Rzeszów, Poland
Rzeszow Community Memorial Book
(Rzeszów, Poland)

50°03' / 22°00'

Translation of
Kehilat Raysha sefer zikaron

Edited by: M. Yari-Wold

Published in Tel Aviv, by Former residents of Rzeszow in Israel and the USA, 1967 (H,Y,E)

 

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Marian Rubin (emerita)

 

With appreciation to Mrs. Klara Ma'ayan, Tel Aviv, president of the Rzeszów (Reisha) Landsmanschaft, for granting permission to translate the Reisha Yizkor Book and put it on the JewishGen website, and with thanks also for his consent to Mr. Stanley Low, New Jersey, whose father, Irving Low, played a major role in publishing the original book.

With appreciation and thanks to Aliya Middleton (nee Senensieb) and Eda (Ester) Senensieb (nee Kraut) for their generosity with their skill and care in proof-reading, beginning in late 2000.

 

This is a translation from: Kehilat Raysha; sefer zikaron (Rzeszow community; memorial book),
Editors: M. Yari-Wold, Tel Aviv, Former Residents of Rzeszow in Israel and the USA, 1967 (H,Y,E, 762 pages)

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Rzeszow

Please contribute to our translation fund to see the translation of this book completed.

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Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.

Introductory remarks from the emirita coordinator of the Rzeszów Yizkor book Translation Project, Marian Rubin:

Mrs. Klara Munzberg Ma'ayan, Tel Aviv, president of the Reisha Landsmanschaft, has dedicated her life to the remembrance of the Reisha community. Mrs. Ma'ayan arranges the annual yahrzeit (memorial) service for the Reisha community in Israel each year. She initiated a project resulting in a beautiful memorial site in the woods of Glogow where approximately 5,000 Jews from Reisha and nearby towns were murdered by the Nazis. Mrs. Ma'ayan spoke eloquently at the ceremony to dedicate the memorial site on June 26, 1995. In June 1998, Mrs. Ma'ayan and some members of the Landsmanschaft attended a ceremony in Rzeszów to dedicate a plaque placed in the synagogue in memory of their lost community.

Mrs. Ma'ayan and her husband Artek Ma'ayan, who died in Israel in 1994, and whom Mrs. Ma'ayan speaks of in her story, have three children, and several grandchildren.

 

Hebrew Section

Contents   5
Photographs   8
A Note by the Publication Committee   10
Editors' Foreword   11
Lament Shlomo Tal 13
Reisha Berish Weinstein 14
Map of Rzeszów & Vicinity   16
 
The History of the Jews of Rzeszów Dr. N. M. Gelber  
Note from translator
Chapter 1: The Development of the Town   17
Chapter 2: The Beginning of Jewish Settlement in Rzeszów Until 1772 25
Chapter 3: Occupations and Livelihood of the Jews   31
Chapter 4: The Community   36
Charper 5: The Rabbis of the City   42
Chapter 6: The Cemetery   45
Chapter 7: The Period of Austrian Rule, 1772-1848   47
Chapter 8: Rzeszów from 1849-1919   55
Chapter 9: Rzeszów from 1919-1939   63
The Goldsmiths of Rzeszów Dr. Moshe Yaari Wald 65
Pages of History Dr. Henry Y. Wachtel 66
Jewish Rzeszów Zvi Simcha Leder 68
 
Faith & Tradition in Rzeszów
Rabbis of Rzeszów Abba Appelbaum 71
The City and its Rabbis Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar 72
A. The Early Kehilla
B. The Rabbis of the Community of Rzeszów
C. The Rabbi and Gaon Rabbi Shmuel HaLevi and His Sons
D. The Gaon Rabbi Aryeh Leib the Son–in–Law of the “Chacham Tzvi” and His Sons   80
My Grandfather Rabbi Nathan Lewin Rabbi Dr. Isaac Levin 82
Traits of Rabbi Nathan Levin Shlomo Tal 85
The Rabbi, R' Aaron Levin HaRav Dr. Yitchak Levin 86
My Father, Rabbi Dr. Ezekiel Levin Isaac (Kurt) Levin 91
Rabbi Nathan Levin and his Bet Din Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar 93
My Father, Rabbi Yekutiel Arieh Kamelhar Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar 95
Rabbi Nahum Reuben Felsker Rabbi Issachar Berish Halperin 100
Rabbi Berish Steinberg Rabbi Moshe Halevi 100
Reb Yosef Reich Shlomo Tal 101
 
Hassidism in Rzeszów    
Rzeszów in Hassidic Circles M. Sh. Geshuri 103
Hassidic Courts Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar 107
The Rabbi of Blazowa and His Dynasty Shlomo Tal 116
 
Religious Education in Rzeszów
Yeshivot in Rzeszów M. S. Geshuri 118
Shamashim (Synagogue Attendants) Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar 119
Cantors and Synagogue Music in Rzeszów M. S. Geshuri 120
Meir Diener Pessah Diener 123
Cantor Dov Menachem Konwiser Herzl Konvisser 123
Prayer-Leaders for the Days of Awe   124
Synagogues in Rzeszów Eng. David Davidovitch 125
 
In the Haskala Press   128
 
Before and Between the World Wars
Rzeszów in the Past Leon Weisenfeld 132
During the Interregnum Dr. Moshe Yaari Wald 134
The Chaos of 1918 Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar 137
The Pogrom of Rzeszów Naftali Hakhel 137
The Sejm (Parliament) Committee, and the Ministers from Rzeszów Dr. Yechezkel Lewin 138
The Morgenthau Commission in Central Galicia Yosef Storch 140
 
Organizations and Factions
“Hashachar” in Rzeszów Dr. N. M. Gelber 141
“Shulamit” Dvora Abramowitz 142
A. General Zionists in Rzeszów Dr. Moshe Yaari-Wald 143
B. The First of Poalei Zion   145
History of Poalei Zion in Rzeszów Michael Walzer-Fass 146
“Hashachar” “Haivria” and “Hechalutz” Alter Tishbi (Sitz) 151
Organizations and Societies in Rzeszów David Tuchfeld 153
Religious Parties Naftali Hakhel 157
The Founding of the Mizrachi Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar 158
On the History of “Mizrachi” in Rzeszów M. S. Geshuri 160
“Agudas Yisrael” Shlomo Tal 164
Revisionist Movement Avraham Mussinger 165
Organization of Jewish Academics in Rzeszów Yehoshua Alexander Rosner (Keller) 169
Youth in Rzeszów During the 1930s Pepa Wachspress-Lisak Tuchfeld 170
The Birth of Hashomer Hatzair Meir Yaari 172
“Hashomer Hatzair” in Rzeszów from 1924 Abraham Mussinger 173
The “Hashomer Hatzair” Chapter in Rzeszów That Shaped Me Sara Altman (Batist) 175
Hashomer Hatzair Members Make Aliya Eva Kirsch 177
Rzeszów Emigres in Hashomer Hatzair Kibbutzim Tuvia Yaari 177
In Memory of the “Hechalutz” Chapter Lotka Kleid (Schlisselberg) 178
Years of Setback Marcus Dornfest 179
Jewish Members of the Communist Party in Rzeszów Dr. Moshe Yaari 180
The “Noar Tzioni” Yehoshua Strassberg 181
Between the Years 1924-1939 Klara Ma'ayan (Munzberg) 183
The Hebrew School Professor Yitzhak Weiss 186
Once Upon a Time There Was a School Sabina Schneeweiss 187
The Nucleus of the Hebrew School Dr. Mauricy Ungar 188
Sport in Rzeszów Lawyer Alexander Joshua Rosner-Keller 189
The “Bar Kochba” Sport Association Avraham Ungar 191
The Society for the Preservation of Health Dr. Mauricy Ungar 192
Workers' Children's House in Rzeszów Louis Estherman 193
Beit Haam and the Hospital in Rzeszów Michael Walzer-Fass 195
The Publishing House of M. Goldberg Lotka Goldberg 198
Demographics of Rzeszów Jewry in the Year 1939 Manes Fromer 199
 
Memories and Happenings
A Portrait of Rzeszów at the Beginning of the 20th Century Dr. Moshe Yaari Wald 201
A Bundle of Memories Dr. Shlomo Horowitz 225
A Heritage from a Rzeszów Home Meir Yaari 228
Childhood in Rzeszów Anda Amir-Pinkerfeld 228
Rzeszów Jews and Censuses Ben Zion Fett 229
In Rzeszów at the End of the 1st World War 1914 - 1918 M. Ungerfeld 232
Early Years in Rzeszów Irving Low 234
One in a Thousand Uzi Ben-Moshe and Roni Wechsler 235
Rzeszów During the First World War, 1914-1918 S. Anski 238
Rzeszów Professor S. I. Penueli 239
 
Intelligentsia and Writers
From “the Sages of the City” Gershon Bader 243
1. Moshe David Geschwind   243
2. Abba Apfelbaum   244
3. Yitzchak Holzer   244
4. Oswald Henigsman   244
5. Leon Wiesenfeld   244
6. Moshe Wiesenfeld   244
7. Asher Simcha Weissmann   245
8. Wilhelm Turteltaub   245
On Abba Apfelbaum:   245
1. Writer and Communal Worker Raphael Rosenzweig 245
2. The Founder of the Teudat Yisrael School Dr. Ovadiah Barshal 246
3. Historian and Researcher Dr. Moshe Alter 248
Dr. Moshe Alter   248
Naphtali Ashriel-Glicksman Hanina Mizrahi 249
My Father Chaim Wald Dr. Moshe Yaari Wald 249
My Brother Moshe Leon Wiesenfeld 252
Leon and Esther Wiesenfeld Michael Walzer Fass 253
Berish Weinstein Professor Dov Sedan 256
Berish Weinstein Moshe Starkmann 257
Berish Weinstein and his Rzeszów Nathan Yonathan 258
Dr. Henry Yitzchak Wachtel A. P. 259
Dr. Binyamin Schlager Simcha Seiden 259
Tzvi Simcha Leder Leon Wiesenfeld 260
On Professor Shmuel Yeshayahu Penueli G. Kressel 260
Simcha Seiden Zvi Simcha Leder 261
Ben-Zion Fett Yitzchak Estreicher 261
The Violin of Nahum Sternheim Manes Frommer 262
 
Personalities and Characters
Personalities in Rzeszów Dr. Moshe Yaari 264
A. Yaakov Alter
B. Meshulam Davidson
C. Dr. Felix Hopfen
D. Dr. Aaron Arthur Wang
E. Asher Yehuda Silber
F. Levi (Leon) Chaim
G. Dr. Henryk Tzvi Kanarek
Meshulam Davidson Tovia Yaari 271
Naftali Tuchfeld
Anna Kahane Leon Wiesenfeld 272
Elimelech Katz M. Sh. Geshuri 272
Irving Low David Ben-Yosef 273
My Father Shlomo Munzberg Klara Ma'ayan 274
Rabbi Dr. Zvi Koretz Simcha Seiden 275
Yaakov Elimelech Knecht and His Wife Malka Yitzchak Oestreicher 276
Yaakov Sheinblum Zeev Zohar 277
Moshe Wang Avraham Wang 277
Yitzchak Oestreicher Leon Wiesenfeld 278
1. Motish Eckstein's Family   280
2. The Mintz Family Shlomo Tal
Jewish Judges Moshe Reich 281
Personalities Naphtali Hakhel 282
The Uniqueness of Moshe David Ashriel Zvi Livneh 283
Eliahu Ashriel (Gluksman) A. P. 284
Yehoshua Ashriel (Gliksman) A. P. 284
Personalities and Occasions Moshe Kamelhar 285
Reb Menachem Mendel Reich Moshe Reich 289
My Brother Yisrael Rabbi Moshe Kamelhar 289
The Dear Ones of Rzeszów Yitzchak Izak Nebenzahl 290
 
The Holocaust
Pour Out Thy Wrath (Drawing) Menahem Ron 291
In the Face of the Holocaust Meir Yaari 292
Remember! Klara Ma'ayan 293
The Martyrdom of the Rzeszów Community Dr. Asher Alexander Heller 294
The End of the Rzeszów Community Mala Krischer Munzberg 307
Majdanek G-d! Berish Weinstein 311
I Shall Not Die, But Shall Live Lotka Goldberg 312
During the Nazi Occupation Klara Ma'ayan Munzberg 322
I Escaped Death Dr. Michael Schneiweiss 326
Attempts at Resistance in Rzeszów Dov Zucker 331
The Last Jews of Rzeszów M. Hoffstetter 332
Memories of the Occupation Lola Weis-Immerglich 334
Rzeszów Women in Auschwitz Dina Strassberg-Einhorn 335
Hava Wuszka Jolles, A Girl Who Fought Menachem Levenstein 336
Rzeszów in 1946 Marcus Dornfest 338
Rzeszówa's Rebellious Daughter M. Weinstein Lazer 339
Gola (Golda) Mire, an Anti-Nazi Fighter Dr. Moshe Yaari Wald 340
The Fate of Rzeszów Jewry, 1939 - 1944 Franciszek Kotula 342
     B. Synagogues and Cemeteries   344
     C. Some Memories   346
     D. The Catacombs of Rzeszów   348
Polish Evidence on the Extermination of Rzeszów Jews Jan Forczek 350
Memories Professor Juliusz Kyas 352
Map of the City Abraham Mussinger 352
A Walk Through Rzeszów Abraham Mussinger 361
Small Towns and Villages in the Rzeszów District Dr. Moshe Yaari Wald 365
The Liberation Moshe Reich 367
Rzeszów Revisited in 1962 Haya Shlisselberg Tamari 367
Five Hundred Years; A Summing Up Manes Fromer 368
 
Obituaries
Abraham Altman Sarah Altman Batist 369
Abraham Teitelbaum   370
Mordechai Ben Elhanan Lipschitz   371
Simcha Ben Mordechai Lipschitz   371
 
18 years of the “Rzeszów and Environs Descendants Organization” in Israel Yitzhak Estreicher 372
 
Yiddish Section
After a Thousand Years Berish Wajnsztajn 376
 
I. On the History of the Jews in Rzeszów
Pages on the History of the Jews in Rzeszów Dr. Abraham Chomet 377
The History of the Reisha Cemetery Dr. Moshe Alter 423
 
II. Before and Between the Two World Wars
From Beginning to End Simkha Zajden 426
The Jewish City of Reisha Zvi Shimkha Leder 428
Bygone Reisha Leon Wiesenfeld 449
Poalei Zion in Rzeszów Michael Walzer Fass 466
The Jewish Workers' Children's Home in Rzeszów Louis Estherman 472
Bar Kochba Sport Association Avraham Unger 475
Dzikov Chassidim Mordechai Sokker Shternberg 476
The Tailors' Synagogue Dr. Aharon Rosenbaum 476
An Encounter With the Teacher From My Birthplace Berish Vineshtein 477
Memories of the Past Dr. Aharon Rosenbaum 478
My Town Ticzin   481
A Collection of Memories From the Past Yosef Falk-Apel 483
Rzeszów Jews Ya'akov Beller 484
A Ballad of Noble Grandfathers Berish Vineshtein 486
 
III. Personalities
About our Personalities Tzvi Simchah Leder 488
Naftali Tuchfeld Dovid Tuchfeld 492
The 70th Anniversary of Abba Appelbaum Simchah Zaiden 493
The Philosopher and Writer Dr. Binyomin Schlager   494
Anna Kahane Leon Wiesenfeld 495
My Brother Moshe Leon Wiesenfeld 496
Tzvi Simcha Leder Leon Wiesenfeld 497
Irving Low David Ben-Yosef 502
Berish Weinstein Moshe Starkmann 505
Berish Vineshtein's Birthday A. Tabatshnik 506
Nachum Shternheim Yanos Turkov 508
 
IV. The Destruction
Majdanek G-d! Berish Weinstein 512
The First Days of the War Yosef Loifban 513
The History of the Destruction of the Rzeszów Jewish Community Dr. Asher Alexander Heller 515
From Reishe through Varotzlav to America Yisrael Beck 537
What I saw in the Old Jewish City of Rzeszów Dr. Haim Shoshkes 538
Rzeszówer & Province Landsmanschaft of Montreal   543
 
In Memoriam - Memorial Tributes to Families   545
Index of Names ( Names from pages translated. More will be added as translation proceeds.)

There is also an English section of the book.
Rzeszów Yizkor Book Overview
Notes from the translator
Overview of Hebrew section of Rzeszów Yizkor Book

 

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