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Radziechów (Radekhov)

Radekhov was a regional town located in eastern Galicia, in the Tarnopol [Ternopil] District, along the rail line from Lvov [Lviv] to Lutsk. Of its 12,000,residents, about half were Jewish and the rest were either Ukrainian or part of a Polish minority consisting primarily of families of employees of local city governments. The Jewish community, numbering around 5,000, was a microcosm of Jewish life in Poland. Everything typically found in a Jewish town was present in Radekhov: the structure of the community, rabbis, ritual slaughterers, rabbinical judges, Torah learners, melameds [teachers], cheders [Jewish schools], Zionist organizations, Zionist youth movements, and synagogues. One synagogue was particularly grand and stood out in the area. The city had a vibrant Chassidic presence, including Husiatyn and Belz Chassidim, each with its own “Shtiebel” [communal house of prayer]. The community also had esteemed residents, community leaders, “Amcha” [the general populate], and those who were impoverished and needy.

The city served as a commercial and administrative center for smaller towns and villages near and far. The city also had some economic and service enterprises predominantly owned by Jews. These included flour mills that served the city and surrounding areas, sawmills (whose products were supplied to the entire state of Poland and were used for exportation), a brewery, and a brick kiln factory.

The only organization shared by both the Gentiles and the Jews was the “Chech,” the artisan guild.

The weekly fair was the main event in the city. Jewish merchants and shopkeepers traveled from the surrounding towns and villages to participate. They brought their wares and with the proceeds, they purchased goods for their stores to last until the next fair. The Gentiles brought produce from their farms including grain, poultry, eggs, pigs, and more.

The central synagogue was the Great Synagogue, known as the Shul, which, as mentioned, was one of the most magnificent synagogues in the Tarnopol district. Most people in the city prayed there during Shabbat and holidays, while on regular days, they prayed at the beit midrash. The Chassidim held all of their prayers at their Shtieblach.

In addition to the state elementary schools that Jewish children attended alongside other children, Count Badeni (the owner of estates in the region) established a high school in his palace buildings. Over time, that school became a state school.

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Although Jewish children made up the majority of the city's youth, they were in the minority at the high school. This was because of restrictions placed on Jews in institutions of higher education and also because of the high tuition fees that only wealthy Jewish families could afford. There was also an evening school which was supported by the Zionist organizations. Attendance was voluntary and classes took place after regular school hours. Two non-Zionist educational institutions were established by the Haredi party, “Agudat Israel.” One of the schools was the “Horev” yeshiva for boys, and the other was the “Beit Yaakov,” for girls. Among the Aguda's youth were Ch. Klein, Tz. Shapira, M. Halpern, Sh. Shechter, Weisblatt, and Lippa Kitzes.

The primary religious schools were the “cheders,” the typical traditional educational institutions for most Jewish children in Poland.

General Zionists

Besides some organizations that came and went, there were the general Zionists who were known as “Just Zionists.” Its members mainly consisted of wealthy property owners. Their affiliated youth movement was the “Achva” [“Brotherhood”] youth movement. Among its notable members were Zelig Krantz, Nathan Bari, Dr. Milgrom, and more.

In eastern Galicia, there were hardly any branches of “Poalei Tzion”^[1]. This gap was filled by branches of the “Hitachdut” [“The Union”]^[2], which was perceived to have an ideology similar to that of the “Poalei Tzion” party in Eretz Israel, the arm of the labor movement in the country. Additionally, the “Gordonia” branch, affiliated with the “Hitachdut” branch, was also active in the city. Among the notable members of the “Hitachdut” branch were Yekhiel Menaker, Nisan Eksler, Mordechai (Mordish) Weissman, Meir Barak, and Moshe Letzer. In the “Gordonia” branch, notable members included Refael Wasser, Issar Charap, Ester Meir, Breindl Letzter, and others.

Among the religious circles in the city, a branch of “HaPoel HaMizrachi”, the religious Zionist labor party, and the affiliated pioneering youth movement, “Bnei Akiva” were active. People of note in “HaPoel HaMizrachi” included Avraham Ober, Yaakov Bruck (our friend Y. Raanan), and more.

In summary, Radekhov was like most of the Jewish communities that were destroyed in the Holocaust. Its unique biography is told in the following chapters.

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Rabbi Reb Yaakov Unger of Radekhov

Mr. Simcha Yonah Unger of Radekhov

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