I have known about the Divenishok Yizkor Book since I was a young boy. My grandparents gave me a copy of the book when I was about twelve and it has moved with me, going from shelf to shelf, largely unread for decades. However, as I began to have the time to delve into my own ancestry I soon realized how much valuable and otherwise unobtainable information was hidden within these pages. Since nearly forty years had passed without an English translation, my only option was to produce a translation of my own. And so I volunteered for the task via the JewishGen Yizkor Book Project and have been rewarded a thousand times over for the effort.

I cannot claim to be an expert on the subject of Yizkor Books, but I suspect that among Yizkor Books, this one is especially compelling. There are two main reasons why I feel confident about making such a statement. The first is that the writers and editors of the original volume took great care to include not only the tales of heroism and suffering that are staples in the Yizkor book literature, but also numerous articles about everyday life and everyday people, including a sizable amount of genealogical information related to each biographical portrait. There is a refreshing honesty in these writings, portraying townfolk, foibles and all, in their humility and worldly-wisdom. Everyday acts of kindness abound here.

The other major achievement contained in this work is its photographic gallery (presented in a separate Photo Gallery in the translation). As I learned from reading one of the mini-biographies in the book, one of the town's residents, Tsvi Krizovski, became fascinated with photography in the early 20^th Century, assuming the role of unofficial town photographer. Krizovski's photographs capture the spirit of Divenishok in a way that mere words cannot. Over 100 photos accompany the articles, in many instances depicting the persons mentioned in the text, allowing us to witness the cultural, religious, sporting, economic, and social life of the town as it was in those days.

The amount of family tree information contained in this volume is surely extraordinary. Since most civil records covering Divenishok have never been found, presumed destroyed, the family relationships described in detail in this volume are the sole remaining resource for such information. In view of the genealogical value of this book I have prepared a Divenishok Ancestral Tree containing over 6,000 entries, drawn from this book and other sources, that researchers may use to find their roots in this and surrounding towns. I have also prepared a complete database index of names and places from the book so that every instance of any name and place, including names mentioned in photographic captions, may be quickly located. Researchers interested in delving further into Divenishok genealogies are welcomed to visit the Dieveniskes Kehilalinks page to access these and other materials, or may contact me directly.

I hope the public will find as much enjoyment, pathos, humor, and nourishment as I have in these pages.

I am forever grateful to the many translators who have worked for pittances on this project. Their names may be found below the title of each of their articles and they should be honored. I am also eternally indebted to the many generous, individual contributors whose funding made this translation possible.

1. “Maccabi Tzair” – Junior (young) Maccabi – a youth sport movement that was formed in Germany in 1926, besides the adult Maccabi movement. Return
2. “Beitar” - the initials of Brit Yosef Trumpeldor- The Covenant of Joseph Trumpeldor, the educational youth movement of the Revisionist Zionist Organization. Return
3. “HeHalutz” – [The Pioneer] was an association of Jewish youth whose aim was to train its members to settle in the land of Israel. Return
4. Linat Zedek - “paupers' hostel” - a society that provided overnight lodgings for poor travelers. Return
5. Palmach – Hebrew acronym for Plugot Machatz - strike force. Return
6. Bien was a youth organization, communist oriented, formally acting as a Scouts movement. Wielbig was the parallel adults organization. Return
7. ”Gmilut Chesed” = Loans without interest. Return
8. Appeal from the Former Divenishok Residents in Israel to the Divenishok Residents in America. Return