[Pages 431-441]

To the names of Kolomeyer martyrs given to us by their surviving relatives, we include the thousands and thousands of other cut off lives of the sons and daughters of our city, who left not a single remaining heir or relative.

Let Pinkas Kolomey serve in place of a gravestone on the symbolic grave of their scattered ashes.

Their memory will never be erased from our memories.

Kolomeyer Memorial Book Committee

Lazer Auster:
His slain family.

Paula Aizenhammer:
Her father Shlomo Shvamenoi, mother Berta, sister Sala, brother Adolf Shvamenoi.

Ulye Aizner:
Yaakov and Toibe Aizner.

Zanvl Beiser:
Brother- Yitzchak Beiser, sisters- Miriam, Kaile, Pesie, and Mantshe.

Yosef Birnberg:
His father Menachem Birnberg, mother Esther Birnberg.

Shlomo Bickel:
His aunt Feyge Kreisel, her husband Yeshaye and their children; his aunt Frume Vagenberg, and her husband Nachum and their three daughters; his uncle Yankl Bickel, wife and daughter.

Yetta Bickel:
Her sister Fanny Goldstein, born Sheffer, and her husband Heinrich and their daughters Gerta and Rena.

Buchalter brothers:
The slain family.

Charles Findur and Wife:
Remember their family.

Fani Gitterman:
Shmuel and Pearl Hirsch.

Sadie Geller:
The family Isidore Geller.

S. Gellis:
His uncle, Moshe Hecht-Zorger and the family, his sister Gitzye Eiferman and the family, his relative Shmuel Eiferman.

P. Hacker:
The slain family.

Lazer Horn:
Father, Israel Horn and mother, Pesye-Rechl.

Pearl Hisler:
Brother-in-law, Yitzchak- Avraham Lindauer, his wife and children.

Miriam Hisler, born Shuster:
Brothers, Joseph Shuster, Avraham Shuster, his wife Pearl, their child Anschl; sister Malka Shuster.

Lottie Herman:
Father, Pichas Waller and his wife Brucha

Chaim Hecht:
Parents, Moshe and Osna Hecht; brothers and sisters, Zvi, Koppel, Sholom, Friedl, Shayne Yente, Yosef, and Hentzie.

Wolf and Sholom Hacker:
Father, David; mother, Fayge; brothers, Yitzchak and Moshe; sisters, Shaindl and Frimeh Hacker.

A. Heller:
His slain family.

Simon Hecht:
The slain family.

Charles Hager:
My friends from the Kolomeyer gymnazye. [high school]

Rozia Herman:
Her father, Alfred Herman; mother, Lara Herman; brother, Bernard Herman; uncle, Shlomo Balk.

D. A. Wolf:
The slain family.

Ethel Walder:
Her parents Zalman and Rivtze Tacker and her brother-in-law Avraham Walder and his wife.

Fishel Weiser:
His wife Chaya, his daughters Gitl and Batye, his father Itzik Tsaderer, his mother Sasye, his brother Shaye Tsaderer and his wife Gitl, their son Velvel; Moshe Weiser, his wife Rivke, their son Avraham Gershon and daughter Batye.

Fayge Weissman and Runke Hirsh:
Their parents Joseph and Chaya Eisler.

Gertrude E. Weber:
Julius Ellenbergen

Yitzchak Wechter:
Parents, Herman and Yehudis Wechter; sisters, Lottie and Regina; and aunt Tanya Kanfer.

Miriam Zorger:
Her family- Shprintze, Adela, Shmuel, Yitzchak, Max, Aaron, Gusta, Bertha, and Fayge- Feuer.

M Zinger:
The slain family.

Gabriel Zeidner [also spelled Seidner]:
The family Zeidner and Blum.

Charles Lander:
The family Wolf, Genya and Renya Hausknecht.

I. Latner:
The slain family.

Rosa Lazar:
Bayle Bruche Graf and her children Sarah, Chaya, Hersh, Meshulam, David, and Oyveneh.

Max Langer:
The Hirsch family; Sarah, Naftali, Gershon, Sonia and Golda Langer.

Fyvush Lieber:
Parents Mayer and Esther Lieber; father-in-law and mother-in-law Moshe and Chava Shapiro; brtoher and sisters, Israel Lieber, Frume Lieber, Sarah Lieber, Avraham Shapiro, Nathan Shapiro, Malka Shnebalg, Bayle Ruchel Lieber.

Yitzchak Likworknik:
The Likwornik family.

Helen Miller:
Her father- Dr. Joseph Zilberman, mother- Anna Zilberman.

Mintzer:
The slain family.

Golde Neger:
Parents- Aharon Yankl Reich, mother, Sarah; brothers- Yose Litman-Hersh, Shmuel- Lazar, Baruch and sisters, Blimah- Dvora, Yetta, and their children.

Dr. Saul Sokal and his wife, Dr. Tika Sokal:
Uncle- Yekl Sokal and wife Mirel.

Mary Smolinski:
The family Max and Esther Susskind.

Abraham Ettinger:
Parents- Hersh-Wolf and Hannah Ettinger, brother- Yosef, sisters- Mina Zeidman, Bertha ettinger and Regina Frish.

David Eckerling:
His slain freinds, gymnazistn [high school classmates] from Kolomey.

Joseph and Adela Preistag-Yuris:
Their family- Yuris, Kreisel, and Zilber.

Shmuel Push:
The family Leibtzye and Ruchl Push.

Roza Feuerstein:
Her father- Yehuda Baruch Feuerstein, her mother- Nettie, her sister- Minka Kahn-Feuerstein, her brother-in-law - Dr. Leon Kahn, nephew- Jerszy Kahn, her sister Malvina Grossfeld-Feuerstein, her brother-in-law,- Morris Grossfeld, her brothers Gabriel and Tselu Feuerstein.

Yaakov and Isaac Feuerstein:
Their brother- Herman Feuerstein, sister-in-law -Frieda, nephew- Morris, sister- Adela Habicht, brother-in-law - Hersh Habicht, niece- Dania Habicht, brother- Simon Feuerstein, sister-in-law- Frieda Feuerstein, nephews- Gershon, Chaim and Mayer Feuerstein, brother- Moshe Feuerstein, sister-in-law- Olga Feuerstein, nephew- Pinchas Feuerstein.

Julia Feuerstein:
Her father- Yaakov Wizschnitzer, her mother- Clara, her sisters- Rosa Tsigler, Frima and Ruchl Feuerstein, her brother-in-law- Herman Tsigler, nephew- Israel Tsigler, uncle - Joseph Lachs, aunt- Bertha Lachs, cousin- Leon Lachs, cousin- Yehudis Lachs.

Mayer Feder:
The family Eliezer Mordechai Feder and Kalman Ber Hager.

F. Feingold:
The slain family.

Feivl Frantzas (Sydney, Australia):
Father- Yeshaye, mother- Chana Frantzas and sister- Ruchl.

M. Kalkshtein:
The slain family.

Shaye Kaner:
His parents Lazer and Gitl Kaner.

Leah and Michal Klier:
Brothers and sisters- Israel, Shlima, Leah, Anna,Dora, Sarah, Clara, Mina, Herman, Malka, Ephraim Zelig.

R. Kleinfeld:
The slain family.

Morris Kesten:
His sister Regina, her husband Oscar Ellenbogen and their children Clara and Nathan.

Yosef, Hersh, Sima, Itzik, Baruch and Bayle Kesten:
Father- Moshe, mother- Tila, youngest sister Ethel Weiss, her husband Shlomo, their child Batye.

Clara Rosenbaum:
Her father- Yosef Wachs, mother- Leeza, brothers- Avraham and Chaim Wachs, uncle Avraham Wachs, aunt Chana Wachs.

Hershel Ruhm:
His slain family.

Emil and Yosef Raisel:
Parents- Jacob and Amalia Raizel, sisters Dorothea Raizel and Dr. Shaye and Regina Raizel [or Rizel]

I. Reiter:
The family.

Susan Reynolds:
Her father- Abba Fishl, mother Yetti Fishl

Avraham Shapiro:
His parents Nachum and Chana, his sisters Vicky and Chaya-Tziye Shapiro and his brother Zalman with his wife and children.

Julius Shomer:
Slain Family.

Tamara Schwartz:
Her father Herman and her step-mother Tama Alweil, sister Adela and brother Natsia Alweil, sister Clara Alweil- Schwartzfeld, her husband and two daughters.

H. N. Shtahl [Stahl]:
Joseph, Hersh, Itzik, Baruch, Sima and Bayle Kesten, his mother Tilye Kesten, Moshe Kesten, sister Ethel Weiss and her husband Shlomo, their daughter Bertha.

M. Shteigman [Steigman]:
The Steigman family.

Mordecai Sheinfeld:
His parents Yehezkiel and Chana Sheinfeld, sister Leah, brother Michal, uncles- Ezriel, Shmelka, Yosef, David Arye, Mendl Arye, their wives and children, cousin Joseph Rosenfeld, aunt Tosher and family. David Arye's son, Ephraim, was killed in Lithuania.

Joseph Schliesser:
His wife, Toybe Schliesser, his children, Mayer and Lola, his brother, Isaac Schliesser, sister-in-law Ruchl and children.

Lusia Schliesser:
Her parents, Moshe and Bayle Shafel, and brothers and sisters.

Moshe Schliesser:
His parents, Moshe and Bayle Shafel, and brothers and sisters.

Brothers Moshe [Max] and Joseph Schliesser:
Their parents, Zindl and Blima Schliesser, their brother Isaac and his family, Nettie Schliesser, her son Mendl and daughter Paula.

Sally Schlesinger:
Mother Brucha Waller and her husband Pinchas, uncle Hersh Leib Kris [Kresz?].

M. Schneck:
The slain family.

When the German-Russian war broke out in the summer of 1941, and before the Soviet army withdrew from Kolomey, the Red Army mobilized a number of Jewish young men. Others joined voluntarily to go fight against the Nazis.
Of the hundreds of Kolomeyer Jewish youth who fell on the battlefields, we know, unfortunately, the names of only twelve of them. Let these twelve, then, be memorialized in “Pinkas Kolomey" as a symbol for all the others.

In 1944, when the war was close to its end, the Joint Kolomear Relief was organized under the initiative of the “Kolomear Jewish Center.” All the existing Kolomeyer organizations took part in the “Relief.” The organization intended to get in touch with Kolomey as soon as the war was over in order to help rebuild the Jewish institutions that had been destroyed during the war. No one could imagine then that the outcome would be so horrible and tragic.

In the meantime, the Relief started to raise money. There were many Kolomeyer Jews who put a great deal of effort and work into collecting a substantial amount of money so that it would be there when it was needed. The tragic news that Kolomey and its Jews had been destroyed discouraged everyone. But individual cries for help began to arrive. Soon food packages were sent to Kolomey. The pleas for help increased and came not only from Kolomey but from Kolomeyer landsleit scattered and spread out all over the world. Requests for help came from Rumania, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Austria, Germany, Israel, and Italy, and help was sent. In the three years from 1948 to 1951 the Relief sent food packages for a sum total of about twelve thousand dollars. [CARE packages cost $10 each then.]. The Relief was flooded with letters from Kolomeyer, sick and broken people, who needed medicines that were not available where they were. So the Relief bought the medicines that were needed and air mailed them to the those who were suffering. And thus a good number of landsleit were saved. About two thousand dollars was spent on medicine alone. With great devotion, women especially, worked to collect clothing and linens for the Kolomeyer who desperately needed them. And here we would like to single out for special praise the Gellis family, who spent many days and nights packing and sending the clothing packages.

When most of the Kolomeyer landsleit went to Israel, the relief work went there also. It soon became a tradition for the relief to send packages before each holiday whether the recipients had asked for it or not. Even in 1952, when the Relief's work had nearly ended, 120 packages for Passover were sent to Israel.

A special chapter in the Relief's work was to welcome Kolomeyer landsleit who came to America. The newcomers were visited by representatives of the Relief in their homes. A hundred immigrants were given material aid.

Finally, we would like to remember the names of of the people who undertook so much:

The presidents, William Renner, Charles Kleinman; the treasurers, M. Sobel, L. Sher, and S. Gellis; the financial secretaries, A. Weinstock, M. Suss, A. Hisler; the recording secretaries, L. Diener, L. Weitz, and R. Feuerman.

This report summarizes the commendable work and effort of good Kolomeyer landsleit for their suffering brothers.

A. Hisler

[Note: Aaron Hisler was my father and our whole family helped with the Joint Kolomear Relief. I remember addressing envelopes asking for donations and seeing the air letters that came to our house from landsleit in D.P.( Displaced Persons) camps in Italy and Rumania. With a second-hand typewriter, we typed names and addresses for CARE packages. Letters came from HIAS inquiring about relatives of survivors. Many families were reunited through the Relief and its caontacts with landsleit and my parents gained the deepest satisfaction from these reunions even though their families had not survived. I was an overprotected teenager then and met many survivors but never heard their complete stories. -Claire Hisler Shefftz]

By noting the organizations which made the publication of the yizkor book possible, we wish to remember the Kolomear Jewish Center, which organized the book committee, under whose name we met at first. The Kolomear Jewish Center also gave us our first contribution, which made it possible for us to begin our work.

A group of youthful Kolomeyer landsleit in New York organized a relief group during World War I to meet the needs of those Kolomeyer who had suffered during the war. A few years after that war, the Kolomeyer Relief achieved the noble purpose its members had intended. From the more eminent among them came the idea to remain organized as a branch of the Arbeiter Ring [Workmen's Circle] and Kolomear Branch 528 was formed.

The story of Branch 528 Arbeiter Ring is an open book of uplifting and splendid undertakings, not only for its members but for the entire Arbeiter Ring organization. That which the Arbeiter Ring is noted for, for being the finest Jewish folk organization on the American continent, is what the Kolomear Branch realized during the 37 years of combined activities.

During this period in the Kolomeyer Branch, thanks to the loyalty of its members and the good administration, there was great enthusiasm in the clubs, which we call workmen's circles. The Kolomear Branch carried out its work under the leadership of its parent organization which brought to gether the scattered immigrant masses into an experimental united collective.

Today the Kolomear Branch is an active participant in Israel Bonds; the Branch serves as an aid organization for its members; the Branch took part in building an Arbeiter Ring home for the elderly; it takes part in worker's committees and aid activities in other Jewish organizations

The 1957 officers of the Branch are:

    Nathan Stahl - President;
    Harry Feingold - Vice-President;
    Ida Gutman - Financial Secretary;
    Ella Busch - Recording Secretary;
    Harry Teicher - Hospitaler;
    Gussie Goldin - Treasurer;

Members of the Executive Board are:

    Fanny Feingold, Fanny Zaiger, Hillel Newmash, Seymash Hecht, Matis Busch.
    Julia Busch- Secretary of Relief Fund;
    Matis Busch- Treasurer.

A group of young men who had recently come over from Kolomey, met in the home of Jack Hagler's parents on Rivington Street in New York in 1904 and decided to form an organization called “Kolomear Friends Association.” The purpose of the organziation was not just mutual support, the basic idea behind other such organizations which were formed in those years by young Jewish immigrants, the new Kolomeyer organization specified in its program the important goal of helping the socialist movement and also the workers back home in Kolomey. This was the first Kolomeyer organization of this kind in the new world.

In 1905, shortly after the organization was founded, the historic strike of the talis workers began in Kolomey. The Kolomear Friends Association organized a mass rally of Kolomeyer landsleit. An appeal at the rally collected fifty dollars- a significant sum in those times. The money was immmediately sent to Kolomey for the striking workers who enthusiastically welcomed the brotherly help from their landsleit in America.

Later on, the organization sent an annual contribution of three hundred fifty dollars a year to the Kolomeyer orphan's home for many years. The goals of the organization were not only limited to relief work. From its beginning, the Kolomear group worked with the socialist movement back home. In 1907, the organization arranged a spirited celebration in New York in honor of the famous victory of the Austrian Social Democrats in the parliamentary elections of that year. In 1908, the organization sent fifty dollars to the Social Democrats' campaign in Lemberg,

Until this day, the Kolomear Firends Association, is the largest and strongest of the Kolomeyer groups and organizations.

In Memory of Our Dear Loved Ones

They Served us Faithfully and We Will Always Remember Them with Honor:

    Sam Schwartz, d. July 1, 1922;
    Irving Feldberg, d. May 18, 1926
    Molye Weinstein, d. January 31,1929;
    Isidore Saltzhauer, d. April 26, 1929;
    Louis Eisner, d. November 7, 1929;
    Israel Hundert, d. August 8, 1933;
    Louis Cohen, d. October 3, 1935;
    Sam Schneck, d. July 25, 1937;
    Nathan Hilsenrath, d. March 16, 1942;
    Sam Kramer, d. June 2, 1942;
    Simon H. Singer, d. August 7, 1944;
    Harry Manger, d. December 1, 1945;
    Sol Konigsberg, d. December 8, 1945;
    Saul Eisner, d. April 9, 1946;
    Harry Kerker, d. August 2, 1949;
    Abba Singer, d. April 23, 1950;
    Alexander Tarasov, d. December 19, 1950;
    Sam Eisner, d. February 4, 1951;
    Harry Daitchman, d. July 16, 1951;
    Nathan Goodman, d. August 6, 1952;
    Joe Lindauer, d. July 24, 1953;
    Jacob Stein, d. October 9, 1953;
    Frieda Zegenreich, d. August 11, 1954;
    Beatrice Kesten, d. February 28, 1955;
    Sam Busch, d. November 26, 1955;
    Philip Hoshkes, d. December 20, 1956;
    Sam Steinfeld, d. March 15, 1957.

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