. Pruzhany, Belarus
Memorial Book of Pruz'any and its Vicinity
(Bereze, Malch, Pruzhany, Shershev, Seltz, and Lineve);
Chronicle of Six Communities
that Perished in the Holocaust.
(Pruzhany, Belarus)

52°33' / 24°28'

Translation of Pinkas Pruzhany ve-ha-seviva;
edut ve-ziharon le-kehilot she-hushmedu ba-shoa

Editor: Joseph Friedlaender, United Pruziner and Vicinity Relief Committee in NY
and Philadelphia and the Pruz'ana Landshaft Assoc. in Israel.

Published in Tel Aviv, 1983

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Diane Glazer Jacobs

 

Our sincere appreciation to Genia Hollander
for typing up the English text to facilitate its addition to this project.
 

This is a translation from: Pinkas Pruzhany ve-ha-seviva; edut ve-ziharon le-kehilot she-hushmedu ba-shoa;
Memorial book of Pruz'any and its vicinity (Bereze, Malch, Pruzhany, Shershev, Seltz, and Lineve);
Chronicle of six communities that perished in the Holocaust.
Editor: Joseph Friedlaender, Tel Aviv 1983: United Pruziner and Vicinity Relief Committee
in NY and Philadelphia and the Pruz'ana Landshaft Assoc. in Israel.

This material is made available by JewishGen, Inc. and the Yizkor Book Project for the purpose of
fulfilling our mission of disseminating information about the Holocaust and destroyed Jewish communities.
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JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material for verification.
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TOC translated by Sara Mages

 

Introduction [H&E] Yosef Friedlaender 11
Pruzana in Three Encyclopaedias [H&E]   19
The beginning of the Pinkas N. Zuckerman 22
 
A. Historical Sources    
Pinkas “Chevrah Kadisha” M. Wolansky 25
“The Book of life” N.Z. 31
Pinkas of the Kahal in Pruzana [H&E] N. Zuckerman 32
A document about the Cholera epidemic in Pruzhany G. Urinsky 38
Privileges [H&E] M. Wolansky 39
 
B. The establishment of the community and the growth of Jewish life    
The establishment of the town N. Zuckerman 43
The Name of the Town and Date of its Foundation [H&E] M. Wolansky 49
The author of “Bayit Chadash”[1] and the author Taz (Turei Zahav) [2] G. Urinsky 59
The Assembly of the “Lithuanian State Committee” in Pruzana [H&E] G. Urinsky 62
The legal status of the Jews in Pruzhany during the 17th century N. Z. 64
The regulations of “Chevrah Kadisha” N. Z. 67
The Kahal in Pruzana [H&E] G. Urinsky 72
The synagogues in Pruzhany G. Urinsky 79
Schools in Pruzhany during the second half of the 19th century N. Z. 86
Intellectuals and book lovers during the first half of the 19th century Y.P. 93
A collections of articles from Pruzhany in the Hebrew newspapers (at the end of the 19th century)   94
“In Lithuania's Borders” Yitzhak Katzenelson 103
Memories of a “Ochel Yamim”[3] A.D. Egoz 109
Social movements in Pruzhany G. Urinsky 111
 
C. The Rabbis of Pruzhany in the last generations    
HaRav Avigdor son of HaRav Shmuel   122
HaRav R' Yosef   122
HaRav Yom-Tov Lipmann Schick   123
HaRav Zev-Wolf son of Rabbi Yosef Yakov   123
HaRav Shlomo son of HaRav Avraham Mintz Moshe Zinowich 123
HaRav R' Mordechai Meidil (or Model)   124
HaRav R' Asher Zelig Margaliot   124
HaRav R' Shilm HaCohen   124
HaRav R' Shaul Zelig son of HaRav R' Meir HaCohen   125
HaRav R' Eliyahu Chaim son of HaRav Moshe Meizil   126
HaRav R' Yerucham Leib Perelman “The great from Minsk”   127
HaRav David HaLevi Faygenboum –R' Eliyahu HaLevi Feinstein   128
Picture of the title page of “Hilchot Eliyahu” by R' Eliyahu Feinstein   133
Details about HaRav R' Eliyahu Feinstein   134
HaRav R' David Faygenboum - the last rabbi of Pruzhany Dr. Anna Krakowski 135
The benevolent expression of the last rabbi Yosef Friedlaender 143
 
Rabbis natives of Pruzhany who served in other communities    
HaRav Eliyahu Nitsberg Yehezkel Goldberg 145
HaRav Yehudah-Leib Forer HaRav A.Z. Shhan 146
Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveitchik   147
 
D. Between the two World War    
The First World War and the German Occupation [H&E] G. Urinsky 149
The Pruzhany “Republic” G. Urinsky 163
The first years after the First World War G. Urinsky 171
A conversion in our city Y.P. 175
About the “Kinderhaim” (child care center) Z. Galin (Gelman) 175
A report about “Tzeirei Zion” 177
Memories Pauline Neidos (Pola Perlshtein) 178
The Jewish education during the First World War Tzvi Leiboshitz 179
The “Bund” Movement in Pruzhany Zalman Arjeovitch 180
Pruzhany in the years 1921-1931 N. Zuckerman 184
Pruzhany's folklore   206
Public Life as Reflected in the “Pruzaner Shtyme” Weekly [H&E]   221
The Zionist Movement Dov Kirzhner 227
About the Youth Movement Aharon Lifshitz 231
Memories from my youth Eliezer Israelit 232
The Zionist pioneer youth movement “Gordonia” Yosef Friedlaender 238
Memories from “HeHalutz” and “Hehalutz Hatzair” Zelig Geier 239
A call from the “Tarbut” activists to the Landshaft Association in the US   243
Zionist Celebrations Yosef Babman 246
The Jewish High-School named after A.D. Gordon Moshe Grynwald 247
Facts and numbers about the Hebrew Education   249
The establishment and development of the “Tarbut” library Zelig Pameranitz 249
Public institutions, charitable organizations and culture M.W. 251
Articles from “Hayom” [today] newspaper Efraim Lifshitz 265
Pruzhany B. Szefner 266
Focal points of Zionism in our town [H&E] Yosef Friedlaender 269
 
E. Public figure and Culture    
Gershon Urinsky S. Kazhdan 275
Yakov Ahvah (Pruzhanski)   276
Yosef Bavitash   277
Isar Goldberg 277
Dr. Olia Goldfein Alexander Rabey 278
Eliyahu Gelman Z. Glein (Gelman) 286
Moshe Grynwald (Etzion) Y.H. Blizki 289
Meir Wolansky 290
Asher Pomeranie.   291
R' Chaim Feldman Yosef Friedlaender 292
Nikolai (Nachum) Osipowitch Pruzhanski Shmuel Leib Zitron 293
Yosef (Yasel) Kleinerman Yakov Shreibman 296
Yakov Shreibman Z. Galin (Gelman) 296
 
F. Annihilation and Destruction    
During the days of the Soviets and the Germans Avraham Braski 301
Pruzhany Jewry in the Ghetto and Camps [H&E] Zalman Uriewicz 311
The story of my rescue from Pruzhany Ghetto Dr. Eliya Goldfein 332
The story of Dr. Olga Goldfein from the “Black Book”[4] 344
Pruzana in the struggle for Jewish Honor [H&E] Yosef Friedlaender 349
Memories from Pruzhany Ghetto Zawel Segel 360
The twenty four members of the Judenrat [the Jewish Council] Alexander Zakheim 366
From the bunker and from the partisans Moshe Sorid 368
The diary of a partisan Shmaryaho Elman 369
From the Ghetto and from the partisans Yosef Elman 378
Saving Hungarian Jews from death Moshe Sorid 387
German Documentation on the liquidation of the Pruzhany Ghetto in Auschwitz [H&E]   388
An escape from Auschwitz [H&E] Avraham Hershalom 390
I escaped from Auschwitz Arye Zimiski 393
Pruzhany Jews in Auschwitz Bar Mark 398
Memories from the Holocaust [H&E] Larry Korman 401
The Death March Sheraga (Fajwel) Nitzberg 406
From Pruzhany to Central Asia Y. Glezer 417
In Pruzhany after the destruction Kalman Gokman 419
Farewell my town Pruzhany (poem) Zev Parker 427
 
G. Five towns in the vicinity of Pruzhany    
 
Bereze (Kartuz Bereza)    
Bereze in the Jewish-Russian encyclopedia 431
Kartuz Bereza, chapters of history and memories Yakov Gorali (Gazsalka) 431
The Rabbis of Bereze   437
HaRav R' Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor   440
The education system in Bereze E. M. Buckstein 442
The decree on the Yiddish Elementary school in Bereze Baskeh Grievski-Koval 444
The folklore of Kartuz Bereza   445
Peretz Markish in Bereza Y. Rotenberg 447
Aharon Davis Egoz, translated the book “Chovot ha-Levavot”[5] to Yiddish   452
The Polish concentration camp in Bereza E. M. Buckstein 453
Kartuz Bereza 1939-1941 E. M. Buckstein 455
The destruction of Bereze [H&E] Moshe Tuchman 459
 
Malch    
Malch in the Jewish-Russian encyclopedia   463
The Malch Jewish community Shmuel Appelbaum 463
Rabbi Zalman-Sender Cahana-Shapira Moshe Szynowich 469
HaRav Aharon Shmuel (Tamre's) Tamrat   472
Malch between the two World Wars Shmuel Chomski 473
The destruction of Malch [H&E] Shmuel Chomski 477
 
Shershev    
Shershev in the Jewish-Russian encyclopedia   479
Our hometown Shershev Zundel Yablonovich 480
The Rabbis of Shershev   487
The history of the Hebrew School in Shershev   489
My town Shershev in the Death March [H&E] Chaim Malecki 491
 
Seltz  
Seltz in the Jewish-Russian encyclopedia   493
Historical information about Seltz   493
Seltz the cradle of the Vilna Gaon   494
The Meetings of the Lithuanian State Committee in Seltz [H&E] Mordechai Berenstein 495
Seltz for the benefit of “Vaad Hayeshivot”[6]   498
 
Linewe    
The destruction of Linewe [H&E] Berel Bluestein 499
 
H. Pruzhany and its Vicinity Landshaft Association around the world    
Pruzhany and its Vicinity Landshaft Association around the world Dov Forer 506
The first Organization of Pruzhany Jews in the US [H&E] Adina Gross 511
Branch 244 of the “Arbeter Ring ”[7] named after Max Kronstat   511
The United Pruzhany Aid Committee in the USA [H&E] Philip Kunick 513
Pruzhany Survivors in the US [H&E] Morris (Moshe) Sorid 516
Our townsmen Harold Morrow (Hershel Murkowski) [H&E] Moshe Rudnitzki 517
Pruzhany Landshaft Area Jewry in Argentina [H&E] Dov Forer 519
The Pruzhany Landshaft Association in Israel [H&E] Yitzchak Zuta 524
 
Index of names and places   529
List of photos   542
 
English
Pruzana in Three Encyclopaedias   5
Introduction Joseph Friedlaender 9
Pinkas of the Kahal in Pruzana N. Zuckerman 17
Privileges M. Wolansky 21
The Name of the Town and Date of its Foundation M. Wolansky 23
The Assembly of the “Lithuanian State Committee” in Pruzana G. Urinsky 30
The Kahal in Pruzana G. Urinsky 32
The First World War and the German Occupation G. Urinsky 36
Public Life as Reflected in the “Pruzaner Shtyme” Weekly   51
Dr. Olia Goldfein Alexander Rabey 59
Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveitchik   62
 
Bereza (Byaroza) Necrology    
Pinkas Pruzhany Index    
 
Footnotes

[H&E] - Published both in Hebrew and English

  1. “Bayit Chadash – “New-House” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoel_Sirkis Return
  2. Turei Zahav - “Rows of Gold” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_HaLevi_Segal Return
  3. “Ocheli Yamim” – “eating daily” - was a custom in Eastern Europe to support the Yeshiva students who came from other towns. Each day of the week they ate in a different house and for that reason they were called the “Ocheli Yamim” Return
  4. “The Black Book” - http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/black_book/Black_Book.html Return
  5. “Chovot ha-Levavot”- “Duties of the Heart “ Return
  6. “Vaad Hayeshivot” – Council of Yeshivot - http://findingaids.cjh.org/?pID=131222 Return
  7. “Arbeter Ring” – “The Workmen's Circle” Return

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