Translated by Ite Doktorski and Yocheved Klausner

Editorial	M.	9
My town	Yehuda Alroy	11
A. History of the Town		15
Introduction: The history of the Jews of Suwalk and its vicinity	Shmuel Avrumski
The first hundred years	Berl Cohen (SYB) *	29
How old is Suwalk?		29
History of the Jewish settlement in Suwalk		30
Hibbat Ziyon		33
Newspaper pioneers		38
Publishers		39
Writers		40
Suwalk emigration		45
Agricultural laborers		49
Chapters from his diary	M. Altschuler	51
History chapters of the Suwalk region	Yehuda Eedan	55
The Suwalk aliya of 1919-1939	Reuven Elhanani	69
Occupations of the Jews of Suwalk	Eliezer Borowski	71
The position of the Jews of Suwalk in the town's economy	Reuven Elhanani	73
Occupations in the 19th century	Editorial board	76
The riots of 1936	M. Zahavi-Zalutnitzki	76
Editorial board		77
B. institutions and Organizations		79
The Suwalk city council	Ariel	81
The Jewish community and its activists	R. A.	83
The Jewish hospital	Berl Cohen (SYB)	84
Bikur Holim [visiting the sick] and Linat Hatzedek	Y.P. Trop	85
The old age home	Berl Cohen (SYB)	87
T.O.Z. [Towarzystwo Ochrony Zdrowia Ludności
Żydowskiej = Society for Safeguarding the Health of the Jewish Population]	Hana Neuman (Maitkes)	87
A private initiative that caused a sensation	Eliyahu Hadray	89
Charitable institutions in the 19th century	Berl Cohen – (SYB)	90
Artisans' organizations	Y.A. Trop	90
C. Schools		91
Heders and schools	Caleb Kanowitch (SYB)	93
Teachers	Moshe Shlomi-Friedman (SYB)	93
My first school	Yehoshua Bachrach	94
The talmud torah school	Mordehai Zehavi	95
The public high-school for boys	M. Moshkat	96
The Polish high-school for girls	Rahel Barshai	97
The high-school for girls	Dr. Vera Gavzeh	98
The German school	Myriam Simhoni	98
The Hebrew high-school and its director	Reuven Elhanani	99
The “Tarbut” school	Tzipora Haber	104
The commerce school	Eliyahu Hadray	106
The Yiddish school	Lily Kutner	108
Y. A. -
D. Youth Organizations		109
The “Hehalutz” movement in Suwalk		111
“The Future” of April 30, 1925 – Excerpts from a letter from Suwalk		113
Pre-“Beitar” and “Beitar” in Suwalk	David Stern	113
I made Aliya through Lebanon	Chana Shoval	122
As far as I am concerned - this was a perfectly legal Aliya!	Moshe Artzi	124
In the illegal Aliya	Dov Fleischer	125
The youth organizations of the Working Eretz Yisrael	A. Shilo & Y. Eedan	126
Hashomer Hatza'ir 1935-1939	Gedaliahu Sidransk	128
Hashomer Hatza'ir in Suwalk	Chaim Karay	128
The Communist movement in Suwalk	Lea Welscher	129
Macabi	Shlomo Reiman (SYB)	130
E. Personalities		133
M. -- Chaim Arlosorov		135
Moshe Bokanowski, a minister in France		135
R'Chaim Leib Bachrach	Yehoshua Bachrach	136
Leon Holanderski	Yehuda Eedan	137
Dr. Leon Weissman	Dr. Vera Gazba	138
Yosef Seligman	S. A. Karschman	139
Rav Binyamin Magentza	Eliahu Hadray	140
Dr. Naftali Stropolski	Eliahu Hadray	141
Binyamin Efron	Ariel	142
Paulina Efron	Tzipora Haber	143
Chaim Mendel Friedman (abbreviated)	Shoshana Melman	144
Yakov Kosnjerzhetzki	Y. A.	145
Dr. Yakov Robinson	M.	145
Dr. Nechemia Robinson		145
Dr. Nathan Robinson		146
Dr. Pinchas Robinson	Based on S. Regensberg	146
Shmuel Yitzhak Riesenberg	M.	146
Aharon Scheinman	Ariel	147
Musicians		148
Shmuel Duschkin	Yigal Vered	148
Yosi Chasid (see p. 217)
Rabbis	Berl Cohen (SYB)	148
First Rabbis in Suwalk		149
Rav Yitzhak Aizik Haber		149
Rav Yehiel Heller		149
Rav Shmuel Mohliver		149
Rav Eliezer Simcha Rabinowitz		150
Rav Hilel Livschitz		151
Rav David Tevele Katznelenbogen		151
Rav Moshe Betzalel Luria		151
Rav Aharon Beksht		152
Rav Yosef Yoselewitch		152
Rav David Lifschitz		153
F. Surrounding Towns
My Town Baklerova	Arie Mirov	157
Wizhan	Rav Baruch Ginsburg	158
Sejny, my town	Yosef Levinsohn	158
In memory of my town Sejny	Baruch Kowalski	160
My town Sejny	D. Sorewski-Pleskowski	161
Ponsk	A.Sperling & A.Kirsch (SYB)	162
Our town Filipova	The Lanski Sisters	162
In memory of Pszeroszla	Arie Avramski	164
I was born in Ratzk	Arie Schernitz	164
G. In Our Homeland
Avraham Stern (Yair)	Rachel Miriampolski-Elhanani	167
From Sejny to Yesud Hama'ala	Arie Lubowski	169
Epopoeia [epic poetry] by the name of Hadera	M.	171
“Me'on Harofe” [Doctor's Home] - Home for the aged	Ariel	177
The association of former residents of Suwalk	Ariel	178
Yosef Aviram (Avramski)	M.	179
Prof. Shmuel Avramski	M.	179
Moshe and Miriam Ostern	Eliahu Hadray	180
Rav Mordechai Eelan	M. Artzi & D. Eelan	181
Kopel Einstein	Eliahu Hadray	181
Shmuel Bachrach	David Bachrach	182
Moshe Gutkowski	M.	182
Dr. Moshe Glickson	Tidhar	185
Gershon Gradowski	Tidhar	185
Yehuda Naor	Tidhar	186
From Suwalk to the Israel Government: Pinchas Sapir	Dr. Mordechai Naor	186
Betzalel Amitzur	M.	188
Eliahu Porat	Karsel	189
Ovadia Porat	Karsel	189
Dr. David Arie Friedman	Israel Som “Harefua” (abb.)	190
Dr. Mira Friedman	Ariel	191
Avraham Kaufman	Eliahu Hadray	191
Chaim Kalweriski	Tidhar	192
Meir Kleif	Sara Nishmit	193
Grandfather and grandson (Rubowitz)	Eliahu Hadray	194
Dr. Avraham Rosenthal	Tidhar	195
Moshe Rosenthal-Razieli	Avrasha Avni	196
Shlomo Schulkis	Dan Shilon	197
Avraham Stern (Yair)	David Stern	197
David Stern	M.	201
Shmuel Leib Shimoni	Guta Hefetz (Shimoni)	202
Artists (Painters)		203
The Morzhinski family	Eliahu Hadray	203
David Morzhinski	Eliahu Hadray	204
Mordechai Arieli (Morzhinski)	Eliahu Hadray	204
Rachel Miriampolski-Elhanani	N. Nachlay	205
Yakov Rosenbaum	M.	205
Yitzhak Rosenthal	Eliahu Hadray	206
H. Memories		207
A debate in the park, pencil drawing	Mordechai Ariel (Morzhinski)	207
Grandfather and grandson in the City Park, drawing by pen	David Morzhinski	208
In the City Park, pencil drawing	Mordechai Arieli	209
In the City Park, pencil drawing	Mordechai Arieli	210
Suwalk (Nostalgia reflections)	Yehuda Elroy	211
A warning, in lieu of introduction		211
The atmosphere of the town		211
The uniqueness of our town		213
Music in Suwalki		216
The defeated genius		217
The Hebrew High-School		219
The Youth organizations		225
An apology, in lieu of conclusion		237
My town, my homeland	Moshe Artzi	237
A collection of memories	David Botowski	239
Episodes of life	Marian Mushkat	243
Pages from a diary	Dov Simanski	245
Memories	Betzalel Amitzur	247
A realized dream	Elhanan Pen	250
Trifles	Avraham Scheinman	251
My Suwalk	Miriam Scheinman	253
Memories	Gedaliahu Simhoni	255
Once upon a time, there was…	L. Shimoni	256
My mother's cooked dishes	Yehuda Elroy	260
I. Harvest		263
Always the first	Moshe Goldstein	265
The key as a talisman	Chana Weger Bachrach	265
Jews who know the prayers	Shmuel Avramski	266
The long journey of a Torah Scroll	Yehuda Eedan	269
A libel	Meir Yogel	271
My brother, the pioneer	Yehuda Eedan	272
The trial of the high-school students	Shmuel Avramski	273
The Yeshiva students in Suwalk	Rav I. Zawzhinski & A.M. Zawzhinski-Amitay	282
My ancestors in Suwalk	Techiya Mosel	283
The market-place in Suwalk	Zelig Soloveitchik	284
J. Holocaust and Heroism		287
“Memorial candles”, oil on canvas	Yakov Rosenbaum	287
Seven poems	Yakov Rosenbaum	289
By the end of August	Chana Neuman (Mitkes)	291
On the eve of the Holocaust	Chaim Finkelstein	293
The expulsion of the Suwalk Jews	Sara Nishmit	294
The destruction of Wijzhan	Rav Baruch Grinberg	299
The expulsion from Sejny	Yosef Levinsohn	301
The Pszeroszle jews in the Shoah	Mordechai Avramski	301
The history of one family	Sperling	303
The story of one survivor	Eva Zelikowitz Oppenheim	304
The “Hotel Polski”	Guta Ivri Gutkowski	306
The man who stood near Mengele		310
Alone in the battle	Yakov Freimark	311
A survivor [lit. remnant] from Suwalk	Livyatan Riebald	324
Notes		325
The Hope		330
In the Warsaw sewers	Schernitz	331
The Second World War	David Borowski	331
The last Jew in Suwalk	Zelig Soloveitchik	336
Suwalk without Jews	Henry Dorsy (Vigdortchek)	338
On this is our heart grieving	Moshe Rosenthal	342
The erection of the “Fathers' Fence” in our town	Shimon Sabit	343
The Fence	Nachum Adelsohn	346
Address at the unveiling of the Monument	Betzalel Amitzur	347
K. Yizkor		349
“A Ghost Town”, oil on canvas	Yitzhak Rosenthal	349
Necrology
Information about the people who submitted the memorial announcements
Index of names		439
English**
Foreward		3
Suwalk - Beginning of the 19th Century (map)		4
Foreward	Leslie Sherer	7
Suwalk History		9
Study of Suwalk Jewry	Shmuel Abramsky	9
100 Years of the Suwalk Jewish Community	Berl Kahan	10
How old is Suwalk?		10
The Jewish Settlement in Suwalk Up to the Year 1905		11
The Economic Situation		13
Jewish Agriculturists		15
The Emigration from Suwalk		16
Education & Enlightment		17
The Movement “Hibbath Zion”		19
The Chief Rabbis of Suwalk	Berl Kahan	21
Institutions & Societies		23
The Suwalk Municipality	Ariel	23
The Jewish Community Board	Edit.	24
The Jewish Hospitals	Berl Kahan	25
The Old Age Home		25
“Gemilath Hesed”		25
“Somekh Noflim”		25
“Korban Etzim”		25
“Lehem Aniyim”		25
“Hakhnasat Kala” & “Malbish Arumim”		26
Special Concern of Welfare Workers	Berl Kahan	26
Some Religious Institutions		26
Hospitality House	Y.A. Tropp	26
“Visiting the Sick”		27
T.O.Z.	Leslie Sherer	27
Tradesman's Union	Y.A. Tropp	27
Schools		29
The Talmud Torah	Yehoshua Bakhrakh	29
The Hebrew High School	R. Elhanani	29
The Tarbut School	Tzipora Meitkes–Haber	29
The Yiddish School	Lily Levine–Kutner	30
Youth Movements		31
Hehalutz		31
Betar (Brith Joseph Trumpeldor)	David Stern	31
Hashomer Hatzair	Edit.	32
The Communist Movement	Lea Welsher	32
Maccabi		32
Varia
Jewish Scholars and Activists	Rabbi Yehoash Zavozhnitsky–Savitt & Rabbi Moshe Amittai–Zavozhnisky	33
The Silverman Brothers	Moshe Zavozhnitsky–Amittai	33
Haim Mendel Friedman		33
Naftali Friedlander		34
Elie Rosenthal		34
Hasidim and Misnagdim in Town		34
Mordkhahi Kozlovsky		34
Haim Reibman		35
Aviezer Zhilkevitz		35
Benjamin Mintz		35
Shmuel Noah Shapiro		35
Eliezer Kagan		35
Shmuel Gradowsky		35
Four Ministers	Yehoash Zavozhnitsky-Savitt & Moshe Zavozhnitsky-Ami	36
Benjamin Efron	Ariel	37
Dr. Naftali Staropolsky	Eliyahu Hadrai
Dr. Leon Weissman	Dr. Viera Gawza	38
The Trial of the High School Students in Suwalk	Shmuel Abramsky	39
The History of the Independent Suwalker & Vicinity Benevolent Association	Leslie Sherer	40
In Israel		42
From Seini via the U.S.A. to Yissud Hama'ala	Arik Lubovsky	42
The Story of Hadera	Edit.	43
From Suwalk – to the Government of Israel (Pinhas Sapir)	Dr. Mordekhai Naor	44
Abraham Stern – Yair	David Stern	45
The Israel Association of Jews from Suwalk And Vicinity	Ariel	47
The Holocaust		49
The Destruction of Suwalk	Yehezkel Berlson	49
On Zalman Gradovsky's Notes	Edit.	52
From Gradovsky's Notes	Zalman Gradovsky	52
The Letter	Zalman Gradovsky	54
“Hatikva”		54
Erection of a Cemetery Fence in Our Town	Simon Savitt-Zavozhnitzky	55
Suwalk Revisited	Leslie Sherer	57
In Memoriam
* (SYB) – Suwalk Yizkor Book 1961 return
** Excerpts and adaptations from our relief Committee's “Yizkor Book” 1961 and from the Hebrew section of this volume return

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