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After the Gaon Rabbi Meir Dan Plotzky resigned his rabbinical seat in Ostrow Mazowiecka, the question of appointing someone to fill this exalted position arose in the community. The decisive majority of the members of the administration and council of the community were members of the Agudat Yisrael movement. So at the meeting of the central committee of that movement, which took place in the year 5688 [1927–1928] in Warsaw, it was decided to put forth the candidacy of the Gaon Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin^[1] as rabbi of Ostrow Mazowiecka. The members of Agudat Yisrael in Ostroveh took it upon themselves to carry out this decision. Rabbi Sorotzkin was invited to the city, spoke in the synagogue, and quickly became liked by everyone. In his brief stay in the city he founded a society for the study of Talmud in the new study hall. In fulfilling its aim of establishing a permanent daily lecture, this society, which later counted some 150 members, functioned up until the destruction of Ostrow Mazowiecka.

In a joint session of the executive and council of the community, Rabbi Sorotzkin was elected unanimously as rabbi and chief of the rabbinical court. At the same time the community of Lutzk, much larger and older than Ostrow Mazowiecka, also chose Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin as its rabbi and teacher. The rabbi preferred the position in Lutzk and moved there. The community of Ostrow Mazowiecka remained without a rabbi and chief of the rabbinical court. The residents of the city began searching for a candidate, a well known personality, a brilliant and lofty gaon, who would be worthy of filling the place of the famous rabbis of Ostrow Mazowiecka, who were renowned for their accomplishments.

Meanwhile Rabbi Meir Dan Plotzky had died in Warsaw. His heirs, his sons and son–in–law, each of whom was worthy of the rabbinate, claimed the right of inheritance. But many members of the community opposed the idea, which was customary then in Poland. The leaders of the community agreed to deal with the heirs of the rabbi. After long discussions it was decided to choose the Gaon Yisrael Natan Plotzky, son of the Gaon Rabbi Meir Dan Plotzky, as a dayan and teacher in the city, while the members of the rabbi's family conceded their demand for the rabbinate itself.

There then appeared in Ostrow Mazowiecka the Hassidic rebbe Rabbi Yosef of Amshinov, who had served for many years as chief of the rabbinical court of the city and who had great influence on its residents. He proposed the candidacy of his well–known son–in–law, the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Shraga Singer, as rabbi of the city. At first many of the residents refused to accept this proposal. The candidate rabbi appeared too young to occupy the seat of the revered Gaon Rabbi Meir Dan Plotzky. The residents split into a number of factions, some of whom supported the proposal of the rebbe of Amshinov, while other vigorously opposed it, while still others took a passive position.

This internal controversy in the community went on for about two years, until a decision was made under the direction of the Hassidic rebbe of Ger, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter, whose many local adherents proved to be a decisive factor. The large community of Ger Hassidim joined the camp favoring the candidacy of Rabbi Yaakov Shraga Singer^[2]. A joint meeting of the executive and council of the community convened, and by a majority vote Rabbi Yaakov Shraga Singer was elected as the last rabbi of this glorious community.

Rabbi Singer quickly succeeded in capturing the hearts of all the residents of the city. Even those who were opposed to his selection became his friends and admirers. In the ten years of his service from the year 5690 [1930] until the destruction of the community, all the groups of

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residents, irrespective of their many and diverse affiliations, united around the rabbi, who succeeded in fulfilling his mission with honor, to the credit of his community. His loyalty and honesty, his devotion and willingness to sacrifice proved that Rabbi Singer was indeed worthy of this honored position.

Rabbi Yaakov Shraga Singer was born in Alexander [Alexandrow Lodzki] in the year 5659 [1898–1899] to his father the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Singer, the rabbi of Alexander and the son of the Gaon Rabbi Eliahu Singer, rabbi of Peshischa and chief of the rabbinical court of Kalish. Rabbi Yitzchak Meir was the son–in–law of the Hassidic rebbe Rabbi Shmuel Tzvi of Alexander^[3], author of Tiferet Shmuel [The Glory of Samuel]. He was raised and educated in the court of his grandfather, where there were many Hassidim. When he was still young he transferred to the yeshiva of his father's father, the Gaon Rabbi Eliahu, in Kalish.

The Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Shraga Singer, may God avenge his blood

In the year 5677 [1916–1917] he married the daughter of the Hassidic rebbe Rabbi Yosef of Amshinov, who was then serving as the rabbi of Ostrow Mazowiecka. The wedding took place in that city in the presence of the grandfather of the groom and the grandfather of the bride, the Hassidic rebbe Rabbi Menachem of Amshinov and the Hassidic rebbe Shmuel Tzvi of Alexander. Throngs of Hassidim arrived at that time in Ostroveh and celebrated the nuptials for seven full days, as the residents of the city participated in the celebration of the rebbes with great joy.

Rabbi Yaakov Shraga remained in Ostrow Mazowiecka about a year staying close to the presence of his father–in–law. When Rabbi Yosef left the seat of the rabbinate in the city and went to serve as rebbe and chief of the rabbinical court in Amshinov, all the members of his family went with him, among them Rabbi Yaakov Shraga. For years he was close to his father–in–law and spent all his time studying Torah and doing good deeds. After that he moved to Alexander, to the court of his uncle, the Hassidic rebbe Yitzchak Menachem^[4] (may God avenge his blood), devoting his time to advancing himself in terms of Torah and Hassidism. He completed his studies in the teaching of the law and became expert in both the early and later decisors.

Upon his elevation to the seat of the rabbinate in Ostrow Mazowiecka, Rabbi Yaakov Shraga devoted all his energies to raising the level of Torah and the rabbinate in the city, to the strengthening of the ramparts of religion and to Torah education. In the early years of his tenure his father–in–law, Rabbi Yosef of Amshinov, stood closely by him. He would frequently visit the city and help the young rabbi to strengthen his position. The influence of the rabbi of Amshinov on the residents of Ostrow Mazowiecka in general, and on his many Hassidim there, was great. Residents of all classes and movements recalled his years of service in the city, and his loving concern for all, his devotion to every human being. The rebbe of Amshinov had many loyal and devoted friends and they did not abandon their ties of friendship with him. Whenever Rabbi Yosef appeared in Ostrow Mazowiecka he was received with royal honors. Many people would light candles and place them in the windows facing the street. Many streamed to greet him and to receive his personal blessing. These were days of holiday and spiritual uplifting for the local residents.

Rabbi Yaakov Shraga quickly strengthened his position as rabbi of the city. His authority extended over everyone. He had superlative traits and related to all people with heartfelt warmth and honesty. Gradually even those who were distant from him grew nearer to the rabbi.

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Sometimes they were invited to his home and were charmed by his words and his teaching. The young rabbi infused honor and worthiness into this glorious community.

While his approach towards secular, day–to–day matters was flexible, his stand on matters of religion, Torah, Halacha and respect for the divine was assertive and non–compromising. Since the days of its founding, Ostrow Mazowiecka had never known any public desecrations of the Sabbath within its boundaries. All the merchants and peddlers, storekeepers and artisans rested from their labors on the Sabbath and holidays. Until there appeared the owner of a barber shop who, on the Sabbath of Repentance, opened the doors of his barber shop for business for all to see.

Orthodox Ostroveh was shaken to its core. When the matter was reported to the rabbi, he ceased his prayers and went out into the street of the city accompanied by the dayan, the Gaon Rabbi Yisrael Natan Plotzky. Hundreds of residents joined them in protest near the barber shop. The rabbi was prepared for anything. He said to himself that he was determined to prevent this breach in the wall of the Sabbath at all costs. Rabbi Yaakov Shraga, accompanied by hundreds of activists, entered the barber shop and requested of the barber that he close the doors of the shop. But the man lashed out derisively, laughing at the rabbi and the dayanim. He insisted that he would not close the barber shop, come what may.

Meanwhile the crowd that had gathered at the place grew even larger. The windowpanes of the shop were broken because of the crush of people, the door was unhinged. The rabbi stood inside, fully prepared to stay all day in the barber shop, even to celebrate his Sabbath there, in order to prevent any violation of the Sabbath. The owner of the barber shop, who had begun to fear the anger of the crowd, raised his voice in an hysterical cry, saying that people were attacking him, were about to kill him. Soon the police arrived, but they were not able to control the crowd. The commander of the local police, a sworn anti–Semite, called on the army for help. He quickly alerted his superiors in Lomza, the district capital, saying, “An uprising has broken out in Ostrow Mazowiecka, led by the rabbi and his cohorts.” A unit of fully armed soldiers rushed to the city from nearby Komorowo. The soldiers shot into the air, and the crowd quickly dispersed. The police immediately arrested the rabbi, the dayan Rabbi Yisrael Natan Plotzky, and several prominent residents: Reb Mendel Lichtenstein, Reb Moshe Grudka, Reb Moshe Yosef Suravich [Surawicz] and others.

For the rest of that Sabbath day the rabbi and the other prisoners remained in the local jail, immersed in fasting. At the close of the Sabbath the council of the community and representatives of the Jews in town met in a special meeting. They decided to do everything in order to free the prisoners and to prevent the escalation of the event by the police, who were antagonistic towards the Jews. The district attorney, based in Lomza, had discretion in the case. The leaders of the community contacted the leaders of the community in Lomza and succeeded in setting up a meeting with the district attorney on Sunday, the official day of rest in all of Poland. The next morning representatives of the community of Ostroveh left for Lomza.

The representatives of the community of Ostroveh and the people of the community of Lomza explained the background of the entire matter to the district attorney, that it was not an illegal uprising or demonstration against the authorities, but rather an internal matter among Jews based on purely religious criteria that were of no interest whatsoever to the authorities. The attorney was convinced, and issued an order to the commander of the police in Ostrow Mazowiecka to release the prisoners immediately, in consideration of bail of 200 zlotys per person. It was on the Sunday before Yom Kippur that Rabbi Yaakov Shraga and his associates were freed from prison, after a fast that in fact lasted some twenty–four hours, having refused to taste the non–Jewish food that was given to them. The residents of Ostrow Mazowiecka prepared for the fast, happy about the release of the rabbi but angry about the breach of the fence that took place among them that was forced by the man's refusal to retract his evil deed. Thus, the wall of the Sabbath in the city was never breached until the last day of its existence.

The days of the terrible Holocaust had arrived. A few days after the outbreak of the war the German hordes entered Ostrow Mazowiecka, after bloody battles in the surrounding area. Germans were now seen galloping in the streets. Immediately

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the sad news spread among the confused and frightened Jews that the murderers had arrested sixteen Jews at random, taking them out to be killed. The bodies of these martyrs were hanging in the street, surrounded by members of their families crying over their tragedy.

At the risk of his life, Rabbi Yaakov Shraga, along with Rabbi Moshe Rosenzweig, Reb Shimon Hirsh Goldwasser and Reb Yaakov Farbiarz, rushed out to collect the bodies of the martyrs and to give them a Jewish burial. They proceeded to the Jewish cemetery, as the families of the victims, widows and orphaned children, accompanied them. In the cemetery the rabbi and his followers opened the graves and prepared to bury the bodies. Suddenly Nazi troops appeared, laughing at their misfortune and ordering the rabbi and his helpers and the family members of the murdered ones to descend into the graves. “We will take care of the burials of the dead,” the bloodthirsty murderers said laughing cynically.

The rabbis and his aides immediately knew the meaning of what was happening. The women and children raised their voices in a horrific scream that pierced the heavens. The murderers now “softened up”, satisfied with merely a few blows that they inflicted upon the group and left. Mournful and sad the rabbi and his helpers and the afflicted families returned to their homes. The horrendous and fearsome period of the Holocaust had begun, a period of loss, suffering, destruction and murder leading to the great sacrifice of Polish Jewry.

The Jews of Ostrow Mazowiecka once again knew not a moment of respite. The bloodthirsty German dogs carried on, killing and wounding, angrily crushing the unfortunate Jews into the ground. On the second day of Rosh Hashanah the men of the Gestapo arrived. They arrested the rabbi, Rabbi Yaakov Shraga, and the secretary of the community, Rabbi Tuviah Makover, and imprisoned them in the old study hall. With torture and maltreatment they transported them around the streets of the city. Rabbi Tuviah was forced to cut off the beard of Rabbi Yaakov Shraga, chief of the rabbinical court, and the rabbi was forced to cut off the beard of the secretary of the community, as the sound of laughter at their plight was heard from the murderers and from Poles who had gathered to view the suffering of the Jews.

Broken and crushed the rabbi returned to his home. After two more days he was arrested again. This time he was faced with demands to supply the Gestapo with five kilograms of gold within twenty–four hours, whether in the form of jewelry or wedding rings of Jewish women. These wild beasts imposed the task of collecting the gold on the rabbi. He had to go from house to house removing

Children of the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Shraga Singer, Avraham Eliezer and Shmuel Tzvi, and their cousin, Shmuel Tzvi, may God avenge their blood

the rings and taking items of value out from their hiding places and giving them over to the murderers, lest he be punished severely.

Rabbi Yaakov Shraga did not want to abandon the people of his community in these bitter and mad times. But he had no means of standing up against this German blackmail. Most of the Jews of the city had run away. There remained in Ostrow Mazowiecka only a small number of the poor and the sick. So lacking an alternative the trusted and devoted rabbi was also compelled to escape with his family to the border under cover of darkness, slipping away to the Soviet zone of occupation to evade the terrible enemy. Before Yom Kippur Rabbi Yaakov Shraga and his wife and ten children arrived in Slonim, which was then in the hands of the Soviet forces of occupation.

The rabbi had intended to continue on to Vilna, but he did not succeed in doing so. Only his son Rabbi Yechiel Menachem^[5] reached there. His life was saved thanks to his subsequent escape to the United States, and remained the only survivor of this distinguished family.

Many refugees from Ostrow Mazowiecka were concentrated in Slonim^[6]. The rabbi of the city, the Gaon Rabbi Yehuda Leib Fein (may God avenge his blood), died when the Nazis had captured the city, before they handed it over to the Soviets in accord with their treaty of friendship and its division of captured Poland between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. From that point on Rabbi Yaakov Shraga served as the de facto, if not the de jure, rabbi of the members of the community in general, and the patron of the many of the refugees from Ostrow Mazowiecka in particular.

For about a year and half Rabbi Yaakov Shraga and his family suffered terribly in the communist–occupied part of eastern Poland. During this period he occupied himself with Torah and good works, with the uplifting of Hassidism and pure fear of God, until the war between Germany and Russia broke out. Within a few days the Nazis captured Slonim before the Jews had had the opportunity to escape. Once again the masses of refugees from Ostroveh, headed by Rabbi Yaakov Shraga, were caught up in a horrific bloody trap, in a dark ghetto established by the bloody German dogs after violent attacks on the Jews of Slonim.

The suffering went on about a year, in terrible and frightful conditions. The Jews walked around like human skeletons in the dark ghetto. In the summer of the year 5702, on June 29, 1942, Belorussian police surround the large ghetto in Slonim, where some 10,000 Jews were concentrated, the remnants of three previous aktions that were conducted by the murderers against the Jews. It was four in the morning when they broke into the ghetto like cruel wild animals, terrible bloody dogs, shooting in all directions. With the raging fury of cannibals they removed the poor, starving, broken and crushed Jews. And under a hail of bullets and murderous beatings thousands of Jews were swept along towards the fields of Petralevich. That same morning Rabbi Yaakov Shraga Singer and his family were taken out of their bunker and moved to the prison in Randinsky, where they were held for a day and night in frightful conditions.

The next day Rabbi Yaakov Shraga and his wife, the rebbetzin [the wife of a rabbi] Yuta, and their children Roza, Pesya, Efraim, Eliezer, Shmuel Tzvi, Rivka Chaya, Shifra Devora, Sarah Golda and Yosefa, were taken to the site of the destruction of the martyrs of Slonim, the tree–lined streets of Cheplova [Chepelev], and along with thousands of other martyrs they ascended in a whirlwind to the heavens. May God avenge their blood.

Editor's notes:

1. Then rabbi of Zhetyl [Zhetl in Yiddish, Dziatlava in Polish, in Grodno gubernia, now in Belarus]. Return
2. Note that the author's text repeatedly and erroneously gives the rabbi's name as “Silber” [“Zilber”], rather than “Singer” [“Zinger”] in this paragraph, but we have corrected it accordingly. Other sources occasionally add the common middle name of “Feivel” to “Shraga” as well. Return
3. Rabbi Shmuel Tzvi Danciger (1840–1923), the third Alexander rebbe. Return
4. Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Mendel Danciger (1880–1943), the fourth Alexander rebbe. Return
5. Rabbi Yechiel Menachem Singer (1919–1988), who at the end of his life was the Alexander rebbe in America. Return
6. Among them was this editor's great–aunt, Dina Feinzeig Weinzimmer, her husband Meir, and their four children, Feigeh, Zalman, Avraham and Moshe. Return

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