Memorial book of Suvalk

Memorial Book of Suvalk
(Suwałki, Poland)

54°06' / 22°56'

Translation of
Yisker Bukh Suvalk

Editor: Berl Kagan

Published in New York, 1961

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Our sincere appreciation to Arthur S. Leonard, President,
Independent Suwalk & Vicinity Benevolent Association for permission
to put this material on the JewishGen web site.

We wish to thank Larry Freund for his considerable efforts
and assistance in obtaining scans of the originally typed translation.

This is a translation of: Yisker Bukh Suvalk (Memorial book of Suvalk),
Editor: Berl Kagan, New York, The Suvalk and Vicinity Relief Committee of New York, 1961 (Y, E 825 cols)

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Suwalki (1961)

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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Translated by Ite Doktorski

Preface 7-8

A.    The First Hundred Years

The first hundred years of Suvalk and surroundings – Berl Cohen^*

   1. How old is Suvalk? 11-19

   2. History of the Jewish settlement 19-29

   3. The economic situation 29-39

   4. Jews in agricultural settlements 39-46

   5. Emigration from Suvalk 46-60

   6. Education and culture (haskalah) 60-76

   7. Love of Zion (Hibbat Zion) 77-98

   8. Jewish Labor movement 98-102

   9. Institutions, societies, & community leaders 102-122

   10. Rabbis 123-196

   11. Writers 197-218

   12. Publishers 219-232

   13. Pioneers of the Yiddish & Hebrew press 232-238

   14. Press correspondents 239-240

   15. Cantors 240-243

   16. Artists 243-244

   17. Folksongs of the Suvalk region 244-250

   18. Jews and Christians once upon a time 250-251

   19. Episodes and odd occurrences 251-252

   20. Subscribers to books 252-266

   21. Bibliography 267-280

From an old diary – Eliezer Mordehai Altschuler 280-286

B.     Before and between the two World Wars

The last 40 years – Yekhezkel Berlzon 291-316

A city of active social involvement – Shmuel David Bernshteyn 315-324

In the years of World War I – A.M. Altschuler 323-328

The progrom in Suvalk in 1914 327-332

Germans in the talmud–torah – Eliezer Aronowski 333-336

After World War I – Shloime Stutsinski 337-340

The period of the Lithuanian occupation – M. Shlomi–Fridman 340-342

The pogrom in 1936 – Mordekhay Zlotnitski-Zahavi 343-344

Episodes from my youth – Shmuel Sinanski-Siman 345-346

The shtetl of Ratsk – Avraham Moshe Kliman 347-348

The shtetl of Punsk – Leib Shperling, Albert Kirsh 348-350

My shtetl Baklerove – Shlomo Borowski 349-352

The shtetl Filipove – Mordekhay Pivovarski, Moshe Oshinski 351-354

C.   Institutions, Societies, Parties

Suwalk – a nest of Torah – Moshe Raziel (Rozntal) 359-362

Suwalk, city of compromise – Shmuel Shori (Shvarts) 363-366

The torah–youth in Suvalk – Rabbi Yehoash Zawoznitski 365-372

The revolution years – Haim Zeligson 371-380

Suvalk institutions – Yakov Arieh Trop 379-386

Hadarim and schools – Caleb Khanowitch 387-388

Lovers of Zion in our city – Haim Zeligson 387-390

Poalei Zion in Suvalk – Leybl Hen 391-400

Zionist activities – Gedaliah Simhoni 399-403

Reminiscences of Suwalk Jews – Hannah Altshuler 403-406

Beitar – Shlomoh Riman 405-407

Suwalk “Toz” – Eliezer Sherer 407-411

Makabi – Shlomo Riman 411-420

D.    Characters

Benjamin & Mordehai Magentza – Rabbi Aharon Magentza 425-430

Portraits of scholars, community leaders, and benefactors – Rabbi Yehoash Zavoznitski 431-474

Haim Mendl Fridman – Rabbi Ahron Reuven Tsharni 473-476

Barukh Roznberg – Eliezer Perlshteyn 477-480

My family – Moshe Shlomi–Fridman 481-485

Mordekhay Shpindlman – Eliezer Perlshtyen 485-488

Hayim Koyfman – Yehudah Leyb Blekhman 487-490

Avraham Shemuel Lizshevski 489-492

Aharon Sinenski – Hava Glatshtein 491-492

Once there was… – L. Shimoni 493-504

Melamdim (Teachers) – Moshe Shelomi–Fridman 503-506

Features and episodes – Yehoshua Bachrach 505-510

Rabbi Mordehai Tzvi Halevi Waisman – A. Suvalker 509-512

Suvalk characters – Reuben Boiarski 511-514

Odd events in Suvalk – Ben Israel 513-518

The secret saint (tzaddik) – Rabbi Avraham Magentza 517-518

Suvalk nicknames – Zalman David Rozenblum 519-524

E.     People from Suvalk in the wide world

Suvalk Relief Committee – Haim Zeligson 531-566

The first people from Suvalk in New York – Haim Zeligson 567-580

Suwalk Landsmanshaft in Israel – Avraham Koyfman 579-580

F.     Holocaust

Destruction of Suwalk – Yehezkel Berlzan 595-628

On the bloody road – Hanah Levitan-Ribald 629-632

Suwalk Jews in the Slonim Ghetto – Dr. Katriel Aylender 633-636

In the Camps of Estonia – Dr. Aharon Kreshkovski (Ker) 635-636

With Jews from Suwalk in the Death Camps – Yaakov Fraymark 637-638

Perished in Lithuania – Avraham Leyb Vays 639-640

From Arkhangelsk and Back – Shlomo Gutman 639-642

Suvalk in 1957 – Hana Altschuler 643-649

Destruction of Ratzk – Mordekhay Mishel 649-650

Suwalk is No More – Kalman Abramavits 651-654

Photographs of victims from Suwalk and environs 655-672

On the fresh grave of friend, Lazar Pearlstein – Hayim Seligson 673-674

* * *

Mourning announcements 675-788

Index 789-820

TOC of the English section 821-826

* Berl Kagan, editor of the Suwalki yizker bukh, also wrote some articles under the Hebrew name, Berl Cohen

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Preface	7-8

A. The First Hundred Years

The first hundred years of Suvalk and surroundings – Berl Cohen^*
1. How old is Suvalk?	11-19
2. History of the Jewish settlement	19-29
3. The economic situation	29-39
4. Jews in agricultural settlements	39-46
5. Emigration from Suvalk	46-60
6. Education and culture (haskalah)	60-76
7. Love of Zion (Hibbat Zion)	77-98
8. Jewish Labor movement	98-102
9. Institutions, societies, & community leaders	102-122
10. Rabbis	123-196
11. Writers	197-218
12. Publishers	219-232
13. Pioneers of the Yiddish & Hebrew press	232-238
14. Press correspondents	239-240
15. Cantors	240-243
16. Artists	243-244
17. Folksongs of the Suvalk region	244-250
18. Jews and Christians once upon a time	250-251
19. Episodes and odd occurrences	251-252
20. Subscribers to books	252-266
21. Bibliography	267-280
From an old diary – Eliezer Mordehai Altschuler	280-286

B. Before and between the two World Wars

The last 40 years – Yekhezkel Berlzon	291-316
A city of active social involvement – Shmuel David Bernshteyn	315-324
In the years of World War I – A.M. Altschuler	323-328
The progrom in Suvalk in 1914	327-332
Germans in the talmud–torah – Eliezer Aronowski	333-336
After World War I – Shloime Stutsinski	337-340
The period of the Lithuanian occupation – M. Shlomi–Fridman	340-342
The pogrom in 1936 – Mordekhay Zlotnitski-Zahavi	343-344
Episodes from my youth – Shmuel Sinanski-Siman	345-346
The shtetl of Ratsk – Avraham Moshe Kliman	347-348
The shtetl of Punsk – Leib Shperling, Albert Kirsh	348-350
My shtetl Baklerove – Shlomo Borowski	349-352
The shtetl Filipove – Mordekhay Pivovarski, Moshe Oshinski	351-354

C. Institutions, Societies, Parties

Suwalk – a nest of Torah – Moshe Raziel (Rozntal)	359-362
Suwalk, city of compromise – Shmuel Shori (Shvarts)	363-366
The torah–youth in Suvalk – Rabbi Yehoash Zawoznitski	365-372
The revolution years – Haim Zeligson	371-380
Suvalk institutions – Yakov Arieh Trop	379-386
Hadarim and schools – Caleb Khanowitch	387-388
Lovers of Zion in our city – Haim Zeligson	387-390
Poalei Zion in Suvalk – Leybl Hen	391-400
Zionist activities – Gedaliah Simhoni	399-403
Reminiscences of Suwalk Jews – Hannah Altshuler	403-406
Beitar – Shlomoh Riman	405-407
Suwalk “Toz” – Eliezer Sherer	407-411
Makabi – Shlomo Riman	411-420

D. Characters

Benjamin & Mordehai Magentza – Rabbi Aharon Magentza	425-430
Portraits of scholars, community leaders, and benefactors – Rabbi Yehoash Zavoznitski	431-474
Haim Mendl Fridman – Rabbi Ahron Reuven Tsharni	473-476
Barukh Roznberg – Eliezer Perlshteyn	477-480
My family – Moshe Shlomi–Fridman	481-485
Mordekhay Shpindlman – Eliezer Perlshtyen	485-488
Hayim Koyfman – Yehudah Leyb Blekhman	487-490
Avraham Shemuel Lizshevski	489-492
Aharon Sinenski – Hava Glatshtein	491-492
Once there was… – L. Shimoni	493-504
Melamdim (Teachers) – Moshe Shelomi–Fridman	503-506
Features and episodes – Yehoshua Bachrach	505-510
Rabbi Mordehai Tzvi Halevi Waisman – A. Suvalker	509-512
Suvalk characters – Reuben Boiarski	511-514
Odd events in Suvalk – Ben Israel	513-518
The secret saint (tzaddik) – Rabbi Avraham Magentza	517-518
Suvalk nicknames – Zalman David Rozenblum	519-524

E. People from Suvalk in the wide world

Suvalk Relief Committee – Haim Zeligson	531-566
The first people from Suvalk in New York – Haim Zeligson	567-580
Suwalk Landsmanshaft in Israel – Avraham Koyfman	579-580

F. Holocaust

Destruction of Suwalk – Yehezkel Berlzan	595-628
On the bloody road – Hanah Levitan-Ribald	629-632
Suwalk Jews in the Slonim Ghetto – Dr. Katriel Aylender	633-636
In the Camps of Estonia – Dr. Aharon Kreshkovski (Ker)	635-636
With Jews from Suwalk in the Death Camps – Yaakov Fraymark	637-638
Perished in Lithuania – Avraham Leyb Vays	639-640
From Arkhangelsk and Back – Shlomo Gutman	639-642
Suvalk in 1957 – Hana Altschuler	643-649
Destruction of Ratzk – Mordekhay Mishel	649-650
Suwalk is No More – Kalman Abramavits	651-654
Photographs of victims from Suwalk and environs	655-672
On the fresh grave of friend, Lazar Pearlstein – Hayim Seligson	673-674

*** * ***

Mourning announcements	675-788
Index	789-820
TOC of the English section	821-826

* Berl Kagan, editor of the Suwalki yizker bukh, also wrote some articles under the Hebrew name, Berl Cohen