[Page 219]

        In the beginning of 1919 David finally returned to Drohitchin together with Zelig Tennenbaum. Nahum “the truant”, however, disappeared as if lost at sea, and to this day no one knows what happened to his remains.

        David went back into his hardware business, and became involved in community affairs. He was a member of the administration of the Folks Bank, medical assistance services, charity funds, etc., but he couldn't with his work for long. The war years, especially his wandering through the trenches, in the wet and cold caused his health to deteriorate. He suffered from blood poisoning, and his feet contracted gangrene. He repeatedly traveled to Warsaw to be treated by Dr. Soloveitchik. He underwent several operations, and was confined to the hospital for several months. Finally, Dr. Soloveitchik decided to amputate one of his feet (I lived in Warsaw in those days and witnessed the tragic operation. I was close by the patient).

        The last operation didn't help either, and the horrible disease spread to the other foot and then all over his body. After suffering terribly for several months, David passed away in Drohitchin on May 6, 1940.

        His wife Chaya Reizel, their sons Leizer, Reuven and Shmuel Warshavsky, daughter Sheina Leah Friedenberg, husband Alter and son Yonah, all perished in the Drohitchin ghetto in 1942. May G-d avenge their blood!

        The survivors were: one son, Shepsel and his family, who were sent to Russia and who [live] in Haifa; and a daughter Bluma Gutov, husband Mordechai and children had left Drohitchin in 1934, and [live] in Chicago.

[photo:] Drohitchin, June 1935

Aharon Drogitchinsky


[photo:] R. Aharon Drogitchinsky        

        Aharon Drogitchinsky, or “Arele the storekeeper,” was born in Yanova. He spent most of his time studying Talmud in the House of Study and turned over earning a livelihood to his wife Khinele, an energetic and good businesswoman who was shopkeeper and breadwinner. Aharon would only be in the store on market days to make sure the gentiles weren't shoplifting.

        In volume 10 of Hamelitz of 1885, it is interesting to find that Aharon Drogitchinsky and Yitzchak Rosenkrantz were involved in establishing a Russian school for Jewish children in Drohitchin. This cannot possibly be our Aharon Drogitchinsky, but we have never heard of anyone else with his name.

        Aharon's son Meir had left for the United States long ago, and prospered there. Later Meir brought over his sisters Rachel and Tila as well. In 1923 Meir and his two sisters went to visit their parents in Drohitchin, and provided fine descriptions of conditions in town. Meir undertook the expenses for completing the New House of Study. Meir's son Baron de Hirsh, an attorney in Florida, [is] a renowned banker and philanthropist. Meir died several years ago.

        Aharon and Khinele passed away a long time ago, but their names are known to everyone. Aharon's daughter Feigel, son-in-law, Yisrael Zelig Lev, and son David and his family (Yaakov Sidorov's son-in-law) all perished. May G-d avenge their blood!

[Page 220]

Yitzchak Avigdor Telekhansky

[photo:] R. Yitzchak Avigdor and Elka Telekhansky

        Yitzchak Avigdor Telekhansky was born into a chassidic family in Motele in 1865, and received a religious education. After his marriage to Elka, the daughter of Eliyahu Velvel Itsheles Kravetz, he became a resident of Drohitchin, where he helped build the chassidic shtibel and contributed a new Torah scroll.

        R. Yitzchak Avigdor traveled to the United States several times before he settled permanently in Chicago, where he went into a successful business. He contributed generously in the hundreds of dollars for the Talmud Torah school and religious institutions in the United States and Israel.

        In the early 1920s, when R. Yitzchak Avigdor learned from a letter from Rabbi Kalenkovitch that Drohitchin needed a building for the Talmud Torah school and guest house, R. Yitzchak Avigdor wrote a check for two thousand dollars and gave it to Yisrael Baruch Eisenstein for that purpose. He later gave even more money.

        With the money contributed by R. Yitzchak Avigdor, Rabbi Kalenkovitch and merchants in town were able to purchase the house of Yehoshua and Rasha Leah Schmid (daughter and son-in-law of Yaakov Shimon Lev). The local Talmud Torah school, guesthouse and charity fund were all located in that house.

        Before he died, R. Yitzchak Avigdor wrote a will in which he donated a third of his estate for yeshivas in Palestine. He passed away on March 2, 1932 [1933 does not correspond to the Hebrew date of 24 Adar I]. His wife, Elka, died on April 27, 1939.

        The Telekhanskys had two sons and one daughter: Michel, Avraham and Meima Altman. They all [live] in Chicago. (See photo of the Talmud Torah school on p. 182).

Mendel Eisenstein

[photo:] R. Mendel Eisenstein

        Mendel Eisenstein was born in Drohitchin in 1872 into a chassidic family. His father, Mordechai Ber, was a scholarly Jew. He spent all his years studying Talmud in the House of Study, and was supported by his father, Hersh Leib. Mendel's mother was called Khamka.

        Mendel received his education in kheder and from his father, Mordechai Ber. Later, Mendel married Bashka, the daughter of Yitzchak and Mindel Gutter; Yitzchak was known as “Yitzchak the Emperor,” and was an eminent businessman in Antapolia. The Eisensteins ran a chassidic home, and sent their sons to study in yeshivas. Mendel helped build the chassidic shtibel, where he was one of the eminent members. He was also an active member of the burial society.

        Unfortunately, R Mendel didn't live very long. At the age of 43 he contracted typhus during the epidemic, and died on November 20, 1915. Upon his death, the burden

Previous Page  | Next Page

  Drogichin, Belarus     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 13 Dec 2001 by LA