[Page 17]

The Cheder Children games The Shoemakers The evangelist church The Turkish bathhouse Part of the castle Work The River The Great Floods Veterans Day Nicknames Prostitutes Crazy people Thieves in Sands Sabbath Rosh Hashanah, Kippur and Sukkoth Chanukah Purim Passover Lag B'Omer Shavuot Tisha B'Av My Bar Mitzvah Pretty Girl Special Events

The famous “Great Synagogue” in Sandz (Picture donated by Jean Krieser of Paris, France)

The Great Synagogue has become an art gallery dedicated to Jewish motifs and is open to the public (Picture donated by Jean Krieser of Paris, France)

When I was young, Sandz was known as a bustling city. The Jewish community was headed by Shulem Yonah Tentzer. One of the most important Jewish institutions was the religious Jewish court that ruled the community with a firm hand. There were also mutual financial support groups, health support groups, various welfare groups to help the needy. Many of these groups belonged to the various Hasidic courts that existed in the city; Grybow, Bobow, Siniowa, Gur, and Sandz proper. Each group had its own synagogues, study halls and cheders. There were of course groups that included Hassidim and non–Hassidim like the “Tehilim group” or psalm reciters. When I reached the age of nine I joined the choir at the synagogue and the cantor taught me the musical scale notes. There were also various political groups in the city: the Aguda or orthodox religious party, Mizrahi or moderate Zionist religious party, Poalei Tzion – left or Socialist Zionist party, Hanoar Hatzioni or Zionist youth movement. There was even a cell of Communist party members. At the Hebrew school, Hebrew was studied. Even prior to my Bar Mitzvah, my friends and I helped the cantor Shaul Bronfeld to prepare the prayers for the various Jewish holidays. At the synagogue called “Hevrat Shomrim” or association of guardians that was located on our street, preparations for the cantorial parts of the services started two months before the high holidays. There were constant rehearsals so that we reached perfection on the holiday in question. When I went to morning services during the week days, the dairy man gave me three liters of milk to give to the wife of the rabbi, Nechema and to the caretaker. I was paid 5 pennies for the work.

Sandz always had some “Halutzim” or pioneers that walked about the city. Most of them were not locals. They were members of the training farm to prepare themselves for agricultural work in Palestine. They took on very difficult jobs like cutting down trees. Volunteering and giving charity were particular Jewish traits and Sandz was no exception. Every Thursday, poor Jews went from house to house and begged. They usually received a penny. If they visited 100 homes they managed to accumulate 100 pennies or one zloty. A zloty bought a kilo of sugar or a kilo of meat. The houses were open for beggars only on Thursday. On Friday, my mother would give me a kilo of meat and a “challah” or braided Jewish bread to give to a poor Jewish family with many children. Ceirale was a warm hearted woman who helped poor people and concerned herself with kosher food for the Jews. Some of the Jewish soldiers observed Jewish dietary laws and existed on bread alone. The Polish army did not provide kosher food for the Jewish soldiers. She organized and collected food from the rich families and put it in containers that her grandchildren and I took to the military base where we gave it to the soldiers. There were there even two Jewish officers; lieutenant Moniak Shteinberg and captain Templer, son–in–law of Gelb who also partook in the kosher meals.

We prayed at the Hassidic synagogue of Sandz–Grybow; this particular Hassidic court continues to exist to the present. Amongst the worshippers at our services was the late rabbi of Sandz, Rabbi Arieh Leib Halberstam who was killed by the Germans during the war. There were also other rabbis affiliated with other Hassidic groups like Rabbi Bnei Tzion, a Satmar rabbi and a Sinawer rabbi. The studies at the study hall lasted all day except for interruptions during the morning and afternoon services. The study hall was open daily to the students except for Shabbat or holidays. During the winter the study hall was heated day and night. The oven was big and emitted enough heat to heat the place. There was also a small kiosk where one could buy tea, cakes and fruits.

Our games went from generation to generation. Older brothers and sisters would teach their brothers and sisters all the games. There were no toy stores where you went and purchased toys. We created games with everything we found and made do. Some of the games were familiar like hop scotch on the side walk or placing five items on the ground and throwing something in the air while picking up the items and catching the falling item. Another game was pitching pennies against the wall, or spinning a bicycle wheel with a rod, or drawing a circle on the ground and throwing knives into the circle from a distance. Girls jumped rope and the boys played mainly hide and seek or pitched wall nuts or marbles. We all loved to play store where we measured and weighed imaginary products. We all paid attention to the rickety scale that very professionally almost like the adult merchants. We also used pieces of glass against the rays of the sun that created a flame where we burned some items. We also played cards whenever we had them. There was a kiosk in the market that sold packages of candy with animal pictures. We collected these pictures and traded them amongst ourselves.

There was a small house next to ours where a Christian shoemaker lived named Pietrek. He fixed shoes and also sewed new shoes. He also raised goats and sold their milk. In the summer we went to him in the evening to buy goat milk. We paid 5 pennies and received milk that was very tasty although slightly sour. We of course liked to pet the goats and to watch the girl that was selling the milk. Her nose did not protrude from her face. We could not accept this genetic deficiency and kept looking at the nose and did not understand what had happened to her nose. There were other shoemakers in town like Mendel Top Miller, Henrik Mahler and others.

I remember at age three I started the cheder. My parents invited the entire family to celebrate the event. I was dressed with all kinds of jewels. The religious teacher Fishel placed raisins and candies on the little board that contained the Hebrew alphabet. The sweets were supposed to motivate the study of the alphabet. Our cheder was part of the bakery owned by Dawid Leib the baker nicknamed

“Dupa Lala.” At the age of five, I left this cheder and went to a higher learning cheder where I would study the bible and commentaries. The family gathered to celebrate the event and I was decorated with jewels belonging to my grandmothers. The new cheder was part of a “Talmud Torah” that was located in a building. The teacher was not from the area and was nicknamed

“Phonie,” a designation attached to all Russian Jews by Galician Jews.

As a yeshiva student I never attended elementary school. During the summers I received private lessons namely in the Polish language by Berish North's wife. In 1936 I was joined at the lessons by two friends; Moshe Dawid Laor and Zwi Friedman. I took all the examinations following the summer and passed the tests. I received a report card that allowed me to go to the next

A copy of the examination sheet that enabled Mordechai to pass to the next grade

Sandz had many churches, amongst them an evangelist church that served Poles of German descend. They were called in Poland “Volksdeutche” . The religious services were conducted in German in the Protestant manner while most of the churches conducted their services in Latin and belonged to the Catholic religion. The evangelist church stood on Piarski Street next to our house. The church had a large school that had a nice auditorium where theater performances were held. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, I would sneak into the theater to watch Jewish theater groups perform various Yiddish plays like “ Tuvia the Dairy Man,” “Cyrus” and “The Purim Shpiel.” We had many actors who played at the theater: Moshe Shlanger, Awraham Lustbader, Moshe Dawid Shapiro, Benyamin Rey, Shlomo Teitelbaum, Ratzel Golberg, Mala Weissbard, Mela Geller, and Eidel Buchner. Sandz also had a few Yiddish publications that enriched the cultural life of the city.

Sandz had a few “mikvot” or ritual bath houses and a few Turkish type bath houses. Two ritual bath houses belonged to Jews and one bath house was owned by a non–Jew. One of the ritual bath houses belonged to the Hassidic group and was located at the exit of the city near the Helena bridge. Next to it was the Christian bath house. There was also a Jewish mikvah along the road to Przetakowka.

Each year the Polish army drafted Poles to the armed forces. Jewish youth were also drafted to the first unit of the “Podhalanski Regiment”. Their day of induction was a memorable day to see young Jewish civilians enter the mikvah dressed in civies and emerge as soldiers dressed in their Polish military uniforms.

Next to the synagogue stood the remains of the castle that once housed the Polish kings. The place was referred as the “Schloss” in Yiddish. The place bordered the residence of the rabbi of Sandz, Rabbi Halberstam. The place was used extensively during the days when the Polish army inducted the new recruits into military service. The army presented lively shows to entertain the audience that assembled to witness the induction. From the rabbi's house and garden one could see the entire proceedings that included folk dances and military bands. The rabbi house was different from the houses of other rabbis. The rabbi's house had a large garden and in the center stood a permanent “Sukkah.” The wonderful item was the roof of the rabbi's roof that could be closed and opened. The path from the rabbi's house led to the road that led to the Dunajec river and along the slope to the Kazimierz Street named after the Polish king by the same name. The path also led to the mikvah not far away from the slaughterhouse. In the winter the slope was covered with snow and we brought sleds that slid down the slope. Some children did not have sleds, so they improvised all kinds of gadgets and used to slide down. Prior to the war, the city built steps that changed the whole area. Presently, the steps are gone and there is a road there. Next to the mikvah lived Markus Friedenbach with his two beautiful daughters. Marisha was an exceptional beautiful girl. I frequently came with friends just to catch a peek of her. Nearby lived some of my friends like the Timbergs, and Hannah Greenberg of the tailor family, Zabla and Yossef Schochet. Not far from there, just before the Przetakowka bridge leading to the cemetery or to Tarnow, stood the candy factory owned by Poles. We always received 5 pennies to get sweets on Friday for the Sabbath.

The city hall of Sandz. The market took place around this building (Picture donated by Jean Krieser of Paris, France)

One day I noticed a sizable neck cut on one of the grandchildren of Tzirel. I asked him where he got the cut. He answered that they played the game of Itzhak being sacrificed. Obviously, he did not want to admit that he was involved in one of these trickster set–ups that resulted in a knife fight.

Besides the market, Sands had a large selection of stores that sold many goods like the store of Menashe Yeheskel Baugrund that sold metals and construction items, or the Lustig store not related to our family that sold building materials mainly to a Franco–British company that was building a dam across the Dunajec river with the Poles in 1935. Most of the builders were related to the Kinderman family. The city commercial life set a good tempo of activities and provided a livelihood to many people in the city.

Many people were of course employed in the various workshops that provided many jobs in the city. Small tailor shops provided many jobs to the ready to wear clothing stores like Lew, Braun, Kolber, Shimel, Neishtat, Bitersfeld and Berliner. One of the Berliner's worked at Jagielonska Street while another one worked next to the “Talmud Tora Yessod Hatorah.” Some like Zwi Teller received finished merchandise while others finished the materials themselves. About 90% of the commercial activities of the city were in Jewish hands. The rest were in the hands of the Poles. I remember especially the well known pastry chef Szeracki or some of the broom and brush makers.

The days that Sandz did not have a market, the stores were busy and some streets concentrated on particular products like Franciskanska Street devoted itself to fish stores and fish stands; even in the winter they sold fish there. It was freezing but the vendors were there selling all kinds of fish. To keep warm, they would place a smoldering log of wood in a pail and keep their feet next to it. On Thursdays, the sale of kosher fish would start and last until Friday afternoon. The main suppliers of kosher fish were the family Bauman and the family Miller in the fish street. The slaughterhouse was an important institution that provided kosher meat to the Jewish population. There was the slaughterhouse where cows and sheep were slaughtered and there was also the smaller slaughterhouse where turkeys and ducks were slaughtered. Every Friday and the eve of holidays, I was sent to the slaughterhouse with a rooster, or chickens. The sight was unbelievable as many chickens and roosters were brought to be slaughtered. These were some of the religious slaughterers; Gribel, Zimel, Lustbader, Samuel Dorenter, and others. In the corner of the market stood the pharmacy called “Drogueria” owned by the Klausner family. Whenever someone was ill, they immediately sent someone to buy aspirin. In Polish they called it “Kogut” and a rooster picture was attached to the pill box. If the pain persisted, you would usually see a doctor. There were several doctors: Stater, Amazein, Syrop,and Ringelbaum who later left for Warsaw. There were also dentists: Shapiro, Schimel and others. The patients that the doctors could not save, usually reached the hands of the gravediggers, namely Arieh Bielas who lived near the cemetery.

In the center of the market near the city hall stood Schwimmer's kiosk. He lost an arm and two fingers in the other arm during the war. He sold cigarettes, sweets and other goodies. In the winter he heated his place and people came to warm themselves from the bitter cold outside. In the summer months, people used to hang about the kiosk and discuss politics and sell American dollars on the black market.

At the shoe store “ Sport” worked my neighbor Gusta Sheinfeld whose parents owned our apartment. Her co–workers were Sima Kolber and Eva Rabi. Sima had a sister named Janka and two brothers, one of whom was a close friend of mine. They lived in the “Kaduk” neighborhood along Jagielonska that lead to old Stary Sandz. There were other Kolbers that lived there but they were not related. The Stein family and Awraham Mastboim sold gas and grease to the carriages at their store. The two Sapir brothers had a big warehouse where they kept wood and wood products. During the war they helped us by providing us with wood to heat our place. The Birenboim family had a big locksmith shop and the Bluzenstein family owned a large carpentry shop. Flour wholesalers in Sandz were the Laors and Moishe Mendel Rheinholt. The Topper bookbinders controlled the book market.

The wine cellars that provided Jews with their vines were the rich families; Kalman Lustbader, Shmayahu Halbershtam, Abramowicz, and Knabel. The family also owned the hotel

“Imperial” in the city. The restaurant “Biageloinska” on the Jagielonska belonged to the Folkman family. There were several steady waiters that worked at Jewish weddings: Peretz, Nissim, and Chaim Yossef Kishenboim. There were of course Jewish kleizmers but unfortunately I do not remember their names. There were several very rich Jews in Sandz namely Shulem Tenczer who headed the Jewish community. There was also Reicher, Wolf , the family Rhainhold, Schlissel, Menashe Chaskel Blaugrund, Nayel, Lustig not related, and others. The rich banking family Mashler dominated the financial life of the city.

Many factories were owned by Jews that provided employment to the Jewish workers. There were two large soda factories “Burgenicht” and “Orenstein.” I worked in one of the factories during the war. There was also a shoe polish factory, a candle factory, an oven factory, and a candy factory owned by the Englender family.

Sandz had a large vacant lot called the “ Duck Lot” where an occasional circus parked its tents and amusements stands. A big tent was erected. Loud music was blared through loudspeakers; parades of elephants, zebras and circus hands dressed in their colorful uniforms marched through the streets advertising the show. As a child I was very impressed by the show and occasionally I managed to sneak my way to the performance by joining the animals or clowns as they entered the performance hall. To me the performance was breathtaking.

Along our street, in the Jewish center, there was also an inn called “Ici–Bober” where Hassidim sat on Friday afternoon and drank a glass of beer and ate chickpeas. And further away there was another inn called “Eber Anderland–Eber Shenker” where they served fine meals. At the end of the street was the jail house. The city of Sandz had two railways stations. One was close to us and the other one was a distance away. The first station also had a factory where locomotives were repaired. We as children loved to play along the rail lines in spite of the dangers. Children of course are fearless. We used to place nails on the rails and the train would flatten the nails into flat items similar to knives that we used in our childish games.

The beautiful Dunajec river flowed at the entrance of the city from the railway bridge to the Helena bridge, this section of the river was used by the hassidic Jews to bathe. From the bridge in the direction of Venice was used by all inhabitants beside the hassidim. I once went to swim at the river when they removed from the river a 15 year old girl that had drowned. There was a great commotion and people tried to resuscitate the naked girl but she was death. Along the river edge stood a two story house that the brave youngsters used as a diving board, amongst them Tzina. There were also bowling alleys where the players played the game and we watched. Every Sunday, the Polish army organized concerts with a minimal entrance fee. The military band played various tunes. There were also stands that sold various knick knacks, toys and foods. Occasionally dance music was played and youngsters took to the dance floor. At the sport center we used to ride bicycles and jump in the sand pits. During the summer we went fishing and tried to catch fish with our fishing rods at the end of which we attached worms. Sometimes we were lucky and caught a fish or two.

In 1934, there was a great deal of rain and the rivers kept rising; the waters soon reached the height of the bridges of Piekale, Pshetkawowkaa, and Helena. The waters continued to rise and went across the river beds. Parts of the city were flooded. The roads and railways were disrupted. When the waters receded, the extensive damage could be seen; many buildings were covered with mud. It took months for the city to restore the roads and railways. Slowly the city returned to normalcy. The same year, a convention of Zionist youth took place at Mozer's home; I still remember vaguely some of the events around the meeting.

Veteran's Day in Sands

Jewish and non–Jewish veterans of the First World war who served with the Austrian or Polish army units paraded as a unit. They were followed by the mailmen with their rifles and cartridge belts. Also the railway men in their special uniforms paraded. Each group was preceded by a musical band. Youth movements also participate in the parade. I played hooky from the yeshiva to attend the parade.

In Sandz it was customary to refer to people by their nicknames and almost everybody had one. Some made sense others were totally unrelated to the party but still the party was stuck with the nickname. Some nicknames; Golda Ratzti, Chaya Dicki, Grabski Shtinker, Dupa Lala, Leizer Kori, Eilish Fresser, Moshe Bunk, Mechale Piok, Yidel Bentcher, Tchaski Traski, Jumin Shabos, Chaim Levi, Kiggel Fresser, Moske Mahrl, Yossele Sherrer, Zelikl Shames, Zelig Frachter, Motci Dziopa, Motci Majornik, Moshe Sutcki, Tovia Meshugener, Fonie Ganev, Di Yuklech, Yehoshua Sapczasz , Chaim Yossel Serber, Peretz Katchke, Yechezkel Shmuder, Shlom Jasler, Shimon Kakao, Chaimel Chazan, Duvid Mach Dir, Alipo Mendel Blachaz, Shabse Melamed, Yona Karabin, Zlata the Bakerin, Eber Shenker, Itche Buber, Trany, Di Shene Olga, Tchutchu Babki, Trana Nacht Top, and other nicknames.

Prostitutes also made their rounds in Sandz along the Pioterskargi Street near the Shtengel store. There was an inn in the same house, the cantor Dov Moishe Awraham Gottlieb lived above and there was another apartment where the prostitutes provided services. The woman started as a milk saleswoman from a distant village named Wistaweica. She had a son and a daughter. During the war

her daughter provided services while the son became a mean “kapo” according to rumors.

In Sandz, like in many other towns, there were some people with mental problems. One such person in Sands was Yumin Shabos and another was Chaim Levi nicknamed Chaim Levi Kugelfresser.

The latter would go from home to home on Shabbat and collect the leftover kugel from each family. He lived on this food the entire week. He had three daughters and a son. One of the daughters was intelligent and joined the Communist party; perhaps the son also joined the party. When the war started, they left for Russia and survived the war. Chaim Levi died, and his wife and two daughters died of starvation during the Shoah. I would add later some more information on the family.

There was no shortage of Jewish thieves in Sandz. Mendale Miller headed the list. When the Polish farmers used to drive to the city market in Sandz, they usually brought a calf or a sheep or a goat attached to the rear of the cart. They left a child to guard the possession and they went to purchase items that they needed. Mendale used this time to trick the child and removed the calf or sheep from the cart and stashed it away until the farmers left for home. He would then slaughter the animal and distribute the meat to the poor Jews in town. In 1929 there was a cold winter. Mendale went to the head of the Jewish community, Shulem Yona Tenczer, and asked him to give some coals for the poor Jews that were sitting and freezing in their apartments. Shulem gave Mendale two sacks and led him to the basement where he had the sacks filled with coal powder and dust. Mendale took the sacs and went upstairs to the apartment of Shulem and spilled the coal powder on the floor and the carpets. Shulem was furious but decided to give Mendale sacks of coal for the poor Jews in town.

The Jews of Sandz observed strictly the religious laws pertaining to Jewish life especially the rules pertaining to the holy day of Shabbat. The religious Jews devoted the entire week to the preparation for the Shabbat. Every Jewish matron prepared and baked challot and cookies for the Shabbat. Some even rolled out the dough and cut fine noodles that would go into the soup. Already on Thursday I started on errands to the stores. Bring two decagrams of raisins, or 3 decagrams of cinnamon, cacao, or yeast. The next day I was sent to the market to buy a few decagrams of jam, butter and other things. Cheeses and milk were bought fresh daily. Pickled herring was bought in slices. Go the store and buy two center pieces of herring my mother ordered. I was going and coming. Purchases were made the entire week for the Shabbat. Slowly everything was prepared for the Shabbat. The challot were baked in the oven where the food was also cooked.

In anticipation of the Sabbath, Shabbat songs started to be sung at our synagogue. My father did not attend morning services every day in the synagogue for he prayed at home. But on Friday he attended services to prepare himself for the Shabbat. My father and I went to the mikvah on Friday that also had a sauna with steps and each step was steamier than the step below. We paid an entrance fee of a few zlotys and received a bunch of whip branches that we would use on ourselves in the sauna. The sauna attendant was a Christian and he poured cold water on the heated stones to increase the amount of steam. Of course we sweated profusely and inhaled the hot and moist air in the coldest days of the winter. Cleaned and purified we returned home very hungry. Awaiting us at the table were plates with buck wheat mixed with fried onions that my mother prepared and to this day I still have their taste in my mouth. We then dressed in our Shabbat clothes and headed to the synagogue. Meanwhile my mother was setting the table. When we returned from the services, my mother received us warmly. The table was set, the candles were lit, the wine was on the table as were the challot. We sat down at the table and started to sing the traditional song of “Shalom Aleichem” or peace unto you. Then my father blessed the wine followed by the blessing of the challot. Fish was the first item of the family menu. Then we started to sing the special chants that religious Jews sing at the Shabbat meals. Chicken soup with noodles or beans followed, then came the cooked chicken with potatoes. More chants at the table. The dessert consisted of compote or fruit cocktail. The meal ended, the final prayers were recited thanking the almighty for having granted the people at the table with food. Tea was then served.

Saturday morning we awakened early and went to the baker to pick our thermos of hot coffee that remained in the baker's oven all night. We brought the coffee home. Shabbat was devoted to prayers that were long and went on for hours. With the end of the services, we had to run to the baker and take our “cholent” or stew that stewed all night in the baker's hot oven. Sometimes, we also had a noodle kugel. Since religious Jews did not heat the kitchen stoves. There was no way in which one could have some warm food except through the use of the baker's ovens that were extremely hot and kept closed to prevent the heat from escaping. This food was especially precious in the cold winters. While eating the Shabbat meal, we of course sang Shabbat songs at the table. My father made Kiddush late in the afternoon on Shabbat. We then went to the synagogue where the rabbi was conducting the third meal ceremony. The ceremony was rather simple; the rabbi tasted the foods and spread the rest among his followers. It was a great honor to receive a piece of chala from the rabbi's table. The rabbi gave religious sermons followed by Shabbat songs that continued until the evening services. The sexton of the synagogue then conducted the service called “Hamavdil” that announced the end of the holy Shabbat and the beginning of the regular week.

When we came home, father blessed the wine and lit a candle. He receipted the prayers terminating the Shabbat. The entire family was home in comfort. I still remember these precious moments of family warmth and unity. In the summer months, some store owners opened the stores shabbat evening: the Kleintzeler, the Brovar, and the Kirshenboim, families. Chaim Yossel Kirchenbaum and other vegetable merchants took carts and horses and went to the hamlet of Krenica to pick up fruits and vegetables for their stores.

Summer passed very fast. We approached the season of our holidays that I liked very much. Each holiday had a special significance, special foods, and special tunes. Our hearts looked forward for these festivities.

A month prior to the High Holidays, we started to attend regularly services where special penance prayers were recited for the entire month to prepare the congregants spiritually and mentally towards the holidays. We felt the approaching air in the holidays. Services were much longer and started early. Frequently, I had to be awakened from my deep sleep and warm bed to get dressed and proceed to the synagogue. I went readily to the services since we received prior to the services a warm glass of tea with milk and a lump of sugar. Following a month of penance we were ready to receive the high holidays. Mother prepared special dishes for Rosh Hashana or the New Year. She cooked carrots as a good omen for plenty of coins meaning that we should have a prosperous year. She then prepared grapes mixed with sweet apples and dipped in honey as an omen for a sweet and happy New Year. The synagogue was packed since many guests arrived and took their seats. The attendance for the Yom Kippur services was expected to be even larger since most Jews attended these services. Father purchased several roosters so that we can ask forgiveness by offering the rooster as a sacrificial lamb and hope for forgiveness for the sins we committed. The rooster was twirled above the head of the party and prayers were recited for forgiveness. Mother was busy cooking the dinner that would be served prior to the commencement of the fast. We were dressed in white and headed to the synagogue. As we entered the synagogue, we lowered our head and received four imaginary hits on the backside as a token of punishment for the sins that we committed throughout the year. We then headed to our seats. Father was dressed in a white “kittel” or white robe and wore sneakers since religious Jews do not wear leather shoes for the Yom Kippur services. He wrapped himself in a big talit or prayer shawl and prayed throughout the day until the blowing of the shofar announced the end of fast. We came home and broke the fast with a slice of cake and then began to eat the festive meal.

With the end of the fast, some neighbors met and planned to build a big “sukkah” or booth in the empty lot opposite our house. The men assembled planks and beams and began to hammer and build the sukkah. We children handled the decorations. We bought colored paper and made paper chains and cut out various paper wings that were attached to the hollow shell of eggs creating the impression of birds that were hung in the sukkah. We tried to make it as attractive as possible. At a special section in the market we bought the lulav or palm branch, the etrog or related fruit to the lemon, the willow branches and the myrtle branches. Together the combination was carried to the synagogue where a special blessing was recited. Then the prayers began at the synagogue. Following the services, the men went to the sukkah where the wives had set the tables and brought the food that they prepared at home. The menus were similar with some minor exceptions. Roasted turkeys with various additions were the most popular items. The women of course tried to embellish their meals with a variety of color and extras that were eaten on the Sukkot holiday. With the end of Sukkot, we reached the “Simchat Torah Holiday” or rejoicing with the torah. This was a very festive holiday, all the children had various small flags and they were called up to the torah. Following the services, people were invited to the homes of some congregants to make Kiddush and taste holiday specialties. This was indeed a very festive holiday.

On this holiday, the yeshiva was closed and we played “ dreidel,” damke, dominoes, chess, and even took the sleds to ride them on the snow.

The holidays of the trees that falls on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shevat is dedicated to the tree and plants. On this day we received fruits from Palestine; figs, dates and boxers.

Every child prepared in advance a mask, an outfit and a noisemaker. We all went to the synagogue where the “Megillah” or story of Purim was read. Every time the name of Haman was mentioned, all the noisemakers went into action. My mother papered the special cakes. She also prepared baskets loaded with all kinds of candies and goodies that were sent to relatives and friends. Children went from house to house and sang Purim songs for which they received candies. It was a joyful holiday especially for children.

Spring was in the air and pushed the people to greater activity. The lethargy of the cold and harsh winter was making room for warmer days. Commercial activities increased, stands appeared everywhere selling cookies, coconut pastries, sweets wooden spoons, and pots and pans for the approaching holidays. The atmosphere was jovial and invigorating. Following Purim, we started to clean the apartment, room by room, and bed by bed. Father started to prepare wine for the holidays during the Purim holiday. He took grapes and sugar and mixed the ingredient in bags that were then hung above a container. The drips that dropped into the container were the wine for Passover. The wine was strong and tasty and served during the holiday. When I was permitted to drink wine at the table, I got drunk. This repeated itself several years in a row. The bakeries started to bake matzot for the holiday. Some Jews bought machine made matzot but the Hasidim refused to use machine made matzot.

They used “Shmira matzot” that were baked on the eve of the holiday under the rabbi's supervision. Following my bar mitzvah, I worked by Plishniok to prepare shmira matzot. Generally the bakeries were located in the basements. One of the better known bakers in town was Zlate the baker. There were also Goldfinger and Dawid Leib. My job consisted of pouring water into the dough so that it would not harden and started to ferment. I made some money and enjoyed the work. I was also attracted to the sister of Palishniok. She was fifteen years old and very attractive. She came to the bakery quite often. Mother bought lots of shmira matzot and stuffed them into clean pillow cases that were then placed on top of the Passover closet. We received new clothing, from hats to shoes for the holiday. Everything was clean and polished for the holiday.

We went to services and when we came home, father put on his white kittel and sat down on a chair propped up by cushions. We started to recite the “Hagadah” or story of the exit of the Jews from Egypt. Father then blessed the wine and the matza. We then proceeded to eat. Mother had prepared an abundance of food that was served on special holiday dishes. After the holiday, the dishes were packed away for next year. We started with fish, chicken soup with kneidelach, potatoes, pancakes from eggs, matza flour and potato flour, we ended with dessert. We resumed reading the story of the exit of Egypt. The seder or Passover dinner was celebrated outside of Palestine two succeeding nights. During the following days mother took matzot and broke them into small pieces, added eggs and butter. This mixture called “a matzah brei” was then fried for some time and very edible. Juice from red beets we also consumed. We ate various delicacies prepared from potatoes and matzo flour during the holiday. With Passover gone we returned to normalcy.

The Jews count the days between Passover and Shavuot. This count is called the Omer. The period is somewhat a sad period, religious people do not shave, do not swim and avoid scheduling parties namely weddings. The thirty–third day of the Omer is an official break to the sadness. The yeshivas are closed and we celebrated by walking through the country side and inhaling the fresh air. When I was a bit older, my friends and I hired a horse and a cart and we traveled out of the city. We crossed the various bridges, the Dunajec alone had two major bridges one for the railway and the one for pedestrians and carts. We traveled passed the Helena bridge, near the cemetery in the direction of the village Zbiszits until we reached the farm of Reibsheid. There we built a huge camp fire and opened our supplies of food that we brought from home. In my case I had a hard boiled egg, buttered slices of bread, some vegetables, and water diluted with lemon juice. We enjoyed the freedom and party and then returned to the city.

The holiday of booths. We did not eat meat dishes on this holiday. Our apartment was decorated with green branches.

The day supposedly when both temples of Jerusalem were destroyed. We were very sad on this day, we fasted, and went to the synagogue where they read the “Megillah Eicha” written by the prophet Jeremiah.

In 1938 I celebrated my bar mitzvah. One week before Passover I started to put on tefilin. There was a big celebration where they distributed cigarettes and raised glasses of vodka to wish me a happy bar mitzvah. My parents saved every penny prior to my bar mitzvah, especially regarding clothing. They took my well worn “bekeshe” or black silk coat worn by Hasidim and gave it to a tailor who restored it and made it presentable. My mother mended the torn socks for nothing was discarded in Sandz. Shoes and clothing were constantly patched. Almost every family had a sewing machine that was operated by a foot pedal. Most of the fixing and sewing of clothing was done by the women. The tailors in town had a serious complaints that the women were taking away their jobs.

In Sandz there were two important institutions; the hospital and the orphanage established by the banker Mashler who also supervised the institution. The orphanage celebrated Passover and invited each year the soldiers to attend the party. The orphanage was surrounded by a large garden with many slides, swings and playgrounds for children. We played there a great deal. Some of my friends were also there. Then I saw this pretty girl with her braids. I could not resist myself and said to her, my name is Mordechai Lustig. She replied I am Chaike Wasner. We became friends and continued our relationship until the beginning of the war. During the Hol Moed days of Sukkot in 1934–35, it became known to my parents that I was riding a bicycle, something that was not acceptable for yeshiva student. I was sent packing to Mszane Dolna and from there to my grandfather in the village of Slomka. My parents also arranged that I would have a hot meal once a day at different homes. Friday afternoon I would reach my grandfather's home by walking or hitchhiking. I spent there the Sabbath. I lived like this for one year. I was terribly home sick but also gained independence. From the window I saw the rail lines leading to Sandz but I remained at grandfather's place. My mother sent packages with goodies via the train. The conductor would drop the packages at a specific place where I would pick it up. The packages contained sweet cookies and chocolates and reminded me of home. I also slept by Urish who played his fiddle in the summer and grated potatoes in the winter. This family had a small inn where the small buyers would sleep to make it in the morning to reach the market and sell their products. The house was big but not terribly clean. Towels were changed every two weeks Even here I also started with girls. Then the year was up and I returned home.

In 1938, I met again Chaike Wasner. She was standing on the

Chaike Wozner

Mszana Dolne where Mordechai spent his year of banishment

Wolf Kaempfner was the hero of the Jewish population in the city. He was the son of Awraham Sheiss and dealt with milk. Each year in April, young and health men had to present themselves to the draft board to be inducted. Wolf helped many Jewish boys to avoid the draft by long marches, abstention from food intake and other devices whereby the medical officer rejected them for service. Some were underweight others were exhausted mentally and physically. Wolf worked with these Jewish boys until they dropped from their feet and of course were rejected from service for a variety of reasons.

In May 12,1935, Josef Klemens Pilsudski, leader of Poland died. He kept the country together in spite of the many large minorities in the country. He broke the various peasant strikes. Suddenly he died. The country went into shock.

In 1936, Sandz buried minister Pieracki, an important member of the government. He was a native of Sandz.

In 1937, the ND Polish Nationalist and anti–Semitic party began to launch boycott campaigns aimed at Jewish stores. Members of the party would stand in front to Jewish stores and urge the Poles not to buy from Jews. The same tactics were also used in the market place to oust Jewish stands. The campaign was vicious and continued until the war started.

  Nowy Sącz, Poland     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 03 Jul 2015 by JH