Scenes in Gombin Filmed by Sam Rafel 1937 - Captured Photographs Part 1

We Remember the Jews of Gombin!

Scenes in Gombin Filmed by Sam Rafel 1937

Who Are the Jewish Townspeople of Gombin in the Photographs?

By Ada Holtzman

I wish to thank the descendants of Sam Rafel z"l who gave the film made by their father in 1937, to the Gombin Society. My work is dedicated to Sam Rafel's blessed memory.

Two years ago I've worked in a friend's pc shop for many hours and "CAPTURED" photographs from the video made after the film of Sam Rafel in 1937. The photographs captured were all in BMP format, more than one MB each one, impossible to post in the Internet. Many of the images were very dark and with poor quality. I was motivated mainly by the fact that I knew that all these people filmed in the rare film were murdered 5 years later in Chelmno, so this film became their last vivid remnant... Last lost smiles... last lost hopes... last lost lives... Last glimpse to a lost world...

Recently I converted the images to JPG format and added a number to each of the images, which are displayed in the following web pages. Out of 420 images captured by me in the past, remained 258, which could be processed and posted. I've sent one CD to Noam Lupo from the Gombin Society to show these images in the Gombin Society Web Site and make an album to be sent to Ben Guyer, Rose Greenbaum-Dinerman and other Gombiner survivors. I hope with all my heart that some of the people filmed in this film will be identified and their names be recorded forever.

ונתתי להם בביתי ובחומותי יד ושם טוב מבנים ומבנות שם עולם אתן לו אשר לא יכרת - ישעיהו נ"ו ה'

And I shall give them in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. - Isaiah 50:5

Every Person Has a Name! A Whole Universe is Behind Each Name!

Part 2: Photographs Numbers: 172-177, 18, 180-199, 20-24, 200-242

Part 3: Photographs Numbers: 3, 25-27, 243-312

Part 4: Photographs Numbers: 34-38, 312-399

Part 5: Photographs Numbers: 7-9, 40-98, 400-418

Sam Rafel Film 1937

Mervin Wruble (MW) identified many names in the photographs and added information about them when he remembered. My deepest gratitude to him for this blessed work, June 15^th, 2004

10
Chana Friedman (center) and husband Zalma Boruch (same as 310, MW).

100
Idyl Tadelis (he had 3 brothers and 2 sisters (MW).

101

102

103

104

105

106 -110
Cesia Bauman (right), the first victim from the bombs, 1939 (also 110 MW).

107

108

109

112

110
Cesia Bauman, the first victim from the bombs, 1939 (also 106) MW).

111

113
Kuczynski (cap maker) his wife Wojdeslawski and children (same as 64, 7, 75, 76, MW).

114

115

116

117
Icek Wojdeslawski, a Gombiner boy, same as #240 (MW).

118
From left to right Icchak Wisper, Siekerka, Zychlinski (see also 27, 121, 83,84, MW)

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From left to right Icchak Wisper, Siekerka, Zychlinski (see also 27,118, 83,84, MW)

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125

126
Mojsze Bauman – Cypra, 4th from right – family (also 127 & 128, MW).

127

128

129

Moshe Aron Holcman

132

134
Idyl Tadelis, same as #100, father was a rabbi (MW).

135
Idyl Tadelis, same as #100, father was a rabbi (MW).

137

138

140

141

142

143

144

145

147

154

155

156

157

158

159

162

164

The Grand Synagogue of Gombin, 1710- Destroyed by the Germans on Yom Kipur 1939

165
The left side of the Grand Synagogue (MW).

167

169

A poor house in Gombin

171