[Pages 222-223]

Jewish population	General Population	Year
64	389	1880
125	565	1900
148	782	1921

This country hamlet is situated next to the large estate by the same name. At a distance of one kilometer we find the railway station that was opened towards the end of the 19^th century and served the estate and the small town. The railway link helped the economic growth of Jedlicze. Most of the non-Jewish population of Jedlicze worked at the railway and at the estate. In 1898, there was great peasant resentment against the authorities in Jedlicze and the surrounding area that resulted in an explosive situation. The situation was remedied by a strong action on the part of the local police and army units.

Until the 19^th century, the Jewish community of Jedlicze was very small and was attached either to Krosno or to Jaslo. With the beginning of the 20^th century, the community was reorganized. It hired a shochet and maintained a Rabbi between the two great wars. The head of the Judicial council was Rabbi Menachem Nahum Waksberg that later left for Krakow where he headed judicial religious council. ( He died in the Shoa). During his tenure, the shochet was reb Berish Epstein. The last Rabbi of Jedlicze was Itzhak Weissbrot who also perished in the shoa.

In November 1918, army deserters and local peasants started a pogrom in Jedlicze. Jewish homes and stores were looted or destroyed. 14 Jewish homes were torched. The non-Jewish population did not lift a finger to help their Jewish neighbors. The fires raged until they burned themselves out.

A local branch of the ”General Zionist” movement existed in Jedlicze between the period of the great wars. In 1927, it was reported that Jedlicze had a branch of the “ Ezra “ society for Halutzim –or pioneers. The same year we also witnessed the establishment of the “ Agudat Achim” – or Brotherhood society that attracted most of the Jewish youth. The society sponsored courses to teach Hebrew to the youth.

Even this poor community had some Jewish contributors to the Keren Hayesod Fund that collected in 1921 the sum of $ 80. At the Zionist Convention elections in 1935, there 28 votes that were divide as follows: the General Zionists received 15 votes, the “ Mizrahi Movement” received 3 votes, and the labor movement received 10 votes.

In themiddle of September 1939, a group of S.S. men arrived in Jedlicze and started to search Jewish homes under the pretext that Jewish were hiding weapons. The search was carried out with exemplary brutality befitting the S.S. The latter stole whatever they could grab, mostly money or valuables. They assembled all the books and even the holy torahs and burned them on main street. All Jews above the age of 12 had to wear a white arm band with blue star on the arm as of January 1940. All furs were confiscated in 1941. The Germans were constantly grabbing Jews for forced labor details during the period of 1941-1942.

The Jewish population of Jedlicze grew in size during the German occupation. Jewhis refugees from Krakow, Tarnow, Gorlice and Jaslo settled in Jedlicze. The economic situation of the Jewish community and especially of the Jewish refugees became desperate. The local J.S.S.- or the Jewish Self Help organization cared for 200 Jews. In July of 1942, the Jews of Jedlicze were rounded up and led to nearby Krosno ( some claim that the event took place on August 12^th 1942). The executors of the expulsion were members of the Ukrainian police units and their brutal actions resulted in the death of two local Jews in Jedlicze. Many more Jews died along the road to Krosno.

A mere 20 Jews of Jedlicze survived the war, some in hiding and others in Russia.

Bibliography:

Yad Vashem Archives, 021/16, M-1/Q-166.

Central Zionist Archives; Z-4/234-13; KH/412-1, KH/354-1.

“ Hamagid” 23/6/1898

“Judishe Rundshau” (newspaper) 19/11/1918

“Nowy Dziennik” (newspaper) 17/2/1927, 18/3/1927, 8/4/1938

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