbe; the Chiddushei HaRim		23
The Sfas Emes		32
Our Master, Our Teacher, and Our Rabbi, Rebber Mordekhai Alter, may the memory of a righteous man be blessed		37
In the Court of the Gerer Rebbes	Chaim-Borukh Szterenszus	49
Rosh Hashanah in the Hasidic Metropolis	Pinkhas ben [son of] Eliezar	63
Shavous in Ger	The Rabbi Avraham Zemba	73
Gora Kalwaria - The Shtetele [small town] Ger	Y. LN	85
Not to Forget	Menakhem ben [son of] Uri	90
Memories of Ger	Menakhem Gilduni (Goldhecht) of blessed memory	102
How the Gerer Rebbe Survived the Hitleristic Hell	Moshe Yehezkiel	110

The Cultural, Social and Worldly Life		123
Parties in Ger	Moshe Rabski	125
The Progressive Movement in Ger	Menashe Orzech	136
Ger and Gora Kalwaria, One City and Two Worlds	Yakov Jurkewicz	152
Ger in My Childhood and Youth	Yakov Poloniecki	169
The Sports Club at the Peretz Library	Markos Gutsztat	177
The Drama Circle at the Peretz Library	Bayle Garfinkel De Helman	182
Ger, Seen by a Gritser [Gorlec] Woman	Henye Koper-Jurkewicz	188
Memories of the First Halutz [Pioneers] from Ger	Avraham Mardyks	195
Jews Staged a Resistance	Leyzer Mesing	202
A Headstone That Will Live Forever	Avraham Mardyks	205

Ways, Types and Personalities		211
Types and Personalities from Former Jewish Ger	Perl Orzech	213
Royzele the Seamstress	Lipe Helman	217
The Shtetele [small town] Ger and its Communal Workers	Yakov Jurkewicz	222
Nostalgia for the Home in the 91st Year	Yitzhak Grajfman	235

Horror and Destruction		241
Ger Before the Destruction and After the Destruction	Yitzhak Wajntraub	243
Gora Kalwaria (Ger) during the First Two Years of the Nazi Occupation	From Ringelblum's Archive	255
The First Day of the War	Leah Szrajbaum-Guberman	265
The Bloody Beginning and the Tragic End of the War	Lipe Helman	272
My Seven Circles of Hell in the Time of the War	Yisroel Rozenblum	279
Righteous Among the Nations	Rywka Helfgot-Mojszewski	288
The Liquidation of the Ghetto in Otwock	Josef Helfgot	294
The Death March to the Gas Chamber	Rywka Kenigsztajn-Hubel	300
The Beginning and the End of a Jewish Shtetl [town]	Henrik Prajs	312
A Jewish Child in Nazi Hell	Rywka Helfgot	320
The Destruction of Ger	Ezra Cwilich	328
Three Jews Remained in Ger	Henrik Prajs	363
There Once Was a Jewish City	Menashe Orzech	372
The Survivors	Lipe Helman	379
A Cemetery without Graves	Leibl Szrajbaum	389
The Last Notes from Jakub Prajs		394

The Spirit of the Ger Lives		401
Continuation of Gerer Hasidim in the Land of Israel		403
The Activities of the Association of Former Residents of Ger in Israel	Menakhem ben [son of] Uri	417
The Activities of the Gerer Landsleit [people from the same town] in Buenos Aires	A Landsman [person from the same town]	428
Eli, the son, rabbi and soldier	Goldhecht	440
Eli, the son, rabbi and soldier		443
Historical meditations about Ger	Menakhem Golduni, of blessed memory	447
Ger Lives in the Jewish World	Menakhem ben [son of] Uri	460

Remembrance and Necrology		463
Necrology		470