Dovid Lefkowicz arrived in 1923. He is one of the later activists and president of the Society.

Fiszel Gliksman arrived in 1924. He transferred his quiet and virtuous community work in Radomsk to America and the ‘Relief’ had in him a dear member.

The Radomsker community worker Pinye Kalka was introduced to the organization in 1925. He became one of the most devoted members of the Radomsker organization in New York.

In 1925, the organization organized medical and hospital assistance for the members, which at that time was a difficult problem in the United States in general and for new immigrants in particular.

On the 20^th of October 1925, one of the most devoted brothers, former president Chaim-Moishe Grosberg died.

On the 6^th of February 1926, $1000 was urgently sent to Radomsk, including $200 for matzohs for the poor population.

On the 20^th of March 1926, the organization arranged a solemn reception for the writer H. D. Nomberg, who described the sad situation of the Jews in Poland in general and in Radomsk in particular. On the spot, a total of $370 was collected and immediately sent to Radomsk. At the end of 1927, the organization held a mournful meeting after the sudden death of writer H. D. Nomberg, of blessed memory.

In December 1924, the organization celebrated its 25 ^th anniversary. Under the leadership of Brother Harry B. Israel, the organization celebrated its 30 ^th anniversary in December 1929.

On the 18^th of July 1931, it was decided to create a fund of $1000 which would enable [the organization] to fulfill the large number of requests for support from members in need or ill.

In September 1931, Pinkus Kalka gave a report on his trip to Radomsk and Eretz Yisroel, and described the activity and hard struggle of the Jews in Poland in general and in Radomsk in particular.

In the years 1931 to 1933 there was limited activity from both the ‘Relief" and the Society. Brother Harry Fishman took over (for the first time) the presidency and promised to revive the activities [of the Society]. He also wanted to reactivate the Women’s Section.

In April 1933, the organization took part in a large protest demonstration against Hitlerism and joined in the boycott against German goods.

A ‘Radomsker Aid Organization’ was established in 1934 to support Polish prisoners and victims of Polish Fascism, assisting the prisoners with lawyers and monetary help.

Harry Epsztein		Ph. Flakowicz

In 1936, a greeting was sent to Radomsk for the 25^th anniversary celebration of the ‘poor people’s inn’ with a present of $50.

On the 15^th of February 1936, the organization sent a protest telegram to the Polish Ambassador in America, against the persecution by the Polish regime of Polish Jews. Later a protest conference was organized through the Radomsker organization in New York (the 5^th of April 1936) with the participation of 400 delegates from 180 different organizations (the Jewish General People’s Committee Against the Persecution of Jews in Poland was later created [as a result of] the conference).

The 40^th anniversary of the organization occurred in 1939, under the leadership of Brother Yehezkel Rudnicki. On the solemn [occasion recognition was made of] the distinct contributions of Brothers Moishe-Chaim Grosberg, Philip Lager, Abraham Haber, Saul Greenberg, Harry Sedletski, Mendel Goldman, Moishe Lefkowicz, Aron Gliksman, Morris Schwartz, Fiszel Gliksman, Yehezkel Pacanowski, Pinye Kalka, Yehezkel Rudnicki, Leon Ellenberg, Dovid Lefkowicz, Karl Ellenberg and many others.

In the special ‘Almanac’ published for the 40^th anniversary, it was said:

‘We close our 40^th anniversary of communal activity as a united family. We open a new chapter in the life of our organization with the knowledge that we are a part of the great dynamic strength of American Jewry, which stands at the present moment ready to defend and protect our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted in various parts of the world.’

‘Forty years is a long time in the life of every organization, particularly in the life of a landsmanshaft organization here in this country. You have helped every national Jewish organization impartially and without too much publicity. Your hands should be strengthened.’

Hillel Ranak of the FORVERTS writes:

‘The Nowo-Radomsker Society belongs to every group [of] Jewish landsmanshaft organizations that unite Jewish America with Jewish life in other countries, especially with the large Jewish settlement in Palestine. I know that you are one of the first to speak up about every important Jewish undertaking here in this country and in other countries. You are united with such aid organizations as ORT, Hadassah, Polish Union and so on. At the present time this is the most important work that organized Jews can do here in this country. I congratulate you for your beautiful past and wish you a more beautiful future.'

Memorial Page to the memory of the six fallen Radomsker sons who gave their lives in the holy struggle against the German enemy during the Second World War (from the Golden Anniversary Journal 1899-1949)

[Page 505]


During the Second World War

Jewish Radomsk felt the dark and tragic situation of murder, looting and persecution on the first day of the war. The Radomsker Society in New York immediately proceeded with an organized aid campaign. First, food packages were sent to Radomsk for families and individuals whose addresses were known by ‘Relief.’ The sending of food packages was also organized for a general Jewish aid campaign for Jews who had unexplainably succeeded in fleeing from Poland to Russia. Later the Radomsker organization in New York proceeded to establish a ‘ten-thousand dollar fund’ for the Radomsker Jews who would survive after the war. Toward that end, on the 27^th of February 1943, at a banquet at member Siedletski’s [home], $2500 was collected (Sol Greenberg. Siedletski, and others contributed large sums for this purpose).

Seventy-eight children of Radomsker landsleit registered for the American army for the struggle with Hitler’s Germany. Of those, six fell in the campaign against the dark enemy:

1. Paul Dikman
2. Aleks Heiman
3. Benny Rubin
4. Joseph Hertzberg
5. Alvin Niremberg
6. Manny Shapiro

In 1945, immediately after the Nazi defeat, the organization let both American and other newspapers know that all surviving landsleit should immediately contact [the Society] and it would assist them in every way. Thousands of packages of food and clothing flowed to the various German camps and to all cities in Poland where Radomskers found themselves. To assist the disadvantaged Jewish community in Radomsk, $800 was sent for the local remaining individual Jews.

After the war Radomsker Jews were grouped in Germany in camps: Landsberg, Widn Feldafing, Zislheim [and] Radomsker refugees were also concentrated in Austria, France, Italy and Sweden. Thousands of thank you letters from innumerable camps and from Sweden, Belgium, the Soviet Union, China, and Cyprus were received for the food and clothing packages, money and medicine and, in individual cases, also automobiles and travel expenses that the organization had sent. Some tens of thousands of dollars for support was distributed at the time thanks to the indescribable effort of the devoted ‘social workers’ M. Sz. Epsztein, Pacanowski, Rudnicki, Kalka, D. Lefkowicz and others in the Society and ‘Relief.’ They were not just dedicated to the difficult work of raising money, but packed the food and clothing packages themselves, answered thousands of letters, etc.

During a farewell banquet in honor of the untiring ‘Relief’ leader and President Harry Rudnicki before his trip to Israel (in 1952), the first sum of $1500 was collected to build a ‘people’s house’ in Israel in the name of the Radomsker martyrs. During a dinner for Harry Rudnicki in Israel, it was decided to establish an interest-free loan office in Israel, and, after his return, Harry Rudnicki brought this decision to be discussed for a vote by the Society. The Society immediately sent $1500 to Israel for that purpose (including a $300 donation from Harry Rudnicki).

At the same time, the Society supported general American aid institutions such as Russian War Relief, the Red Cross, British War Relief, United War Relief, United Jewish Appeal, Red Mogen Dovid, Histadrut Campaign and other funds (for all of this support the organization donated ten thousand dollars).

Brother Yehezkel Rudnicki visited Israel at the time when Radomsker landsleit survivors began arriving there. It was decided that the local interest-free loan office should be greatly expanded, and for that purpose, (on the initiative of Brothers Rudnicki, Pacanowski and Epsztein) a total of $2672 was collected. Alas, at that time the devoted Brother Shlomoh Epsztein died, and a decision was made to name the interest-free loan office in Tel Aviv after him.



The 50^th Anniversary

Besides the gigantic aid work for concentration camp survivors, the Society continued with its usual local work in all areas of cultural, societal and communal activities.

The Society assisted the Radomsker writer Sarah Hamer-Jaklin in publishing her books ‘Lives and Shapes’ (1946) and ‘Descent and Silence’ (1954).

At the end of 1949 the 50^th anniversary of the Society was celebrated. Edited by Friend Pinye Kalka, a beautiful Yiddish-English journal was published in which the editor writes:

‘We have passed fifty years of hard effort and work to better Jewish lives in general, raised thousands of dollars for the Palestine Foundation Fund, helped with great assistance all of our national Jewish organizations, given ourselves with love and life to help the concentration camp survivors of the greatest destruction of world Jewry, stood with equals in the great struggle in order to support with all of our strength our just Jewish struggles.

The Executive of Relief – Aid Committee in 1949 Standing from the right: H. Rudnicki, S. Schwarc, H. Israel, M. Szapira Sitting from the right: P. Kalka, R. Lefkowicz. Sh. Epsztajn, H. Sedlecki, Y, Pacanowski

The Avtive Workers of the Women's Section of the New York Society (The Section was founded in 1934; the reception took place in 1949) Standing from the left: H.B. Israel (organizer), Sara H. Jacklin, L. Szapira, M. Cemberg, W. Knopf, R. Oberman, R. Szpira, H. Rudnicki (organizer)

How can we keep quiet at such a golden opportunity as a 50^th anniversary and not remember the sincere beloved 'people' people who gave their time, money and health for the survival of the Jewish people? A Society with such rich tradition and such devoted patriots as Brother Sol Greenberg, whose spirit and soul are permeated with the deep suffering of the poor, needy people. Let us remember: the Siedletski family which made itself so beloved because of its sincere good deeds for Radomsker 'Relief,' the distinguished Max Dikerman, Brothers Moishe Lefkowicz, Aron Gliksman, Harry Fishman, Kalman Rotsztein, Fiszel Gliksman and other dear brothers whose spirited good deeds were also [important], for the great victory for Israel.'

'Let us today with our celebration demonstrate our great joy for our luck that we were destined to live to see the rebirth of our Jewish nation after two thousand years of enslavement, pain and persecution. Let the great joyous moment strengthen our hands and encourage us all to further necessary aid for our landsleit to heal the difficult wounds of our dreadful tragedy [as a people].'

The Arrangements Committee at the 50th Anniversary (1949) Sitting from the left: I. Pacanowski, D. Lefkowicz, H. Sedletski, H. B. Israel, S. Schwartz, I. Kasoy, P. Kalka Second row from the left: I. Witrofski, H. Huberman, P. Knopf, Al. Heiman, G. A. Cymberg, A. Haber, Sz. Epsztein, M. Selkowicz On top from the left: Ch. Witrofski, M. Shapiro, Ch. Rudnicki, A. Kraus

We drink “Lechayim” in the house of Pacanowski (New York) in honor of the laying of the foundation stone for the two houses in Israel (December 1951)

During the construction of the two houses in Holon named after Sol Greenberg, of blessed memory

During a long week the writer of these lines became familiar with the archive of the Radomsker landsleit in New York and was sincerely overwhelmed by the many-faceted organizational and intellectual strengths that were shown there by his young friends from Nowo-Radomsk. ‘As a golden rope stretches itself,’ their activity was accompanied by a strong wish to help the surviving Jews in Radomsk. While the need to assist their members in rich New York, both materially and socially, was still present, they always [accepted] the duty to assist the surviving Jews in Radomsk in building up their local institutions that would help with the local requirements.

The readiness and dedication to help at the time of tragedy for our people was particularly evident, while working-people rose to impressive heights at this time. Not only were tens of thousand of dollars collected, but they themselves packed and sent aid packages accompanied by the warmest feelings and blessings to all places where a surviving Radomsker landsleit was found.

The positive activity in general national Jewish life in America should also be stressed. The warm response of the local press towards this activity is the best evidence that our landsleit there, with their unassuming aid, contributed moreover [a great deal].

During the Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Society (1958)

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