Our Town Wolbrom
(Poland)

50°22' / 19°46'

Translation of
Wolbrom irenu

Edited by: M. Geshuri, Tel Aviv, 1962



Acknowledgments

 

This is a translation from: Wolbrom irenu (Our town Wolbrom), Editors: M. Geshuri (Bruckner), Tel Aviv,
Association of Former Residents of Wolbrom in Israel, 1962 (H,Y, 909 pages).

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Translated by Sara Mages

 

1. Title Page    
Preface    
Map of the city and the surrounding area    
Map of the city proper    
Table of contents    
List of photos    
From the Editor – “Our city Wolbrom” [H&Y] M.S. Geshuri-Brunker  
Preface - With the publication of the book [H&Y] Yehiel Ben-Porat  
 
2. Chapters of History
Chapters on the history of the Jews in Wolbrom (Historical Survey) [H&Y]
  1. The City in General
  2. The Beginning of the Jewish Settlement
  3. Wolbromer Jews – Branching from Krakow
  4. Wolbrom Fights for Her Independence
  5. Events and Wartime
  6. The “V'ad Arba Artsot” in the Wolbromer Region
  7. In the World of Torah
  8. The Population-Count in Wolbrom
  9. Jewish Agriculture and Antisemitism in the City
  10. Wolbrom Under the Yoke of Russia
  11. Blood-Libels in Wolbrom
 M.S. Geshuri-Brunker 46
Wolbrom's Jews during the First World War (1914-1918):
  1. The first days after the declaration of war
  2. During the days of the Austrian occupation
  3. Wolbrom – a battlefield
M.S. Geshuri 73
Under the protection of the new independent Poland: [H]
  1. Freedom and independence in the midst of chaos
  2. The heroisms of Wolbrom's Jewish youth
M.S. Geshuri 86
In the war years: [Y]
  1. Russian contribution to Jewish Wolbrom
  2. The liberation of Poland
  3. The first Jewish firemen
Meir Kivokvitsh 92
Sources to the history of the city:
  1. From the City's Archives
  2. The Synagogue
  3. “The geographical Lexicon of the Polish Kingdom” (Polish)
  4. From the book “Ancient Poland” by Balinski and Lipinski (Polish)
  5. From the complete encyclopedia by the Orgelbrand brothers (Polish)
   96
Dates and historical numbers (according to various authentic sources):
  1. General Urban
  2. Jewish Urban
S. Barkai 107
 
3. Jewry and Way of Life
Beit-Hamidrash[1] [H&Y] Moshe Lubling 111
Memories of Wolbrom: [Y]
  1. The Synagogue Street.
  2. The Stack
  3. The Synagogue
  4. The Great Beit-Hamidrash[1]
Chaim Weinberg 119
Beit-Hamidrash[1] – the creator house Yehiel Ben-Porat 126
In the world of Torah and Intellectuals:
  1. Rabies and Judges
  2. Pious and Hassidim
M.S. Geshuri 127
The Hassidic divisions in Wolbrom M.S. Geshuri 145
The image of the Wolbrom community [H&Y] Natan Hofshi 158
I'm traveling back [H&Y] Moshe Lubling 179
The first night of Selichot Y. Ben-Porat 193
Lives and Holocaust in Wolbrom (a survey of Jewish life) [Y]
    1. About the community of Wolbrom.
    2. A little pre-history
    3. Wolbrom in the beginning of the 20th century
    4. The town before World War I
    5. The national awakening and secularization of the town
    6. The First World War and after the war
 Avraham Stark 197
Positions in Teaching and Culture:
  1. “Haderim” and “Melamdim” – the distributers of Jewish culture
  2. The position of Slaughterer and Examiner [ritual slaughterer]
  3. Cantors and Readers
M.S. Geshuri 233
The cantor R' Yosel-Meir Gottlieb [Y] Yehezkel Gottlieb 244
Beit-Hamidrash[1] – the creator house [Y] Y. Ben-Porat 245
Incidents and Events:
  1. The Cantonists[2]
  2. “The four friends”- the Wolbromim
Yehiel Meir Angelstein 249
From Wolbrom to Eretz-Yisrael [H&Y] Natan Hofshi 252
Wolbrom in my eyes [Y] Yosef Erlich 276
From Wolbrom to Hulda [a Kibbutz in Israel]. Notes from a journey Zev Isar Shmueli 290
Zionism and preparatory training [Y] S. Weksler-Grossman 296
The pangs of immigration Levi Haimovich 301
Inside my nation Shlomo Zemach 302
From my shtelel Wolbrom (memories) [Y] Yehiel Hochman 308
Wolbrom between the two World Wars [Y] David M. Zukerman 321
 
4. Institutions and Establishments
(Torah, benevolence, education and culture)
Establishments and businesses dealing with eternity matters:
  1. The two cemeteries in Wolbrom
  2. Chevrah Kadisha[3]
M.S. Geshuri 331
The municipality of Wolbrom and its council S. Barkai 340
The Jewish community board S. Barkai 345
The Bath-House and the Sweat House S. Barkai 350
Charitable organizations S. Barkai 351
Torah and Culture establishments S. Barkai 358
The Jewish drama club Moshe Bidlowski 372
The sound of tradition in Wolbrom M.S. Geshuri 374
 
5. The Economic and Professional life    
The Jewish economic life in Wolbrom (between the two World Wars) David M. Zukerman 381
Life of livelihood and economy
  1. Commerce
  2. Market and market day
  3. Craft and Artists
  4. Manufacturing industries
  5. Economic and trade organizations
M.S. Geshuri 383
The professional youth in Wolbrom [Y] Yedel Gottnstein 400
The Proletariat Movement [Y] Leibl Frenkel 402
The printing press in Wolbrom S. Barkai 408
Jewish Livelihoods: [Y]
  1. Peddlers
  2. Artisans
  3. Merchants
  4. Produce-Merchants
  5. Horse-Handlers, Animal Merchants
  6. Butchers
  7. Coachmen
  8. Factories
Leibl Frenkel 412
 
6. Movements and Parties
The first rebel in town (in memory of E. Rosenstein-Biderman [H&Y] Natan Hofshi 421
The Zionist movement and its parties in Wolbrom   425
The Youth Zionist movement in Wolbrom [Y] S. Weingarten 427
The “Mizrahi” movement in Wolbrom   429
“Agudat Yisrael” and its activities   430
The “Betar” movement   436
About the “Shomer” movement in Wolbrom [H&Y] Yehiel Ben-Porat 441
“Poale Zion” right wing [Y] M. Bidlowski 444
“Poale Zion” left wing [Y] Y. Lederman 449
The Bond organization [Y] Arthur Nonberg 457
 
7. Impressions and Memories
Paddling in Wolbrom, a ruined city Feivel Schnitzer 465
My uncle Leibish [Y] Yasel Harif 472
Of what we had and no longer exists Yehiel Ben-Porat 475
My visit to Wolbrom in 1932 (a chapter of memories) [Y] Yehiel Hocherman 477
Yehiel Gershanavich (memories) [Y] Menachem Stizki 479
In the Synagogue Street [Y] Reuven Kachan 484
About righteousness and kindness in Wolbrom [Y] Y. Y. Welner 487
Two figures [Y] Y. M. Zilbermintz 491
At the beginning of the “Third Aliyah”[4] (memories) Meir Kivokvitsh 497
My town Wolbrom (chapters of memories from my youth) Ovadia Gottlieb 498
 
8. Figures and Characters
Personalities and Communal workers:    
    R' Zev (Velvel) Alter   529
    R' Tzvi Hirsh Bidlowski   530
    R' Hanoch Braun   531
    R' Meir Bruckner   532
    R' Meir Shimon Bruckner   532
    R' Avraham Mordechai Bruckner   533
    R' Moshe Barmhercyk (the blind)   533
    R' Yosef Meir Gottlieb   535
    Dr. Leon Gleberger   535
    Avraham Yitzchak Glichter   535
    R' Mendel Gottnstein   536
    Shlomo Gottnstein   537
    Avraham Heberfeld   538
    Moshe Yosef Henger   538
    R' Aharon Weinstein   539
    R' Yehoshua Werdiger   539
    Isar Zalman   540
    Naftali Tralo   540
    R' Yosef Baruch Izraelowicz   541
    Rabbi Yekutiel Katz, the Admor from Wolbrom   541
    R' Michael Lubling   542
    Moshe Yehoshua Lubling   542
    Alter Levit   544
    Hanoch-Henich Landau   545
    Reuven Meiteles (Reuven the yellow)   546
    R' Yeshaya the scriber and his son R' Avraham Yitzchak   546
    Ajzik Podolski   547
    R' Yosef-Bar and his son Leibish Putash   547
    Mordechai Narkis – a man of vision and fulfillment M.S. Geshuri 549
    R' Elimelech Peznowski   551
    The family of R' Yekutiel Fishel   552
    R' Michael Perelmuter   553
    Menasche Frenkel   553
    The Zeygboim family   554
    R' Leizer Zigler   554
    The Krenfeled family   555
    The pharmacist Henrik Rozenbaum   556
    R' Yitzchak Meir Stark   556
    Leibla Shemesh   558
Women of valor in Wolbrom   559
Men of labor and toil Michael Schnitzer 559
Beautiful figures of our city [Y] M. D. Zukerman 562
 
Righteous Women:
  1. Simcha Meiteles
  2. Itele' Katz
  566
The Garber (Tanner) family by the Stak [Y] Yehiel Ben-Porat 567
In the small streets around the Stak [Y]
  1. The Stak
  2. Abraham Berish Beker
  3. Feivl Itsik Jarshinski
  4. Hershl Orshs and His Wife Rachel
  5. Yenkl Beker and His Wife Devorah Leah
  6. Finie Shuster
  7. Frimet Zeideles and Her Husband
  8. The Glezers
  9. Itsik Aharon
  10. Manele Price
  11. In “Lina Htsedek”
Sima Lubling-Ben-Porat 569
Figures:
  1. Matel Mizles
  2. Pinchas Rotner
  3. Yehezkel Gelibter
  573
Elkana Neyer of blessed memory   576
 
9. “Woe! What we had” [5]
(The horrors of the Holocaust and the destruction of Wolbrom)
A tombstone (poem) [Y] Moshe Lubling א
A letter to my grandfather (poem) [Y] A. T. Halevi ב
We did not know their graves (poem) Yakov Rimon ג
And so it started [H&Y] Moshe Lubling ד
The beginning [H&Y] Moshe Lubling ו
This is how the city of Wolbrom was destroyed Binyamin Katz כא
A memorial candle (poem) [Y] Moshe Lubling נד
The chapters of my life in the war of annihilation (memories) L. Gershanavich נד
In a struggle with the devil [Y] Artur Nunberg סד
The War [Y] Yosef Welner עב
The binding of Yitzchak ]H&Y[ Moshe Lubling פה
Wolbormers in different camps in Pshemishil [Przemyœl] [Y[ Shimon Weingarten צג
Over Poland's annihilated cities (poem) [Y] Moshe Lubling צח
Drops of Blood (poem) [Y] Moshe Lubling צט
In the struggle for life [Y] Melech Glazer ק
From Wolbrom to Krakow Ghetto [Y] Shlomo Peleshinski קטו
Wolbromer Jews in the Stalova-Vola death-camp [Y] Yehudah & Chaim Yitzchak Biber קיט
In the days of horror [Y] Ide Weizmann קכז
Transport (poem) [Y] M. Lubling קלב
White Forest (poem) [Y] M. Lubling קלג
Battle to survive [Y] M. D. Zukerman קלד
Prologue and Epilogue [Y] Avraham Stark קנב
Wolbrom under Nazi occupation [Y] D. Y. Spiegler קסה
Memories of the Nazi Hell [Y] Yisrael Kaner קעו
The second settlement in Wolbrom [Y] Shmuel Perelmuter קפז
Survival [Y] Leah Faluch קצד
My Kaddish [Y] Alter Nunberg קצח
I will never forget Shmuel Matsner רב
The work camp in Wolbrom [Y] Binyamin Katz רה
My memories: [Y]
  1. Before the war
  2. The Holocaust
Belo Wajndling (New York) רו
The Chronicles of my days in the Holocaust [Y] Ajzik Wandersman רי
Remembrance [Y] Meir Yanovski ריג
The Last Friday [Y] Yaakov Skavran רטו
Heroes of Uprising:
  1. Shimon Heller [Y]
  2. Hershel Szpringier [Y]
  ריח
The melody. The man and angel of death Natan Hofshi רכ
Wolbrombers in the camps [Y] L. Greszanawicz רכא
A Wolbromer returns from Russia [Y] Meir Ratmensh רכג
Wolbrom - 1962 [Y] Artur Nunberg רכט
Jewish Wolbrom after the war [Y] M. Zanin רלד
Our Cemetery [Y&H] M. Lubling רמ
A partial list of Wolbrom's martyrs (around two thousand names)   רמד
The last road (poem) [Y] M. Lubling רעב
 
10. The Association of Former Residents of Wolbrom in Israel and the Diaspora [6]
The Association of Former Residents of Wolbrom in Israel [H&Y]   849
From the heroes of the War of Independence:   855
    Moshe Heberfeld   855
    Yakov Nehemiah Gottlieb   856
    David Kivokvitsh   857
    Blat Avraham   858
    Avshalom Gottlieb   859
List of former residents of Wolbrom who died in Israel   862
List of former residents of Wolbrom in Israel and their addresses   862
Personalities and activists: Menachem Binshtok, HaRav Shlomo Fish   869
Memorial meetings (speeches by Ben-Porat and M. Libeling) [Y&H]   870
I once believed [Y] M. Lubling 874
Yehiel Ben-Porat [Y] Binyamin Katz 878
Association of Former Residents of Wolbrom in America [Y]   882
Index of names and places   884
 
Footnotes

  1. Beit-Hamidrash- the house of learning. Return
  2. Cantonists - Sons of Russian private soldiers who from 1805 to 1827 were educated in special “canton schools” for future military service; after 1827 the term was applied also to Jewish boys, who were drafted to military service at the age of twelve and placed for their military education in cantonist schools of distant provinces. Return
  3. Chevrah Kadisha – “holy society” – the Jewish Burial Society. Return
  4. Third Aliyah - the third wave of the Jewish immigration to Israel between the years 1919 and 1923. Return
  5. Chapter 9 is numbered separately in Hebrew letters Return
  6. Book numbers change again and begin at 849-852 Return

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