Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland

Tomashow-Mazowieck;
a Memorial to the Jewish Community
(Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland)

51°32' / 20°01'

Translation of
Sefer zikaron le-kehilat Tomaszow Mazowiecki

Edited by: M. Wajsberg, Tomashow Organization in Israel

Published in Tel Aviv, 1969

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Ada Holtzman z”l

Our sincere appreciation to Benjamin Yaari z”l, Tomaszow Mazowiecki organization in Israel,
for permission to put this material on the JewishGen web site.

This is a translation from: Sefer zikaron le-kehilat Tomaszow Mazowiecki. Tomashow-Mazowieck;
a memorial to the Jewish communty, ed. M. Wajsberg. Tel Aviv: Tomashow Organization in Israel, 1969.

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Tomaszow-Mazowiecki (1969)

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.
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JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material for verification.
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Translated by Yocheved Klausner

A Memorial Book for the destroyed Tomaszow-Mazowiecki Community	Moshe Weissberg	9
With the Publication of the Book	Yakov Ullman	12
How this Memeorial Book was created [Y]	Gedaliahu Kosherovski	14
Foreword in English	Max Gershonowitz	17
Foreword in French	Max Gershonowitz

Yiddish

Historical Overview of the Town

Tomaszow-Mazowiecki in light of the distant past	YIVO Archives - presented by Pinchas Garfinkel	20
Jews were not allowed to live in Walborosh		21
The first Jewish settlement in the Tomaszow region		22
Tomaszow-Mazowiecki during 1789-1914]	Moshe Weissberg	24
Graf [Count] Anthony Ostrowski is building Tomaszow-Mazowiecki	Pinchas Garfinkel (YIVO Archives)	31
The first Jewish Landowner in Poland	YIVO Archives	32
Count Wladislaw Ostrowski in 1830	Pinchas Garfinkel	33
Tomaszow after the November uprising	YIVO Archives	34
The first Jews in Tomaszow	A. Bogayewitz	35
Founding the Tomaszow Jewish Community	P. Garfinkel	37
On the history of the town	Excerpts from the book by Yakov Steinman
The Count Antonius Ostrowski		39
The first homeowners		40
R'Yakov Steinman, the “'industrialist”		40
Traces of the Polish revolt in the cemetery		41
The Russian Czars visiting Tomaszow and surroundings		41
Political and national demonstrations		44
The First World War and the German occupation	Yakov Steinman	46
The Enlightenment Movement in Tomaszow	A. Bonayewitz	55
History of the Jews in Tomaszow	Moshe Feinkind	57

Rabbis, Tzadikim, Hassidim

The Rav and great scholar R'Eliahu Wilitchker	Yakov Steinman	60
Rav Zvi Izraelewitz	Yakov Steinman	61
Tzadikim [heads of Hassidic courts]	Yakov Steinman	63
Tomaszow rabbis	YIVO Archives - presented by Pinchas Garfinkel	64
A Rav without opponents		65
The Rav from Nieshawe		66
The old Rav z”l, leader of the Shacharit Prayer [morning prayer]		67
The Dispute	A. Bogayewitz	68
Rav Shmuel Halevi Bratt	A. Bogayewitz	68
Rav Yerachmiel Moshe Rapaport		70
Hassidism in Tomaszow	A. Bogayewitz	71
The 25th memorial day of the destruction of Tomaszow	Pinchas Garfinkel	72
Religious life in Tomaszow-Mazowiecki	Shimon Ben-David Luft	73

Jewish Life in Tomaszow

A walk through the Jewish streets of my ruined hometown	Zalman Zehavi (Zholtowski)	74
Life in my town	Leib Yanushewitz	106
A Jewish home half a century ago	Yakov Leiner	111
In the past [H]	Yakov Steinman
The wild railroad builders in our town [H]		113
Thieves and robbers [H]		113
Converts to Christianity [H]		114
The Chevra Kadisha [Burial Society] [H]		115
Moshe Dloshnowski (biographical notes)	Max Gershonowitz	117
Tomaszow, my far and my near home-town	Moshe Dloshnowski	118
A rare blessing	Moshe Dloshnowski	131
Pawning the Chanuka Lamp	Moshe Dloshnowski	137
Tomaszow in Moshe Dloshnowski's writings	S. D. Singer, New-York	141
The Tomaszow Town Council	M. Weissberg	142
The river Walburke	Bella Cohen	144
The blue water-spring	Moshe Weissberg	145
Tish'a Be'av (reflections) [H]	Yakov Ullman	147

Education and Culture

Excerpts from the book by I. Steinman

The movement toward a better education [H]		149
Melamdim and teachers [H]		150
R'Moshe Hardomski [H]		151
R'Yitzhak Shkamowitz [H]		152
The Hebrew Gimnasia [High-School] [H]	Leon Marcowitz	154
Jewish education in my times	Moshe Weissberg	158
An attempt to establish a Jewish school during the German occupation	S. Meldung	161
The Cultural Society HaZamir [The Nightingale]	Eva (Chava) Weinrot	164
The Jewish Theater in Tomaszow-Mazowiecki	Zalman Zehavi (Zholtovski)	165

The Jewish Press

Local chronicles from Tomaszower Wochenblatt [Tomaszow Weekly]
Photo-Montage	Yiddishe Presse [“Jewish Press”]	167
The Talmid-Chacham [Torah Scholar]		168
Jubilee festivities		168
40^th anniversary of Eyn-Ya'akov and Gemilut Hasadim Societies		168
“Do not buy by Jews”		169
Grandiose Gymnastics and Sports show		169
The income from a theater performance		170
Festive opening of a Library and Theater-Hall by right-wing Po'alei Zion		170
The 20^th anniversary of the Jewish Legion		171
Tomaszow Jews make Aliya to Eretz Israel		172
Mr. Yakov Steinman's departure		172
Farewell banquet of Hashomer Hatza'ir movement		173
Farewell banquet of the Gordonia movement		173

Institutions

Jewish life is blooming in Tomaszow	N. Goldkranz (editor of Tomaszower Wochenblatt)	175
Ezrat Cholim [Helping the Sick] Society	Peretz Beitel	185
The festive opening of The Home for the Aged	Tomaszower Wochenblatt [Tomaszow Weekly]	186
Hillel Landsberg, founder of Bikur Cholim		188
100^th anniversary of Hachnasat Orhim [Accommodation for guests]	Tomaszower Wochenblatt/	189

Sports

The Jewish Gymnastics and Sports Association	Yewshek Spiewak	191
The first Yahrzeit [memorial day] of Aharon Lichtenstein z”l	S. Mordkowitz	193
From dream to reality	S. Z. Mordkowitz	194
Jewish sports in my home town	Meir Amsel	197
The Sports-Club Hakoach	Moshe Steinman	199

Industry, Commerce and Craftsmen

Excerpts from I. Steimnan's Book:

Where and how the towns residents spent their free time		201
The weavers		202
Tailors: R'Moshe Feitel		204
R'Naftali Nissboim (Shmerge)		204
Cobblers: Nachman the big one - “the uncle”		205
Zalman Trapelowitz		206
The history of the Weaving Industry	Wladislaw Landsberg	207
Twenty years of Tomaszow Industry (1907-1927)	Moshe Weissberg	210
The Jewish craftsmen and their organizations	Israel Frenkel	216
The Tomaszow merchants	Chaim Benglerowitz	220

Parties

Parties and Youth Movements	Moshe Weissberg	222
The first Zionists [H]	Y. Steinman	223
Ahavat Zion [Love of Zion] [H]		223
Hovevei Hasafa Ha'Ivrit [lovers of the Hebrew language] Society [H]	Yitzhak Gilon (Zhelinski)	224
My Zionist activity in Tomaszow	Chaim Cohen (Kagan)	225
Tze'irei Zion and Po'alei Zion in Tomaszow	(As told by a group of friends)	227
The Po'alei Zion Left group [H]	Aharon Sheps	232
The Hit'achdut and Gordonia parties in Tomaszow	Gedaliahu Kosherowski	233
History of the Revisionist Movement in Tomaszow	Yakov Ullman	239
The Labor-Party “Bund”	Y. Steinman	242
Activists in the “Bund”	Binyamin Weissman	244
“With my shattered people” (excerpts from a book)	Yakov Tzelemanski	245
The Jewish-Labor section in the Tomaszow communist movement	Hersh-David Weissberg	247
The left-wing professional unions	Yakov Steinback	248
The Hechalutz Branch [H]	Aharon Sheps	250
The struggle for Aliya	G. Kosherowski	251

Youth Movements

“Scouting” in our town [H]	Yitzhak Gilon (Zhelinski)	256
Reminiscences from the Hashomer Hatza'ir branch [H]	Dov Granek	257
Hashomer Hatza'ir in our town [H]	Aharon Scheps	259
In memory of my friend in Hashomer Hatza'ir [H]	Moshe Weissberg	263
The Gordonia movement in our town [H]	Eliahu Borowski	269
The pioneering movement Benei Akiva [H]	Mordechai Tennenbaum	271
Brit Trumpeldor (BEITAR) [H]	Leon Markowitz	272
The Zionist youth movement Freiheit [Freedom]	Shlomo Bierenstock	280
Youth Association Zukunft [Future]	Chana Lender-Kligerman	282

Personalities

The second generation of Jewish industrialists in Tomaszow		284
Moshe Aharon Steinman		284
Hillel Landsberg		284
Alexander Landsberg		285
R'Yitzhak Weiss		287
Baruch (Boleslav) Scheps		287
The agent Aharon Neufeld		288
Mordechai Slomonowitz		288

Famous Personalities

R'Chaim Zelig Slonimski		289
Michel Halperin		289
Dr. Ian Rode		290
Dr. Yakov Glass		291
Asher-Moshe Issers		292
Our teacher Nachum Sokolov z”l		293
Aharon Dreizin		293
Shlomo Wasserman		294
Yitzhak Meir Zheshewski		295
Smuel Steinman		296
Aharon Lichtenstein		297
Zelig'l		298
David Hoffman		298
Dr. Lea Pinsker	A. Bogayewitz	299
Chaim Zelig Slonimski	M. Beirachowitz	300
Boleslav Scheps	A. Bogayewitz	301
Imanuel Borenstein	A. B.	303
Dia	Max Gershonowitz	305
Yehuda Toppel	Pearl Toppel	308
Moshe Sagina	Moshe Amsel (Poland)	309
Shimshon Kosherowski	Gedaliahu Kosherowski	310
Menachem Lifschitz	G. Kosherowski	311
My Father Chaim Benglerowitz z”l	Yitzhak Benglerowitz	312
David Yakobowita	G. Kosherowski	313
Menachem Steinman	A. Bogayewitz	314
Menachem Steinman unveiling of the memorial [H]	Y. Steinman	315
Zev Parush	Tzila (Kibbutz Ganigar)	316
R'Dov Berish Gewirtz	Jack Landau	317
In memory of Lippman Weissberg [H]	Aharon Scheps	318
My friend Shalom-Baruch Stchopak z”l	Shalom	318
Shalom Stchopak z”l	Yosef Marcusfeld	320
A tear for a friend who is gone [H]	Dov Granek	320

Tomaszow Personalities and Types

Yosef Marshelik		322
Sara-Lea “the yeast”		323
Moshe the Watercarrier		325
Zaken the teacher		327
David Novyzhentch		329
R'Zeinwel-Leib the tea maker		330
Shulik Klezmer		332
David the blacksmith		334
The Tomaszow Lamed Vav'nik [one of the 36 “hidden Tzadikim”]	A. Bogayewitz	337
R'Shlomo Eliezer the Shofar Blower	A. S-N	338
Heroes of the Chevra Kadisha [burial society]	A. S-N	339

Remarkable types in Tomaszow-Mazowiecki	Elimelech Garfinkel

The “Yellow” Baruch		341
Itche Bik		341
Shiye the Mashiach [the Messiah] (Koplowitz)		342
R'David Drechsler	A. S-N	342
Avraham Lichtenstein	A. S-N	344
To take and to take away	Israel Frenkel	346

The Holocaust

Cover Page	Painted by Shlomo Kronheim	349
El Male Rahamim [Memorial Prayer]		351
The Ghetto map	Moshe Weissberg	352
“I Accuse!”	Moshe Weissberg	353
The Germans are coming [H]	Moshe Weissberg	356
The year 1939	Leib Yanushewitz	357
The decline of the Jewish community	Elimelech Garfinkel	358
Deportation of the Jews of Tomaszow Mazowiecki in 1942	M. Grossman	364
The last Jews in Tomaszow	Michael Grossman	379
Ghetto and ruin	S. Meldung	381
The deportation	S. Meldung	386
I shall never forget	Eliahu Skornitzki	388
The death of my mother Sara, may she rest in peace	Yitzhak Hoppe	389
My Mother	Yosef Perlstein	393
The first “Aktzia” in Tomaszow-Mazowiecki	Avraham Killstein	394
The Ghetto Doctor	Dr. Moshe Zlatolow	397
The last Yom Kippur in the Tomaszow Ghetto	Dr. Moshe Zlatolow	401
War episodes	Shmuel Tallman	403
Testimony [H]	Wolf Goldberg	408
One of the Holocaust survivors [H]	Rachel Zohar nee Bietel (Kibbutz Ramat Hashofet)	413
Pages from a Diary [H]	Sara Rosenfeld-Kirschbaum	414
One young boy's path of torment [H]	Yakov Silberstein	418
How I escaped from Lizhin Camp [H]	Noah Grinspan	427
After the destruction	Moshe Weissberg	429
The first orders and ordeals	Chana Borenstein	430
Crumbs of sad memories	Sonia Sonabend (Herzstein)	434
Hard labor and hunger	Leibish Kligerman	435
The “Palestina Aktzia”	Avraham Singer	435
Blizshin concentration camp	Moshe Niemetz	436
Memories of a child	Tova Grossman	442
In the concentration camp	Shmuel Meldung	442
Rosh Hashana [Jewish New Year] in Auschwitz	Wolf Garfinkel	443
A Seder night [Passover night] in Landsberg Camp	Zev Barkat (Wolf Garfinkel)	445
The terrible days	Chaim Machowanski	446
The death-march from Buchenwald	Zalman Zehavi (Zholtowski)	448
The animals are brought to justice		455
One of the murderers of the Tomaszow Jews	Tennenbaum-Romanowitch	456
The German criminal Betich		458
Historical facts about the Jewish life in Tomaszow		458
Questionnaire No. 1 [H]	Moshe Niemetz	459
Questionnaire No. 2 [H]	Rachel Salem (Zohar)	460
The destruction of the Jewish cemetery in Pleshow	D. Laznowski	461
Jewish children in the Blizshin camp	Chaim Rosenberg	461
Yom Kippur 1944 in Auschwitz	W. Shayowitz	463
David Goldman z”l	Peretz Beitel	464
Yosef Tennenbaum	L. Marcowitz	466
Zestawienie [Polish]	Ch. Kantorowicz	469
Pictures from the Holocaust		470

Tomaszow Anti-Nazi Fighters

Tomaszow Anti-Nazi Fighters	Moshe Weissberg	472
Courageous fighters	H. Bernstein	474
Pictures of fighters		475-483
A trip in the wake of victory [H]	Avraham Savir	484

Tomaszow Jews in Israel and in the World

A cry on deaf ears	Bella Cohen	487
Tomaszower after the war	Zev Garfinkel	489
Upon the ruins of the old home	Shmuel Meldung	491
Return	Sabina Wishlitzki	491
After the liberation	Shmuel Meldung	494
The German Exile [H]	Shmuel Meldung	498
Finding the last Tomaszower	M. Weissberg	498
We were two friends	A. M. Reiz	501
Dov (Bernard) Kron	Moshe Weissberg	504
Sketches of the Jewish life in Tomaszow	S. L. Schneiderman	506
One of the survivors	Z Zehavi (Zholtowski)	508
A baby is born in the camp [H]	A Savir (Srotor)	510
After the liberation in Germany	Moshe Weissberg	511
The organization of former Tomaszow residents in Israel [H]	Yakov Ullman	514
Overview of activities 1942-1969	Yakov Ullman	519
Nizkor [We shall remember]	Yosef Marcusfeld	525
A short history of the United Brothers of the Tomaszov Benevolent Association in New York [English]	Morris Korn	526
The Relief Committee in New York	Leo Liess (Lisoprowski)	528
Leo Liess (Leibish Lisoprowski)	G. Kosherowski	530
The Tomaszow Society in Paterson (New Jersey)	Leo Liess (Lisoprowski)	531
Tomashower Society Paterson NJ [English]		532
Tomaszow Jews in France	Max Gershonowitz	533
The Tomaszow Landsleit in Toronto	Chaim Samelson	540
With the Landsleit in Australia	Binyamin Weissman	542

Memorial Album		544-553
The holy martyrs [H]	Yakov Ullman	554

Necrology		555-622
The Memorial for the murdered in Treblinka		623
In memory of the Holocaust victims in my town [H]	Leib Yanoshewitz	624
Partial list of the victims		625-648
Died in Israel (until 1969)		649

Yizkor Book Director, Lance Ackerfeld
Emerita Yizkor Book Project Manager, Joyce Field z”l
Contact person for this translation Ada Holtzman z”l
This web page created by Lance Ackerfeld