[Pages 493-498]

The first Częstochowa Jews arrived in Argentina even before the First World War. But those immigrants, back then, had no connection one to another. It was only in 1927 that a group of Częstochowa immigrants, mostly young people, established a Landsmannschaft society.

They had no concrete plans as to what the organisation's activity would be, but a sentiment prevailed that they were to stick together.

Once the flow of immigrants increased, the society's activities broadened markedly. Its main task now became to assist the newly–arrived in creating labour for them, buying work–implements, finding accommodation, issuing loans to those in need, etc.

The number of members was not large then and the organisation's modest activity could have progressed normally. But, due to political, ideological differences, the society was liquidated after an existence of two years.

It was only in 1942, when the horrifying news reached us from Częstochowa and from the whole of Poland, did we realise that all forces needed to be mustered to provide our unfortunate brothers and sisters with aid.

At the initiative of Leizer Rozenberg, the “Częstochower Landsleute Verein” [“Cz. Compatriots Society”] was reorganised and, at a meeting in which a large number of Częstochowers participated, a new Board of Directors was elected, headed by Szulim Wirsztel z”l and which comprised the following fellow landsleit:

Chairman – Herman Marczak;
Vice–Chairman – Dawid Bulwik;
Secretary – Leizer Rozenberg;
Treasurer – Jakób L. Jakubowicz;
Executive members – Mordche Majerowicz, Dawid Kosowski z”l, and Leon Jakubowicz.

The new management at once embarked upon the realisation of its activity–programme, as the circumstances at the time dictated. Collections of money and clothing were conducted and we decided to support the “Joint”, as an institution distributing direct aid.

Immediately following the War, we shipped twelve crates of clothing, school writing–materials and medicines to Częstochowa. We also sent two–thousand dollars over for a shoemakers' cooperative named “Argentina”, which was created after the War in order to provide survivors with a livelihood.

Following the establishment of the State of Israel, we also sent individual aid to Częstochowers in Israel.

Częstochowers in Argentina gather three times a year – in March for the Annual General Meeting, in May to celebrate the Jewish State's Independence Day and the day after Yom Kippur for a memorial prayer [service] at the monument which the Jewish community of Buenos Aires erected at the local cemetery in memory of the six million martyrs.

Częstochowers in Argentina Sitting, from right to left: J.L. Jakubowicz, B. Galster, P. Majerowicz, J. Jakubowicz, M. Kantor, M. Liberman, M. Fiszer, Sz. Plawner, D. Laskowski, J. Marer, J. Amsterdam, A. Aleksandrowicz, I.M. Edelist, L. Wolman

At the initiative of Mordche Majerowicz, a credit fund was also established, which has existed in the organisation since August 1960 under directorship of the same management, but with co–opted individuals as the credit fund's secretariat.

The management of both institutions consists of:

Chairman – Binyamin Galster;
Vice–Chairman – Dawid Laskowski;
Secretary – Mordche Majerowicz;
Deputy–Secretary – Ajzyk Aleksandrowicz;
Treasurer – Leizer Rozenberg;
Deputy–Treasurer – Szulim Plawner.

[The committee of] the Credit Fund:

Jakób L. Jakubowicz, Mojsze H. Kantor, Leizer Rozenberg, Mordche Majerowicz, Pinkus Majerowicz and Binyamin Galster.

[Pages 497-502]

The Częstochower Centre in Australia, [originally] named Czenstochower and Vicinity Fraternal Aid in Australia was founded in Melbourne on 22^nd September 1946.

The first Executive was comprised:

I. Gans (Gancwajch) – President;
L. Lederman – Vice–President;
D. Lissek – Treasurer;
M.D. Fuchs – Honorary Secretary;
Executive members: P. Lew^[1] [?], and L. Rayman.

The Committee comprised:

A. Balsam, D. Zołtak, Jakób Lew, I. Lew, P. Moszkowicz, S. Small, D. Firstenberg, M. Kaszman, D. Rechtman, L. Shaw, S. Shaw, and D. Sztajnic.

At the time, there were forty Częstochower families living in Melbourne, while in Sidney, there were just a few. During the first period of our activity, we sent shipments of clothing, shoes, soap and food to Częstochowa. Later, when it was impossible to send aid directly to Częstochowa, we sent packages and financial aid to our landsleit in the DP [Displaced Persons] camps. We acquired immigration permits for a large number of people from Częstochowa and the vicinity, who were in the German camps, in Italy, France and Belgium. A certain proportion of them came to Melbourne and settled down there. We also procured permits for twenty orphans from the Częstochowa orphanage.

Częstochower Circle in Australia Sitting (right to left): M. Krakauer, J. Granek, L. Rayman, I. Ganc, Ch. Kozens, A. Lewkowicz Standing (right to left): J. Klajner, D. Granach, P. Szmulewicz,H. Herszkowicz, G. Tobiasz W. Stawski

Between 1949 and 1951, we sent three substantial shipments of foodstuffs to the Częstochowers in Israel. In 1952, we planted 100 trees in memory of the Częstochowa martyrs at the KKL Forest of the Martyrs in Jerusalem.

In the first years of our existence, we made efforts to organise our fellow landsleit in Sidney, in order to set up a committee there also. Sadly, though, we did not have a proper following there.

Since 1947, in Melbourne, we hold an annual “Yizkor Evening” on the second night after Yom Kippur, when the bloody Częstochowa akcja commenced.

Nowadays, there are more than 200 families from Częstochowa and the vicinity living in Melbourne.

The Committee [now] consists of the following:

I. Gans – President;
L. Rayman – Vice–President;
J. Granek – Treasurer;
H. Koznis [sic Kozens] – Honorary Secretary.

Committee members are:

D. Dranek [sic Granach],
H. Herszlikowicz,
G. Tobiasz,
A. Lewkowicz,
M. Nowak,
W. Stawski,
M. Krakauer,
L. Klajner,
P. Szmulewicz.

Translator's footnote:

1. ליו in the original Yiddish, pronounced like the French “lieu.” Return

[Page 501]

He is one of the founders and most active figures of the Częstochowa landsmannschaft in Melbourne.

For many years, he performed the duties of Treasurer and Vice–President of the Częstochower Centre in Melbourne.

[Page 502]

Arriving in Australia in 1924, he at once dedicated himself to Zionist and general Jewish communal activity – in which he remained active for decades.

From 1956 and to his last days, he served as President of the Częstochower Centre in Australia, which was founded in Melbourne in 1946.

Editor's note (2019):

1. He was named after Izrael Lejb Gancwajch, the Tsaddik of Kromołów. Return

[Pages 503-504]

Ten years ago, our society was founded in Paris with the aim of aiding our landsleit, as well as to serve national and general Jewish interests. It grouped natives of Częstochowa and the surrounding towns of Kłobuck, Mstów, Kamyk, and others.

The first Board of Directors comprised Dr L. Kurland, Dr Szejgin, Sz. Woznica, J. Ajzner, J. Unglik, J. Liberman, L. Bergman, H. Gotajner, D. Herszlikowicz and Sz. Aleksandrowicz.

Our landsmannschaft now numbers eight members and encompasses almost all circles of the newly arrived Holocaust survivors, as well as landsleit from the earlier immigrations.

First row above, from the left: M. Rozenberg, M. Wajnryb, D. Herszel, Kowicz, J. Melodysta Second row: H. Gotajner, J. Unglik, J. Wajnryb, Dr Kurland, Sz. Woznica, L. Bergman

Special attention is paid to the social work for our needy fellow landsleit. A “package operation” was also carried out for our landsleit in current–day Częstochowa.

The newly–elected management consists of Dr L. Kurland (Chairman); J. Wajnryb (Vice–Chairman), Sz. Woznica (Cultural Manager), L. Bergman (Secretary), J. Unglik, J. Ajzner, M. Wajnryb, D. Herszlikowicz, H. Gotajner and M. Kornberg.

[Pages 505-510]

The Częstochower landsmannschaft in Paris was already established back in 1926. The group of landsleit who founded the Częstochower Société forty years ago were Blum, Ortman, A. Ferleger, the Wrublewski brothers, A. Slabiak, the Gutman brothers, B. Kopinski, Wajsbard, Cymberknopf, Kamelgarn, Frankowski, A. Kopinski [and] J. Lewkowicz. The association of Częstochowa landsleit was established to aid others, above all assisting in accommodation problems and, often, with money also, in order to enable survival during a period of unemployment.

The Committee of the “Friends of Częstochowa” Society in Paris

During the War years, the society, due to the horrific terror against Jews, was forced to cease its activity.

After the War, we organised the committee anew and the Częstochower Société in Paris grew to become an important communal force in general Jewish life. Together with the social undertakings which the organization conducts for our fellow landsleit in France, at an earlier point, the Société also sent medicines to Israel for Częstochowers who required them, as well as large sums of money for Magen David Adom in Israel.

Each year, on the anniversary of the liquidation of the Częstochowa ghetto, we organise a memorial service, which is also attended by the natives of the neighbouring shtetlach. Each year, before Yom Kippur, we congregate together, with the thousands of Paris Jews, at the Bagneux Cemetery, in front of the monument to the Jewish Resistance and front–line combatants, where we commune with the memory of the other six million martyrs.

Stele to the martyrs at the [Bagneux] Cemetery in Paris, erected by the Częstochower Committee in Paris

Prof Lewi – Honorary President
Dawid Wrocławski – President
Mojsze Wajnman – General Secretary
Sam Krzepicki – Treasurer
Abram Kemski [sic Kremski] – Président des Fêtes [Master of Ceremonies]
Pankowski – Président Sanitaire [Health Chairman].

Members of the Executive are:

Mal [?] Landau, Awner, Jankel Fiszman, Izzy Lugerner, Marek Swierczewski, Leizer Sender, Maurice Kremski, Charles Zabuski, Leon Wolecki [and] Jakób Szmulewicz. Social Committee: Ester Wrocławski, Ester Altbaum, Andrzej Wajsfelner [and] Różka Lugerner.

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