Translation Project Editor's Note
After World War II, the Kremenets Landsmanshaft had active members in Israel, New York, and Argentina. Sometime after the yizkor book Pinkas Kremenets, edited by Avraham Stein, was published in 1954, the Israel-based Landsmanshaft (Irgun yotsei Kremenits, or Organization of Kremenets Emigrants) began publishing a series of booklets. These included 18 numbered booklets published between 1967 and 1982, as well as an additional booklet in 1995. Their purpose was to keep Kremenetsers around the world in touch with one another.
All the booklets included sections in Hebrew and Yiddish. In the first 10 numbered booklets, the Hebrew and Yiddish sections are identical (or nearly identical) in content. As the burden of translation increased with the amount of material to publish, the organization began to print much of the material in its original language (Hebrew or Yiddish) only.
In booklet 10, published in December 1972, Yitschak Rokhel, a member of the Editorial Board, described the first nine Voice of Kremenets Emigrants booklets as follows:
The booklets were not published on set dates. Their formula and contents varied, and even their size went through changes until we arrived at a certain set scale. . . .
We started out by presenting all material in both languages (Hebrew and Yiddish), but as time went by, we stopped insisting on this to keep the length reasonable and for other reasons. . . .
Now, who are the writers? Certainly, board members (particularly Manus [Goldenberg] and [Yitschak] Rokhel) contributed the lion's share, but they were not the only ones. Twenty-seven members in the Land and abroad contributed the fruit of their pen, and in the nine booklets, some 117 articles were published.
The organization's aim is to preserve the memory of the Kremenets community. One of the tools for achieving this is the Voice of Kremenets Emigrants booklets. . . .
As for content, Rokhel writes that booklets 1 through 9 include
- “descriptions of the way of life and personas of Kremenets Jews, in 16 articles”
- descriptions of modern-day Kremenets by members who visited the town (8 articles)
- “70 items dedicated to specific events for Kremenetsers of today”
- reports on “the organization's regular activities: the RYB”L Library and the club attached to it, the annual memorials, gatherings with our friends from abroad who come to visit, social events (Chanukah and Purim parties, etc.), aid, contributions from abroad, etc.”
- “58 obituaries and condolences”
- beginning with booklet 7, “a section dedicated to Argentina . . . . About 150 families from Kremenets live there, maintaining a vital and united organization . . . .”
In a very real sense, then, the booklets are yizkor books – not the traditional kind that deal with an ancestral shtetl in Eastern Europe, but yizkor books dealing with the lives of those who left Kremenets before, during, and after World War II, and their descendants.
Rokhel notes that booklet 10 had a circulation of 700 copies, distributed as follows:
- 375 in Israel, to members of the Organization of Kremenets Emigrants
- 75 in Israel, to libraries, institutes, and individuals
- 100 in Argentina, by the Landsmanschaft
- 25 in the United States, by the Society
- 50 in the United States, directly to private addresses
- 25 in Canada, by member Max Desser
- 25 in various countries, to libraries and individuals
- 25 held in reserve
Our hope is that the translations will extend this circulation to new generations of Kremenetsers and other interested readers.
A word on transliteration: We have tried to be consistent in transliterating Hebrew and Yiddish names in a way that allows the reader to work backward to the original spelling. A document describing our transliteration guidelines is on our Kremenets Shtetlinks website (https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/Kremenets/web-pages/transliteration.html). As project manager, I take full responsibility for changes I have made to our translators' work, and I welcome comments, criticism, and suggestions for improvement. If you identify any errors in the translation or take issue with the way we have transliterated specific surnames, please advise me of them so that we can correct them.
Translation Acknowledgments
We are indebted to the following translators for their work on these booklets: Shimshon Bahat, Lenny Blank, David Dubin, Nathan Gabriel, Jack Horbal, Sara Mages, Thia Persoff, and Elliott Raisen. I take full responsibility for changes I have made and any damage done to their work. Please keep in mind that this is an ongoing project. Additions and revisions to this translation will be made available as they are completed.
The Kremenets Yizkor Book Translation Project is one of the projects of the Kremenets Shtetl CO-OP/Jewish Records Indexing-Poland, an activity of the Kremenets District Research Group (http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Kremenets).
Ellen Garshick
Editor, Kremenets Yizkor Book Translation Project
Kremenets Shtetl CO-OP/Jewish Records Indexing-Poland http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Kremenets
an activity of the Kremenets District Research Group
Ronald D. Doctor, Co-Coordinator
Portland, Oregon USA
Bibliography of Kremenets Yizkor Books
This bibliography includes citations for the two primary Yizkor Books for Kremenets, as well as for a series of booklets published by the Organization of Kremenets Emigrants between 1967 and 1982. At least one more was published in 1995. All those booklets are in the possession of the Kremenets District Research Group. In addition, the list includes citations for yizkor books for several nearby towns that are closely associated with Kremenets—Brody, Pochayev, Shumsk (Szumsk, Shumskoye), Vishnevets, and Yampol. Partial English translations are available on the JewishGen Yizkor Book website, http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor.
Kremenets (50°06' N, 25°43' E)
- Stein, Avraham Samuel, ed. 1954. Pinkas Kremenets [Pinkas Kremeniec: A Memorial, Sefer Zikaron]. Tel Aviv, Israel: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel. 453 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Lerner, P. ed. 1965. Kremenits, Vishgorodek un Pitshayev; yisker-bukh [Memorial Book of Krzemieniec, Vishgorodek, and Pochayev]. Buenos Aires: Organization of Emigrants from and Vicinity in Argentina. 468 pp. Yiddish.
Booklets
From 1967 through 1982, the Organization of Kremenets Emigrants published a series of 18 booklets in Tel Aviv and distributed them to Kremenetsers worldwide through representatives in New York, Buenos Aires, and Winnipeg. Beginning with Booklet 16 in 1979, the title and content were changed to include emigrants from Shumsk (Szumsk, Shumskoye; 50 07 N / 26 07 E, 17.8 miles E of Kremenets) as well as Kremenets. Norm Kagan, whose father, William, was the New York representative of the Kremenets landsmanschaft, donated copies of Booklets 1, 2, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 18 to the CO-OP and to YIVO; Ron Doctor has donated Booklet 11; Peggy Pearlstein donated copies of Booklets 3 through 7, 9, and 13 from the collection of the U.S. Library of Congress; and Eileen Curtis donated a copy of Booklet 17. We now have originals or copies of the entire series of 18 numbered booklets. The CO-OP has donated copies of all booklets to the U.S. Library of Congress and to YIVO.
- Argaman-Bots, Avraham, Manus Goldenberg, Shmuel Taytelman, and Yitschak Rokhel, eds. 1967, April. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 1. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 32 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Argaman, Avraham, Manus Goldenberg, Yehoshue Golberg, Shmuel Taytelman, and Yitschak Rokhel, eds. 1967, December 24. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 2. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 45 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Argaman, Avraham, Manus Goldenberg, Rachel Nadir, Shmuel Taytelman, and Yitschak Rokhel, eds. 1968, August 1. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 3. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 45 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, Manus, Yitschak Rokhel, Mordekhay Ot-Yakar, Avraham Argaman, Yehoshue Golberg, and Shmuel Taytelman, eds. 1968, December 15. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 4. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 57 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, M. Ot-Yakar, A. Argaman, Y. Golberg, and Sh. Taytelman, eds. 1969, 1 August. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 5. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 48 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, M. Ot-Yakar, Y. Golberg, and Sh. Taytelman, eds. 1970, April 7. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 6. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 56 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, A. Argaman, M. Ot-Yakar, Y. Golberg, Sh. Taytelman, and Rachel Nadir, eds. 1970, December 10. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 7. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 61 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, A. Argaman, Duvid Rapaport, M. Ot-Yakar, Y. Golberg, Sh. Taytelman, and Rachel Nadir-Otiker, eds. 1971, July 25. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 8. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 53 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, A. Argaman, Duvid Rapaport, M. Ot-Yakar, Y. Golberg, Sh. Taytelman, and Rachel Nadir, eds. 1972, February 29. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 9. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 38 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, A. Argaman, M. Ot-Yakar, and Yehoshue Golberg, eds. 1972, December 1. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 10. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 65 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, A. Argaman, M. Ot-Yakar, and Yehoshue Golberg, eds. 1974, May. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 11. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 58 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., A. Argaman, Yehoshue Golberg, and Y. Rokhel, eds. 1975, June. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 12. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 68 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., A. Argaman, Yehoshue Golberg, Sh. Taytelman, Skolski, Otiker, and Duvid Rapaport, eds. 1976, July. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 13. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 50 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, A. Argaman, Y. Golberg, Ts. Bernshteyn, and Sh. Skolski, eds. 1977, July. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 14. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 72 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, A. Argaman, Y. Golberg, Ts. Bernshteyn, Sh. Skolski, and M. Ot-Yakar, eds. 1978, August. Kol yotsei Kremenits beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 15. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 68 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, A. Argaman, Y. Golberg, Ts. Bernshteyn, Sh. Skolski, B. Goren, Sh. Vaysman, and A. Mordish, eds. 1979, August. Kol yotsei Kremenits veShumsk beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser un Shumsker Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets and Shumsk Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 16. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 54 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, A. Argaman, Y. Golberg, Ts. Bernshteyn, M. Ot-Yakar, Sh. Skolski, Sh. Vaysman, and A. Mordish, eds. 1980, December. Kol yotsei Kremenits veShumsk beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser un Shumsker Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets and Shumsk Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 17. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 66 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
- Goldenberg, M., Y. Rokhel, Y. Goldberg, Ts. Bernshteyn, Sh. Skolski, Sh. Vaysman, A. Mordish, M. Ot-Yakar, and Y. Sobol, eds. 1982, August. Kol yotsei Kremenits veShumsk beYisrael vebatfutsot/Kremenitser un Shumsker Landslayt Shtime, in Yisrael un Oysland [Voice of Kremenets and Shumsk Emigrants in Israel and the Diaspora]. Booklet 18. Tel Aviv: Organization of Kremenets Emigrants. 84 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
Brody, Ukraine
(50°05' N, 25°09' E, 25.1 miles W of Kremenets)
Lichtblau, Albert, ed. 1999. Als haetten wir dazugehoert. Vienna-Cologne-Weinar: Boehlau, in cooperation with Leo Baeck Institute and the Institute for History of Jews in Austria. German.
An English translation, A Day in the House of My Parents: Reminiscences of Brody, is available on Brody ShtetLinks website, http://www.jewishgen.org/shtetlinks/brody/a_day_in_the_house.htm
- Gelber, N., ed. 1955. Arim ve-imahot be-yisrael; matsevet kodesh le-kehilot yisrael she-nehrevu bi-yedei aritsim u-tmeim be-milhemet ha-olam ha-aharona. Vol. 6, Toldot Yehudei Brody, 1584–1943 [Towns and Mother-Cities in Israel: Memorial of the Jewish Communities That Perished. Vol. 6, History of the Jews of Brody, 1584–1943]. Jerusalem: Rav Kuk Institute. 454 pp. Hebrew.
Ner tamid: Yizkor le-Brody [An Eternal Light: Brody in Memoriam]. 1994. Jerusalem: Organization of Former Brody Residents in Israel. 508 pp. Hebrew. English table of contents available at http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/brody/brody.html.
Translation of further sections of this book is underway. The book's English pages consist of the list of founders of the Organization of Former Brody Residents in Israel, the Table of Contents, the Preface, a selection from Nathan Michael Gelber's “History of the Jews of Brody,” and an essay by Julian Tuwim entitled, “We, Polish Jews.” I also have two poems that have been translated into English.
Pochayev
(Pitshayev, 50°01' N, 25°29' E, 11.8 miles WSW of Kremenets)
- Gelernt, H., ed. 1960. Pitshayever yisker-bukh [Memorial Book Dedicated to the Jews of Pitchayev-Wohlyn Executed by the Germans]. Philadelphia: Pitchayever Wohliner Aid Society. 311 pp. Yiddish.
- Pitshayev also is included in the Kremenets Yizkor Book edited by Lerner and published in Argentina.
Staryy Aleksinets
(Aleksinets, 49°50' N, 25°33' E, 19.8 miles SSW of Kremenets)
No Yizkor Book
[There also is a Novyy Oleksinets nearby (49° 50'/25° 30', 20.8 miles SSW of Kremenets.]
Shums'k (Shumskoye, Szumsk, 50°07' N, 26°07' E,
17.8 miles E of Kremenets)
Rabin, H. 1968. Szumsk ... sefer zikaron le-kedoshei Szumsk [Shumsk ... Memorial Book of the Martyrs of Shumsk]. Tel Aviv: Former Residents of Shumsk in Israel. 477 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish. Partial translation is at http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/szumsk/szumsk.html.
Vishnevets
(49° 54' N, 25°45' E, 13.9 miles S of Kremenets)
- Rabin, Chayim, ed. 1970. Sefer-zikaron likedoshe Vishnivits she-nispu be-shoat ha-Natsim/ha-orekh. Tel Aviv: Irgun ole Vishnivits. NYPL Call No. *PXW (Vishnevets) (Vishnivits, 1970). 540 pp. ill., map (on lining paper), ports.; 25 cm.
Vyshgorodok
(Vishgorodek, 49°46' N, 25°58' E,
25.6 miles SSE of Kremenets)
Vyshgorodek is included in the Kremenets Yizkor Book published in Argentina and edited by Stein. There is no separate Yizkor Book for Vyshgorodek.
Yampil' (Yampol')/Tikhomel' (49°58' N, 26°15' E,
25.4 miles ESE of Kremenets)
- Gelman, L., ed. 1963. Ayara be-lehavot: Pinkas Yampola, pelekh Volyn [Town in Flames: Book of Yampola, Wolyn District]. Jerusalem: Commemoration Committee for the Town with the Assistance of Yad Vashem and the World Jewish Congress. 154 pp. Hebrew and Yiddish.
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