Kozienice, Poland [incl. Garbatke]

Memorial Book of Kozienice
(Kozienice, Poland)

51°35' / 21°34'

[Including Garbatke 51°29' / 21°38']

Translation of Sefer Zikaron le-Kehilat Kosznitz

Edited by:
Baruch Kaplinski, Zelig Berman, Mordekhai Donnerstein, Ratze Wasserman, Tzvi Madanes,
Levi Mandel, Elimelekh Feigenbaum, Leibel Fishstein, David Kestenberg

Published in Tel Aviv, 1969; New York, 1985

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Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Phyllis Goldberg z"l

This is a translation from: Sefer Zikaron le-Kehilat Koshnitz
(The book of Kozienice; The birth and the destruction of a Jewish community);
Editor: Baruch Kaplinski, Tel Aviv – New York, The Kozienice Organization, 1985 (English, 677 pages),
and the Former Residents of Kozhnitz in Israel, 1969 (Hebrew and Yiddish, 516 pages).

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fulfilling our mission of disseminating information about the Holocaust and destroyed Jewish communities.
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Kozienice: Kozienice is in the Radom district, almost four miles from Vistula, surrounded by forests, water, villages, and towns such as Zwolen, Gniewaszow, Magneszew, Mniszow, Ricziwol, Garbatke, and other smaller Jewish settlements. In the early 19th century, the Kozienicer Rebbe Yisroel Hopstein was one of the pioneers of Hasidism in Poland. In 1856, there were 2,885 people in Kozienice (1,961 Jews), and in 1897, there were 6,882 people (3,700 Jews). Before World War II, about 15,000 souls lived in this region. The Jewish community lived there for about 400 years. The two main industries there were tourism (pilgrims visiting the Maggid's tomb) and shoe manufacturing.

Garbatke: At the outbreak of W.W.II, Garbatke had about 100 Jewish families and it is described as follows: "12 kilometers from Kozienice, surrounded by a forest, was to be found Garbatke… Administratively, Garbatke was attached to Kozienice, where they would pay taxes, and use the courts. Garbatke did not have its own Rabbi. The Jews of Garbatke were tied to the Jewish Community of Gnievashov, and from there they would get their birth documents. Their dead were buried in Kozienice of Gnievashov."

A message to the second generation of the Survivors	Sam Goldstein	IV
In Place of an Introduction	Baruch Kaplinski, Tel-Aviv	V
As a native of Warsaw, I Adopted Kozienice as my second home	Sabina Weinstock Goldstein	VII
Acknowledgement		IX
The Martyrs – A Poem	Sabina Weinstock Goldstein	X

NECROLOGY
List of Martyrs From Kozienice Killed in the Holocaust		XI - XXXII
List of Martyrs From Kozienice Deported or Killed in France		XIII - XXXVI

SECTION I - Old Kozienice
Towards a History of the Jews in Kozienice	Dr. Nakhman Blumenthal, Jerusalem	1
An Evil Wind Has Torn Up the Root	Yissokor Lederman	30
The City of Kozienice 1895	A. Weber	31
Jews in Kozienice	Kazimierz Mruz	33
What do Encyclopedias Write About Kozienice	[5 in Polish after 33 but numbered]	50 – 54

SECTION II – Hasidim In Kozienice
From the History of the House of Kozienice	Rabbi Abraham Isaac Brumberg	34
Rabbi Israel Becomes Preacher of Righteousness in Kozienice	Tzvi Meir Rabinowitz	50
The Heads of the House of Kozienice		64
The Music of the House of Kozienice	M. Sh. Geshuri	65
Learning from the Sages of Israel	Rabbi David Halakhami	92
The Maggid Aided the Aliya of Hasidim	Z. M. Rabinowitz	96
The Maggid of Kozienice and His Way of Khasidus	Aaron Zeitlin	98
The Maggid Argues Things Out With the Lord	Menashe Unger	102
The Maggid's Rebbi'im and Friends	Rabbi Dr. Meir Schwartzman	110
Tales of the Hasidim of Kozienice	Z. M. Rabinowitz	112
The Paidyom Melody	Dr. Sh. Z. Cahana	118
The Heritage of the Dynasty of Kozienice	Yissokor Lederman	120
The Rebetzin Perele Davens in a Tallis	Menashe Unger	130
In Memory of the Kozienicer Rebbe Still Greater in Death Reb Arele	Yitzhok Gochnarg	143
Our Dear Brother, Rav Yisroel-Elazar Hopstein	Khave Shapiro, Kfar Hasidim	147
Rav Yisroel-Eliezer Hopstein	Naphtali Kirshenbaum	149
The Baking of Matzah-Shmure at the House of the Kozienicer Rebbe	Khave Shapira	151
The Slaughterer is Obliged to Support the Butchers Widow	Z. M. Rabinowitz	154
In the Court of the Maggid of Kozienice	Malke Shapiro	156
In Memory of My Sister, Khane Golda Hopstein	Malke Shapiro	162
We have Gone Up to the Land of Israel	Shalom Shapiro	164
The Toyre of Khaim the Porter	Henekh Kohn	165
Kozienice Elects A Rabbi	Nekhe Katz-Goldberg, Holon	168
Kozienice Bes-Medreshniks	Yaakov Epstein, Montreal	170

SECTION 3 - Parties and Institutions
The Zionist Organization to 1933	Zvi Madanes, Tel-Aviv	173
Hazhomer Ha-tzair in Kozienice	Yaakov Lahat, Ein Ha-Mifratz	176
Brazil Betar in Kozienice	Ephraim Horowitz	180
Ozrot Haaretz in Kozienice	Khave Shapiro, Kfar Hasidim	182
The First two Khaluzim Make Aliyah	Elimelekh Feigenbaum, Ramat-Gan	186
The Shul and The Bes-Medresh	Yissokhor Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	193
Orthodox Kozienice	Shmuel Reisman	199
I Have No Grandfather	Bilha Rochman	204
The Jewish Folkspartel	Yissokhor Lederman, Rio de Janiero	205
The Trade Union Movement in Kozienice	Yerakhmiel Sirota, Paris	207
The Trade Union in Kozienice	Yissokhor Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	215
The Story of a Red Flag	Yissokhor Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	217
Warsaw The Labour Movement in Kozienice	Avrum Tenenbaum	219
The Communist Party in Kozienice	Yerachmiel Sirota, Paris	222
The Bund in Kozienice	Yissokhor Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	223
The Bund in Kozienice	Leibele Fishtein, Ramat-Gan	224
Economic Life in Kozienice	Yissokhor Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	226
Only Ashes are Left of My Town	Shmelke Speigelman	229
Jewish Livelihood in Kozienice	Itche Blatman, Paris	230
The Jewish Artizan in Kozienice	Yissokhor Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	238
These with Fiddle and These with Trumpet	Khave Shapiro, Kfar Hasidim	242
The Embroiderers of Kozienice	Sara Mindel Kestenberg, Haifa	244
Bikkur Khoylim and Linas Ha-tzedek, Help For the Sick	Yissokhor Lederman	246
The Linas Ha-Tzedek Society in Kozienice	Moishe Rochman, Pardes Khana	248
The Free Loan Society in Kozienice	Khaim Meir Saltzberg, Toronto	250
The Khevra Kadisha in Kozienice	Yisokhor Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	252
Beth Yam The Sports Society in Kozienice	Zelig Berman	253

SECTION 4 Rabbis Community Figures and Simple People
The Tzadikim and Rabbis of Kozienice	Rabbi Avraham Abba Zuckerman, Haifa	256
My Father Rabbi Yoysef Yehuda Mintzberg	Tova Mandel, Tel-Aviv	259
How Great The Calamity	Tzvi Madanes	262
Rabbi Ben Tzion Freilakh	Leibele Fishtein, Tel-Aviv	263
The Doctor of the Poor	Itche Blatman, Paris	281
New York The Great Tree That Fell Over	Rabbi Yitzchok Freilakh	282
The Household of R'Elimelech Freilich	Zvi Madanes, Tel-Aviv	293
Pinchas Freilich, May The Lord Avenge His Blood	Yaakov Leib Eisemman, Bogota	296
My Father Pinchas Frielich	Cesia Freilich-Luxemburg, Stockholm	297
From the Depths of Forgetfulness	Malka Shapiro, Jerusalem	299
Jews Who Built Kozienice	Issachar Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	302
ParisBy the River – A Poem	Chaim Dimant	305
A Memorial to My Many - Branched Family	Elimelech Feigenbaum, Ramat-Gan	306
Chaim Berman, The Community Leader	Issachar Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	309
Chaim Berman,The Community Leader and Folkist	Levi Resnick, Bogota	311
The Korman and Speigel Families	Feige Gunik, Kiriat Chaim	321
Chaim Yehiel Bornstein, The Writer	Issachar Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	322
Issachar Lederman 70 Years Old	Dr. M. Nisker, Rio de Janeiro	323
My Mother Devorah Blotman of Blessed Memory	Itshe Blotman, Paris	325
Kozienice Personalities and Figures	Issachar Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	327
Our Father R'Moshe Goldtsweig of Blessed Memory	Nechama Goldteweig-Mendelewitch and Gittel Goldtseweig-Stavski	340
Don't Forget – A Poem	Meir Zalzman, Montreal	341
I Can Find No Answer	Shmuel Reisman, New York	342
A Few Personalities and Figures	Elimelech Feigenbaum, Ramat-Gan	344
Yekl Ring, the Matchmaker	Issachar Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	346
Yechiel Eliezer Zaltzberg, The Communist Activist		349
The Writer, Yitzhak Weinberg		349
The Teacher, Shlomo Tabachnik	Zvi-Madanes, Tel-Aviv	350
The Business Man R'Itzhak Milgrom of Blessed Memory	Yaakov Leibush Eisenman, Bogota	351
The Lifestyle of Tovah Berman of Blessed Memory		352
In Heder By Baruch The Teacher	Ber Zilberberg, Tel-Aviv	354
Reuben Rozenboim, The Barber Surgeon	Shaindl Baron	356
My Mothers Candle Lighting	Ber Zilberberg, Tel-Aviv	358
Jewish Barber Surgeons in Kozienice	Issachar Lederman, Rio	361
In Memory of Missing Parents and Brothers	Yitzhak Maydan, Kiriat Chaim	362
A Story of of A Stingy Man	Issachar Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	363
The Rise and Death of Chana Rechtant	Feiga Gunik	365
My Brother Meir Shalom Tennenboim	Esther Midan-Tennenboim, Kiriat Chaim	366
In Memory of the Yona Tzemach Family of Blessed Memory	Malka Tzemach, Tel-Aviv	367
These, I Remember Fondly	Chava Shapiro, Kfar-Hasidim	369
This is not the Year of Redemption	Malka Shapiro	372
These Are My Family Members in Kozienice	Rosa Greenberg, Natania	373
Leibush Pesach a Happy Folk Type	Leibele Fishtein, Ramat-Gan	375
Where are the Gorgeous Souls	Abraham Tenenbaum, Warsaw	377
Searched For and Finally Found – A Poem	Chaim Dimant, Paris	381
These Are the Kind of Jews That Lived in Kozienice	Itche Blatman	382
Types and Curiosities of Kozienice	Yerachmiel-Sirota, Paris	385
Chaim Yage Tells About the Kozienicer Maggid	Ber Zilberberg, Tel-Aviv	387

SECTION 5 - Memories
Kozienice in the Year 1903	Pinie Katz, Buenos Aires	389
There was a Town Kozienice – A Poem	Sarale Hirshenhorn	397
The Military Conscription in Kozienice	Yerachmiel Sirota, Paris	398
The Russian High Command Seized Our House	Khava Shapiro Kfar Hasidim	400
Kozienice, A City and Mother in Israel	Elimelekh Feigenbaum, Ramat-Gan	402
My Birthplace Kozienice	Pinchas Feigenbaum, Moscow	406
Story of a Bottle of Chometz (Not for Passover) Whisky	Yissaachar Lederman, Rio	408
Memories of Our Town	Yehiel Mandel, Paris	410
Our Cursed and Beloved Kozienice	Verachmiel Kestenberg, Tel-Aviv	415
A Bundle of Memories About Kozienice	Teme Potaznick, Paris	416
A Guest For A While	A. Zilberstein	418
Old Kozienice	K. H. Band	419
How Does the City Sit Deserted	Leibele Fishtein	422
From My Childhood Years in Kozienice	Leibele Fishtein, Ramat-Gan	423
My Fathers Will – A Poem	Shmelke Shpiegelman	430
The Hasidic Serenade	Yaakow Leibish Eisenman, Bogota	431
Some Dates in the History of Kozienice		432

THE DESTRUCTION OF KOZIENICE - HOLOCAUST
The Darkened Sky	Sidney Lipman
Who is the Kozienicer that writes about the Holocaust	Ringelblum-Archive, No. 1 Registration 846	433
Thoughts of a Survivors Child	Chana Teitelbaum (Daughter of Luba Frysz-Teitelbaum)	454
Kozienice Up Until The Selection	Zelik Berman, Bat-Yam	455
The School in the Ghetto of Kozienice	Rochama Chayut Freilich, Kvutzat Yavne	461
My Tragic Experiences	Abraham Shabason, Tel-Aviv	463
They Live With Us – A Poem	Gershon Borenstein	465
In Place of A Tombstone	Yaakov Shpiegelman	466
The Ghetto in Kozienice	Chaim Dimant, Paris	467
Forgive Me Dear Parents	Shmelke Shpiegelman, Montreal	471
And Our Life Shall Hang in Doubt Before You	Rabbi Yitzchak Freilich	475
Jews Have No Right to Live	Zelick Berman, Bat Yam	476
The Evacuation of the Kozienice Ghetto	Shabati Borenstein, Ramat-Gan	486
Yosl Lederman and Yankl Fligelman	Meir Zaltzman, Montreal	489
Frightful Days and Years	Chaim Meir Zaltzberg, Toronto	490
The Seven Degrees of Hell Passed Over Me	Yaakov Lahat (Likorman), Kibbutz Ein-Hamifratz	503
The Rabbi R'Meir Zlotnick Was	Murdered in Kozienice	520
This is how the Jews of Kozienice Perished	A. Rotkowsky	522
The Terrible Nightmare	David Goloman, Brussels	525
Rachele Pesachs Twins	Gershon Borenstein, Bnai Brak	532
We Will Never Forget It	Yerachmiel-Perlstein, Melbourne	533
This is How I Parted From Kozienice	Abraham Goldfarb	534
Our Fate Was Already Sealed	Abraham Shabason	540
Its Hell in Life	Gershon Borenstein, Bnai Brak	541
How One Brother Saved His Other Brothers Life Without Knowing It	Leo Mantelmacher in Cooperation with Max Mantelmacher	545
Surviving the War Duplicate	Zygmunt Berneman	541
Testimony of Gittel Mantelmacher Weinstock, Etta Mantelmacher – Duplicate – Gutman, and Sara (Chaisurah) Mantelmacher Milstein	Gittel Mantelmacher, Weinstock	543
Memories of My Birthplace – Duplicate	Yechiel Shabason, Israel	545
We Buried 34 Jews	Yosef Chlivner, Paris	552
Candle - Your Father Lights – A Poem	Gershon Bornshtein	555
On the Occasion of the 22 Anniversary of My Little Town	Shmelke Shpiegelman, Montreal	556
An Unusual Lady	Yechiel Shabason, Israel	559
Kozienice on the Threshold of Destruction	Leah Gelbard, Tel Aviv	563
The Wind Rocked Them Like Hanging Laundry	Leah Gelbard, Tel Aviv	566
This is The Way We Saved Ourselves	Chaya Rivka Shildkroit, Haifa	568
A Humane Deed	Leibele Fishtein, Ramat-Gan	571
How I Saved Myself	Sara Mindel Kestenberg, Haifa	575
We Envy the Dead	Reisel Greenberg (Ankerman) Netanya	578
How I was Saved During the Holocaust	Aaron Kestenberg, Tel-Aviv	582
The Germans Ordered us to Dig a Pit	Leibele Fishtein, Ramat-Gan	586
I Sit in the Forest, Lonesome, Alone – A Poem	Rivke Perelstein	587
A Preordained Thing	Mira Sobol, Melbourne	588
Blood Flowed	Gershon Borenstein, B'nai Brak	589
My Heart Dripped with Blood	Rivka Pearlstein, Haifa	591
How Tziporah Weisbord Saved Herself	Abraham Tenenbaum, Warsaw	597
My Tragic Experiences	V. Rachel Dorfman (Kestenberg) Tel Aviv	600
This Was the Way – I Was Liberated	Shalom Kohn, New York	602
Comfort and Sadness – A Poem	Avigdor Zilberknoph	604
Ach The Tragic Joy	Vreibel Fishtein, Ramat-Gan	605
Can Nature Tolerate Such a Thing? – A Poem	Avigdor Zylberknopf	607
What Fellow Townsman- of Kozienice Tell	Tzvi Madanes, Tel Aviv	608
For the Merit of My Father, May God Avenge His Blood		614
Yehuda Hoffman Survived The Camp		616
God! Is Your Judgement Just? – A Poem	Mordecai Donerstein, Ramat-Gan	617
In 1939 I Separated From My Family	Tzila Kirshenblatt	619
Know, What Amalek (Germany) Did To You	Sara Madanes, Tel Aviv	620
There Was Once a Town Garbatke	Gershon Borenstein, Bnai-Brak	621
A Small Number of Garbatkeites Remained Alive	Yitzhak Zimmerman, Jerusalem	623

NECROLOGY
God – A Poem
Martyrs of Garbatka		624
A Tear on Your Grave – A Poem	Betzalel Madanes	626
The Last Time In Kozienice	Moshe Rochman, Pardes-Hannah, Israel	628
The Exhumation of Kozienice Martyrs	Ratze Waserman, Holon	631
The Exhumation of Kozienice Martyrs	David Golomb, Holon	634
Kozienice, 26 April 1949 - Permit and Exhumation Protocol		637
Kozienice Judenrein	Levi Resnick, Bogota	639
Kozienice in 1966	Abraham Tenenbaum, Warsaw	641
Kozienice the First Saturday in May, 1926	Mosze Rochman	643
Members of Avodat Israel Go On Aliyah	Chava Shapiro, Kfar Hasidim	647
The First Steps of Kfar Hasidim	Malka Shapiro, Jerusalem	649
Avodat-Yisrael on the Banks of the Kishon	Sh. Shalom	654
Our Landsmanshaft in Israel	Tzvi Madanes, Tel Aviv	655
The Kozienicer Landsmanshaft in Paris	Yitzhak Shamis, Paris	656
Our Kozienceites in Paris	Yerachmiel Sirota	659
I Feel a Longing	Leibel Fishtein	662
Kozienice Landsmanschaft in Paris	Shalom Meltzer, Paris	663
Our Participation in the Resistance	Yerachmiel Sirota, Paris	664
Kozieniceites in New York	Shmuel Reisman	670
The Kozienitzer Landsmanschaft in Brazil	Issachar Lederman, Rio de Janeiro	672
Kozeiniceites in Belgium	Yedidya Berneman, Brussels	675

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