WE REMEMBER THE POOR AND THE RICH, The WORKER AND THE MERCHANT...

Translated by Meir Holtzman , edition and introduction by Ada Holtzman, 12/08/97.

Every human being has a name... and behind each name exists a whole world...

Gombin appears in this book, as "GABIN", its name in Polish, in pages 1969 and 1970 of that book.

It is possible to imagine the magnitude of that directory, if "GABIN" list is published in page 1969 and 1970...

The number of 5777 as the number of all the population in Gombin (with the number of 2564 of Jews in the town - 44%) appear also in "Pinkas Hakehilot", in the year of 1921, based on Polish census which was set up that year in Poland. This hints to the fact that may be the data which the directory contained was collected earlier than 1925 or 1928, year of its publication. It reflects the commercial, economical and social structure of Gabin in the 20's. It points also to the well known historic fact that in Poland, at this period, there was decisive majority of Jews in the domain of commerce, and also in some fields of craftsmanship; much more than their general rate in the popluation itself which was about 10% only according to the census of 1921 (2.8 million out of 28). The special position of the Jews in the economy, thus created hostility and anti-Semitic feelings by the Poles, in the whole country and in Gabin in particular. In Gabin, the competition led the Poles to establish cooperative shops, but the Poles themselves preferred still to buy at the Jewish shops. Out of total number of 283 names recorded in the Business Directory, we could decipher 182 Jewish names, 64%...

My father has translated the trades, and the introduction of the list which contains general information about Gombin in the 20's. Then we scanned all the surnames and the initial of the first name, including the non - Jewish, Poles and German "Folks - Deutche" who lived in Gombin in the 20's and were registered in that directory.

The list revives the memory of all our people, and the life of our ancestors.

The 4 estates-village surrounding Gombin, mentioned in the introduction of the list, can be described in details, their buildings and inhabitants... and the woods surrounding all... The streets of Gombin, the markets, the people, old friends, neighbors, family members, working and making a living, a vivid community comes to life...

When it says in the introductory just: "1 synagogue" - how can one describes the splendor and beauty of this synagogue, unique in its wooden architecture and interior art known in all Poland... how many memories are related to the "Schul" which was burnt by the Nazis immediately upon their occupation...

It brings back the memory of Yom Kippur in the shtetl, and all the Jews, solemn, excited, wrapped by "Talit and Tfilin", gathered together, in the grand synagogue, (not like in the ordinary Shabat when they used to pray in the neighborhood synagogues, according their trade: the "schul" of the tailors, or the cobblers etc.), united in the traditional practice and praying together in dedication. Khasidei Gur with Khasidei Radzymin and Khasidei Alexander, Bundists and Zionists, Communists and Beitarists, Hashomer Hatzair and Maccabi youth, Poalei Zion Left with Poalei Zion Right, rich and poor, old and young.... One people...

Recalled are the stories about the great wooden art works of old Yankele Hodys, and the masterpieces he added, piece to piece (mainly lion relieves) to the existing grand synagogue interiors, near the "Aron Kodesh"....

The list contains all the names of the surnames of the given profession, including the local Poles and "Folks Deutche". There were many "Goy'im" with whom the Jews were involved and had commercial and daily connections.

Sad thoughts are coming to my mind, about the role those local Germans played later, during the Holocaust, and the historical necessity to investigate thoroughly their part in the sufferings of the Jews in the occupation and the liquidation of their previously peaceful neighbors and associates.

There were our family members, behind those names. Each one provided living for the family, and is not just an anonymous name in a lost and forgotten directory. Each one provided a living for a whole family.

Due to the total destruction and tragic end of our people in the Holocaust, those surnames carry the memory of living images walking in the streets of the small town, creating that rumor rising from the fairs "each Thursday", rushing around, argue passionately with enthusiasm of those days, breath and work hard to make a living, receive by memory a new extra meaning.

It is an incredible material, with historical value. A panoramic photograph of the shtetl with all its livings, the economical and commercial structure.

There are endless stories which can still be told about the Gombiners families but it need a lot of thorough research and documentary work which cannot be completed in a short time, before the Annual Meeting in August 97. The task of documenting on the professions and life in the shtetl will be giant, and my father waits for other Gombiner elders, still live among us in their golden age, to contribute from their memory and experiences to completion of such a research, a holy work for the sake of history and all descendants of Gombin.

The list of trades is essential in understanding the shtetl life and genealogical research. Many trades were carried out from generation to generation and often, in the genealogical research, the "Trade" of the family was the Identity of the person and was one of the sources of the surname of his family. It is, mainly important when there is more than one family line in this small town.

We can learn from the list also the correct Polish spelling of the original family name, which was later changed in many cases, but the original spelling was the names in the vital records still available in Polish archives.

Many of the trades have totally disappeared from modern life, like "pots menders", "wheelwrights" "makers of spats for shoes" and others. So with this list we can have a glimpse of a lost economic world, gone for ever with the rapid technological development of the 20th century, a world in which our ancestors struggled to survive in means which we cannot even imagine already... but find its evidence in this documentary list.

The memories and writing of Jacob M. Rothbart whose family immigrated to America in the beginning of the 20s century, come into my mind. He described so brilliantly the reality of life in Gombin.

In his article "A monography of the Shtetl Gombin", published in the Yizkor book of Gombin, we can learn a lot about the social, cultural and economical background of the life in Gombin in the beginning of the century.

Apparently nothing has been changed later within the next 25 years, after Rothbart emigrated from Poland. , In his powerful expressive style and picturesque language, , the landscape of Gombin with its streets and buildings, woods and stream, the trade fairs, the noise of the sellers and the smell of the market are visualized and one can really feel the lost life flowing through Rothbart acute and eloquent tongue... and the historical "proof" to what Rothbart describes, is this business directory list...

The surnames have human souls behind... and families, and neighbors, and friends, and a community, the community of our beloved lost shtetl Gombin... Our roots are plotted in those orderly arranged lists, the Polish authorities published over 70 years ago, for completely differenreasons, mainly commercial. Now, it became a "treasure" of valuable genealogical and historical data, but also might rise personal sentiments and nostalgia in everyone.

Gombin is a mirror to all the lost shtetls in Poland... Our ancestors are recorded, in the most accurate fashion, and while the Nazis destroyed nearly all the Jewish vital records of Gombin, we can derive a lot of historical information with whatever is found, and this directory is one of them, to be valued by all of us, who care to learn about our family and community history, and commemorate our people memory.

The trades or occupations in Polish. The Polish is written in English characters, and the original list is attached in the front page of this paperwork.

The translation of the trades to English. In the original list appears also a French translation.

All the surnames and the first letter of the first name of all those who were recorded in Gabin to have a specific profession in the time of the directory (around 1925).

We marked the Jewish names with a small Star of david, near the surname! We apologize in advance, if any Jewish surname was overlooked , and again, wish that other Gombiner elders will check the list in order to update it in the future..

The full first name. Where it was possible and rememebred, we wrote down the full first name, since in the published list appears only the initial of the first name! The name, thus recorded, might mean a lot to Gombiners and the descendants. We truly hope that by joint venture, other elders might remember the names not deciphered yet, and the list will be completed. Also we call descendants who have this information about their ancestors to contribute by their personal knowledge to this task.

We marked with an asterisk (*) all the words which are not surnames (corporations, associations or companies).

Than we made a second list, based on the original, which contains the Jewish surnames only, and is sorted out according to the profession, for easy reference.

The introduction in the list has important historical value as well, and we have scanned also the original Polish version. Please note that there is also the French translation in the original document.

We truly hope it will be of great value to all of us, who are seeking their roots, and shall always remember from where we came...