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In 1825 R' Yosef Ze'ev Ashkenazi Idlish was sent to Italy and Turkey from Tsfat from the chasidim community (kahal hachasidim) and from the community of Prushim^[1] (kahal hapirushim) jointly. In his letter to the philanthropists (Shpender) about his mission he said, “The news of your good name and virtues have come to our ears…supporting souls…poor people…now, forced by great need in our holy community of ashkenazis, God safeguard and protect them. The two holy communities here in the holy city shall be rebuilt and restored. The mitzvah of pidyen shvuim (ransoming of hostages) we were forced to send to our brothers, the children of Israel…in the country of Italy may God strengthen them, where you will be…in this general letter in the possession of our dear shaliach derabeinu…great in nigle^[2] and nister^[3] …Maharar Yosef the son of Ze'ev Ashkenazi, the Av Bet Din^[4] and Rosh Yeshiva^[5] from the holy community of Markuszow, God strengthen her, and grandson of the gaon Rabeinu Maharasha ZTVK”L, crowned with virtues…with the holy writings of the Sephardic sages…and the rabbis of Jerusalem…Constantinople…Izmir…Smyrna…Baghdad God keep her…their letters…compassionate people, let your mercy awake for the sake of the holy congregation of Ashkenaz…so say they who beg in the name of the holy land and the holy yeshivas of the Ashkenazim, may God preserve and protect them and the holy congregations of Ashkenazim and Prushim.”

The letter was signed by the chasidim: R' Gershon Margalit, R' Amram B”R Moishe Nechami, R' Moishe Shimon Wolf Bachar”yl, R' Nachmi Dinar, R' Meir from Zwet: From the Pirushim: R' Chaim Cohen, who was av bet din from Pinsk, R' Israel from Shklav, R' Yeshia B”R Yissachar Ber (Brdki) from Pinsk, R' Yechiel B”R Yehuda Leib.

On his journey as emissary he detoured to Padua and there in 1928 gave the rabbinical smicha^[6] to the honorable Mordechai Shmuel Gerondi, and also wrote a forward to his book, Kvutzat Kesef. Gerondi wrote about him:

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“Kmoharar Yosef Idlish Ashkenazi was av bet din in the city of Markuszow, and God awakened his spirit to go and live in the holy land in order to add holiness to his holiness, and afterward he went abroad in a mission of mitzvah, and I was worthy enough to have the pleasure of listening to his Torah knowledge for a long time here in Padua like a pomegranate, versed in negila and nister, and heard a lot of insights from him, they are written in my Chibur L'koti Shoshanim, first part, and he wrote a lot of books on Tanach and on Gemara Poskim Tosafot and on Kabbalah,and it is not printed…only the book Brachot Yosef…and may there be serenity and honor in the holy city, Tsfat, may it be rebuilt and restored soon in our days amen. May his merit sustain us.”

From Italy he went to Turkey, and in 1831 his book, “Birkat Yosef,” was published in Salonika, a pirush on the book Yetzira. To the book, there was a commentary, Lev Yehoshua, by R' Yehoshua B”R Chaim Itzchk Mousssafia added. The commentary (page kof nun dalet, second side) said:

“And from that you will understand how great are the virtues of tzadikim and therefore they are worthy of every honor and to all the worldly satisfactions, especially if they are emissaries from Eretz Israel, as everywhere where an emissary comes to them from Eretz Israel, all of Israel is obliged to do what they can for the pleasure and favor of Eretz Israel, because from there comes the survival of the entire world and even the angels are ready to serve the sons of Eretz Israel.”

(We further present the letter and opinions of the Markuszow rabbi R' Yosef Idlish as it was published in the original in Avraham Yaari's book).^[7]

1. Reclusive men who devote all their time to study Return
2. Body of Jewish text Return
3. Kabbalah lore Return
4. Head of the Jewish court Return
5. Head of a yeshiva Return
6. Rabbinical ordination Return
7. With the permission of the author translated from the book, “Shluchi Eretz Israel” The History of the Mission from Israel to the Diaspora from the Destruction of the Second Temple to the Nineteenth Century by Avraham Yaari, Jerusalem, 1971, published by the Rabbi Kook Institute, affiliated with World Mizrachi, 948 pages. Return

[Pages 138-139]

[Page 140]

Markuszow could allow itself to be proud of its rabbis. One of them–R' Yosef Ze'ev Idlish, z”l,was a dear man, a yachsan^[1], a descendant of the Marasha (a commentary on the Talmud Gemara). It is told that when he wanted to leave Markuszow, he asked that the money he had given to the shtetl when he took over the chair of the rabbinate be returned to him. Seeing that Markuszow was in financial straits at the time, and couldn't pay the requested amount–a thing they really wanted to do out of love and care for the rabbi–he called together the congregation and said to them in theses words. “Remember, if you would return my money to me, it would be fine”

The crowd was stunned, afraid that the rebbe, God forbid, would speak ill of the shtetl, because exactly as they believed in the steadfastness of his positive words, they were also fearful of his anger, because he was considered a holy man. But long they could not deliberate on the matter, because the rebbe continued, “And if not–it's lost! Be strong and healthy…”

The Jews gathered there breathed a sigh of relief, and wished him much success. He then left for Eretz Israel.

In prior years, he was considered a religious dreamer, due to his modesty and honesty. Soon after his wedding, while he was still being supported by his father-in-law, he was getting ready to go to the baths on a Friday, but didn't have the courage to ask his father-in-law for a tenner to pay. So he stood by the window talking to himself out loud while tapping on the window with his finger. “A shirt, a tenner in bod arein! A shirt, a tenner in bod arein.”

He stood there like this for a long time. When the people in the house understood what he meant, it was already too late. The time for bathing was over.

His good friends used to allow themselves to joke, and remind him about “A shirt, a tenner in bod arein,” but the rebbe did not show any resentment and just smiled along.

This so-called ineptitude did not hamper his wit. He would readily answer the most complicate questions. It was said of him that in the shtetl where he was rabbi before coming

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to Markuszow, a rich Jew had died, a great miser who never gave anything to the community while alive. The community, therefore, demanded a larger sum of money from his relatives for his cemetery lot. His rich sons did not intend to pay the requested amount and the deceased lay for days before burial. At the end, the deceased's children submitted, but at the same time, they took the community to court. The tsarist supervisor over the community knew that the community's behavior merited a heavy punishment for delaying the burial of a dead person. He called for the rabbi, and asked if the complaint was valid. Not wanting to deny the very fact of taking money the rabbi answered, “Yes, the community requested money from the rich man's family. We Jews believe that the Messiah will come, and then the dead will rise. That is why while still alive, we negotiate over a piece of earth for a grave for a certain amount of time only, and it costs very little. But the community behaves differently, however, towards those who don't believe in the Messiah. That kind of person buys a plot for eternity which amounts to the sum the deceased's children have paid. Since their father did not believe in the coming of the messiah, they had to pay this.”

The supervisor really liked this response, and he dismissed the claim against the community.

1. Term for a descendant of a prominent religious figure Return

A Lubliner Chasidism researcher once wrote about the Markuszow rabbi:

I remember when I was studying at the “chozeh”^[2] besmedresh in Lublin.

R' Moishe Markuszow came in very early on one of the Tamuz days. He was running back and forth over the entire length of the besmedresh.

After I finished my studying, I went to eat lunch. I came back, and finished the next lesson. He was still running around from place to place, tirelessly, engrossed, not even having finished davening Shachris. When the evening shadows began to appear, he suddenly awoke from his

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holy thoughts and ran to the “Cohen's” besmedresh to daven tefilles Shachris.

When the holy rebbe and gaon, the “Cohen,” passed away, he became rabbi and settled in Markuszow. He once came to Lublin and stayed in a Lublin suburb called “the sands.” Saturday, I attended his table. He began with great humility, “a painter once painted a picture of a lion on canvas.” One of the gathered saw the artistic work, and cried out, “It's not a real living lion.” The crowd replied, “True, it's not a living lion–but the picture of a lion.”

R' Avraham Moishe Markuszower, the follower of the Cohen's way and creator of a new branch, died in Warsaw 8th of Shevat 1918.

1. Reprinted from the book, “Lublin” by N. Shemen (pp. 469-470) with the generous permission of the author. Return
2. Rebbe Yaakov Yitzchak Halevi Horowitz, known as the Chozeh of Lublin Return

In the year 1900, the rebbe R' Tzadok Hacohen, z'tzl, of Lublin, died. Right after his passing, the chasidim assembled, the usual tish^[1] attenders, and entourage members, and their eyes immediately fell on R' Avraham Moishe, and gave him a mazel tov. He was then middle-aged and considered himself one of the most loyal adherents of the dead rabbi. His imposing figure gave him the appearance of a holy man, and his face expressed only spirituality. He would sit and study for days on end. His daily food consisted of two pieces of challah and milk that he would eat only in the evening. Friday evening he celebrated the first meal in the besmedresh at exactly 11 o'clock so that his chasidim could first celebrate the Sabbath at home, get rested and develop an appetite for the rebbe's leftovers.^[2] He conducted the tish like this until 4 a.m., eating little himself, studying Torah the whole time. We used to wonder where this weak person got so much strength, because he would study Torah at the tish with extraordinary passion. Wisdom and enlightenment shone from his eyes, and everyone who spoke with the rebbe was overcome by his sharp intellect and wisdom. He was not boastful or secret, but he lived with the people, understood their suffering and pain, and always encouraged and consoled them. When it was proposed to him that he behave like other rabbis, receiving petitions, he would reply,

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“I'm not a storekeeper.”

His entourage never mentioned that again knowing in advance that the rabbi would not allow himself to be persuaded.

It is told that when the rabbi had only just arrived in Markuszow, R' Moishe Dovid Soifer and his boy, Yoskeh, approached him to welcome him.

“What are you called, young boy?”

I am called “ben yachid!”^[3] he answered.

The rabbi then said as if to himself, “ Woe to the parents when a child knows he is a ben yachid.”

Once, Erev Yom Kippur, just before Kol Nidrei, the rabbi's son, Yehoshua, (Shieleh the Rabbi's) and some other chasidim began to sing and dance. So the rebbe was approached with a question, “Is now the time for such things?” The rebbe answered, “ Yes, because with singing and dancing the prayers to God go faster than through sorrow and tears.”

His adherents and opponents knew that the rebbe cared more for his chasidim than for himself. Once a Tsarist gendarme showed up unexpectedly in his home, and insisted that he needed to see the rebbe. But the rebbe managed to go somewhere else after he heard that a man in uniform was looking for him. He was asked after why he didn't want to be seen by the gendarme. He replied, “ The gendarme would certainly have spoken to me in Russian and I would not have understood a word, because I don't know the language. How would I have looked in his eyes? And what would he have thought of the rebbe and his chasidim?”

The rebbe lived not far from the besmedresh, and the melody of his studying mixed in with the voices of the besmedresh boys who studied energetically. The shtetl was unable to hear the studying on just one day of the week, every Monday, because the noise from the market was greater and louder especially since the whole shtetl of Jews was occupied with the market.

We had the honor of having the rebbe, R' Avraham Moishe Markuszower for a short time, and benefited from it spiritually, and economically, because of the

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arrival of so many chasidim. He left Markuszow at the end of 1912, and settled in Otwock near Warsaw. The shtetl lost a source of income, and the besmedreshniks, a treasury of melodies that the visiting chasidim used to sing with the rabbi.

1. A rabbi's tish (table) is where a chasidic rabbi eats and holds court. Return
2. It is considered an honor to eat food that was on the rebbe's plate Return
3. Ben yachid means “only child.” Return

Itzchak Wasserstrum, who at the age of 18 was sitting in the besmedresh studying, had managed, with the help of another young man, Hersh Loterstein, to establish the Zionist organization, Kadimah, in Markuszow, in a short time. In all, only two years had passed since this daring step, and the organization already had 80 members. And the library was filled with 300 books. And all thanks to this idealistic dreamer who possessed a heap of energy and initiative–Itzchak Wasserstrum. He was the first who breathed the vitality of Zionism and culture into the sleepy shtetl. He fought like a lion for these two principles, and at every opportunity, emphasized that Zionism was his most beautiful dream. He did not stop weaving his dream even when a united, hostile front against him began by all those who were always disunited, and quarreling amongst themselves, with various rationalizations: Lubliner, Kotzker, Radziner, Gerer, and Markuszower chasidim. They all declared a holy war against the 20 year old young man. But Itzchak Wasserstrum did not allow himself to be intimidated. He stayed firm to his principles: for the rebirth of Eretz-Israel and the Jewish people, it was worthwhile not just to suffer, but even to die. He pursued his struggle with courage and stubbornness.

He came often to the besmedresh where dozens of dreamy and fanatical believers sat over Gemaras, and holy books, and studied. He would call aside one of those young men deep in study, take him to the women's besmedresh, and begin a conversation with him.

“How can you justify to yourself doing nothing in today's times? Let's say that you will continue to study like this for another ten years, and really know your Abbaye and Rava.^[1] Would that be of use to anyone? Because as a person goes through life, he has to recognize reality. He has to know the history of his people and look for ways to return to its roots…Because “suffering mankind” in our version means both a suffering Jew and a suffering person. You need to be shown that in every world crisis the Jews bleed the most. This every young Jew must know, and throw himself into the struggle to free the unfortunate people that he himself is a part of. I know you have influence with your friends. You have to win them to our cause. Zionism needs new young energy.”

Itzchak Wassertrum waited patiently for a response. He understood that his simple persuasive words were not immediately received favorably, because too many of his targets were too deeply involved with the besmedresh, the books, and the traditions of the old Jewish home to be suddenly won over to Zionism. The response from a besmedresh student was in most cases the same:

As I understand it, the rabbis are the ideological leaders of the people, and they are intelligent people…Why then do they not do anything to see that Jews return to their own land? They, the rabbis, would not have to deliver a great sermon. A simple hint to their chasidim about the Jewish settlement in Eretz-Israel would in a few years have transformed our land into a great Jewish power. So answer me that.”

Itzchak Wasserstrum regards the earnest speaker's pale face intently. He finds the question was sincerely posed, and with his usual passion begins to explain to the young man the essence of Chassidism and rabbinical positions. He speaks about precarious Jewish occupations, about antisemitism, the Pale of Settlement, and ends with the eternal yearning for Zion of the Jewish people which has a chance to be realized, if Jews would take the matter into their own hands.

More than one Torah student was captivated by Itzchak's words. Under his directorship, they filled the ranks of the Zionist organization, Kadimah–the pioneer of Jewish social life in Markuszow.

1. Important innovators in the Talmud Return

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You could see them almost every Saturday after the meal, strolling along the broad sidewalk with slow steps, hands crossed behind their backs, (only when they were not actually talking), marching through the shtetl constantly arguing and debating, explaining and demonstrating and contradicting what the previous speaker had said.

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“The matter can be explained in other ways, and the proof------”

And here would follow a whole series of demonstrations and arguments to justify what was said, and to demolish the words from a second or third participant. There were four of them–and all Markuszow knew them well: Yosef Goldberg, Shmuel-Avraham Marchevke, Pinchas Liebhober, and Moishe Breinsky.

Their piety did not prevent them from admiring that part of the shtetl youth who, after Poland's independence, broke away from the traditional life of besmedreshniks, and set out on the broad road of worldly Yiddishkeit, and demonstrated interest in culture and literary questions, and began to build the cultural-political life of the shtetl.

By chance, I had the opportunity to listen in on one of their discussions during a Shabbes stroll.

The small-statured Moishe Breinsky looks up at the tall Shmuel-Avraham Marchevke, and suddenly asks: “ Is the land we call Poland, really Poland, or actually a Jewish country?”

And he tries to justify his opinion with the situation in Markuszow. The three Poles who live on the central Lubelska street, are hardly ever seen. The tone and appearance of the shtetl is determined by its Jewish population. Trade and business are in Jewish hands. It sometimes happens that a farmer from the village forgets when a Jewish holiday is happening, and he brings his few products to town. The Markuszow Poles laughingly mock such a farmer for not being alert to the Jewish calendar…and tell him to take his merchandise back and come back only when the Jews are free.

Pinchas Liebhober was not so enamored with the “Yiddishkeit” of Markuszow. According to him everything is “Chayei Sha'ah.”^[2] A people must think and worry about the future.

Moishe Breinsky, as per usual, must not be in agreement with Pinchas Liebhober. One example, when a Polish store opened in Markuszow, the Jews raised a ruckus. What! We're going to Polishify business? And he asks with irony,” What do you say to that Pinchas the philosopher?”

Instead of Pinchas, the attackee, replying, Yosef Goldberg, a Zionist veteran, answered. He developed Pinchas Liebhober's theme about our own land, and demonstrated the tenuous existence of Polish Jews in general, and Markuszow in particular, even when they are the majority in the shtetl.

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Moishe Breinsky does not, however, concede. With facts from life, he showed how Poles, especially the farmers, respect, and had high opinions of the Jews in business and the trades.

Pinchas Liebhober already knew about the Balfour Declaration. He had read about the growth of the Zionist organization, and that gives him a good basis for his opinion that the Jewish situation world-wide is now much better–and most important–that we had to exploit the set of circumstances created and get more and more Jews to forsake Poland and travel to the promised land. Yosef Itchele's and Shmuel-Avaham have a counterargument for this: The Arabs in Eretz-Israel will not be better to the Jews than the Poles in Poland.

The Zionist debaters don't want to concede. Pinchas Liebhober speaks with pathos about burning all his bridges, going off to Eretz-Israel, in our own land–and finally living in his own home.

Moishe Breinsky's conclusion is entirely another one: He points out that in the big cities as well as in the little shtetls, Jews are building houses, erecting workshops, establishing stores and–dealing with several hundred markets in Poland. They rent orchards for several years in advance, they buy woodlots, get married, have children, signs that they are not so ready to accept R' Pinchas' theory about burning bridges…

The sun is setting. We have to go to Shalosh Seudos^[3]. Our maskilim are heading to the besmedresh, the debate gets interrupted in order to be renewed at another time with more vigor and passion.

1. Followers of the Haskala, the so-called Jewish Enlightenment Return
2. Living for the moment, transitory pleasure Return
3. Third Sabbath meal Return

One of the most active and loyal comrades was Pinchas Liebhober. He was completely dedicated to the Zionist cause, and was always at the head of every action and undertaking. His passion was social work, and he demanded much of himself, and often, too much from others. The Zionist organization always trusted him with representing it on the boards of the Jewish community, or in other institutions and committees. His shoe store was transformed into an assembly point for Zionist and social activity.

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Israel-Itche Roguski, one of my best personal friends, was also one of those types of activists, without whom it was difficult to imagine anything happening in social and political work in the shtetl. He came from a poor home, but he found his way to the movement through his own efforts. He was admired by everyone, both by his own friends, and by his opponents. Although he was far from adopting Revisionist ideals, he, nevertheless, found

Pinchas Liebhober

Avromtche Eidelstein had fewer financial worries than the previous two. This allowed him to dedicate himself more to organization work. At all times, he carried the entire burden of the movement both when he was a General Zionist, and as leader of Betar. His conscientious activity was felt everywhere, and his boundless dedication to the cause he was fighting for.

All three shared the tragic fate of Markuszow's Jews. They were murdered by the Nazi savages.

Honor to their memory!

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In Memory of a Comrade

Markuszow with its significant Zionist youth did not manage to achieve a pioneer aliyah. There was just a Revisionist youth that did not attend any hachshara^[1] kibbutz, and therefore did not get any certificates. The drive to go was however very strong. The youth waited for another way of getting to Eretz-Israel to present itself.

Menachem Goldberg

The grief in the shtetl was great. Menachem Goldberg, z”l, was known as a very quiet boy and a good person.

1. Zionist pioneer working camps Return

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It is hard to imagine Markuszow Jewish life without Israel-Itche Weinribber, the backbone of the Zionist organization. Although he was a few years older than me, we were bound by threads of true friendship. Every Shabbes after lunch, he would come to visit our home in order to learn from my father how to be a ba'al koreh.^[1] At every visit, he would bring two red apples, joking that they were the same color as my cheeks. Most of the time, due to my age,

Israel-Itche Weinribber

In later years, when I began to attend the Zionist organization, I first became acquainted with Israel-Itcheh. He was full of knowledge. If the cultural and social activities of the organization were in the hands of Pinchas Liebhober, Avrumtche Eidelstein, and Pinyeh Ettinger (coming from the left Poalei-Zion, they reorganized the library, held literary readings, led a question and answer series every Saturday evening,

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brought speakers in, and the like), Israel-Itcheh distinguished himself by his gentle character, and loyal dedication and concern for each comrade, young or old, demonstrating a lot of patience. I don't recall him ever getting mad at anyone. Always with a smile, a joke, with a fitting example that immediately calmed the stormy atmosphere. He was compassionate and very devoted to people, especially to the needy.

I know of many cases where he was worried about the fate of a given family, and using various pretexts, immediately went over there to see what was really happening, and to bring help. In winter particularly, he would be a frequent guest in poor homes where there was always a lack of money for coal or firewood, or perhaps there was a greater need for money for food in such a house, or just as an act of kindness that would sustain the soul. In such cases Israel-Itcheh Roguski demonstrated a lot of compassion and tact in order not to offend the recipient.

Sometimes when they came for help from him, he did not have the means required to help. Without delay, he would borrow from someone else in order not to leave the outstretched hand hanging in the air…We learned about all these cases by chance, because he was not the sort of man to boast. Helping someone near to him was his reward and pleasure. As is usual with such people, he had no luck in his own life.

As related by the survivors of Markuszow Jewry, who lived through the Hitler occupation in the shtetl, Israel-Itche remained true until the end. When the criminal Nazis came first for his wife, leaving the extermination of the men for a later time, he went along with her in order to share her tragic fate.

Honor to his shining memory!

1. Reader of the Torah before the congregation Return

This was the fate of Jews in the lands in which they lived: Before the first shots of the parties in the war stopped echoing at the front, the bodies of Jews were already swaying on the gallows, accused of espionage. These gallows marked the route of the Czarist army during WWI.

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The more setbacks at the fronts, the greater the anger at the defenseless Jewish population. Russian officers, especially the Cossack units, distinguished themselves with their savagery and persecutions, and never missed an opportunity to create trouble for the innocent Jews.

The outbreak of the war in 1914 brought dangers associated with the event in Markuszow as well. The first victim from the shtetl on the sacrificial altar of the First World War fell far from Markuszow while he was loyally and honestly fulfilling his mission to a community of Jews condemned to death. It happened like this:

In the dense forests of Sandomierz there were several Jews engaged in forestry, among them Markuszow's Moishe Eidelstein who was a writer. He was very esteemed by all for his honesty and piety.

As soon as the war broke out, several Czarist military units came to these forests. It became dangerous for Jewish workers to even move around the forest, not to mention going to the city. As the day of Yom Kippur approached, the forest Jews decided not to go to Sandomierz for the holiday, because the roads were full of dangers, and instead to put together a minyan in the forest itself. There were about ten Jews there along with the Jews who lived in the surrounding villages. They came together for Kol Nidrei in a forest hut. Hot prayers and even hotter tears issued from their hearts and eyes to the heavens. There was plenty to plead with God for: removing the Cossack danger that lurked around every corner; ending the war that caused so much loss of Jewish life; livelihood, health, good matches for the children, and anything necessary for a little good fortune. Some prayed for themselves, that is, for most of Israel, and some for the collective–for all of Israel. But everyone had one desire: Yom Kipur should pass peacefully. It should not be disturbed by the enemies who were very close then, a stone's throw away.

The night passed quietly with no disturbances. The Yom Kippur prayers began in the morning. The pleading and the tears of the congregants issued through the open door and windows and carried through the forest. The Christian watchman was also affected by the prayers and wept along with the Jews. The day was coming to an end slowly, the sun beginning to set, its rays shining through the tops of the trees. The worshipers began Neilah^[2]

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with the conviction that the holy day had been a lucky one this time, that the danger from the army stationed in the forest had passed. Prayers became more cheerful, although with tears, but with thanks to the Everlasting that this random Jewish congregation was given the opportunity to observe the holiest day of the year.

Their impassioned prayers were suddenly interrupted. Several Cossacks with an officer in the lead broke into the hut and demanded that prayers stop. Such an order was not necessary, because the trembling Jews had immediately become silent. The officer shouted that our cries were a signal to the enemy. In vain the Jews tried to explain that they were only praying to God, observing Yom Kippur, and had no thoughts of any armies, fronts, and certainly no thoughts of signaling the enemy.

The Cossack officer had his fixed views of Jews, however. He pretended to believe their words and demanded a bribe. The poor village Jews did not have the kind of money that the senior Cossack demanded. So he was promised that one of them would immediately go to Sandomierz to get money. That is how Moishe Eidelstein, a Markuszow resident, became the emissary for nine Jews. In their name, and with their blessing, he went off to the city to get the contribution demanded from the community.

Just as the Cossacks thirsted for Jewish money, they also yearned for Jewish blood. As soon as Moishe Eidelstein left on his mission, the nine Jews were hung. With “Shema Israel,” on their lips, they breathed their last, as the rope put an end to their lives. Both the emissary and the Jews of Sandomierz suspected this, and they gave him the money but warned him not to return to the forest where certain death would await him. May at least one person remain alive. The Sandomierz Jews were ready to send someone else to hand over the bribe.

Moishe Eidelstein, however, wanted to complete his mission. He did not agree to sending someone else with the money–and returned to the forest. The moon had already crossed the sky when the emissary reached the place he had set out from. Over the heads of the waiting Cossacks nine Jews in their tallises were swinging from the trees. The wind shook the stiff bodies of a congregation of Jews killed for their religion. The gentle heart of R' Moishe Eidelstein cold not bear this. He fell to the earth, and his bright soul left his body. And the Cossacks,

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as was their habit, took the money and hung his corpse on a tree.

The news of the ten murdered martyrs in the Sandomierz forest spread across Poland with lightning speed. When Jewish Markuszow learned about the death of its martyr, everyone was filled with sorrow and pride, because the sheliach tzibur passed his test, fulfilled his mission until the end, and did not betray his holy duty.

Moishe Eidelstein was certainly the forerunner of the later emissaries during the Second World War, those Markuszow young people who fought against Hitler's beasts with weapons in their hands.

Water pump in the market

1. Community spokesman Return
2. End of the Yom Kippur service Return

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