[Page 16]

Information on Wyszogrod from the early 10^th century can be found in general texts on Mazowieckie Province (Masovian Voivodeship) in various encyclopedias.

Sources about Jews in Wyszogrod begin in the 15^th century (decades before the expulsion from Spain) when the Polish princes János the First and Ziemowit the IV authorized us to settled there to revive the region after the Polish, Lithuania and Teutonic wars.

Court records from 1422 document the lease of a vineyard owned by Prince János the First to the Jewish man Mai for an annual fee of four Groschen. Another document details the privileges bestowed by Prince Ziemowit the IV: to work in trade and labor; to build synagogues, bath houses, slaughterhouses; and to open schools.

Wyszogrod tax books from 1423 include names of eight tax-paying Jewish families. By 1928 three additional families appear in the tax books out of approximately 100 Jewish residents. In the 10 years between 1479-1489 the court books recorded 14 families but because not everyone worked in jobs requiring court registration, it is estimated that by the end of the 15^th century roughly 200 Jews lived in Wyszogrod.

In 1483, Jews were temporarily deported form Warsaw. Ten years later however, around 1493, the two largest communities were deported, and no records are found of Jewish existence in the two cities until 1640. Approximately 150 years remain a blank page.

Court documents show that many of the Wyszogrod Jews made their living from business related to money – loans and banking. The largest banker in the region was the Jew Mai whose annual turnover reached 200,000 – 250,000 Groschen. His son-in-law Asman (or Yusman) along with his two sons Shlomo and Yosef were also well known although their turnover was smaller.

Naturally, money issues required court intervention which is a source of information from which we can learn about the judicial environment of the Wyszogrod Jews. The judicial system throughout the Mazovia region was not identical. Each place had rights that they succeeded in getting from their local prince. Deliberations with Christians were based either on the Kalish Privileges of 1382 – German laws granted to a group of cities including Wyszogrod. Other deliberations were based on 15^th century laws that the judges approved.

A documented case from 1479 involved an oath written on a chain wrapped on the synagogue gate. The court ruled that the oath was fulfilled “according to their laws and traditions”. In another case it was written that an oath was given with a hand on a bible as dictated by the conventions of the Jews of the Crown. In 1487 a court of Polish noblemen landowners ruled in the case of the Jew Mai from Wyszogrod and his wife Glakchen (or Gikchen) on the division of their possessions. Another court record involving Wyszogrod Jews from 1600 invovled a man, Yakov, who purchased stolen sacred vessels from the woman who took them from a house in the nearby town Zakroczym. The defender was the community leader Felix Berman from Plock, the verdict is unknown.

Another vague source teaches us about the use of Torah sanctions in community life. Such as the case of the rabbi (or doctor) who did or did not accept a pledge given by the moneylender Avraham who was tied to a splint.

In many cases involving accused who were Jewish, the court often relied on “our rules”, “Jewish law”, “Talmudic Law”, or “Jewish Privileges” despite the contradictions between the various laws and the time in which they were passed. A 1469 decree by Prince Konrad for the Jews of Warsaw provided legal options for Jews. It is documented that Rabbi Kimech (Kamchi) the Head Rabbi of the town of Leczyca was considered the highest Jewish legal authority in Masovia and that all the Jewish communities turned to him with their questions.

In 1753 the governor of Jaroslaw, L.S Gronowski, ordered the crown community leader Avraham Ben Haim to delegate local loyal honest rabbis who are expert on ancient Jewish law to arbitrate a case between Rabbi Shmuel Ben Israel from Plock and Rabbi Meir Ben Izik from Wyszogrod.

Rephael Mahler, on page 21 of the publication “Jews in Poland in the light of numbers” (approx. 1764) [originally in Yiddish: יידן אין אמאליקן פוילן אין ליכט פון ציפערן] describes the special clothing worn in Wyszogrod and Ciechanow followed by number tables: Table 41 – 156 heads of families among them 1 renter, 2 donors, 1 hat maker, 2 shmucklers, 1 jeweler, 1 doctor, 1 shamash, and 8 beggars. Table 64 – Living situations include 684 people in 54 houses (53 Jewish houses, 1 district governor), 52 families in 52 privately owned houses, 103 chamberlains.

A.N. Frank wrote in 1921: “In the year 1808 throughout the Plock Department some of the houses were sold by license, but 373 houses were sold without licenses, 12 of them in Wyszogrod.

[Page 17]

Document No. 1113 from the Royal Polish Museum describes a conference in Warsaw attended by representatives of all three states for the purpose of electing 10 Jewish delegates from Greater Poland, as well as Jewish delegates from Lesser Poland and Lithuania who will be introduced to the king and princes in the royal palace and who will receive gratitude and appreciation for all the Jews in these countries. Among the chosen from Masovia was the Rabbinic Governor Henich Cat”z [Cohen Tsedek] from Wyszogrod.

We write our words knowing full well that information sources do not exist. There are also large time gaps of 100-150 years in external reports. Our community records are lost along with the rest of the community assets and community Jews. Ledgers of our ancient and new graveyards would have told us more about the Jews of the town than foreign sources, but … we are orphaned of everything. There is conflicting information even about the magnificent great synagogue building that we saw in its grandeur. Some say it was built in 1767, and some think it was completed in 1798, but we have no source to confirm or refute one date or another.

In 1765 there were 980 Jews in the Wyszogrod community.

In 1856 there were 2956 Jews in the Wyszogrod community.

In 1864 there were 2997 Jews in the Wyszogrod community.

In 1894 there were 3034 Jews in the Wyszogrod community.

These numbers represent 75% of the general population of Wyszogrod. The growth of the Jewish population during those years was probably due to the financial bloom then. In much the same way, the population did not grow or flourish in our times due to difficult financial conditions.

[Page 19]

After the passing of the married Yeshiva student reb Yehezkel Biderman at the young age of 32, Rabbi Bornsztain was accepted as our rabbi around 1906. He was a very famous young man both as a Torah scholar and as the grandson of Avrohom Bornsztain the Hasidic leader Admor of Sochatchov, author of Avnei Nezer (‘Stones of the Crown’). Rabbi Bornsztain turned our Beit Midrash into a prominent school of Torah, attracting young men from neighboring towns such as Plonsk and Zakroczym. He appointed reb David Vitelzon as Gabai of the Yeshiva, and reb Asher Meinwald (Knepelmecher) and reb Moshe Hudsis as teachers.

After Rabbi Bornstein left Wyszogrod, he was appointed the Hasidic leader (Admor) of Sochatchov and resided in Pabianice. He parished in Warsaw during the holocaust.

Naftali Spivak served as the assistant of reb Moshe Yehezkel and was in charge of Kashrut management which he continued to do during Rabbi David Bornstein's tenure. In 1925 Naftali Spivak was appointed Rabbi of Wyszogrod – a tragic accomplishment given that he was the last rabbi of the community. He served his congregation for 28 years as a legal scholar (Posek), then as its religious leader for 17 additional years, and was murdered with his congregation in Nowy Dwor on March 6, 1941. May God avenge his blood.

Rabbi Naftali founded Agudat Israel in Wyszogrod. His assistant was a convert who lived in back yard at the house of reb Henich Shvritz. Reb David Tzvi Lubin replaced Rabbi Naftali as the town's legal scholar (Posek) in 1927. He was murdered with Rabbi Naftali. May God avenge his blood.

The role of rabbis in our town was to tend to the sacred implements, slaughter, mikveh, education, kashrut, and representation of the town in the community and government.

Until 1914 the Rabbi also decided who to accept to the community committee. Between 1918-1925 four members were chosen in democratic elections and majority vote. From 1926 eight representatives were elected by majority vote.

The community committee was responsible for the wages of the rabbis, butchers, cantors, shamashim, and grave diggers. It managed the hospitality association – guests, mikveh, linat hatzedek, talmud torah, the cemetery, prayer houses, social services and eruv Shabbat. On Pesach the community committee collected Maot Chitim and distributed them.

Community income came from slaughter payments, government approved income, burial plots and gravestones. Rabbis, cantors and judges received salaries from the community for things such as preparations for Pesach and resolutions according to Jewish law.

There were seven shamashim:

1. Chief Shamash of the synagogue had two additional responsibilities: the Jewish court shamash and the shamash who called readers to the Torah.
2. The Second Shamash was his deputy in all matters.
3. The Beit Midrash Shamash was also the Rabbi's shamash during the winter when the Rabbi customarily prayed in the Beit Midrash.
4. The fourth was deputy of the Beit Midrash Shamas.
5. Shamash Chevra-Kadisha.
6. Shamash of the burier.
7. The Knocking Shamash knocked on doors calling for the erev shabbat prayers.

Butchers received 250 zloty a month for selling butchery notes through a dedicated community approved office.

The rabbis earned a salary similar to that of the town mayor.

Chevra Kadisha members were chosen by the Rabbi. They were always the best men of the town, observant of the Shabbat, traditions, and learned religious scholars.

Rabbi Asher Kemtz was famous in the world of Torah. He was a rabbi in Tykocin and moved to Wyszogrod for reasons known only to him. Highly regarded as an esteemed religious authority, he made our town famous in the Jewish world by answering difficult and complicated questions he received from other rabbis.

[Page 20]

Our Master, Teacher and Rabbi Yaacov David Biderman

Considered one of the greatest in the rabbinical world. He was a student of the Rabbi from Koch then moved from Międzyrzec to Wyszogrod to serve as Head of the Rabbinical Court. Rabbi Biderman wrote the book “Reflections of the Maharid to the Torah of the Cohanim”. He served as Head Rabbi of Wyszogrod for many years and passed away in 1863.

Rabbi Yaacov Biderman's eldest son was a Rabbi in Łowicz and an in-law of the “Sfat Emet” Grand Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter. Biderman's great-great-grandson was married to the daughter of “Sfat Emet” and was the brother-in-law of the Great Rabbi (Admore) of Ger.

Ascended to the rabbinate chair of Wyszogrod after his father died. He led the town according to the honor of the Torah and devoted his free time to teaching it. Under his watchful eye the young men diligently studied at the Beit Midrash, and he provided all their financial needs.

Everyone knew him, spoke of him, looked up to him in admiration, and considered him a miracle worker.

The righteous rabbi and Gaon, the most famous of our generation, head of the rabbinical court of our holy communities Międzyrzec and Kozienice, a descendent and grandson of the Gaon, Rabbi of the entire Diaspora, the author of the Pnei Yehoshua of blessed memory. He was a student of the great rabbi and holy Hassid Rabbi Shlomo Yehuda Leib of Łęczna. He left many writings and all his books which were filled with his handwritten notes.

Rabbi Yaakov David Biderman also delved into Kabala.

After falling ill, he travelled to Warsaw to seek medication and recovery but he passed away and rose to heaven in 1862.

Shem HaGedolim Hechadash, Rabbi Aharon Walden, Warsaw 1864 (רכ”ד-ה)
(Maarechet Gedolim)

Hagaot Mahari”d [Glosses of Rabbi David Yaakov Biderman]

Notes, glosses and some novellae on Sifra Torat Kohanim by the Gaon and Hassid

Rabbi Yaakov David of blessed memory, head of the rabbinical court of Wyszogrod.

Published in Warsaw around the Torat Kohanim with the commentary of R'Sh of Shantz [Probably https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samson_ben_Abraham_of_Sens].

That commentary is also noted in the manuscripts of the aforementioned Gaon:

Shem Hagedolim Hechadash Maarechet Hasefarim

The holy rabbi and Gaon Rabbi Yakov David of blessed memory, rabbi in Koznitz and Wyszogrod, the author of Hagahot Mahari”d on Torat Kohanim… One of the Hasidim of the holy rabbi, man of G-d, Rabbi Shlomo Leib of Łęczna, latter a Hassid of Kotzk [Kock] and Gur, known as a sage in all Hassidic circles.

They would blow the shofar on Hoshana Rabba in his Beis Midrash.

He died in the year 5623 (1853), and his honorable repose in the Warsaw cemetery. His son the rabbi and Gaon Rabbi Yechezkel Biderman, served as the rabbi in Wyszogrod until around the years 1906-1905. However, I could not verify when he ascended the rabbinical seat of Wyszogrod.

“Ayin-BeAyin” no. 51, 19 Adar I, 5719 [1959], Jerusalem.

After the death (of the Avnei Nezer) in 5670 [1910], his son the author of the “Shem Mishmuel” ruled! Following him was his grandson, Rabbi David, who was known as the Rav of Wyszogrod.

After the martyrdom of Rabbi David, his younger brother, Rabbi Chanoch of Jerusalem, was coronated as Admor.
(Collected by A. Pelz}

  Wyszogród, Poland     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2025 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 23 Feb 2025 by JH