We Remember Jewish Ciechanowiec!
This Memorial Web Site has been
Initiated and Erected by Gary Gelber email: Ciechanowiec@yahoo.com
and Ada Holtzman email: ada001 "at" netvision.net.il
In Memory of Ciechanowiec Shtetl Which Once Graced This
Earth and is No More...
Coordinates: 52°40'
: 22°31'
112.6 kilometers ENE of Warsaw
The Synagogue of Ciechanowiec in 1950.
It still exis (2007). It is an empty building next to the cinema in the
"old town" part of Ciechanowiec.
Photograph courtesy of Tomasz
Wisniewski
Jewish Ciechanowiec, Town's Map
(Source: Ciechanowiec Yizkor Book, submitted by
Gary Gelber)
Source: Gary Gelber: The Plisky Family History, (copyright 1988).
One of the calamities
experienced by Ciechanowiec was World War I.
During that war the town was almost completely burned to the ground. Many of
the Jews living there fled elsewhere. After the war the town was rebuilt. By
1921 there were 1,649 Jews (50%) living there. Yiddish and Hebrew schools,
Zionist and Halutz (pioneer) Youth Movements flourished.
By 1939, Ciechanowiec had
reached its height with approximately 6,000 Jews. As the Ciechanowiec Memorial
Book states, all madness broke out in
My great grandfather was Aria Layb Luba, also known as Aria the Cossack. Aria was a melamed, a teacher, in the town. He was six feet tall which gave him great stature in the town. He was about 80 years old when the Nazis killed him along with my Pliski (Pliszki, Pliska, Pliszka) family.
The ghettos were liquidated
October 15 and November 2. The Landsleit in
Contact Gary Gelber: Gershon567 at hotmail.com (replace "at" by @ to avoid spam).
A lonely Matzeva (
Photograph courtesy of Tomasz
Wisniewski
The Yizkor Book
Ciechanoviec
Bialystok District;
Memorial and Records
Editor: Eliezer Leoni, Tel Aviv 1964
Published by the Ciechanovitzer Immigrant Association in
The
Translation of the Yizkor Book in JewishGen Yizkor Book Database
The
English Part
Table of Contents
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Page |
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Marginal Comments |
Professor Benjamin Mazar, |
3 |
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The Jews in Ciechanowiec The early history of Ciechanowiec |
Eliezer Leoni, Tel Aviv |
7 |
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The development of the Jewish Community of Ciechanowiec |
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14 |
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The Rabbis of Ciechanowiec |
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21 |
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Rabbi Sabbethai, son of Rabbi Eliezer Zussman, author of "Meir Nativ" (the path-lighter) |
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23 |
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Rabbi Hayyim son of Rabbi Peretz Hacohen |
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27 |
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Rabbi Eliahu Baruch Komay |
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33 |
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Rabbi David Kamin |
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40 |
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The Maggid (Homeliest) reb Moshe Halevi Rubinstein |
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45 |
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The economic life of Ciechanowiec |
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48 |
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The moral and national character of Ciechanowiec Jewry |
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54 |
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Heads of the Haskala in Ciechanowiec |
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60 |
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Ciechanowiec in more recent times |
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65 |
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Atrocities and Hell |
Ester Kleinoth (Goldberg) |
68 |
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Chechanovtze in the new world |
Dr. David Tabak ( |
77 |
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From the Yiddish and Hebrew Part: |
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Yehuda Rydz |
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The Necrology List of the Jewish
Community of Ciechanowiec |
||
The Synagogue of Ciechanowiec in 1950. It still exis (2007). It is an
empty building next to the cinema in the "old town" part of
Ciechanowiec.
Photograph courtesy of Tomasz Wisniewski
CIECHANOWIEC
(Region Wysokie
Mazowiecki, District Bialystok)
Coordinates: 52°40'
: 22°31'
112.6 kilometers ENE of Warsaw
"Pinkas
Hakehilot" Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities - Poland: Vol. IV: Warsaw
and District, Yad Vashem,
1989, p. 392-395, written by Shmuel Levin (until WWII) and Abraham Kalvan (the
Holocaust).
Translated by
|
Year |
Population |
Jews |
^% |
|
1808 |
526 |
442 |
84% |
|
1829 |
617 |
247 |
40% |
|
1857 |
1200 |
760 |
63% |
|
1897 |
2320 |
1498 |
66% |
It is assumed that Ciechanowiec was founded
in the 10th century. The settlement was destroyed by the Tatars in the year of
1240. In 1366 Ciechanowiec moved under
Ciechanowiec became famous for its botanic garden founded in the place the nature researcher Krzystof Kloka. In the first partition of Poland, in the year of 1772, the "old city" was included in Russia and the "new city" was transferred to the government of Prussia; afterwards it was annexed to the Warsaw Princedom and included in the kingdom of Poland. In the 19th century, the "old city" had an important economical role. Textile industry was developed in it and factories to buttons were built as well. The economy of the "new city" was based mostly on agricultural products and only by the second half of the 19th century, industry plants were erected there as well, like a flourmill, potash incinerator, beer brewery, soap workshop and other workshops. During World War I, under the government of the Germans, the two parts of the city were united.
The Jewish community in Ciechanowiec has been regarded as one of the most ancient Jewish settlements in Poland. According one assumption the Kuzary Jews founded it. Near Ciechanowiec there is indeed a small village by the name "Kuzari" and in the town itself there was a street name: "The Kuzari Street". Historians saw in these signs the proof to the assumptions that Jews were settled in Ciechanowiec already upon its foundation. There is no doubt that already in the second half of the 16th century Jews lived in Ciechanowiec. During the 17th century their number increased constantly. At that time a synagogue was erected and near it 3 Bathei Midrash (study houses) (according to the tradition which was accepted in the community, the synagogue was built already in the 14th century). In the 16th century the cemetery was sanctified.
In the 18th century there had already been a distinctive Jewish settlement in Ciechanowiec. The representatives of the community of Ciechanowiec were active in the Vaad Arba Aratzoth (the General Assembly of the Jewish 4 councils of Poland during the 16-18th centuries) and were among the main speakers in that Committee. In the year of 1760, Nissan son of Yehuda was appointed to be the pleader of the Committee (a central role in the framework of the Committee). He was described as "A diligent man, who knows his work, a holy work, he faces kings and rulers and his lips drop honey". In the assembly of the Committee in the year of 1726, the claim of the community of Ciechanowiec against the communities of Wegrow regarding the affiliation of the Jews of Wysokie Mazowiecki was discussed and the two communities demanded the patronage over it. The debate was rejected because both communities did not prove their claim in evidence. After a short time, the Jews of Wysokie Mazowiecki gained their independence and were not subject of neither one.
In the beginning of the 18th century, R'
Yehoshua Halevi had the office of the community Rabbi, who was
representative of the community also in the Vaad Arba Aratzoth. His
signature appears on various documents of the regulations of the
Committee. After him, came to office his son, R' Issachar Berisz, who
was among the signatories of the excommunication of the Frankists sect. R'
Issachar Berisz was among the messengers who went to
The Jews of Ciechanowiec were engaged
mainly in commerce and artisanship. In the year 1775 some Jews owned weaving
mills. The weaving industry under Jewish hands developed starting from the 20s
of the 19th century. This industry left its mark on the Jewish economical life
in Ciechanowiec. After the Polish revolt in year 1830, the Russians set up a
very high custom tax in while crossing the border from
Charity institutions were founded in Ciechanowiec in the beginning of the 20th century. Then "Gmilut Khassadim" was established, the first in town and after a few years also were founded the following organizations: "Bikur Kholim" (visiting the sick), "Hachnasat Kala" (caring for the bride), "Hachnasat Orkhim" (welcoming the visitors). A committee was also erected whose aim was to assist passers-by when they came to Ciechanowiec in order to avoid them begging from the landlords. Every year they also distributed "Maot Khitin" (money from the wheat) to the poor for the Passover Holiday.
In Ciechanowiec there was one synagogue,
some Beth Midrash (college for Talmudic study) and "Shitbalach"
of the Hassidim. Until the end of the 19th century, the Beth Midrash
was the only spiritual center of town. In Ciechanowiec there was "Talmud
Torah" (Torah study) in which almost all the children of the
Jews got their education. In the beginning of the 20th century "Cheder
Metukan" (revised religious study school) headed by the Maskil
(the Enlightened - a disciple of Moses Mendelsshon) Mosze Dawid
Heller. In the beginning it had only one class and boys and girls studied
together. In the same time, a professional school was also established, mainly
for girls. Its language was Russian but one hour a day was dedicated to study
of Hebrew. In the year 1908 a "mechina" - preparatory school
for Gymnasium was established in Ciechanowiec. It was limited for Jews - only
9% so very few Jewish pupils attended it. In later times (near the outbreak of
World War I), "Tarbut" school was founded, which after the war
joined the Tarbut Hebrew schools chain centered in
By the end of the 19th century, the first Zionist group was organized in Ciechanowiec, which called itself "Khibat Zion". In the first Zionist Congress 1897, 2 Zionist delegates were from Ciechanowiec. Because the Zionist Movement was prohibited in the Russian Empire, the organization run secret activities and meetings were held in private houses. In this time, the "Bund" movement was active in Ciechanowiec also under conditions of an underground.
During World War I many Jews escaped to
Between the Two World Wars
During the war between
During the period between the two World Wars the Jews of Ciechanowiec continued to make living mainly from commerce and artisanship. The Jews owned some of the biggest textile shops. Also the trade of eggs and gander was an important source of living for the Jews. The Jews also owned some industrial plants, such as flourmills, saw mill and factories of tiles and ply woods. In the outskirts of town there were two agricultural farms owned by Jews. The tailors and cobblers distinguished themselves among the Jewish artisans.
The economical situation of most of the Jews was very hard. Economic and social institutions tried to relieve the material situation of the Jews by organizing mutual aid societies. The Jewish Merchants Union, which was founded in 1927, gave through his bank credit with very low interest. In 1928 this bank had 250 members. At the same time, Jewish artisans association was founded and also petit commerce merchants created their own union. Their main aims were to arrange trade permits and work licenses to the members. In the year 1925 a charity fund (Gmilut Hassadim) was founded which assisted the merchants and artisans in granting credit without any interest. The societies and institutions of the community gave aid to the poorest. The society "Linat Tzedek" added to its activities, also granting free medical aid to the people in need.
In spite of the difficult economical
situation, the cultural and public life of Ciechanowiec roused
significantly. Nearly
all the parties, the political movements and their youth organizations which
operated in
"Agudat
In the community committee, the main influence was of the Zionists. In the elections of 1924, they, together with the artisans under their influence, received most of the mandates. In the next elections the Zionists lost few delegates but maintained their power. The Jews had some representatives in the City Council. In the 30s, the rabbi of the community was R' Benjamin Zeew Kagan, who perished in the Holocaust.
In the inter-war period there were a few
Jewish schools in Ciechanowiec. In addition to "Talmud Torah",
the "Cheder Metukan" continued to exist. In the year of 1925, a
girls' school was erected "Beth Yaacov" of "Agudath
When the anti-Semitism grew in
During the Second World War
Ciechanowiec was occupied by the units of
the German army in the beginning of 1939. After a few days the Germans left
town according to the Pact between
On
The persecutions worsened in the year 1942,
and in the end of January 1942, 18 Jews were arrested. The Germans accused them
of being communists. Among them were Lin and his two sons, Mosze
Zolotow and Ajzik Midler. The prisoners were held during 3 weeks and
after cruel tortures were executed. In March 1942 6 other Jews were murdered,
among them Menes Lew and Icchak Zeliger. In
In the morning of
Bibliography
·
The Yad Vashem archive in
·
The Central Archive for the
History of the Jewish People,
·
The Central Zionist Archive in
· Ciechanowiec; Memorial and Records, editor: Eliezer Leoni, Tel Aviv 1964
·
Yehoshua Mordechai Rozenblum, My Town Ciechanowiec, Tel Aviv 1951
· "Hajnt" 14.6.1938, 24.12.1936, 11.6.1930, 29.1.1929, 9.11.1927, 11.7.1939, 25.7.1938, 28.6.1938
· "Naj Folkszeitung" 9.1.1937
The Savage Murderer, Romanus
By Yehuda Rydz*
Translated by
Published in the Ciechanowiec Yizkor Book, Tel Aviv 1964
When it comes to describe the atrocious deeds of a murderer named Romanus (who by coincidence had the same name as that of an ancient military people) it reminds me of a fable. Someone asked a tyrant why he was so quick to sentence people to death for small offenses? The tyrant answered: "I believe that the death penalty should be used for even the smallest transgression. As for the appropriate penalty to apply for great transgressions. Well, this I haven't yet thought about..."
Romanus (head of the S.S. in the area) tortured and murdered people for no reason what so ever. (The S.S. were elite German military and police units of the Nazi Party that carried out central tasks for the "Final Solution" of the Jews). His hatred toward the Jews burned and flamed within him, and there was no way to extinguish the hatred.
At work he tortured Jews horrendously. Once, he had lazily sprawled out beside a ruined outer wall. Workers had seen several bricks fall on top of Yaakov Kizmacher and crush his hand. Blood gushed from his hand and in his agony, Yaakov badly needed to cry out and scream. No doctors came to his aid so I stopped the flow of blood with the most primitive means available. Romanus had looked on with amazement and great enjoyment as to what had just occurred. Despite Yaakov's clenching hand, Romanus forced Yaakov to continue working.
Romanus used to "amuse himself" by shooting bullets into open windows. One time, he was in the ghetto and he started shooting into the home of my brother-in-law, Moishe Plisky, and nearly scared his child to death. Moishe dashed with his family to Shaina-Vruna, the midwife, but the cut throat, with his accomplice, had intercepted him. They tied my brother-in-law up, powerfully beat him and then forced him to return home.
By chance, Ephraim, Herschel and Yaakov ("the smuggler") Plisky had a confrontation (with the murderer) too. By accident, Romanus caught them trading with the (Polish) peasants (which was strictly forbidden). Romanus threw them in jail and in the two-week period there, they were savagely beaten. When they passed out from the beatings, Romanus splashed water on them and attempted to revive them, so that he could continue torturing them. When the torturer freed them, they returned home, walking on their hands, because their feet were broken. They remained lying in their beds, half-dead, without any medical help. They were not able to eat nor drink. In such a sorrowful state they remained bedridden for two months. By no means did that end their suffering. Regardless of how Romanus heard that these Jews were feeling better -- he ordered them brought before him. He beat them four consecutive days, virtually without water. Finally, the murderer looked upon them and couldn't decide which one to continue beating. Because the tortured victims were imminently near agony of death, Romanus released them, so that they should recover and that he would be able to torture them anew.
Another time a Shabbos (Sabbath), when I went to work, Romanus was riding on a horse with a policeman-bodyguard. The murderer accused me of not working hard enough. He preyed upon me to run in front of his horse. I was in this dismal state until we reached the "New Town" (Ciechanowiec) Cemetery. During the whole time he beat me constantly. At the cemetery, Romanus forced me to kneel upon the ground. As I was kneeling, Romanus and his accomplice came toward me on horseback. They preyed upon me with their unruly horses, and it ended with a bludgeon landing an inblow to my head. I remained there on the groun. I completely blacand I was unable to see. The only thing I was able to feel was the blood oozing from my cracked hea.Fin, and with great effort, I stood on my feet and proceeded towardthe Gentile's house where I worked. The blood was washed off and my head was bandaged. I was in bed, at the Gentile's house, until Saturday night and theI returned to the ghetto. I had lain with enormous pain for two weeks until I went back to work. After that bloody Shabbos I was very troubled. I felt that a terrible storm faced me, as Romanus' terror was, sooner or later, to befall the Jewish community in Ciechanowiec.
The situation in the ghetto
took a turn for the worse every day. Rumors wildly spread that the ghetto in
the nearby town of
We anticipated an "aktion" (an operation involving the mass assembly, deportation and murder of the Jews by the Nazis) every day. The Jews went about the ghetto lackadaisically. They didn't know what to do with themselves. Pious Jews consoled themselves that G-d will not desert His children in a time of trouble such as this. And just as G-d had taken Abraham, our father, out from the furnace of fire, and Daniel from the lion's den, so at the last minute He will demonstrate a great miracle, and we will all survive.
As the situation in the ghetto became increasingly critical, I suddenly saw that the Jews were no longer being compelled to work. In general, Romanus was no longer concerned if one worked or didn't work. The nights were filled with nightmares. People didn't sleep. Instead, they continually thought about what the future had in store for them. "What are we up against?" they asked. "Will our fate be the same as the Czyzewo Jews?" I had observed what was happening in the ghetto with open eyes and without any illusions. At once, it became clear to me: one must escape from the ghetto and very fast!
I had a secret, small (trap)
door which one was able to escape from the ghetto. My wife, Faiga, (ne'e
Plisky), did not agree with this idea, so I took my two grown children
an off I went to the Gentile, for whom I had worked for. I remained hidden in
an attic until
While lying down, I suddenly heard an intense sound of shooting. It was an enormous, blood curdling noise. I went out into the street and there I saw Jews, literally hanging from the wire (that surrounded the ghetto), and they were painfully trying to escape. The murderers were shooting at the Jews (with automatic rifles) and one could see them falling like prey. Everyone felt that this was the end. Romanus had finally made up his mind to liquidate the ghetto. Two days prior to this final ending, he had brought in many German soldiers plus many, many wagons.
At the last minute, I opened my secret trap door. Together with Shmuel Vinovitch, I escaped to a nearby forest. By running I encountered Matta's son-in-law, the watchmaker. He drew near to us and said, "Let's stay together and see what the future has in store for us."
* "Yehuda Rydz, a son-in-law, of Laibel Lemkes (Plisky), is originally from Danir. Around the time of the Soviet occupation, he lived in Ciechanowiec."
Ciechanowiec
Mutual Aid Societies in
Written by Gary Gelber
The townspeople from
Ciechanowiec founded several mutual benefit aid societies in
1. Chevra Bnai Yaakov Anshe Chechanovsa
2.Chevra Bnai Moshe Anshe Neishtadt Chechnovtze (1907)
3. Chechanovitzer-Semiatitcher Branch #195 (Farband-Labor Zionist Org./Workman's Circle)
4. Brisker-Ciechanowiecer Branch # 15 (I.W.O.)
5. Tchechanovtzer Progressive Society
6. Chechanovtzer Progressive Ladies Auxiliary
7. Chechanovtzer Progressive Relief Committee (founded 1915; Yitzchock Kaplan, secretary)
8. Jewish Pioneers, Chechanovsa Chapter.
Herschel Plisky, my grandfather, joined the Chevra Bnai Moshe Chechnovtze Society and frequently attended the meetings. Sam Shapiro, who was a former secretary of the society, recalled how Herschel used to bring a bottle of liquor, for the collation that followed the meeting. Sam recalled that Herschel so enjoyed coming to the meetings, that he used to climb the stairs, two at a time. At special occasions the seats in the front of the meeting hall were reserved for a small fee. Several times, Herschel used to reserve seats in the front so that he would have a "choice" seat.
As mentioned prior, Isidore
(Yitzchock) Kaplan was secretary of the society for many years. Kaplan was
not his original name. The family name was Kaufka, and he changed it
once the family came to
Thousands of dollars were
raised and sent to Ciechanowiec, during and after World War I. The book,
Yidishe Landsmanshaftn in
Old Family Photographs 
|
Gary Gelber writes... Aria Layb LUBA was a melamed (teacher) in Milejczyce, until WWI. During the First World War, the Germans appointed him as a policeman to stop the stealing that was going on in the fields. He was nicknamed, Aria the Cossack, because of his tall stature. He was six feet tall. Aria rode a horse through the town and was accompanied by a soldier. He became unpopular because he did his job very well and the townspeople were not able to go out into the fields without getting caught. After the war Aria relocated to Ciechanowiec where he continued to teach. Nataniel Pioreh, of Tel Aviv, recalled back in 1980, how Aria was his melamed, strict and tall. Aria was about 80 years old when the Nazis murdered him in 1942. The Ciechanowiec Yizkor Book, lists his name as Kossack, Aria (the melamed). |
Leah, Genendel, Hannah, and Baila-Ruchel PLISKI. They are standing around the grave of Israel Moshe PLISKI who died 1925. All of them perished in the Holocaust...
Leah PLISKI and Genendel PLISKI, sisters. Both perished in the Holocaust, probably 1942. A note from Gary Gelber: Genendel tried to come to |
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Jewish Youth in Ciechanowiec 19.12.1937
Jewish Genealogy
JRI: Surname List: Ciechanowiec (Lomza Gubernia)
The JewishGen Family Finder (JGFF)
Immigrants to America from Ciechanowiec Years: 1892-1924 (the Ellis Island Database in one step)
Ciechanowiec today.
This memorial web site was originally created in June 2003
Last updated 18th January 2013