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For close to 500 years, Tishevits was located in “Lesser Poland,” close to the crossroads of Volhynia and Ukraine, surrounded by rushing rivers, dark forests, swampy peat bogs, and sun-dazzled sands.

Tishevits was connected to the world around it, in both territory and time, by bridges on every side, and underground caverns. With extraordinary effort, people lived and looked for answers to the world's problems from their own intellect, and dreamed the dream of the days of the Messiah.

The wonderful deeds, and the joy, and the sad events of the generations that had lived, suffered, and hoped there, were imprinted in her alleys and her narrow interlocking little streets. The realities of today were always connected to and seen through the spiritual mysteries of yesterday.

And then the disruption of the old ways of life, and the beginning of the preparations for a new approach to the world came to the shtetl, but was severed by the storm of horror and catastrophe issuing from the land of the Huns. The horror rampaged through all the streets and bridges, annihilating everyone and everything, destroying the bridges, and sealing the caverns and their waters.

Only in our memories does it shine as it once did.

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[Page 8]

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This is the map of Tishevits as I remember it in the year 1933, when I left Tishevits to immigrate to Israel. As the drawing shows, Tishevits was an island surrounded by the Huczwa river, which flowed in an irregular manner from number 1 through numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 to Hrubieszow, and emptied into the river Bug. The part of the river from 2-7 was dug when the first watermill was constructed. Near the bridge, on the way to the “Klentves,” a ramp had been constructed. For that reason, the bridge was called the “Shlizhe^[1].” The water to the mill came from number 2 and returned to the river at number 7.

The part of the river, from number 3 to number 9, was dug by farmers from the suburbs. As a result, a bridge had to be built (number 8) which was called the “long bridge.”

In the last world war, the Nazis filled the river using Jewish labor so that part of the river, from number 3 to number 9, as well as the long bridge, doesn't exist anymore.

I once heard the Tishevits old-timers say that the name Tishevits comes from the Polish words “Tu szewcow” which means, “Here are shoemakers.” The Polish spelling is Tyszowce or Tyszowiec. Jews pronounced it Tishevits or Tishivets.

It is no exaggeration to say that 40% of the farmers in Tishevits made, or knew how to make, boots. This was the kind of special boot made only In Tishevits. That's why the boots were called Tishavanes. They were sewn together by hand using only soft leather, even for the soles. They were made from leather on one side, and after they were finished, they were turned over on the other side. The face of the boot was deformed; there was no difference between the left or right boot. Every farmer knew how to make such boots, and in the winter when there was no outdoor fieldwork,

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they used to make the boots for their own use, as well as for sale. A lot of boots were sold, mostly in the wintertime, in the Lublin area of which Tishevits was a part. And also on the other side of the Bug, in the Volhynia region. Before the first world war, the boots were also exported to Russia.

Footnote:

1. Sluice Return

[Page 10 - Yiddish] [Page 21 - Hebrew]

In the historical work by Eliezer Feldman: “The Oldest Information on Jews in Polish Cities in the 14^th -15^th Century,” 1538 is the year given as the official and earliest date for the founding of Tishevits. In its more than 400 years of existence, the community underwent many transformations and developments from occasional progress to recurring declines due to war, plague and administrative decrees from central and local authorities. There are only two important historical events of a Jewish and general nature that distinguished this little locality: The Tishevits statute adopted by the Va'ad Chamaysh Artzot, Chol Hamoed, Pesach, 1583, and the Polish Confederation against Sweden in 1655.

It is hypothesized that these two historical events, associated with such a small settlement, were responsible for Tishevits being mentioned in various historical sources, lexicons, and encyclopedias, and other books containing a lot of materials, facts and figures in some areas, while in other sources, the story of the shtetl is told in 2-3 lines. After finding and getting to know all these sources, it was possible to construct a picture of the history, development, and fall of Tishevits.

The shtetl is mentioned in the “Yevraiskaya Encyclopedia” under the editorship of Dr. L. Katzenelson, volume 15, published in St. Petersburg, in 1908-13; in the “Algemeiner Encylopedia,”

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S. Arglebrand, Warsaw, 1859-68, volume 25; in the “Geographishen Verter-Buch of the Polish Kingdom and other Slavic Lands,” Warsaw 1880-1902, volume 12; in the two-volume publication, “Polish Cities in One Thousand Years,” published in 1965 by the National Institute; in the Encyclopedichesky Slovar,” volume 34, St. Petersburg, 1902, issued by F.A. Brokhouse, Leipzig, Y.A Ephron, Peterburg, “Historical Facts, Questions and Answers (Historical Works, Vol. 1); Pinkas Va'ad Arba Artzot; in “Sh'eilot Habach v'Maharam M'Lublin”; in “Bletter far Geschichte,” issue 1-2, volume 3, January –June 1950, issued by the Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw; in “Verterbuch fun Turistisher Geographia fun Poiln,” Warsaw, 1956, and other sources.

There is no doubt that Tishevits occupies a respected place in many other books, but unfortunately it was not possible to access them all. Therefore, we have to use what's available and achievable. Let us hope then that this will be enough to become acquainted with the historical record of a Jewish community in Poland–from its emergence to its tragic demise–during the Second World War.

And now–the sources.^[1]

Tishevits, an urban shtetl, previously a shtetl on the right bank of the river Huczwa, Tomaszow county, township and parish. Tishevits lies 28 verst^[2] northeast of Tomaszow, 115 verst from Lublin, 21 verst from the highway from Lublin to Zamosc and Tomaszow, united through the highway with Hrubieszow. The village of Podbor lies on the other side of the Huczwa. The suburbs are Debina and Zamlynie. A forested region.

The settlement contains 3 Russian-Orthodox churches, a Catholic parish church, a synagogue, a shul, a besmedresh, a 2-class elementary school, a township authority with a savings-and-loan bank, a post office, a pharmacy, 43 shops, 465 houses (mostly wood), 4325 residents (1930 Jews, the others–Russian Orthodox and Catholics in equal numbers).

The residents own 2,617 acres land. The population is employed

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in agriculture, shoemaking, and fur working for sale in the local markets. Tishevits real-estate (owner: Yozef Glogowski) in `1836 consisted of the Tishevits settlement, Klatwy ranch, Mikulin, and Przewale.

There is a mill on the Huczwa with a “zamczisko” embankment. The main church in the parish was a wooden one, whose date of construction is unknown, confirmed in 1760 by August the Third. Two wooden churches in the suburbs of Debina and Zamlynie belong to it. The Catholic parish church, named after the holy Leogard, is walled, erected in 1870, and funded by the believers. The parish and the church have been in existence since the 16^th century. The exact date is unknown, as well as the date for the town's establishment.

The Mazowiecki prince, Wladislaw, in the hopes of elevating the depressed town, allowed them to cut trees for free in his woods in 1453, fish in the Huczwa, the meadows called Szedlec, and created the “adomarszczizne.” When the city was razed by the Tatars in 1502, Alexander Jagiellon exempted them from taxes for 10 years. The leagues who administered along with the starostve, wanted to remove the right to be a city from the citizens, and transform them into peasants. It was not until 1555 that Zygmunt August put an end to it, and granted the city the same rights as other cities, allowing Jews to settle there in 1566, and establishing markets and fairs in 1569.

The census of 1571 showed 218 city houses, several houses belonging to the nobility and princes, 27 bakers, and many artisans.

The unassuming shtetl became famous thanks to an important historical incident. On December 29, 1655, the confederation against the Swedes arose, who, under the leadership of the adventurer Karl Gustave, took, almost without resistance, the entire country in the span of barely 3 months, with an army of 17,000 soldiers. Defending Czestochowa had repercussions. The great hetman, Potocki, and the field-hetman, Stanislaw Lanckoronski, left the camp of Swedish general Douglas, led the troops to Tishevits, and proclaimed the Confederation whose goal was to oust the Swedes from Poland. Aside from the two hetmans, they chose as commissars in the army:

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Kszisztow Tiszkewicz–Czernogwer Wojewode, Jendzai Potowski–royal clerk, Jacek Szemberg–Boguslaw starasto, Stanislaw Domaszewski, Waclaw Lanckoronski–colonel. The provincial governors, as part of their association with the confederation, had to choose the commissar. The idea in whose name the confederation arose, brought out unusual heights of emotion in almost all sectors of society. The oath, delivered in Lemberg (Lvov, Lviv) by Jan Kazimierz (April 1, 1656) was the most obvious expression of this feeling. The Swedes would have to leave this land that they captured so quickly and so easily.

The military defeats led to the downfall of the community. The audit of 1665 found a ruined shtetl. In 1765, after several fires, the shtetl was in ruins. In 1827, Tishevits counted 391 houses, and 1977 residents.

The starostve outside of Tishevits found itself in the Belzec voivodeship, Grabowiec powiat. According to the audit of 1628, the starostve consisted of the city of Tishevits and the villages of Mikulin, Przewale, Perespa, and nearby places, which, in the Sejm of 1768, changed into the Hermonow starostve. From then on, the Tishevits starostve no longer existed.

In “Shayles v” Tshuves” we find some responses in which the Tishevits rulings are mentioned. (We bring them here in the original spellings).

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The emptying out of Tishevits forced the king to issue the following privilege:

Whereas it is desired that the city should consistently achieve better conditions through an increase in population, we allow the Jews, those living in the city, and those outside, to occupy houses, gardens and bathhouses, to buy and sell various goods by weight and measure: produce and sell beer, mead, and alcohol, engage in ritual slaughter and sell the meat, and benefit from the freedoms and the responsibilities together with the city's residents.

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We forbid them, however, from ever occupying any municipal office. In order for the Jews not to experience any interference with their commercial activities, markets will be held on Tuesdays, as is customary, and if ever the day needs to be changed, it will not be a Saturday.

On the basis of a privilege from Zygmunt August, no more than 16 Jews were allowed to live in Tishevits. In the 1571 census there were “31 Jews in Tishevits, because in 1570 many of them had died of a plague.”

According to the surviving tax records paid by the city residents in the Belz voivodeship in 1630, Tishevits had: 1,140 Christians, 190 houses, 280 Jews, 10 small houses, 2 large houses.

Before–a city, now a village, the home of the village national council in the Tomaszow powiat^[3], located by the Huczwa River, a tributary of the Bug River, 26 km northeast of Tomaszow-Lubelski, near the “little train” line Laszczow-Hrubieszow, and the intersections of secondary roads to Zamosc and Tomaszow.

In 1453, Tishevits received city rights from the Mazovian princes who, until 1462, farmed the Belzer lands as vassal payments for the Polish kings. The origin and development of Tishevits probably had a connection to the revival of the trade routes from Lemberg through Tishevits in the direction of Poznan and Wroclaw. Consequently, Tishevits had an importance as a trade center in the 15^th and 16^th century. In 1578, the city counted 84 houses and 420 inhabitants.

The armed confederation against the Swedes was proclaimed in Tishevits. The city became a total ruin as a result of the wars in the 17^th century, and didn't recover until the end of the 18^th century. In 1810, the city only counted 1,704 residents, but by 1886, it had reached 4,910 residents.

The residents were employed in agriculture and handwork in which shoemaking and making products of hide were the most significant. In the second half of the 19th century,

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Tishevits lost its city rights, and as a settlement, had an agricultural character until modern times.

During the period of the German occupation (1939-1945) Tishevits was simply destroyed. Most of the people were killed, the buildings burned (about 60%), so that by 1959 there were 950 residents, mostly farmers. Of the trades, shoemaking continues the tradition.

During the Republic era, a shtetl in the Belz voivodeship. In order to increase the population, in 1565, king Zygmunt August proclaimed a number of privileges, allowing Jews to buy and sell houses in the city, profit from free trade, engage in brewing (cooking wine), and possess all the same rights as city residents.

Markets were to take place every Tuesday, and could be held on any other day except Saturday, because it might interfere with Jewish observance.

In 1570, many Jews fell victim to a plague. According to the census of 1570, 31 people survived.

In 1583, the Va'ad^[4] of Five Lands took place in Tishevits (Lithuania did not yet have a va'ad), and affirmed local autonomy and freedom of voting for rabbis.

In the 17^th century, Tishevits had to endure many problems that led to the decline of the city.

According to legend, in 1765, the city counted 925 Jews. For the right to have a rabbinate, Jews had to pay an annual sum of 666 Zlotys and 20 groshen.

In 1856, there were 1669 Christians, and 940 Jews. In the census of 1895–2201 residents, of whom, 1898 Jews.

Tishevits–a settlement in the Lublin gubernia, Tomaszow district on the Huczwa River, tributary of the Bug to the west. 5002 residents, significant trade, 2 steam-mills, a post office and telegraph office.

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Tishevits–a village, earlier, a city, Tomaszow powiat^[5], Lublin voivodeship, lies on the Huczwa River, left bank of the Bug, nearest train station–Tuczapy, on the narrow gauge line Werbkowice-Laszczow, 4.5 km from the city. Other than that, bus connections to Zamosc. The name of the community, according to local tradition, comes from Tuszewce (here shoemakers). The people of Tishevits had long been employed in tanning leather, and shoe manufacture. Tishevits is also known from the confederation against the Swedes during the Swedish invasion of Poland in 1665.

End of Jewish Tishevits

Before the war–3,800 Jews. In March 1941, 1780 Jews (1690 local, 90 new arrivals). In September 1941–2,090 Jews. In April 1942–2,050. In June 1942–1,090.

In 1941 there was an expulsion of Jews from Lublin. May 25 1942, 580 or 800 Jews were sent to Belzec from Tishevits.

Footnotes:

1. Part gathered by V. Bernstein, z”l, in New York, and G. Zipper in Montreal ed. note Return
2. A verst is an old Russian unit of length equal to 1.07 km Return
3. County or district Return
4. Council. Autonomous body regulating Jewish life in Poland/Lithuania 16^th to 18^th century. Return
5. County Return

Extracted from the research work “Collecting Testimony in Questions and Answers” by Zalman Rubashov (Shazar, president of Israel), published in historical works, volume I, YIVO, Vilna; Questions and Responsa of the Mahara'm of Lublin – in the book “Lightening the Eyes of the Sages” (published in Venice 5478 – 1618) Number 115 (our count) in which he testified as Mr. Moshe the son of Reb Yaakov of blessed memory: Thus did several Cossacks say several times that the ritzer^[1] the Jew Bercha (Berko) came in so defensively. They beat him and stabbed him with the kordem^[1].

116 – this is the words of the witness: “A Jew named Bercha the son of the k'r^[1] Reb Aharon of Tyszowce leaped up against our soldier… His father had served

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among them in the army unit on three horses. There, he jumped on to his horse two or three times, as is done during war.” (Also brought down in Yevr. Starina b. 1, and by B. Tz. Katz in his History of the Jews in Russia, page 45, where the year was accurately identified as 5371, 1611).

Number 126 – Old Responsa of the Ba'ch 57 (Rabbi Yoel Sirkis, Lublin 5321, 1951 – 5400, 1650)

– We householders were in the army, and a Jew Bercha the son of the holy Aharon of Tyszowce leaped up. He served on three horses, and he leaped against the Muscovite unit two or three times in warlike fashion… In any case, I shortened the content of the testimony from the full body of testimony that is brought down at length in the book of chronicles of the aforementioned committee in front of the rabbinical court of the community of Florianów on Monday, 25 Kislev 5374.

In the old cemetery in Tyszowce, near the two large monuments of the two merchants, there is also a monument upon which we can barely read “The martyr Reb Aharon Koza.” It was said that he lived during the times of Chmielnicki uprising… According to the Responsa, it can be derived that he and his son served in the Polish army years earlier.

The author of a commentary on the book Bechinat Olam – – – see title page.

In the list of authors and rabbis in Zamość by Yaakov Dov Mandelbaum, published in Pinkas Zamość, the following is mentioned:

Number 14 – Reb Binyamin the son of Zeev Bechar David, the author of the book Ben Oni. Torah thoughts from his grandfather (the renowned, wholesome sage Aharon of Tyszowce who died in the holy community of Turbin on the Sabbath of Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5471) -- are included in the introduction.

31 – Among the givers of approbations on the book Yad Tzvi-Shalom is the approbation of Rabbi Moshe Yaakov Chopa'k of Tyszowce, 7 Av, 5639 [1879].

55 – The author of the book Pnei Ari Zuta concludes his introduction as follows: These are the words of apology and pleading of the insignificant Aryeh Leib the son of he great Rabbi Avraham Cordovera, may the memory of he holy be blessed, a native of the community of Tyszowce, called Reb Leib Tartshiner, on account of my previous place of residence, the community of Tartshin in the region of Volhyn, may he be remembered forever, in the community of Zamość.

75 – In the book Tiferet Tzvi, section Even Haezer [one of the four volumes of the Code of Jewish Law] by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch (Bishko), may the memory of the holy be blessed, from Zamość, there is an approbation from Rabbi David Wohl, the head of the rabbinical court of the community of Tyszowce, the son-in-law of the grandson of the author. In these notes it is mentioned that the author had also been a rabbi in Tyszowce during his younger years. The book was published in 5626 [1866].

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Rabbi Leibush Adamczyk of blessed memory (Kozhane Rabbi), the author of the book Gan Raveh, a commentary on Pri Megadim. He left Tyszowce after the First World War. He was considered to be a Maskil. The rabbi and rabbinical judge Rabbi Yaakov Ginzburg of blessed memory. Died on 7 Iyar 5667 [1907]. The author of the book Zichron Yaakov, a commentary on the Pri Megadim and Yoreh Deah, laws of salting [of meat], meat and milk, and mixtures.

The preacher Pinchas Nota Ginzberg of blessed memory, son of the rabbi and Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Ginzberg of blessed memory. He was the author on the book of sermons Der Veinshtok “The Vine Shall Give its Fruit,” Warsaw 5690 [1930]. He was a well-known preacher and popular speaker. His influence on the youth of the city during a certain period was poetically described by Yaakov Zipper in his book “Between Rivers and Seas.”

Rabbi Shimshon of blessed memory, died in the epidemic during the Second World War.

Rabbi Aryeh (Rabbi Artshele), may G-d avenge his blood, son of Rabbi Shimshon of blessed memory, the last rabbi of Tyszowce.

Rabbi Avraham Stern of blessed memory, shochet and rabbi, author of the books Edut BeYisrael, novellae on the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds; Kvutzat Kitvei Aggada, an anthology of letters to the children in Yiddish and Hebrew, with Torah novellae and reactions to daily progress; as well as a treasury of folklore material Chutim Meshulashim, Hassidic stories and novel ideas in learning. All were published in Montreal, Canada, where he died on 8 Adar 5715 [1955].

Yaakov Zipper-Stern, son of Reb Avraham and Gittel Stern, peace be upon them, born in Szczebrzeszyn (Shebreshin) and educated in Tyszowce. He was in Canada since 1925. He was a prose writer, teacher, and an administrator of the Peretz School in Montreal. To this point, he has published the following works of his own in Yiddish and Hebrew: “There Was a Man,” five stories about the Baal Shem Tov; “Across the Bug River”; “Between Rivers and Waters”; and a poem “I Have Come Again to my Destroyed Home.” He also publishes stories and articles about literature, themes on pedagogy and society in the important Yiddish and Hebrew journals. He has won two literary prizes for stories published in Zukunft of New York, and Di Goldene Keit of Tel Aviv.

Yechiel Stern, son of Reb Avraham and Gittel Stern, peace be upon them. He was a teacher and administrator of Yiddish schools in Calgary and Edmonton. He is the main teacher of the Peretz School and administrator of the Yiddish teachers' seminary in Montreal, Canada. He wrote important works on Yiddish education and published the fundamental research work “Cheder and Beis Midrash,” for which he won the Lamed prize for literature.

Shalom Stern, son of Reb Avraham and Gittel Stern, peace be upon them. He is a poet, essayist, and teacher. He has lived in Canada since 1926. To this point, he has published seven books on anthologies

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of poems. Among them are two epic poems “Canada” in two parts, and “The White House” that has now been translated into Hebrew. He is considered as one of the talented Yiddish poets. His poems have been translated into Hebrew, English, and French. There are also recitals songs from a number of artists.

Dr. Yisrael Stern, son of Reb Avraham and Gittel Stern, of blessed memory. He is a poet and prose writer, a Yiddish teacher and professor of mathematics. He writes in English and Yiddish under the pseudonym Ish Yair. To this point, he has published two collections of poems in English, which have received very good reports from the critics. He has received the poetry medal from the international union of poet laureates from the president of the Philippines.

He edited and composed the “Poet” feature dedicated to Yiddish poetry. That journal [in which it was published] is international. It is published monthly in India, and is dedicated to poetry in various languages. His daughter Eidel Stern writes poems in English.

Shifra Stern-Krishtalka, daughter of Reb Avraham and Gittel Stern, peace be upon them. She is a teacher in the Peretz School in Montreal. She primarily specializes in preparing learning material and educational questions. Her sons Aharon and Leibel write poems and stories in Yiddish and English. Aharon's first book of poems, “Good Morning to the World” was published at the time of his Bar Mitzvah in 1955.

Hene Stern-Marder, daughter of Reb Avraham and Gittel Stern, peace be upon them. She writes poems in Yiddish and English under the pseudonym Avi-Goel.

Tyszowce is perpetuated in a number of works of the Stern family. All members of the Stern family live in Montreal, Canada.

A. Slutzki, son of Shlomo and Rivka Kreiner, may G-d avenge their blood. He is a poet. He writes in Polish. He published a number of poetry collections in Polish. A number of his poems have been translated into Hebrew.

Sinai Licht, born in 1884, immigrated to North America in 1905. From there, he went to South America. He published a number of works of humor. He also wrote poems and articles under various pen names, among them Yossele Tyszowcer.

Hershel Tzvilich, the son of Meir, lives in Lima, Peru. He writes articles and stories in a humorous fashion in Yiddish and Spanish. He has published two anthologies of prose in Spanish. He plays an important role in the societal life there.

Tyszowce and Tysowiczer types have also been perpetuated by Peretz in his writings of his journeys, in the volume “Images and Sketches” in the section “Bitachon,” and in Isaac Bashevis [Singer's] work “Tysowczer Story.” Sh. Ansky also wrote abut his visit to Tyszowce during the time of the First World War.

Translator's Footnote:

1. I am unsure of the meaning of this word. Return

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