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Cultural Activities,
Schools, Parties

In memory of my two children, Brokhe and Soreh – Feyge Beer who were exterminated in their blossoming childhood by the Nazi murderers.

Before the First World War when Makow – Mazowiecki was under Russian occupation there were two public schools which taught in the Russian language: one school was for Jewish children and one for Polish.

In the school for Jewish children, the majority of pupils were girls compared to boys who were a small amount. Hasidic parents sent their boys to Cheder (religious school) but the more progressive parents allowed their children to learn in the public school in order to provide them with a bit of secular education, simultaneously with the Cheder.

With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 the only Jewish secular educational institution was closed. The teacher, who was not from Makow, left the school. The town was left without a public school for a long time, until the German occupation in the second half of 1915.

That same year, Shmuel Pianke who was born in Makow, and his wife Khaye whose maiden name was Nayman, of blessed memory, returned from Vishkov where they were teachers. They reorganized the old public Folk –Shule (public school) in town in the same two rooms at the Rizike's. Shmule Pianke recruited children from all social classes of the Jewish community – from well off and not well off, from religious and “free thinking” homes.

The writer of these lines was one of these pupils. Children of various ages learned at this school, beginning at age 7 and much older, in one class. Pianke was the only teacher and his wife helped him. The work of the teacher was made difficult because the older children, before the war,

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had attended the Russian school and were able to read and write a bit, but he had to teach the younger ones the alphabet.

The language of instruction was German and Polish.

With the influx of children, there were also more teachers: Fela Kahana, Geradich, later Feyge Segal and others. Pianke as director of the school now had the opportunity to segregate the children in classes, almost all according to age.

Although the teachers did not graduate from pedagogical institutions, the teaching and education was on a high level. They tried to give the children the maximum.

With the Polish opposition in 1918 the school was broadened even more. More teachers arrived from other towns. The language of instruction was unified. All subjects were taught in Polish. German became a foreign language for students in the higher grades. The public school was called in Polish “Public School Number 2 for Children of the Mosaic Faith”. According to the law, Jewish children had the right to attend public schools for Polish children, and Polish children could attend schools for Jewish children.

A class from the public school with teachers Shmule Pianke and Ita Katz, 1928

A class form the Makow Jewish public school, 1932

The differences between Jewish and Polish public schools were the following:

1. The day of rest fro Jewish children was Saturday instead of Sunday; “School Number 2” was closed on all Jewish holidays.
2. They taught Jewish history twice a week.

I would like to at this time to remember the teacher Vesolek of blessed memory. As a graduate of Poznansky's seminary in Warsaw, he was a gifted pedagogue. He took his task very seriously. In the 2 hours a week dedicated to teach every class Jewish history, he attempted to give the children the maximum amount of knowledge telling stories from the bible and awakening an interest in the small children. In the older classes he taught

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the history of the Jews in Poland. He provided the pupils with books in the Polish language.

As already mentioned, all subjects were taught in Polish. However, the atmosphere in school was Jewish. At recess the children spoke among themselves in Yiddish, the language their parents used at home, although the teachers wanted the children to speak Polish. However they tolerated it. Our children did not lag behind the Polish pupils in any subject.

“School Number 2” had a good reputation in the Makow district. Visitors and inspectors would often use it as an example for other schools, however there was no lack of anti Semitism displayed toward our teachers.

The teaching staff was comprised of mainly local teachers. Shmuel Pianke was the director with a short break when Benyek Ring took his place. After a short time Pianke returned and remained at the helm until 1939.

The local teachers at our disposal at the time made every effort to provide the children with maximum education in order to bring the only Jewish state school to a high level. This was not easy for the teachers

A class from the Jewish public school, 1930

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An outing of Makow children to Vielitchke after graduating from the public school, 1924

The directors of ORT with students in Makow, 1932

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because “School number 2” was spread out in various buildings in all corners of the town. The specialist teachers had to get from one building to another in the 10 minute break between classes with no rest between classes.

The classrooms were in old wooden houses, however the teachers and pupils tried to transform these ruins into esthetic classes.

Children from all social classes studied at Public School Number 2. A large amount were from poor workers' and artisans' homes. The school had a so called milk station where all the children, without exception, received a glass of milk and a roll during the long recess. Wealthier children payed for this second breakfast but it was arranged that the poorer children would not feel hurt that they could not pay. Members of the parent's council distributed the milk and roll at the school. They were also involved in other activities.

The relationship between teachers and students was friendly, especially in the higher grades.

The school library was exemplary with a large collection of books appropriate for all ages. Pupils from grades 6 and 7 were responsible for handing out the books under the supervision of our teachers Ida Katz and Kofler.

The drama club ran fine and useful activities and was directed by our teacher Rayzl Rozental – Montshkovsky. She staged actual productions which brought in financial help for the poor students so that they could also participate in and enjoy outings to the sea or the mountains. At the end of every school year, the teachers would organize outings for the two oldest grades either to the Tatra Mountains or the sea at Gdansk – Gdinie.

The public school also had a sports club called “Harcerz”. It was organized by the older students and directed by our teachers Avrom Rozental and Ida Katz. Even though it was strictly forbidden, the teachers made the effort to instill in the children the Jewish national spirit.

In the late 1920s the school began to offer evening courses for adults.

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There was a law, that if you could not read or write Polish you could not become a city councillor, and craftsmen could not belong to a guild or craftsmen's union, therefore unable to receive work permits.

This meant, if they took away the work permits of the craftsmen, many Jewish families would be left without bread.

Older craftsmen and their apprentices took these courses. They studied diligently in order to master the Polish language and writing. They did not speak any worse than their Polish neighbours. Shmuel Pianke initiated these courses. The Jewish teachers helped him. They all dedicated their free time, without pay.

The Jewish Public School Number 2 was the only teaching institution in Makow. We did not have a high school for Jewish children.

An outing of a grade 6 class to Danzig and Gdinie in 1930

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Only a small amount of pupils continued their studies, even though there were many gifted children in the school. As already mentioned above, most of the children were recruited from poor homes of craftsmen and workers.

Before the First World War there was no high school in Makow. A small amount of children from well off homes studied in Pultusk or Warsaw.

Just before the declaration of Poland's independence a Polish high school was founded in Makow called “Komunalne Gimnazjum Powiatu Makowskiego”. The school was subsidized by the government for which everyone payed taxes regardless of religion.

Although Jewish merchants payed high taxes, Jewish students did not receive any tuition reductions and were not freed from learning on the Sabbath. For middle class parents who wanted their children to receive higher education, this posed a large financial problem.

In 1918 a teacher named Mrs. Perlman came from Mlave. She had pedagogical experience and was approached to found a Jewish high school in Makow. She called a meeting where parents from all social classes of the Jewish population participated. A parent's committee was formed which helped realize this plan.

With great effort the high school was founded. It was housed in the building belonging to Hillel Shyenberg. The students were recruited from wealthy and middle class homes. The poor could not allow their children to attend as it was too expensive. Not having external material support, only a small amount of poor, but very talented children attend the high school.

Mrs. Perlman was the director of the high school. The classes were filled with students contrary to the third and fourth grades which had a small amount of students. Since the high school did not have many rooms, the development classes were taught in the evenings. Sometimes, the electricity went out and we learned by candlelight.

The director hired the teachers Yuzepovitch and Vegmeyster from Warsaw, as well as her sister and brother for the younger grades, and her nephew, Badilkes as sports instructor.

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Yuzepovitch who was studying medicine at that time was a good pedagogue and did his work with great devotion. He taught two important subjects: Polish language and mathematics.

Later he completed his medical studies and became a well known doctor in Tomaszow – Mazowieck[i].

High School class in Makow, 1918

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The Jewish high school was always in financial need. They did not receive any support from the authorities.

Although Jews comprised the majority in Makow numbering 60 percent of the general population, payed high taxes to the state and the city, no subsidies were given to the Jewish high school.

The situation of the teachers and parents committee was difficult. They were subjected to self help, and not having the proper amount of students, the Jewish high school struggled for its existence and finally had to close.

As previously mentioned, there were two Polish communal high schools in Makow, one for boys and one for girls, under one administration. As citizens with equal rights, Jewish children had the right to attend these schools. However, they were not freed from learning on Saturdays even though, according to the constitution every national minority had the right to observe its religious holidays.

The director Yamrugevitch, a liberal, promised Jewish children would not have to write on the Sabbath. But he did insist they be present in class and listen to the lessons. The teachers however, did not carry out the director's promise.

The parents of the small amount of students who went to high school on the Sabbath were persecuted by religious Jews. A few Ger Hasidim were kicked out of their congregations due to the sins of their children. The Jewish parents intervened to Yamrugevitch asking that Jewish students be totally freed from attending school on the Sabbath. The director finally agreed to their request with the condition Jewish students write exams more often than Polish students. This did not frighten the Jewish students. They were appropriately prepared for high school, especially in the Polish language, and mathematical subjects.

Although we were good students, studied diligently, made every effort to help Polish students, they did not like us. We were harassed at every opportunity by the teachers and students and they always displayed disdain and hatred toward us.

I remember an anti –Semitic stand taken by our Latin teacher.

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This was in 1921 when Professor Albert Einstein was given the Nobel Prize. We, the Jewish students, took great pride in this. The following day we came to class and told the Polish girls about it. When our Latin teacher entered the classroom and heard the noise he asked what was going on. With great joy we told him Einstein had won the Nobel Prize. His reaction was: “What are you so happy about? Everyone know Jews are merchants and know haw to swindle and calculate”.

Our professor's answer hurt our national pride. We, the students from the Jewish high school who had been educated by Vegmeyster and the “Hashomer Hatzair” did not keep silent. 5 students: Feyge Borsht, Dvoyre Blum, Rayzl Montshkovsky, Dvoyre Rozental and the writer of these lines went to the director Yamrugevitch. We asked him to give us a certificate saying we were students in the 4^th year of high school and we no longer want to learn there. The director asked us in astonishment: “What drove you to this decision?” We told him about the incident with our teacher.

The director calmed us down, asked us to return to class and promised to investigate. A few days later he removed that teacher from all classes where there were Jewish students. With this handling of the situation

The first class of the Jewish High School in Makow, 1920

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our Jewish national honour was restored. We were extremely satisfied.

It appears, the director understood that our taking a stand would have influenced more Jewish students who all payed a high tuition. Not one Jewish student, not even the best, received a stipend. On the contrary, Polish weaker students payed less tuition when their parents were not wealthy enough.

The Grzanka forest in Makow

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The “Bund” had existed in Makow from Czarist times. However, then it was a secret party. All meetings took place in the well known Makow forest. We suffered greatly from the Cossacks who persecuted us. This was up until the Germans arrived in Makow, a year after the outbreak of the First World War. This is when all political parties came alive including the Bundist movement.

At that time the “Bund” was the largest movement in Makow. The fact is, from 11 Jewish councilmen the “Bund” had 7 representatives. When the “Bund” stood for election the first time the movement carried out 5 mandates. A strong storm emerged on the part of the other parties:

The bus station in the marketplace

What's going on? The “Bund” received so many mandates? This is not good. We must do something about it. It came to pass that they declared the election invalid.

The first Sabbath after the elections the rabbi, Rabbi Yisroel Nisn Kupershtokh wanted to give a sermon in the old House of Study in order to place a ban on the “Bund” organization. As members of the “Bund” we reacted and told the rabbi if he defames or offends the “Bund” we will disrupt his speech. The next day, Sunday, the elections were scheduled to take place for the second time, in an attempt to reduce the amount of Bundist councilmen. However, the results were even more surprising: instead of 5 councilmen the “Bund” received 7 mandates. We had great satisfaction seeing how almost all craftsmen, small shopkeepers and merchants agitated, to get people to vote for the “Bund” because the “Bund” had higher intentions and were accepted at city hall and the Jewish community.

The 7 city councillors were:

1. Dovid Mnogo who was called “Dovid Torah”, his activity he was extremely partial. He was a wheelwright by profession. He always found time for communal work.
   
2. Avreyml Malakh, the best tailor in the entire region. He was always ready to do someone a favour and was devoted the community at large.
   
3. Yisroel Shikora, the son of a saddle maker, an honest devoted man, active in the “Bund” movement.
   
4. Yones Nayman, the son of religious judge, a very active member, a cultured person, loved in all circles.
   
5. Yankl Shlomovitch, a hat maker by profession, always helping the weak and the downtrodden.
   
6. Aharon – Yekhiel Aharonovitch, a shoemaker, a worker. His nickname was “Kurtzikof”.
   
7. The writer of these lines had the privilege and honour to serve as a councilman on the Makow city council.
   

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The “Bund” was situated at the home of Judge Nayman. There was also a cooperative whose job was to support the poor working population of Makow. The cooperative distributed produce, clothing and other helpful items to the needy.

The leaders of the “Bund” Movement in 1929

In order to perform “Motke the Thief” we needed permission from the Polish authorities. We could not receive this permit in Makow. We learned this from a member of the “Bund” in Prazasnysz whose name was Nosn Olshever. He said his sister Fania Olshever and her friend Bronia Gzhib could manage to get us a permit from the Starosta (village elder) in Prazasnysz. We actually received it in Prazasnysz and performed “Motke the Thief” two or three times with great success. After the tour they organized a banquet for the amateur actors from Makow. At the banquet I had the pleasure to get to know Bronka Gzhib who later became my wife and gave birth to my beloved son Shmuel Gogol. Unfortunately he died prematurely of heart disease.

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The “Bund” had an evening school where they taught writing, reading, mathematics, history and more. The teachers were: Hershl Zudkevitch, Sender Burshteyn and others.

There was also a large library named for Y.L Peretz with hundreds of books. It was open to everyone.

In general the majority of the Christian residents in Makow were not anti Semitic. The P.P.S party worked with the “Bund”. We always found a common language with them.

In 1927 I left Makow. However I remained in close contact with the local “Bund” organization which existed until the Second World War.

Comment: Leybl Gogol of blessed memory, unfortunately did not live to read his story in this Makow book. He passed away on June 18^th 1967. May his memory serve as a blessing.

The editors

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Who does not remember Makow in the 20s of this century? From one side the thousand year long standing traditions – with Hasidic Rebbes. All sorts of Jewish religious functionaries and all types of Hasidic and Orthodox houses of worship. A tradition with all the beauty of past Jewish life. On the other side- the rise of the youth, ruled by new progressive winds which blew into our town with great force.

The youth organization “Hashomer Hatzair” for the most part recruited school children from well off and respected Hasidic families.

On the other side was the Poalei Zion (Labour Zionist) party. Children from Yeshivas and Cheders (religious schools) joined. They were from lesser well off families. They had already learned a trade (the majority cutters of shoe leather), in order to earn enough to support themselves.

And finally the “Bund”. They attracted young labourers: shoemakers, tailors, house painters and similar trades; the children from families of the lowest strata of society. A youth that did not go to school and by twelve years of age already had to go to work in a workshop to earn a piece of bread; a youth which had no prospects for the future, no spiritual baggage. These were the ones that joined Bundist circles thirstily drinking up every new word. This is where they found themselves, became worthy and where their lives once again had value.

I came to the “Bund” thanks to my cousins, the daughters of my uncle Moishe, Lize and Fayle Blum. My uncle Moishe Blum, the son of Reb Dovidl Sofer of blessed memory, was know in town as “Moishe Bubeles”. He was popular thanks to his four sons who distinguished themselves with their sharp intelligence and exceptional talents. His daughters did not lag far behind. My uncle lived in an inherited small house not far from the synagogue across from the old House of Study. The house had two rooms

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and a dark alcove with two entrances. Down the length of the room and alcove stood a large baking oven with a plank bed above. Every Friday afternoon the Makow housewives would come here to bake their Challahs and leave their cholents (Sabbath stews). This was the only source of income for my uncle. In the attic above in the small house lived “Ozer the pauper” (according to what my cousins said). He frightened us children.

As extremely poor children, all four sons were quickly carried away by the revolutionary current. They all threw away their long black caftans, cut their side curls and became active in the existing parties in town. All of them had to run away from Poland in 1921 together with the retreating Bolshevik army.

Feyvl lived for a while illegally in Vilna and wrote articles in the local daily “The Vilna Day” under the pseudonym “Feyvele”. Later, together with his wife, a doctor from Vilna, he moved to Moscow. There he studied journalism and eastern languages. He died of tuberculosis in the late 1920s in a sanatorium in Crimea, a result of years of hunger. His son Oktiaver, lives in Moscow and practices medicine.

The older son, Khaim, left for Oygustov[Augustow?] near Vilna during the Bolshevik invasion and worked as a party functionary of the “Bund”. Travelling through Russia and the Far East, he arrived in America without any money.

Velvl, the youngest, was a leader in the Poalei Zion movement. For a long time he worked as editor of the Kharkov “Shtern” newspaper which his party published. Later, when the newspaper was shut down, he was sent to a labour camp for 10 years. He was freed and lives in Kharkov.

And finally, the eldest Rafael Hirsh. He arrived with his whole family in Kovno, (Kaunas) Lithuania. They lived there until the 1940s. Hitler's hordes murdered them all. Among them was my uncle's youngest daughter Fayle, her husband and child.

Feyvl Blum wrote a book called “Samum”, stories about the lives of the plantation workers in Sumara, published by “Shul un Bukh”, Moscow, 1928. The book and its author are mentioned in Zalmen Reyzen's “Lexicon of Yiddish Writers” without any biographical dates.

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Lize Blum was an amateur actress in the drama club of the “Bund” in Makow. The director was the Bundist Leybl Gogol. With great charm she played the roles of Beylke in “Two Hundred Thousand” and Leah in “Tevye the Dairyman” and other plays. All these performances were great successes in town.

Liza was killed in Bendin [Bedzin] where she lived with her husband and two children.

*

Faye was the youngest in the house. She was born in 1912. She was just a small child when her mother died. Faye was a smart and talented child. She studied in the Polish public school and graduated with distinction. The older sisters were active in the “Bund”. Faye joined the “Bund” youth group “Tzukunft” (“Future”). This is where she taught Yiddish and Yiddish literature. She dreamt about studying at the Jewish teacher's seminary. Moishe Blum, whom they called Moishe Bubeles was a good father, not fanatically religious and would have gladly allowed his children to study but he was too poor to send them away to study. The Bundist organization in town took interest in this girl and decided to send her to study at their expense. In 1929 Faye arrived in Vilna at the seminary, joined “Tsukunft” and became a leader in “Skif”. She was popular and loved by all. In 1931, when the seminary was closed, Faye returned to Makow. She was active in the “Bund”. Not having given up her dream to study, she went to Warsaw, got a job in the administrative office of the Medem Sanatorium and at the same time studied at seminary named for Fagen Luria for a year and later worked as a kindergarten teacher. When Warsaw was captured by the Germans in 1939, she escaped to Bialystok, from Bialystok to Krinki, the birthplace of her husband Rozenblum. She was killed there along with all the other Jews in that town.

From the “Remembering Teachers Book”, New York, 1952-1954.

A spring day. The sun shone bright. Everything around smells of grass and flowers coming to life. The nature filled us with joy. We are young and happy. We are preparing for May Day festivities. At this time there was a joint meeting of the “Bund” and the P.P.S., the Polish Socialist Party. The slogan was “Freedom” and

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“Equality” which stirred up youthful fantasies. “The happy tomorrow” imagined in the fantasy of a young girl whose present did not appear to be so cheerful. She was called to fight.

This took place the first of May 1928.

We were preparing for the joint meeting with the P.P.S. Our locale (if I remember correctly) was on Prashnitzer Street, in the house of the Makow saddle maker. Hundreds of people, dressed in their holiday best fill the streets in front of the locale. I was standing at the entrance. Suddenly, Khaim Borukh Segal, the son of Yakov – Meir Segal (then a member of the organization) passes me a note: I must welcome the P.P.S in the name of the “Bund”. I did not think for long, climbed up on a chair, and when they finished playing the “International”, I briefly welcomed everyone.

My father also was preparing to give a sermon that day in the House of Study. My father, Reb Yakov Meir Rushinyak of blessed memory, had been an emissary for a few years, collecting money for the Lublin Yeshiva. He did not have any luck in business. He had been a student at a Yeshiva. When he was 17 he married the daughter of Reb Dovidl Sofer. They had eight children. Together with the parents there were ten mouths waiting for a piece of bread. He was a good preacher. He possessed an innate sense of humour, despite his difficult life. His sermons were rich in content and he always weaved in jokes and parables from the bible. His audience retold his stories with envy. My grandfather was also visiting us. He came from Ostrow– Mazowiecka..

Good friends do not sleep. In no time my father heard the news that his daughter spoke at the meeting.

My father became agitated: such a thing brought about shame. They could kick him off the podium and not allow him to preach because of the sins of his daughter. Luckily, this did not happen. He delivered his sermon with great success.

I returned home around ten o'clock that night. I waited all day at my friend's house, Esther Mikovska, the daughter of the teacher Nekhemieh of blessed memory. When I got home I found my father in bed with a cigar in his mouth. He called me over and asked me to sit down beside him. I was very scared. My father asked me: “Where did you find so much courage to speak in front of such a large crowd?” and then I saw a broad smile, mixed with pride cover his clever face.

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It is not easy to remember in detail memories from home and from Maków, where I was born, where I grew–up and were I was educated. Many years passed, a period of time that was filled with stress, sorrow, suffering and anxiety. Meanwhile, the greatest tragedy happened to all the citizens of Maków, my family members included, they were martyrs who perished and were exterminated by the Nazi Beast, and my heart is broken and will never be repaired.

Sometimes I see images in my mind as if it happened yesterday. My father, may his memory be blessed, who belonged to a distinguished Hassidic family, was a Torah scholar and we, the daughters of the house, learned from him good manners and morals; he carved into us the basics of Judaism and love for its people.

My house was outside the city, among Goyim [Gentiles] where the environment was hostile. More than once I came back home bitterly

“Havazelet” group before the member Mirel Kirshenbaum travelled to the US in 1927

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crying, having been beaten and threatened by the Goyim's [Gentiles'] children. The daily slogan was: “Dirty Jew, go to Palestine!”

I remember school. At first, I studied at the primary school “Yehuda” but for lack of classrooms I was transferred to a mixed school with Goyim, although we Jews were a minority there – we always managed to overcome and we excelled in our studies as well as in the confrontations we had every now and then.

The teacher Yenta Schneiderman, may her memory be blessed, who was admired by the children; she organized performances for us and I remember especially one at Hannukah, when the children, with great enthusiasm, performed and expressed their deep love of Judaism and Zion.

Maków youth was very special – warm–hearted, cultured and loyal to the Zionist movement. While still in school I was part of “Hashomer Hatzair” and “Havazelet”. My parents were not happy about my being in “Hashomer Hatzair”, since back then religious people saw this movement as deviating from the accepted norms [Hasidim were opposed to the State of Israel=Zionism].

In our movement's branch a large number of cultural activities took place. There was a library and I loved reading the Jewish literature classics: Shalom Aleichem, Mendele, etc.

In one of the performances by the JNF, which took place in Lutnia Hall, my sister Tama, may her memory be blessed, read “I Have a Garden” by Bialik. One of the distinguished proprietors in town, the late Pinkas Lipsitz, told my father about the reading and my sister's presentation. Although my father was an Orthodox Jew and adhered the Mitzvot, he accepted my sister's acting as something understandable and in his heart of hearts was very proud of his daughter's talent.

The passage from a religious society to a progressive one was difficult, but still I respected my parents, who inspired me for the rest of my life. I will never forget my father's house – the house that no longer exists: gone are my parents and three sisters – Tama, Dora, and Faige, may their souls be bundled in the bundle of life.

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