To Abba...

Once there has been a God fearing, honest and hard working Jew in the small towns of Wyszogrod and Plock. He had 13 children from two wives. 4 of his sons were famous Rabbis in their time, in Poland, in the country where there are no more Jews...
More than 200 of his direct descendents perished in the Holocaust, murdered by the Germans, and have no tomb. Abraham Iciek's own Matzeva (tombstone) in Plock was destroyed.
Let these pages, made of blood and tears, be the family's Matzeva...
Ada Holtzman August 2000.

Rabbi Yehuda Laib Zlotnik ("Judah El. Zet.") - AVIDA

The family was a dynasty of famous rabbis who practised all over Poland.
Abram Lajzer, b. (?) d. 1837, belonged to Hassidic circles in Wyszogrod, Poland and died fighting with another hassid about the supremacy of their rabbis. According to death record I found recently, Abram Lajzer's mother was Pesza nee Goldsmintz, born 1775 and died at the age of 76 (1851) in Wyszogrod. She was the mother of Abram, Icek, Ryfka, Estera and Zys Zlotnik.

Abram Jciek, (my great grandfather) was born an orphan, in Wyszogrod 1837 and was named after his late father Abram Lajzer. I obtained through the Mormons LDS microfilms his marriage certificate in 1855, to his first wife: Nekha née Walfisz. 4 children were born from this marriage.

Abram Icek later married Hana Nekha née Lisser from Plock and had 9 children born from his second wife. Hana is my great grandmother. She was born in Plock in 1842 to Israel Baruch Lisser and wife Itta née  Gawron.
Abram Icek died in 1889 in Plock and Szmuel Zlotnik, the youngest son, was born in the same year, an orphan. Hana Nekha, his widow, continued to run the family's oil business and raised the children by herself. She died in Plock in 1905. Only one picture remained of Hana Nekha's matzeva in Plock, (tombstone was  destroyed during Holocaust), with two of her sons, Lajzer Zlotnik and Szmuel Zlotnik with wife Bilha.

• The four sons from the first wife, Nekha née Walfisz were:

Rabbi Yona Mordechai Zlotnik - The Rabbi of Plock, was born in Wyszogrod in 1857 and died at Plock in 1922.
He was the rabbi of Szrensk and of Zakroczym from 1890.
In 1909 he replaced rabbi Yecheskel Lipszytz of  Plock, and served as the rabbi of Plock until his death in 1922.

 
Yona Mordechai Zlotnik  married Hinda nee Eibeszyc from Zakroczym near Modlin. Hinda cherished a hand written prayer book in Hebrew, signed by the famous Rabbi Jonathan Eibeszyc (1690-1764), instructing the family to keep the book and pass it from father to son. The parchment disappeared in WWII. They had 4 children: Ruchama, the eldest, Abraham ("Mumek"), Israel "Lulek" or "Srulek", and Nekha the youngest.
Both mother Hinda and daughter Nekha perished in the Holocaust. Last heard from the Warsaw ghetto.

Israel "Lulek" lived in Scotland and was a distinguished scientist in the field of veterinary medicine. He recently died, December 1999. He had two children: Joana Marcia and Joseph who made alya .to Israel on 1993.

Ruchama married Mordechai Snir (Kushnir) in Palestine, who was among the central pillars of the Labor Mo`vement in its early stage.
He was a gifted writer. Their daughter Yona, named after Rabbi Yona Mordechai, a highly qualified botanist researcher, internationally recognized who introduced in Israel new plants species. She died of cancer when only 48. The other daughter, Ruti Yanai, is married with two daughters and live in Petach Tikva, a retired literature teacher.

Abraham ("Mumek"), a brilliant chemist himself, immigrated to Mexico and died relatively young, around 1965. He left 6 children from his marriage to Aurora E'spinoza: Hania, Hinda, Alberto, Nekha, Aurora and the youngest one: Yona. We have recently, with great joy, located and connected to Albert and the family.

A Prayer of the Killed -Bronislaw Linke - the picture which Mumek Zlotnik of Mexico kept and cherished all his life.

Rabbi Meir Zlotnik - HaY"D, the rabbi of Glowaczow who maarried Bala. Meir Zlotnik was born in Wyszogrod 1863, and became the rabbi in the estate of Blass, known as "The Jewish paritz" (landowner). He later practised as a rabbi in the small town of Glowaczow near Radom. He married a woman from the Khassidic family from Warka, a descendant of rabbi Yeszayahu Berlin-Pick (1725-1799). In the Holocaust he was transported to Ghetto Kazienice near Radom. In Succoth 1942, during the day of the liquidation of the ghetto, he covered himself with Talit and Tfilin and refused to be transported. He cried out: "Better death than this life!" and was shot to death by the damn Nazis. He is buried, together with other 40 martyrs, in a mass grave in Kazienice. His wife, and son Abraham were murdered in Treblinka the very same day.

Rabbi Meir's son: Szaja Zlotnik, was born in 1893, and was a rabbi in Radom. He was a Zionist, very active in "Hamizrachi" in Radom. He wrote many books about Yiddish folklore, Talmudist issues and researches in Judaism and Jewish History. Szaja was always considered in the family as "Ha'ilui" - "the Genius" with a most brilliant future. Szaja was married to Alta Weinreb and perished in an akzia in Purim in Szydlowiecz Ghetto. He had 7 children, most of them perished. He survived by Sonnia Pasternak from America USA and Bracha Tinter of blessed memory from Israel.

Kalman Zlotnik - 1860 - 1928.
Kalman who was born in Wyszogrod, died and is buried in the cemetery of Warsaw. He married Maryem nee' Lasman who died in 1934.

Kalman had a large farm near the town of Glowno, near Lodz.
He had 7 sons and I don't know all of his descandants.
One son, Zvi immigrated to Israel and changed name to "PAZ". There was no contact with him or his descendants, unfortunately.

Another son, Yaacov Zlotnik lived in Wolclawek. We recently learned that Yaacov was married to Brejtsztejn and had a little boy born. Both his wife and child perished in the Holocaust. He was an agricultural engineer by profession. Yaacov run to Russia during WWII, and in the last letter received from him in 1946, he only asked about the whereabouts of the family. He disappeared, leaving no traces.

Another son was Szmuel Zlotnik whose daughter Nekha (Natka) Honigstock survived the Holocaust. Natka  is still alive, in Israel. By pure chance she is the widow of Szmuel Honigstock, my mother's first cousin(...).

Another son was Dawid Zlotnik who married someone from Kutno and had two children: Mira and Kuba. They persihed in the Holocaust.

Another son was Szymon Zlotnik who perished with his family in the Holocaust. His daughter Chana (Halina) was a child survivor and we recently met, to our great joy.

Simcha , 1862 - ? I just obtained his birth certificate in Wyszogrod. Nothing is known to us about him.

• The information about 8 out of the 9 children from the second wife, Hana Nekha née Lisser, from Plock:

Wolf , (1874-1880) died in the age of 6 years only in Plock. I located his death certificate, the Mormons LDS microfilm Plock-733679 akt 34.

Yehuda Laib Zlotnik, (1887-1962) started as a rabbi in Gombin Poland and was among the founders of the Zionist movement "Hamizrachi" in Poland. He later moved to Canada and South Africa, serving devotefully the Zionist Federation. He later changed name to "AVIDA".

He came to Israel and became important commentator of the book of Ecclesiastes. He wrote tens of Talmudist, Yiddish, folklore and commentary books. His pen-name was "El-Zet", (Leib Zlotnik) before he changed to Avida (only in Israel).

Yehuda Laib Zlotnik married Sara nee' Kaliszer, daughter of Abram Iciek Kaliszer and Nekha nee' Kon from Plock. They had one son: Mordechai who later became the known radio reader of Kol Israel in its preliminary stage.

One daughter: Channa, is still alive in her golden age, at the United States.

Mordechai had two sons, Uri who died recently and Dr. Ram Avida, senior scientist, who married Ruth, a judge in Beer Sheva Court of Law, and they live in Omer Israel. They have 3 sons and one daughter.

Yehuda Laib Zlotnik changed his name to "AVIDA" when he arrived to Israel and the name of the street in Jerusalem, where he had his apartment and where he wrote his last books, was changed after his death to "AVIDA Street".

Rasza Zlotnik - (1870-1937) married Eliahu Holcman and lived in Gombin. She is my grandmother. She had 10 children out of which 7 with already families of their own, murdered in the Nazi Holocaust. One daughter, Perla, died age 7, many years before the Holocaust.

Rasza's 27 sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and their little children perished in Chelmno death camp, in April 1942. They were all my uncles, aunts and cousins...

Rasza died in 1937 of throat cancer and she is buried in the blasphemed cemetery of Gombin. She already had a certificate to immigrate to Palestine, sent to her by her brother Szmuel, but in the last minute she refused, being reluctant to leave her children and grandchildren behind in the old country.

Lajzer Zlotnik, born 1881 in Plock, lived in Warsaw and perished with all his family in the Holocaust.
Lajzer Zlotnik had one daughter Chana Nekha. He owned a big oil factory near Warsaw. We know that Szmuel Zlotnik from Palestine, begged him to emigrate and start new life in Eretz Israel, but he refused due to heavy business commitments. We know that he and his family were among the first to be executed by the Germans after occupation. Chana Nekha was in Warsaw and I found her marriage record with Awigdor Bromberg. She was last seen in Warsaw ghetto.

Chana Nekha Bromberg née Zlotnik from Plock. She perished without leaving any traces.

Chaja Kowadlo, was born in 1878 in Plock, married Shlomo Dov Kowadlo in Plock and died before Holocaust in 1930. She had 5 children: Szaja, Menyek, Perla, Fella and Irka. Menyek and Irka survived the Holocaust. Chaja Zlotnik was very active in the Zionist movement in Plock in the 20s. She was a widow for many years. I recently received the picture of her tombstone in Plock, before the destruction. It is kept, together with other precious remnants of the family, by Joseph Zlotnik (son of Shmuel).

I recently (July 2000) learned that Irka (Irena) married Czerkas in Plock and moved to Israel where they both died and left no children. I have all the information about the family Czerkas from Plock, special courtesy of Morris Wirth of Baltimore who made the research in Salt Lake City for me, and I shall give it to anyone who requires that from me.

The names of family Kowadlo, murdered by the Nazis in the Shoah and commemorated in the Yizkor book of Plock:

KOWADLO Chaja
KOWADLO Abram and his family
KOWADLO Yehoszua
KOWADLO David and his family
KOWADLO Izak
KOWADLO Towa
KOWADLO Sara
KOWADLO Roza
Their memory will never be forgotten!

Szprinca Cinnamon married Israel Cinnamon in Plock who was a teacher in the town. They had one daughter Channa and one son Natek.
 

The names of family Cinnamon, perished in the Holocaust commemorated in the Yizkor book of Plock:

CINNAMON Abram Lajb
CINNAMON Miriam
CINNAMON Sima
CINNAMON Yosef
CINNAMON Ester
CINNAMON Beila
CINNAMON Sara
CINNAMON Mosze
CINNAMON Israel and the family
 

We shall never forget and never forgive!

Shmuel Zlotnik (1889-1972), immigrated to Palestine, married Bilha Simchon and had 5 children: Yossi, Abraham, Rachel, Geula and Meira. All of them live in Israel. Bilha Simchon was from a much esteemed rabbi family in Palestine, who originated from Morocco.

Szmuel Zlotnik fought together with the regiment of Trumpeldor in "gdud ha'predot". He later was active with Jabotinski's regiment in the fights in Egypt during WWI. He developed very good ties with the British authorities and used those ties later in the late 40s to spy and deliver the news about the British planned raids on bunkers and weapon other hiding places in Kibbutzim and other Hebrew settlements. He was very dedicated to his family and was one of those giant but modest "khalutzim", who struggled to erect the new State of Israel in its old homeland, Eretz Israel.

He traveled to Poland in 1936, visited all the family all over Poland, tried hard to convince Lajzer Zlotnik to emigrate but did not manage. He also achieved the certificate for immigration to Palestine to my grandmother Rasza, but she preferred in the end to stay behind. Szmuel later opened his house and heart to all the Zlotnik Holocaust survivors who found an open home, warmth and love. He a very modest man and is buried in the Trumpeldor cemetery in Tel Aviv.

One son immigrated to USA and changed name to Zolo when arrived to America and that his daughters and son lived in Chicago in the 50's. the name of uncle Zolo is forgotten. In 1952 he was already dead. The daughters were Evelyn and Henryette and the name of the son is not remembered.

From a private research I run in Plock, August 2000, I learned that the uncle name was: Israel Baruch Zlotnik. All his family information is found and will be added to this page soon. (27.8.2000).

Searching: (Questions asked in October 1997 - I got part of the answers by now, (August 2008)

• Who was the Zlotnik who changed name to Zolo and raised a branch in America, totally unknown to us? (answer: Israel Baruch, immigrated to the States - no connecion with his descendants. AH).
• Who is the  other son or daughter of Channa Nekha and Abram Iciek Zlotnik? (Found out about Symcha Zlotnik, the missing son of Nekha Walfisz & Abram Iciek Zlotnik.
• Who were the children of Kalman Zlotnik from Glowno? (answer: 7 sons, more information will be available soon- AH).
• Where is Irena née Kowadlo, sister of Menyek? Is she still alive? She was last seen at her brother's funeral in Tel Aviv, sometimes in the late 80s, and was alone, with no children. (Answer: Itta - Irenka z"l, was found in the dead registry book of the Israeli Interior Office. She was married to Czerkas of Plock, and left no children. AH).
• Who knows Szaja Kowadlo, a "khazan" - cantor - in Australia in the early 70s, who might be also Menyek Kowadlo brother Szaja. (Answer: he was probably only a cousin. Our Szaja perished in the Holocaust. Daf Ed exists in his memory at Yad Vashem - AH).
• Menyek Kowadlo lost his first wife and children in the Holocaust. Who were they? He later married Miriam, also an Holocaust survivor from Lwow but both had no children. Anyone can tell anything about Miriam? Who was Menyek's second wife? (I'v found Miriam's  testimony  of her Holocaust years in Yad Vashem. AH)
• Who was "PAZ Zwi" in Israel and where are his children. (Answer is in process, as found cousin Hana (Halinka), a niece, AH).
• Who were the children of Szprina and Israel Cinnamon (a teacher in Plock), and are there still Cinnamon descendants from Plock any where in the world?
• What was the tragic fate of Hinda and Nekha Zlotnik in Ghetto Warsaw?
• What were the circumstances of the disappearance of Yaacov Zlotnik in USSR after the war?
• Are there any descendants of Lisser from Plock in the world? (Answer: there is a descendant in Florida - private correspondence, AH).
• Are there any descendants of Walfisz from Wyszogrod in the world?
   

***

List of Holocaust survivors, with the name ZLOTNIK, published in Pinkas Hanitzolim with the names of the towns where they registered themselves after the Holocaust.

1) ZLOTNIKA Estera, Pabianice
2) ZLOTNIKA Hadasa, Warszawa
3) ZLOTNIKA Maria, Miedzyrzec
4) ZLOTNIK Chanka, Berg.-Belsen
5) ZLOTNIK Estera, Bedzin
6) ZLOTNIK Ewa, Lodz
7) ZLOTNIK Frania, Bedzin
8) ZLOTNIK Grynberg, Lodz
9) ZLOTNIK Izrael, Warszawa
10) ZLOTNIK Jadzia, Rychbach
11) ZLOTNIK Lejb, Miechow
12) ZLOTNIK Lejba, Warszawa
13) ZLOTNIK Lola, Lodz
14) ZLOTNIK Mery, Warszawa
15) ZLOTNIK Mira, Lodz
16) ZLOTNIK Moniek, Rychbach
17) ZLOTNIK Rachela, Warszawa
18) ZLOTNIK Ruchla, Warszawa
19) ZLOTNIK Sala, Rychbach
20) ZLOTNIK Sonia, Radom
21) ZLOTNIK Szaja, Miechow
22) ZLOTNIK Szajndla, Lublin
23) ZLOTNIK Zyndel

The whereabouts of Sonia (number 20) and Izrael (number 9) are known. I research who were all the other survivors and if belonged to our line of family ZLOTNIK. I mainly believe that the Zlotniks from Miechow were related to my family, based on the names: Lejb and Szaja.

The family originated from Wyszogrod, all descendants of Abram Iciek. May be there survived other Zlotniks from Wyszogrod? The names of family Zlotnik, murdered by the Nazis in the Shoah and commemorated in the Yizkor book of Wyszogord:

ZLOTNIK Izak Kalman
ZLOTNIK Chaja
ZLOTNIK Abram Pinkus
ZLOTNIK Szmuel Dawid
ZLOTNIK Haszke and children
ZLOTNIK Machel
ZLOTNIK Hersz Yosef
ZLOTNIK Yenkel
ZLOTNIK Efraim with wife and two children
ZLOTNIK Baruch Simcha with wife and children
ZLOTNIK Wolf, son of Meir Machil
ZLOTNIK Rywka
ZLOTNIK Szimon
ZLOTNIK Rochcze
ZLOTNIK Yankel
ZLOTNIK Kalman
ZLOTNIK Dwora
ZLOTNIK Lea
ZLOTNIK Abram with wife and 4 children
ZLOTNIK Mosze with wife and 2 children
ZLOTNIK Abram (Zindlak) with wife and children
ZLOTNIK Szimon (Zindlak) with wife and children
ZLOTNIK Wolf son of Lajbel
ZLOTNIK Chaja
ZLOTNIK Estera
ZLOTNIK Manie
ZLOTNIK Efraim
ZLOTNIK Lajbel

The Memory of the Zlotnik Martyrs and all the Other Innocent Souls Murdered for Being Born Jewish Will not be Forgotten and  Be Blessed for Eternity!

First posted in August 2000

Last updated October 8th, 2008