Zgierz, Poland

The Book of Zgierz, Volume II
(Poland)

51°51' / 19°25'

Translation of
Sefer Zgierz, mazkeret netsach le-kehila yehudit be-Polin

Edited by: David Shtockfish (Sztokfisz), Sh Kanc, Z. Fisher

Published in Tel Aviv, 1986

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Jerrold Jacobs

Translations

Jerrold Landau

This is a translation from: Sefer Zgierz, mazkeret netsach le-kehila yehudit be-Polin,
Memorial book Zgierz, ed David Shtockfish (Sztokfisz), Sh Kanc, Z. Fisher. Tel Aviv, Zgierz Society, 1986

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Title Author Page Language

A. Introduction

{First pages}

Dirge and Lament 6 H

Preface to the Book Zeev Fisher 7 H

Introduction W. Fisher 12 Y^[1]

Thus did we Begin Zev–Wolf Fisher 17 Y

B. Chapters of History

The City and Its Happenings The editorial board 22 H

Echoes from Years Gone By Z. F. 22 H

Zgierz of the Year 5620 (1860) A. Y. Weisenfeld 26 H

The Tzadik has been Lost! 28 H

The “Jewish Street” in Zgierz Zeev Wolf Fisher 30 H

The Pogrom Year of 1903 and the Jews of Zgierz W. Fisher 33 Y

The Pogrom Year of 1903 ,and Jews of Zgierz Y. A. Rusinow 34 Y

And it Was When the First Movie Theater Arrived in our City… Zeev Fisher 35 H

Our Former Home Tamar (Tala) Cincinatus 37 Y

Jewish Pioneers in the Zgierz Hand Weaving Business Leon Rubinstein 40 Y

The “Ordinances” of the “Union of Youths” in Zgierz 44 Y

The Prospectus Z. P. 46 H

A Fundamental Solution to the Problem of Languages… Moshe Eiger 49 H

Names, Family Names, and Nicknames W. F. 50 Y

A Ray of Light on Cold Days Z. F. 52 H

It Once Was… Mordechai Roisman 53 Y

Our “Jewish Street” – in Memory Z. W. Fiszer 57 Y

To You, Zgierz, my Native City Esther Krol-Jakubowicz 64 Y

C. Orthodox Zgierz

Religious Life &nsbpl 68 H

The Hassidic Movement in Zgierz Zeev Fisher 69 H

The Reprover in the Gate P. Sirkis 69 H

Stories and Legends of the Elderly Tzadik From the book Tiferet Adam by Pinchas Zelig Glicksman 73 H

Wonder from Previous Times Pinchas Zelig Glicksman (From his book Tiferet Adam 75 Y

The Hassidim and Shtibels [Hassidic Prayer Halls] in our City Z. Fisher and P. Sirkis 77 H

In the Old Gerrer Shtibel Natan Nota Nekritz 87 Y

In Memory of the Worshippers of the Synagogue and the Beis Midrash 89 H

The Beis Midrash and its “Guard”… W. Fisher 91 Y

Two from among my Neighbors at the Eastern Wall P. Sirkis 93 H

Jewish Education (chapters of memory) Zeev Fisher 93 Y

In the Agudas Yisroel Cheder (memoires from childhood days) Yaakov Chaimowicz 95 Y

The Hidden Light The editors 97 H

D. Personalities and Characters

People of Zgierz The editorial board 100 H

David Frischmann (60 years after his death) Z. F. 101 H

David Frischmann – the Jewish World Spirit (60 years from the time of his passing) The editors 103 Y

In the Circles of Maskilim of Zgierz (Memories) Moshe Helman 105 H

Eulogy for Avraham Yosef Weisenfeld Nachum Sokolov 107 Y

Two Books about Two Eminent Men of our City Z. Fisher 109 H

The Confession of a Jewish Large-Scale Industrialist Moshe Tzvi Eiger 111 Y

Arthur Szyk in the Zgierz Business School Fabian Grynberg 112 Y

The Professor of “Zakon-Bosza” Zeev 113 Y

Shia Plocki, the Veteran Firefighter of Zgierz Zeev 114 Y

My Father Yehoshua the son of David Baniel (Berliner) of blessed memory Dr. Shmuel Baniel 115 H

Yehuda Leibusz Wajnsztejn Zeev Fisher 116 H

David Berger Zeev Fisher 117 H

Fabian Grynberg-Green Zeev Fisher 118 H

The Eminent Writer Yehuda Elberg (Visiting old friends from among his fellow townsfolk) … 119 H

Our Accolades Nathan-Nota Netritz 120 Y

E. Events and Folklore

Way of Life The editors 122 H

Zgierz Folklore W. Fisher 123 Y

About Two Sabbath Gentiles ^[2] (Wawzyn and Peter the Great) Z. F. 124 H

The Elderly Rabbi, may the memory of the holy be blessed, the Sabbath Gentile Wawzyn Israel Weinik 126 Y

Peter the Great (From The Path of My Life) Yaakov Cohen 128 H

In the Tipsiness of Purim Zeev Fisher 129 H

Singing and Dancing (From my childhood years in the Gerrer Shtibel) Zeev Ben–Shimon 130 Y

Let it be with a Weaver W.F. 134 Y

Blossoms of Episodes and Folklore 135 H

“The Agreement” of the Holy Community of Zgierz for the Coronation of Nikolai II as the Czar of Russia 136 H

We Were Slaves (From his book “To a Son – and a Daughter”) 137 H

Janis (Memories from my Yeshiva years) W. Fisher 138 Y

A Wise Person is Better than a Prophet Shimon Kantz 145 H

About Everything and Somebody Avraham Ch. Shapira 146 H

Capital and Livelihood A Ch “ Sh. 147 Y

Three I Knew Z. Fisher 148 Y

A Stringent Law… Moshe Tzvi Eiger 151 Y

The Jews of Zgierz The Editorial Committee 152 H

F: Holocaust and Destruction

From the book “Last Letters” published by Hakibutz Hameuchad, 1956 Yitzchak Katznelson 154 H

The World that was Destroyed The editors 155 H

Jews of Zgierz on the Sixth Day of the Second World War Dr. B. Gelbfish 156 Y

In a Struggle with the Angel of Death… Wolf Kleinman 159 Y

Through the Small Bridge Between Life and Death Mania Jakubowicz–Gothelf 162 Y

During the Events of the Holocaust Fela Gotlieb–Rosenblatt 168 H

People who Became “Muselmen” Zeev Fisher 171 H

About the Term “Muselman” in the Nazi Concentration Camps Aryeh ben–Menachem 173 H

From the Vale of Weeping (Impressions of a tour of destroyed Poland after the Holocaust) Rabbi Binyamin Sczaranski 175 H

Elegy for Jewish Towns Antoni Słonimski (Translated by Y. Papiernikow) 177 Y

Our Way to the Land of Israel Fela Gotlieb (nee Rosenblatt) 178 H

Memorial Esther Krol–Jakubowicz 181 Y

G. The Book of Zgierz through the Eyes of Personalities and the Press

Yehuda Elberg; Dr. Shmuel Sheps; Aryeh Ben–Menachem; Y. Szmuelewicz (“Forward”); A. Tosin (“Nowiny Kurier”); G. Kresel (“Al Hamishmar”); the editors of “Maariv”; M. Czanin (“Latzte Neies”); Sh. Worzoger (“Yisrael–Shtime”); Chaim Leib Fuchs (“Yiddisher Kemfer”); Fabian Greenberg (“Freie Arbeiter Shtime”); Nathan Ek (“Zukunft”) 185 H and Y

Afterword Z. Fisher 202 H and Y

H. In Memory of the Departed

And these are the Names of the People of Zgierz Who Have Gone to their Eternal World 205 Y

Zgierz Jews (Exceprts from a Lecture) Shimon Kanc 211 Y

I. Eternal Light

Eternal Light 215

J. Table of Contents

Translator's Footnotes

Zeev Fisher and W. Fisher are the same person, as Wolfe is the Yiddish form of Zeev. Although the chapters on page 7 and 12 appear similar, they seem to have different content. Back

Gentiles who perform labors forbidden to Jews on the Sabbath. Back

Yizkor Book Project JewishGen Home Page

Yizkor Book Director, Lance Ackerfeld
Emerita Yizkor Book Project Manager, Joyce Field z”l
Contact person for this translation Jerrold Jacobs
This web page created by Lance Ackerfeld

Title	Author	Page	Language
A. Introduction
{First pages}
Dirge and Lament		6	H
Preface to the Book	Zeev Fisher	7	H
Introduction	W. Fisher	12	Y^[1]
Thus did we Begin	Zev–Wolf Fisher	17	Y

B. Chapters of History
The City and Its Happenings	The editorial board	22	H
Echoes from Years Gone By	Z. F.	22	H
Zgierz of the Year 5620 (1860)	A. Y. Weisenfeld	26	H
The Tzadik has been Lost!		28	H
The “Jewish Street” in Zgierz	Zeev Wolf Fisher	30	H
The Pogrom Year of 1903 and the Jews of Zgierz	W. Fisher	33	Y
The Pogrom Year of 1903 ,and Jews of Zgierz	Y. A. Rusinow	34	Y
And it Was When the First Movie Theater Arrived in our City…	Zeev Fisher	35	H
Our Former Home	Tamar (Tala) Cincinatus	37	Y
Jewish Pioneers in the Zgierz Hand Weaving Business	Leon Rubinstein	40	Y
The “Ordinances” of the “Union of Youths” in Zgierz		44	Y
The Prospectus	Z. P.	46	H
A Fundamental Solution to the Problem of Languages…	Moshe Eiger	49	H
Names, Family Names, and Nicknames	W. F.	50	Y
A Ray of Light on Cold Days	Z. F.	52	H
It Once Was…	Mordechai Roisman	53	Y
Our “Jewish Street” – in Memory	Z. W. Fiszer	57	Y
To You, Zgierz, my Native City	Esther Krol-Jakubowicz	64	Y

C. Orthodox Zgierz
Religious Life	&nsbpl	68	H
The Hassidic Movement in Zgierz	Zeev Fisher	69	H
The Reprover in the Gate	P. Sirkis	69	H
Stories and Legends of the Elderly Tzadik	From the book Tiferet Adam by Pinchas Zelig Glicksman	73	H
Wonder from Previous Times	Pinchas Zelig Glicksman (From his book Tiferet Adam	75	Y
The Hassidim and Shtibels [Hassidic Prayer Halls] in our City	Z. Fisher and P. Sirkis	77	H
In the Old Gerrer Shtibel	Natan Nota Nekritz	87	Y
In Memory of the Worshippers of the Synagogue and the Beis Midrash		89	H
The Beis Midrash and its “Guard”…	W. Fisher	91	Y
Two from among my Neighbors at the Eastern Wall	P. Sirkis	93	H
Jewish Education (chapters of memory)	Zeev Fisher	93	Y
In the Agudas Yisroel Cheder (memoires from childhood days)	Yaakov Chaimowicz	95	Y
The Hidden Light	The editors	97	H

D. Personalities and Characters
People of Zgierz	The editorial board	100	H
David Frischmann (60 years after his death)	Z. F.	101	H
David Frischmann – the Jewish World Spirit (60 years from the time of his passing)	The editors	103	Y
In the Circles of Maskilim of Zgierz (Memories)	Moshe Helman	105	H
Eulogy for Avraham Yosef Weisenfeld	Nachum Sokolov	107	Y
Two Books about Two Eminent Men of our City	Z. Fisher	109	H
The Confession of a Jewish Large-Scale Industrialist	Moshe Tzvi Eiger	111	Y
Arthur Szyk in the Zgierz Business School	Fabian Grynberg	112	Y
The Professor of “Zakon-Bosza”	Zeev	113	Y
Shia Plocki, the Veteran Firefighter of Zgierz	Zeev	114	Y
My Father Yehoshua the son of David Baniel (Berliner) of blessed memory	Dr. Shmuel Baniel	115	H
Yehuda Leibusz Wajnsztejn	Zeev Fisher	116	H
David Berger	Zeev Fisher	117	H
Fabian Grynberg-Green	Zeev Fisher	118	H
The Eminent Writer Yehuda Elberg (Visiting old friends from among his fellow townsfolk)	…	119	H
Our Accolades	Nathan-Nota Netritz	120	Y

E. Events and Folklore
Way of Life	The editors	122	H
Zgierz Folklore	W. Fisher	123	Y
About Two Sabbath Gentiles ^[2] (Wawzyn and Peter the Great)	Z. F.	124	H
The Elderly Rabbi, may the memory of the holy be blessed, the Sabbath Gentile Wawzyn	Israel Weinik	126	Y
Peter the Great (From The Path of My Life)	Yaakov Cohen	128	H
In the Tipsiness of Purim	Zeev Fisher	129	H
Singing and Dancing (From my childhood years in the Gerrer Shtibel)	Zeev Ben–Shimon	130	Y
Let it be with a Weaver	W.F.	134	Y
Blossoms of Episodes and Folklore		135	H
“The Agreement” of the Holy Community of Zgierz for the Coronation of Nikolai II as the Czar of Russia		136	H
We Were Slaves (From his book “To a Son – and a Daughter”)		137	H
Janis (Memories from my Yeshiva years)	W. Fisher	138	Y
A Wise Person is Better than a Prophet	Shimon Kantz	145	H
About Everything and Somebody	Avraham Ch. Shapira	146	H
Capital and Livelihood	A Ch “ Sh.	147	Y
Three I Knew	Z. Fisher	148	Y
A Stringent Law…	Moshe Tzvi Eiger	151	Y
The Jews of Zgierz	The Editorial Committee	152	H

F: Holocaust and Destruction
From the book “Last Letters” published by Hakibutz Hameuchad, 1956	Yitzchak Katznelson	154	H
The World that was Destroyed	The editors	155	H
Jews of Zgierz on the Sixth Day of the Second World War	Dr. B. Gelbfish	156	Y
In a Struggle with the Angel of Death…	Wolf Kleinman	159	Y
Through the Small Bridge Between Life and Death	Mania Jakubowicz–Gothelf	162	Y
During the Events of the Holocaust	Fela Gotlieb–Rosenblatt	168	H
People who Became “Muselmen”	Zeev Fisher	171	H
About the Term “Muselman” in the Nazi Concentration Camps	Aryeh ben–Menachem	173	H
From the Vale of Weeping (Impressions of a tour of destroyed Poland after the Holocaust)	Rabbi Binyamin Sczaranski	175	H
Elegy for Jewish Towns	Antoni Słonimski (Translated by Y. Papiernikow)	177	Y
Our Way to the Land of Israel	Fela Gotlieb (nee Rosenblatt)	178	H
Memorial	Esther Krol–Jakubowicz	181	Y

G. The Book of Zgierz through the Eyes of Personalities and the Press
Yehuda Elberg; Dr. Shmuel Sheps; Aryeh Ben–Menachem; Y. Szmuelewicz (“Forward”); A. Tosin (“Nowiny Kurier”); G. Kresel (“Al Hamishmar”); the editors of “Maariv”; M. Czanin (“Latzte Neies”); Sh. Worzoger (“Yisrael–Shtime”); Chaim Leib Fuchs (“Yiddisher Kemfer”); Fabian Greenberg (“Freie Arbeiter Shtime”); Nathan Ek (“Zukunft”)		185	H and Y
Afterword	Z. Fisher	202	H and Y

H. In Memory of the Departed
And these are the Names of the People of Zgierz Who Have Gone to their Eternal World		205	Y
Zgierz Jews (Exceprts from a Lecture)	Shimon Kanc	211	Y

I. Eternal Light
Eternal Light		215

J. Table of Contents