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Elimelech Gutwin

Polish Independence brought with it a wave of pogroms and anti-Jewish riots that forced many Jews to leave their homes, especially in rural areas. Elimelech Gutwin or as he was called “ uncle Elimelech” was no exception and forced to leave his residence in Omshitz village near Targowice.He lived there for thirty years and left for Jaslo where he started everything anew.

He was a wise and careful man that explained to everybody his opinions. He was happy with his lot and expressed it in his talks. As a Hassidic follower of the Rabbi Of Dzikow, he visited the Rabbi frequently in order to be inspired. He always used to preface his sayings by the expression: In the name of the Rabbi that gave him the opportunity to repeat or introduce something that he heard the Rabbi state. Of course, this enabled him also to describe the customs and ways of the rabbi.

He opened an inn in the Targowice with his arrival to Jaslo. The atmosphere of the place was very homey. His wife Towa, a modest and observant woman gave birth to four sons and four daughters. All the children received a traditional education. The oldest son Awraham left Jaslo for the USA prior to WWI. He enlisted in the Jewish legion and fought in Palestine in WWI. With the end of the war he returned to the USA. The second son Shmuel Leib, very likeable person, settled in Zmigrod following his marriage. The third son, Eliezer, left Jaslo and settled in Germany, later he moved to Palestine and settled in Haifa where he was a member of the “Shahar” cooperative. The youngest son, Nathan, run a tailor workshop. The oldest daughter was married to Gedalia Lefelholtz, a student at the study enter of Dukla. The second daughter, Tzirel, settled in Krakow following her marriage. The third daughter married Eliezer Gisser. The fourth daughter, Nechi, owned a workshop for underwear.

Moshe Nathan Gutwin

He headed the Hassidic group in the city. He was the son of reb Asher Gad Gutwin of Korczyna near Krosno who was the son of the Hassid Yaakow Itzhak. He was very familiar with the Talmud and Talmudic literature.

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Yaakow Yitzhak had five sons; Zeew was the oldest and was the ritual slaughterer for Trzicina. Gad Eliyahu who claimed to have had 'contact with Eliyahu', Aaron the preacher of Korczyna Yehiel Michael of Sandz also called Mechel the white one on account of the white long beard. The fifth was the above named Elimelech. (One daughter Channah Liba was married to Pinhas Dim in Krakow a scholar and a Hassid of Belz. The second one Sarah was married to Naphtali Hertz of Frysztak)

Gad Asher the father of Moshe Nathan was known for his honesty and correctness. He was always involved in communal affairs and was the collector for the fund of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness charity organization. He held this position for life. As a sign of respect and affection he was nicknamed reb Gdali. He expressed the highest form of charity and devotion to social causes. He fasted on Mondays and Thursdays and never ate before midday.

According to his story, the prophet Eliyahu came to him in a dream and offered him a bag of gold coins so that he will be able to concentrate in his studies without the need to worry about an income. However GadAsher refused to accept insisting that he can only accept money that he earned himself. He reached a very ripe old age and on the holiest day of the year in 1938 standing on the bima platform where the torah is read, after reciting the “ “neila “ prayer, he set his arm on the table and then rested his head on the arm and thus passed away.

His wife Sarah was modest and noble. She was one of the pious women in the city. She was the daughter of Nathan Rozner who was killed in Hungary by robbers while on a wine business trip. He was still a young merchant. He was descendant of Rabbi Eliezer Lippa, the father of the saints Rabbi Elimelech of Lejansk and Rabbi Zishe of Honipoli. Prior to the marriage, she paid a visit to the Sandzer Rabbi, Rabbi Chaim. He stood up and walked towards her. He tended her a gold coin as befits “Doron Drisha” an important person in Israel.

He was called in the city, Moshe Gitche's on behalf of his wife's name Gitche. She was an excellent business woman. He hardly spoke and let his wife manage the finances. He was a friend of Rabbi Mandil and prayed at the study center.

He had a shop in the market and was considered well to do. He had four daughters; Esther, Reisil, Leah, and Tzirel. They were all raised in the traditional way. The youngest son was named Dudel,

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The first daughter married Yaakow Shturech from Gorlice. The second daughter married Itzhak Sheingut from Sandz. And the third daughter married M. Shendorf from Krenica. The husband of the fourth daughter is unknown to us. Who did not envy Moshe Nathan as he walked with his son in laws dressed with “Shtreimelech and silk capotes” to the synagogue on Saturdays and Holidays. This was a pure delight watching the group walking. The Germans took care of this for they were all killed. Gitche was killed on the way to the cemetery for she could not keep pace with the column.She fell to the ground covered with blood.

Ben Tzion Hacohen, Gutwirt

His name alone gives the party some deserved credit for he was the symbol of dedication to study, self deprivation to the end degree, and a great deal of naïveté in the positive sense. All these contradictory elements managed to coexist within this personality. All these descriptions fitted him and he could have served as a role model for each of these characteristics.

He studied in various Yeshivas especially in Unsdorf in Hungary. He concentrated on his studies until he married. He was considered an exceptional student and was also a good looking fellow.

On reaching Jaslo following his marriage, he was assigned a seat near the western wall downstairs in the study center. He prayed standing facing the wall. He prayed with great dedication and concentration as though he committed many sins.

He was a first rate Talmudic scholar and continued his studies day and night. The father in law, Elimelech Bikowsky provided all the expenses.

Throughout life he regretted the fact that he was supported by others namely his in laws. When his first son was born he stated that he would like to support himself. Indeed, he started to produce paper bags for various stores and also sold wrapping paper. The business did not last long for he had difficulty concentrating on business matters and the ethics involved in commerce. He changed jobs and began to teach at the Talmud torah the older students.

He lived at the house of Rachel Margolies near the study center.

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S. Gottlieb, doctor.

He was a well known attorney. He was a serious personality in the city and was a devoted Zionist that contributed to Zionist causes. He represented legally the firm “Gartenberg at Shreier”. He had a son and a daughter that received an academic education. He lived on Koscuiszko Street.

Zalman Gottlieb

He was a well mannered person and extremely polite. He came from Eastern Galicia and settled in Jaslo in the twenties following his marriage to the Rosentzweig widow, daughter of Wolf Eintziger. They made a nice living from their grocery store in the market square.

Yehoshua Gottfreund

He was the brother of Chaim Gotfreund. He left London where he resided for a number of years to return to Jaslo. He was an insurance agent for chemical Laundromats, the owner of a soda kiosk at the corner of Skola and Kosciuszko Streets, and was also a matchmaker. He barely made a living from all these occupations.

Chaim Gottfreund

He was the son in law of Liebe Citronenbaum. He opened a pub in moving to Jaslo. The pub was located in A. Goldstein's house. He was the leading figure of the local followers of the Rabbi of Bobowa. He assumed a position of Hassidic leader and tried to teach everybody about Hassidism and everything else. Still he was a pleasant person and managed to get along with everybody. He was a steady member of the daily group that studied a page of the Talmud and prayed at the study center of the Rabbi. He also liked to conduct services. He had sons that were raised in the traditional Hassidic manner.

Nathan Gewirtz

He was a Hebrew teacher that taught young children the rudiments of Hebrew prayers. He was deeply immersed in Hebrew literature and insisted on adhering to Hebrew grammar. He also stressed the need to enounce the Hebrew words when praying before the congregation. He showed

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everybody the codex book that stressed that the leader of the services must pronounce the words correctly and stress the rhythm of the sentence and the words. This was a problem since few people were familiar with Hebrew phonetics.

With Polish independence, he left in the twenties Jaslo for the USA where his sons had established their residence years ago, namely prior to WWI.

Asher (Shamesh) Gold

He was the first beadle of the great study center. He had three sons and six daughters. His oldest son was a fine Talmudic student and later studied with Rabbi Shlomo of Bobow. One of his son in laws lives in Tel Aviv.

Leibish Goldblat

He was the son in law of Ephraim Brick. He was a moderate person with a fine head on his shoulders. He was a refined and kind torah person. He was considered to be a leading merchant of Jaslo. He lived all his life in his own house near the Ulaszowice Bridge and his timber warehouse.

He had six daughters that received a general education. One of his daughters managed to survive and reach Palestine

Chaim Goldblat

He was a brother of Leibish Goldblat. He lived in Siobniow

Adolph Goldner

In the twenties he returned to Jaslo and opened an elegant store. The store was located in Dr. Willush's house on Kosciuszko Street. The store catered to the latest fashions.

He was a modern person and dedicated to his business. He was very successful and built up the store where he received the well to do clients.

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Itzhak Meir Goldfaden

This was a Hassidic family that could serve as an example of a fine religious family in Jaslo. He was a very religious Jew and followed the precepts of the rabbi of Bobow. His entire household followed his example. The children received a religious Hassidic education and dressed in the rabbinical garb in imitation of the rabbinical children. He prayed with other Hassidim of Bobow at the study center of Rabbi Mandil and was a close follower of the latter.

He lived in his private house on Nowa Street and had a fine income. Only one son named Nachman managed to survive the war and reach Palestine. Five sons and a daughter perished in the shoa.

Michael Goldfluss

He was an influential person in the city. He was an old Zionist and considered one of the richest men in town. He owned a flour mill near the railway station where he employed a number of Jewish workers.

Elimelech Goldstein

He was one of the people that established the pattern of Jewish behavior in the city of Jaslo. He was born in Dembice to a Hassidic family of well to do standing. He received a good religious education but also managed to acquire contemporary manners since he dealt with estate owners, princes and feudal lords. With time he became very wealthy and purchased all the land along the Wisloka River near the Ulaszowica Bridge. He also purchased the house that he lived in opposite the district court house of Jaslo. He continued to amass real estate and opened a private bank. He dealt in real estate on a large scale. He also found time to study and to devote time to the communal affairs. He was active in building the study center and later the synagogue where he became a beadle. He was also elected to the municipality and to the community board.

While presiding as beadle of the synagogue, he managed to antagonize a good part of the worshippers when he decided to distribute the “kaphot” on Simhat Torah amongst the poor worshippers.

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On Saturdays and holidays he wore a wide shtreimel sobol and in the winter he wore an expensive silk fur hat. He had four sons and three daughters. One son left Jaslo for Venezuela prior to WWI where he worked for an oil company. The second son Yossef worked with his father. He was an early Zionist and had a fine education.

Benyamin Goldstein

He was the oldest son of Elimelech Goldstein. He was familiar with religious literature. He was well mannered and presentable. He was a Zionist in his youth and became the leader of them in Jaslo. He was also elected to the kehilla board on the Zionist ticket and later also served as the head of the Jewish community.

Until 1914 he wore a shtreimel and silk traditional clothing. He dealt with real estate and forests. He was partner to wood mill and exported timber. The children received a traditional education and continued their studies.

Wolf Goldschlag

He was one of the partners of the oil distillery “Gertenberg and Shreier. He was a modern person and actually managed the refinery until WWII.

One of his sons fell with the Polish Legion during WWI. His second son, Ludwig managed to escape to Australia where he was sick and died.

Maurice Goldschlag

He worked as a salesman for the refinery and with the outbreak of WWII; he managed to reach Lemebrg where the Germans killed him

Tzwi Goldschmidt

He was a tall erect man with a black beard. He was very active in the “Yad Harutzim” Association. He headed the organization for many years. He was the son in law of Mordechai (a very observant and pious Jew that descending to the mikvah fell and several days later passed away).

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Following the destruction of the synagogue of the “Yad Harutzim” association by the Russians during WWI, he was the driving force in rebuilding the place. Indeed the synagogue was rebuilt and he took care of all the details.

I remember how he dragged wood and coal during the harsh winter of 1928 to provide the necessary heat for the synagogue. He was overjoyed when he saw new faces in the synagogue during these bitter cold days.

He was a partner of a small plant to produce brooms and made a nice income. He had two sons and three daughters. His oldest son, Israel was killed in 1921 in Budapest during the Bela Kuhn revolution.

The second son, Moshe headed the “ Shomer Hatzair” organization in Jaslo. He later left as pioneer for Palestine and eventually settled in el Aviv. The oldest daughter Esther is in the USA and is very active in the field of social work. She is also active in the Jaslo landesmanshaft in New York. The second daughter married was married to Benyamin Denner in Jaslo.

Mendel Gorgel

He was a simple and quiet Jew. He was the son in law of Nute Maltz. He conducted business and was also a partner in a soap factory. He lived all his life in the house of Feiwil Klinman in the market square.

He died relatively young following a prolonged disease and left a widow and children. His oldest son Yerucham started to work and the second son Shamai was finishing dental school. He later left in the twenties for the USA.

Elazar Guzik

He lived all his life along the Kowalowy road and was a merchant. He was known as a kind and modest person and kept the Jewish traditions along the orthodox manner. He came on Saturdays to the study center of the rabbi,

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He had several sons that received a traditional upbringing. Some of his sons left Jaslo for the USA in the twenties following Polish Independence. His wife was tragically killed by a car. His daughter was married to Nathan Rosenzweig and they both reached the shores of the land of Israel where they settled in kibbutz Dan.

Wolf Gintzig

His was one of the families that left Gorlice during WWI and remained in Jaslo. He was a very religious Jew and was well acquainted with the Talmud. He was a modest and quiet person. He was one of the first to join the Beit Ha'midrash of the Rabbi and was a devotee of Rabbi Mandil. Each day he prayed at the Beit Ha'midrash.

He lived in the house of Berish Altman on Kosciuszko Street and was a merchant. His sons received a religious education. The younger children were members of the Mizrahi Hatzair movement- or youth movement of the Mizrahi movement.

P. Gisser

He was a modest person. He was a tailor and lived all his life at the Targowica. He was drafted to the Austrian Army during WW1and following his discharge became ill. The sickness progressed and caused is death. He left a wife and son named Eliezer. The financial situation in the house was very poor but with time, Eliezer started to help out by working and the situation improved. They opened a business of clothing and things picked up. Eliezer was a member of the young mizrahi movement and was very active.

Leibish Glassman

He owned a carpentry shop along Tzickiego Street near the public garden. He was a religious person but tended to follow the modern trend of life. He was active in the Yad Harutzim movement. He was involved in the life of the community and was very active prior to elections. He defended the interests of the Jewish population. He gave charity generously to individuals and organizations. He lived in a simple apartment and was content with the simple life.

I. Glassman

He lived for years in Koblow and was busy trading. Lately he left the place.

Shimshon Glazer

Very few people in Jaslo knew his true name, he was known as Shimshon-la Hebrew teacher. He was one of the old elementary teachers in Jaslo. Hundreds of mall children passed through his classroom in spite f the fact that he had a speech impediment that prevented him from speaking clearly. Still he taught the alphabet and punctuation and stressed Hebrew phonics. His problems were known and still he was a very good teacher. He traveled every year to the Carlsbad spa to recuperate mentally and physically from the strain.

He lived most of his lie on Chajnochy in a wooden barrack opposite the Talmud torah. In the thirties he moved to a private house that he bought on Iglena Street. He began to write a torah scroll and finished writing it on the eve of Hoshana Rabba in 1933. The same evening he was escorted to the study center under a canopy with chants.

P. Glicher

He was originally from Korczyna and settled in Jaslo in the twenties following his marriage to the widow of Shmuel Stillman. He was a modern person but kept distance from people and was practically unknown.

Yehoshua Geller

He was an enlightened person. He was the accountant for the timber saw mill firm of Sh.Z. Wistrich. His children received a general education and continued their studies.

His daughter Adzia worked in the pharmacy Pod Gwizdon on Kosciuszko Street and she was considerate a beautiful girl. One day she suddenly took ill and passed away a few weeks after she became engaged to be married. The event shook the community especially the people that knew her. Her family suffered greatly since they could not accept the bitter fate that was dealt them.

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Shlomo Geminder

He was one of the active members of Yad Harutzim, Bikur Holim and other social organizations. He was one of the first Zionists in the city. He was the owner of the broom factory that was very successful. Many years he lived in the house of Eliezer Brenner near the Ulaszowice Bridge and later moved to the house of Elimelech Krisher on Asnika Street. His oldest daughter married a yeshiva student named Rachmil from Tarnow. They later left for Palestine and settled in Tel Aviv. Lately they opened a delicatessen store. The second daughter married Leibish Raab and they lived in Tarnow. Following WWII, their son Arieh managed to reach Israel and works for the electric company (his granddaughter Shoshana Rachmil is a famous singer in Israel)

Baruch Ganger

He was one of the elderly Hassidim of Bobow. He was born in Bobow and visited the house of Rabbi Shlomele and remained loyal to the dynasty of Bobow. His sons followed in his footsteps and did not budge from the main line.

He was known to enjoy comedy and interlaced jokes in his conversations. In the worst moments of his life he would interject some joke or comical comment that would end the sadness and self pity of the moment.

Most of his life he lived in the house of Feiwil Klinman in the market square. He had a shop and sold merchandise. He died suddenly in his elder years and left two sons; one lived in Jaslo and the second one in Piwniczna near Krenica. He also had two daughters; one lived in Berlin and the second one married Eliezer Bransdorfer that resided some time in Jaslo and then moved to Milowka where he was accepted a s ritual slaughterer ( the son of the above named married Bronka Ingber from Jaslo and they live in Tel Aviv).

Yehoshua Ganger

He was the son of Baruch Ganger. He was a serious minded individual with set ideas. He was a tall person and had distinguished features. He sold manufactured items in the square market near the municipality. He loved to dress in the manner of the rich people but avoided public

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recognition. He observed Jewish religious laws and raised his children in his footsteps. Like his father, he too was a follower of Bobow. He was a steady member of the study center of the Rabbi and a loyal supporter.

He had two sons; Yehezkel and Yossef. The latter one was a member of the young mizrahi movement and presently resides in the USA. He also had two daughters; the older one married a yeshiva student named Li. Kaplener. He was a strong Talmudic student and was also able to lead the congregation in services. Lately he lived in Jaslo and was involved in business. The second daughter Bronka was married to Pinhas Shtrum. During WWII she remained with a daughter and a son in Jaslo and perished in the Jaslo ghetto.

Aaron Dawid Ganz

He was one of the oldest Jewish resident in the city and owned the only Jewish fish store in town. He had a special place near the river under the Ulaszowice Bridge where he kept his fish. He kept the place until WWI. He was a pleasant person and tried to satisfy his customers.

His two sons worked as painters and one of them Naphtali left for the USA prior to WWI.

Israel Ganz

He was the son of Aaron Dawid Ganz and he was a painter. He was a member of the Yad Harutzim association and also a member of the Zionist movement. He was elected to the community board on the workshop owners ticket. Often he abandoned his business in order to tend to municipal or communal affairs or parliamentary elections. During these activities he was full of anger and fury and defended the rights of the workshop owners and workers to best of his ability.

Mordechai Getzler

He was one of the old timers and a scholar in Jaslo. The city benefited immensely by his presence and his ideas. He was born in Zmigrod and left it with the development of Jaslo. He bought a wooden barrack on Chajnochy Street that will serve him as residence for life.

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According to my memory, there was a wooden barrack that stood at the lower range of the hill between the Talmud torah and the synagogue near the house of the rabbi and the study center. Four wooden steps led from the street to the barrack. The steps were always shaky and had the impression that with each step they will give away and the person will fall into the mud.(Most of the year, Chajnochy street was covered with mud and any person that walked on it had mud on his legs that sometimes passed the ankles). For many years he rented part of the barrack as a synagogue or as a study center.

With his passing away at an old age, he left behind five sons and three daughters. Two of his sons and two of his daughters lived in the city. Dawid was the oldest and lived in Tarnow where he was an esteemed member of the community. He was one of the bigger merchants of herrings and marinated fish. He gave his sons a traditional and general education. His second son Yehoshua was educated and made a nice impression. He resided in Lemberg and was well established within the community. Wolf was the third son and lived in Tarnow. He was very active in community affairs as well as a devoted follower of the mizrahi movement. He was a paper wholesaler but gave priority to the Zionist cause and frequently left his business to tour the area in order to spread religious Zionism. His campaigns led him to fight the orthodox world and made an impression on the listeners.

He was a steady worshipper at the Sandzer kloiz- or small Sandzer synagogue in Tarnow where he led a vociferous Zionist campaign amongst the worshippers. He hoped to lead them to accept the new movement as a revelation for the Jew in exile. But he was disappointed for his efforts did not succeed and he left the kloiz.

Wolf Getzler combined the torah spirit and the general spirit. His house served as a meeting place, especially for mizrahi people. He was very friendly and in the thirties visited Palestine and considered to settle there but the plans did not fulfill themselves in time and the Germans cancelled all further plans. (While writing these lines I am informed that one educated son and a daughter survived the war and reached Palestine,)

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Yossef Getzler and Moshe and Meir Getzler

While the older children Dawid, Yehoshua and Wolf were ambitious and enterprising businessman and civic minded leaders, the younger children were the complete opposite. However they were excellent students and they received a reputation as potential scholars. Indeed they continued with their studies and acquired mastery in Talmudic scholarship; they refused public receptions but dedicated themselves to study.

Moshe Meir Getzler did not hide his Zionist sympathies in spite of the fact the he was a very pious person. He lectured on the Talmud at the young mizrahi movement center for years in the city. They lived with their parents and helped in the paper business.

Moshe Meir Getzler

He settled in the twenties in Jaslo. He was a native of Zmigrod. He was well read in Jewish and general knowledge. In spite of his modern outlook, he was a regular member of the Rabbi's minian and a steady visitor to his home.

He opened a chocolate and fruit store in Jaslo along May 3rd street. His wife tended to the store and he was busy exchanging foreign monies and discount notes. He succeeded well for he was soon considered a well to do person in the city and in the thirties he bought a section of Leib Amer's lot on Kosciuszko Street and then build a three story house on the plot.

I met him on several occasions and tried to influence him towards Zionism or rather to invest in Palestine some of his monies but to no avail. On the contrary, he tried to convince me to abandon the idea of Zionism. I remember we once walked for some time and he asked me why I hesitate to move to Palestine. He then explained to me that Jewish life goes on even in Jaslo in spite of the fact that it is part of the exile. Furthermore, life was worth living even in Jaslo. One did not have to live in Palestine to enjoy Jewish living; this goal could be achieved in exile. My reply to him was that indeed Jewish life continues in the exile but it is still part of the non- Jewish world. One never knows when the wheel will turn and the Jew will loose his footing, for our senses have not yet developed a scale for measuring rapid changes. True we study torah here but it is the torah of exile. To fulfill the commandments in accordance with the torah we must live in the holy land amongst the Jewish people. Only this environment can grant us the spiritual freedom that is needed to fulfill the command.

I do not know whether he was influenced by my points but the fact remains that he used young pioneers from Jaslo in the construction of his home in Jaslo. Apparently, he was moved by some of my points.

With the outbreak of WWII, he managed to reach Lemebrg with his family and then continued to Russia where he became ill and died. A son of his also died there. (I heard that his wife survived the war and reached Europe)

Dawid Gerber

He settled in Jaslo following Polish independence. He opened a bakery on Korlewski Street. His bread soon received an excellent name and he was a very successful. He acquired many properties.

Yaakow Grabshrift

He was an enlightened and moderate person. He worshipped at the great synagogue. He provided his children with a higher education. He was an old hand at real estate especially forested areas. He lived on the way to the railway.

Herman Grabeshrift

He was the son of Yaakow Gerbertshrift. He was a dentist. He was a Zionist from his youth and was devoted to the cause. He was a pleasant person.

Yaakow Grubtuch

He was the son in law of Mendel Kinstler and was native to the city of Tarnow. He was an engineer and served in the Austrian army during WWI as an officer. After his marriage in 12919, he settled in Jaslo and

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was active in commerce. He was a member of the Zionist movement and with the purchase of the farm in Kraiowicz, devoted to pioneer training, he became very involved in the project. With the outbreak of WWII, he and his son managed to reach Palestine. His wife died in the ghetto of Jaslo with many other Jews. His son continued his studies and then left for Australia where he has a respected position at one of the universities in Melbourne.

Mendel Gross

He was an old timer in Jaslo. He was a religious and smart Jew. He loved to express his political views on municipal matters and was keenly aware of the political situation in the country.

He had a store that sold kitchen ware and wooden furniture. His store specialized in woven baskets and suitcases. He lived all his life in his house on Korlowski Street. He had three sons and three daughters who received a general education. One of his sons finished the school of commerce and settled in Krakow. Two of his daughters reside in Israel and one in the USA.

Leib (Leon) Gross

He was the son in law Yaakow Kalb. He was a modern Jew and dealt in timber. His sons received a higher education and were members of the Zionist movement.

Ignac Gertenberg

He was one of the partners of the oil refinery named Gertenberg and Shreier” in Niglowic. With the out break of WWII he managed to reach Ankara in Turkey where he fell ill and died.

Dawid Grin

I have my doubts whether most of the Jews of Jaslo knew his name. He was known as Dawid Gorlicer since he came from Gorlice. He wasalso known by several other nicknames namely ' the star gazer”, the numerical man, and the distributor of notes for Sabbath for every eve of Sabbath he made the rounds of the city and distributed leaflets announcing the schedules of candle lighting. He was very familiar with the Jewish calendar and Jewish dates of configuration of high holidays. He remembered the memorial day of each person that passed away in Jaslo and so informed the parties in advance. He even notified people years in advance when the actual date of the Memorial Day will be in any given year according to the Jewish or Gregorian calendar. All these calculations were done instantly.

It is a pity that this mathematical wizard did not put his ability to better use for with all his knowledge about stars and astrological symbols he personally had little luck. He was always poor and depressed. An occasional drink helped soften his bitterness.

Yossef Grinfeld

The residents of Jaslo called him Yossef Dukler for he came from the shtetl of Dukla He was a follower of the Rabbi of Dukla. He gave his son a very religious education in the Bobow tradition. His son was a devoted student. Also his daughters received a traditional religious education and attended various “Bnot Yaakow” religious schools for girls that were established by the Agudath Israel.

He was a poor tailor but loved to involve himself in communal affairs in order to show off. He was a member of the 'Hevra Kadisha and other societies.

Yehoshua Grinfeld

He was the son in law of Yekil Kalb who also came from Dukla. He was well read, tall and had a yellowish sparse beard that covered his face. He leaned to the Bobower Hassidic court and visited the Rabbi on occasions. He prayed together with his father in law at the study center of Rabbi Mandil. He had a haberdashery store on Floriasnska Street

Tzwi Hersh Grinshpan

He worked together with his brother in law Moshe Fass passed the road to the sport stadium. They had a big warehouse of fertilizers that emitted terrible odors. The place was far from their residence and they were far from the city thus they were hardly known. They made nice living

Gernik family

The family lived in Pszedmishce. They left Jaslo with the outbreak of the WWI.


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Dawid, (Edmond) Domb

He was an educated and enlightened person. He came from Rymanow and worked as a cashier at Menashe Margolies' place, whose father was Adolph Margolies. He was an old time Zionist and was highly respected in the commercial milieu. The store carried a large selection of agricultural implements namely harvesters, plows, containers for building materials and was located along Kochanowski Street at the edge of Kosciuszko Street. There was also a store that sold metal products and household goods at the market.

He had three sons that were the first to join the Zionist movement in the city of Jaslo. They organized the local scout Shomer Hatzair branch in Jaslo and later devoted themselves to the organization. They finished high school and continued their studies. The oldest finished medical school and became well known doctor in Jaslo

P. Domb

He was the brother of Dawid Domb and was a tinsmith. He lived in the house of Elimelech Goldstein near the bridge. He led a simple life. Following Polish Independence, he left Jaslo with his family and headed for Belgium.

Michael. Dorsht

He was a very pious Jew and the son in law of Berish Altman. He came from Gorlice and worshipped steadily at the study center of Rabbi Mandil. He lived all his life on Florianska Street where he had a small grocery.

Lately he expanded his business and became a wholesaler. Rumors had it that he received an inheritance from overseas, apparently the

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USA. He indeed became a wealthy person. He had one son and a daughter.

Chaim, Diller

This personality influenced the life of the Jewish community for almost fifty years. He behaved in a patriarchal and respectful manner

He was born in Zatur near Krakow to a family of rabbis and the grand son of the head of the judicial council of Zatur. He started his studies in the heder as was the custom in those days, and later studied at the kloiz and at the Presburg Yeshiva.

 

jas141.jpg  Reb Chaim Diller
Reb Chaim Diller

He presented himself as an external student and received the certificate to teach Jewish studies at the high school and other governmental schools in Jaslo, The Polish government bestowed this certificate on him in 1908

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He represented a fine synthesis between Jewish and general education namely quotes from the “Maharasha”, answers from Akiva Iger and the Hatam Sofer on one hand and the poems of Kochanowski, Mickewicz, Schiller and Heine on the other hand. His knowledge and fluency were extraordinary and flowed with ease.

As a teacher in the school system, he of course prepared his work for the day but at the same time did not neglect his religious studies and one could always find on his desk Talmudic books or commentaries.

He was the head of the “Talmud Torah” until WWI and was also involved in other social organizations. With the outbreak of the war, he was drafted as a military chaplain and devoted himself to the soldiers needs. He was taken prisoner by the Russians in the attack on Przemysl.

(In his absence from Jaslo, his position was assumed by the religious teachers Hoffman and Tratkower). With the signing of a truce between Russia and Austria, the prisoners of war were exchanged and Rabbi Chaim Diller came back and assumed his previous position. He continued to teach as he did before the war.

He helped greatly the mizrahi movement in the organization of the branch. He gave lectures to the members on current events, and the Talmud. He urged the creation of Hebrew schools and was one of the first to join the “Mizrahi” synagogue.

Suddenly, Rabbi Chaim Diller passed away. He suffered a heart attack on the night of Purim in 1932. Almost the entire Jewish population escorted the funerary cortège to pay their final respect to the man. He was carried to the “Mizrahi” synagogue where he laid in state for a while, no eulogies due to the holiday. But one close sympathizer, Yossef Frumowicz, could not restrain himself since he was emotionally affected by the tragedy, burst out by making a very touchy statement namely; “Look and see if there is a pain that is more painful to the one that we just received”. The emotional outburst affected all those present at the funereal.

He left a wife, three daughters and a son. They all received a general education and continued their studies. One daughter left for Palestine as a pioneer in the thirties and lives in Hertzlia, Another daughter escaped the ghetto and managed to survive. She presently teaches at women

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teacher seminary in Tel Aviv. The son Israel works with the Jewish Agency as an engineer. The youngest daughter lives next to Ramat Itzhak.

Eisik, Ditenfas

He was one of the great Talmudic scholars in Jaslo. He really understood the religious texts. He was a religious extremist and was involved in charity work but foremost he was the speaker of the most extreme religious followers. He was one of the heads of the “Agudath Israel” and a founding member of the local branch in Jaslo. He conducted for years the daily lectures for the members of the synagogue. He was a member of the community board representing the religious voters and was an official of the Hevra Kadisha and other organizations.

He was a closed friend of the Rabbi and a regular worshipper at his study center. He lived in Kornfeld and Amer's house along Kazimierz Street where he had a small grocery store. He did not have sons but adopted Yaakow Gorgal.

Moshe, Dam

He was a very nice and decent person. He lived in the Targowice and had a butcher store that provided him with a nice income. Prior to WWI he fell ill and never recovered. He died and left a wife and two sons; Nathan Awraham and Yehoshua. Both sons continued their religious studies at the study center. He also had four daughters. His first son in law was Meir Berger. The family dealt in geese and their oil especially in the winter. One of the daughters was very talented and drew models.

Zeew, Damask

He was a Hassid but enlightened with broad visions. He was a member of the Mizrahi and a regular worshipper at their service. He had many plans regarding settling in Palestine but they remained wishful dreams for he never implemented them.

He lived with his father in law Awraham Amer on Florianska Street. He was a partner to the soap factory. His only son was a member of the Zionist youth organization. He finished medical school and did his medical stage at the Jaslo hospital.

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Israel, Dan

He was a quiet introverted Jew. He was straight and honest in dealing with people. He tried to observe punctually all the commandments. He insisted on buying every year the honor of raising and dressing the torah after reading the section of Genesis on Shabbat at the big synagogue. He was a merchant and lived all his life in Hiclowka

Dawid, Denner

He owned a butcher store on Iglena Street. He was very religious and observant. He was also known to give charity. He was one of the first Hassidim of the Rabbi of Dukla,

He lived all his life in his own house next to the great study center. His place was surrounded with a large tract of land. A section of this plot was purchased by the Hassidim of the Dukler Rabbi and they built a home and a study center for the Rabbi on it.

Benyamin, Denner

He was the son of Benyamin Denner. In his youth, he was a member of the Poalei Tzion. He was smart and familiar with the surroundings and gave easily charity. He married Tzwi Goldstein's daughter.

He devoted himself to Yad Harutzim and was very familiar with municipal politics. He was elected to the community board by the Yad Harutzim members. He remained a member of the board until WWII when the Jewish community was destroyed

Shmuel, Der

He arrived to Jaslo with the Polish Independence. He opened a bakery and a cake place in the red house near the “Betuniarnia” not far from the Ulaszowice Bridge. But the business did not succeed and the family left for Antwerp.

Mordechai, Dranger

He was a well known personality amongst the religious and general population. He was a sympathetic individual at home with the general intelligentsia. He was very influential in Jewish life. He never forcefully imposed his views but discussed and debated in a gentle way his opinions. He was a follower of the Tchortkower Hassidic court. He gave charity and dressed impeccably as befits a scholar.

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He lived on Kosciuszko in the house of Dawid Wilchport. His haberdashery was neatly and tastily arranged. The color arrangement between of white the inside the store and the outside where the expensive latest style items were on display and the various perfumes were his specialty. He attracted a well to do clientele with fixed prices and special individual care. He was very successful.

But is man protected for ever and from everything? Can man live for ever happy in his wealth? The answer is obviously no in the case of Mordechai Drenger. He took ill in the morning and was immediately advised by the local doctors to travel to Krakow to visit medical specialists.

At that time Poland was undergoing a turmoil of pogroms and military riots that affected the mood of the population. Still the people of Jaslo were concerned about the fate of Mordechai Drenger. His situation deteriorated from day to day and the people of Jaslo became alarmed by the progression of the disease. The medical specialists gave no hope; he finally passed away and the city went into deep mourning.

He left a wife and three sons and two daughters. Elchanan was the oldest son and he left Jaslo for France where he settled in Lille. The second son Yaakow was an excellent student at the study center but decided to leave for Wilno to study general studies but later left Poland and settled in Paris, France. The third son Menashe left Jaslo for Palestine as a pioneer and settled in Haifa. The youngest daughter also left Palestine as a pioneer and also settled in Haifa. The oldest daughter died in the ghetto of Jaslo.

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