.
The Nesvizh Yizkor Book
(Nyasvizh, Belarus)

53°13' 26°40'

Translation of
Sefer Nieswiez

Edited by: David Shtokfish, Nieswiez Societies in Israel and the Diaspora,

Published in Tel Aviv, 1976,(H,Y, 531 pages)


Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Stephen Stein

Michael Meshenberg (emeritus)

 

This is a translation from: Sefer Nieswiez (The book of Nieswiez),
Editors: David Shtokfish, Tel Aviv, Nieswiez Societies in Israel and the Diaspora, 1976 (H,Y, 531 pages).


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.
This material may not be copied, sold or bartered without JewishGen, Inc.'s permission. Rights may be reserved by the copyright holder.


JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.


Hebrew


A. From the Recent and Distant Past – Binyamin Yoeli/Nesvizh
History of the city and Stories of the Jewish Community from the day it was founded until W.W. II (1939)   17
Dedication   17
1. Nesvizh – Where the Princess of Radzivil resides   17
2. The formation of the Jewish settlements;   19
3. The public and economic live of the Jewish community in the 16th and 17th centuries;   20
4. The Jews of Nesvizh in the 18th century;   21
5. Nesvizh under Russian rule from 1793 after the second division of Poland;   24
6. The Jews lives in Nesvizh in the last quarter of the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th century;   27
1. In the war years 1914-1916; 40
2. The February revolution 1917 until the German occupation in 1918; 40
3. Under German occupation 1918; 42
4. During the Soviet rule 1919; 42
5. Under the Polish rule 1919-1920; 43
6. During the short Soviet rule 1920; 45
7. Under the Polish rule 1920-1939; 45
8. The Zionist activity 49
9. Statistics of the Jews of Nesvizh in different periods 52
Remarks and references; list of abbreviations and acronyms; bibliography; list of key names 52
Name Index – History of Nesvizh 57
 
B. Way of life, Memories, and the Public life
To my town with pity M. Ben Artzi (Shteinhouse) R.I.P. 59
The Kuzymir Synagogue Shalom Cholevsky 62
Nesvizh our city Ruvin Alpert R.I.P. 63
Dashuk Synagogue Gershon Gefen (Paianis) 65
In the streets of my town Noach Shkaler 68
The Nesvizh market Yael Coral (Eisenshdat) 72
Schools organizations and yeshivas Yaakov David Butzin 73
The pedagogical friend and the presidency of the “culture” chapter A. Guterman 76
“Culture” school Gershon Bergson 79
Our street Michaeli Shuk Yaakov Krunitz 81
My Town and My Family Gavriel Katz 82
My city of youth Moshe Eisenfeld 83
City in Israel (songs) Chayim Friedshtein R.I.P. 84
A Jewish City Mordechai Ze'ev Raisin 85
Synagogues in Nesvizh Kalman Yitzchaki (Iskov) 88
Going on the road Dr. Moshe - El Azar Eisenshdat 90
The “Cheder” of My Father, My Teacher, Gershon Ze'ev Damesek Shlomo Damesek 91
Chapters from the Book “There Too the Sun Shone” Shlomo Damesek 95
My visit with Prince Albert Radjiville A. Guterman 99
Tzeira Zion/Poaleh Zion Binyamin Yoeli (Yovalyosky) 101
Poalah Zion in Nesvizh Shlomo Damesic 103
“Fryheight” movement Avraham Barzin 104
Hashomer Hatzair Avraham Niv (Katznovsky) 105
Hashomer–HaTzair Struggles for Its Existence Shlomo Tzur (Velochiansky) 110
“Gordonia” Shevach Eden Eisenbud) 114
About “Gordonia” Ishai Mazin 117
 
C. The War, Holocaust, and Heroism
The first day of war Rachel Ostrinsky 121
During the Soviet rule September 1939; expectations;sequences; against Kitrug; the youngsters underground; refugees Shalom Cholavsky 121
The Soviet rule in Nesvizh in the years 1939-1941 Yitzchak Alperovich 125
The Holocaust echoes (songs) Ishai Mazin 127
Nesvizh That Was and Does Not Exist Anymore Gavriel Katz 128
Memories From the Days of the War Yosef Damesek 129
In the Shadow of Death Shulamit Gordon–Damesek 129
Under Seige
The school; the weapon; the demolition of ghetto Horodzai; the revolt; the forest; wandering; searches for weapons; the Kapulska Brigade; in action; connections; Stulpatzy  the battles of Staritzey and Lavi; Bauriliky actions; the Jews of Severshna;  the ambush in Zouostrovitch; the hunt; indication of splitting; not on the gun by itself; Rujani; informingthe population; again Pulsia; from the family store; Sabitzeh; within the liberation; across from my home
Shalom Holavsky 133
Drops of consolatoryin the cup of sorrows ("Hatzofeh") 163
Berl Alferovitch R.I.P Yitzchak Alferovitch 164
In Gershon Farfel's Home Gershon Gefen 165
Curtain of bloodshed went down on the Nesvizh community Avraham Barazin 166
Why did werebel Shalom Chulavsky 167
 
D. People
From his autobiography Shlomo Maimon 171
Our house in Burnadinska Street: Rabbi Moshe Paiyanas and his life history; Ferralle the treasurer; Yitzchak Moltzadsky;  My mother Elizabeta Avramovana Gershon Gefen (Paiyanas) 174
The Rabbis of Nesvizh, Famous People, and Nesvizh Natives Moshe Tzinovitz 190
Some of Our Personalities Shalom Cholavsky 198
They were three Gershon Gefen(Peiyanas) 206
The last Generation Binyamin Yoeli (Yovalyosky) 211
The Jews of “holidays” and high holidays Gershon Gefen (Peiyanas) 213
Binyamin Eisenbod ShevachEden 218
Cantors- Synagogue Leaders-Public Emissaries and others who like to chant and pray Gershon Gefen (Peiyanas) 221
The Rabbi and the Judge/or the hen without Gall Binyamin Yoeli (Yovalyosky) 229
Rabbi Darkuzimar Yoseph Moshe and Yisrael Burgansky 229
Rabbi Dov Bar Halpern R.I.P. YaakovDavid Butzin 231
The history of an ancient Jewish family Naftali Herzog 231
My family Nisan Torov 234
From our people Tzvi Kaplan 235
The Judge Rabbi Yitzchak Davidovsky Gershon Gefen (Peiyanas) 236
People Shlomo Damesek 240
Elishevah Eshkol; my friend Ben Artzi Levy Ben Amitai 247
Ben Artzi in his youth Binyamin Yoeli 247
Avinovitzky Fivish: A person in his body Uri Kaysari 248
The string that is twisted three times will not tear soon A. Guterman 249
Rabbi Avraham Puchovsky A. Guterman 252
Simcha Chayim Vilkomitz Tidhar 254
Moshe the Butcher - protector of the weak Kalman Iskov Yischaky 254
The characteristics of Yerachmiel Shkalar Feivel Millstein 254
Two people Yehuda Arieh Lavine 255
This is how a human lives and dies P. Hielprin 255
Rabbi Nachum Tzechanuvich's family Yehuda Alperovich 256
Naftali Hayutin and Rabbi Shlomo Lavine Yaakov David Butzin 257
My friend Nachmiel Vinkler A. Guterman 257
The teacher Shaul Friedstein A. Guterman 258
 
E. To the Memory of the Absent
To the Memory of Yehoshua Puchovsky Ze'ev Gach–Ornan 259
Reb Shmuel Yosef Butzin, May His Memory Be for a Blessing Y. Vallach 259
Yosef Barzin, May His Memory Be for a Blessing Avraham Lisod 260
Four Personalities Yehudah Alperovich 261
To the Blessed Memory of Gershon Lemesh Yehudah Alperovich 262
Pesach Kubel, May His Memory Be for a Blessing Buma Katznovsky (Avraham Niv) 262
You Were Like a Father to Us Gershon Gefen 263
Akiva Barzilai and The Story of His Life Shmuel Eisenstadt 264
Batya Wallach, May Her Memory Be for a Blessing Chedva Lachovitsky 266
Itzik In “Gadna” Camp 266
Captain Yitzchak Katz, May His Memory Be for a Blessing Gershon Gefen 267
Reb Gershon Farfel, May His Memory Be for a Blessing Shalom Cholavsky 268
Reb Chaim Eliyahu Friedshtien Avraham Niv (Katznovsky) 268
Rafi (Refael) Katznovsky Avraham Niv (Katznovsky) 269
Yosef Tzachanovich 269
Arieh Shamushkovitz 270
Pesach Mazin 270
Chaim Maza 270
Freydl Rosovsky 271
Yosef, son of Baruch Shamushkovsky, May His Memory Be for a Blessing 271
Eliyahu, son of Getzel Farfel 271
Pesach Kubel 271
Gensia Malevsky 271
Eka Vasilovsky–Miller 272
Pesya Friedshtien 272
Avraham Tzudik 273
Shalvin, Bernard (Shalvitzki, Boruch) 273
Breina Golden, May Her Memory be for a Blessing 273
Reuven Alpert 273
Gavriel Avnieli (Epshtein), May His Memory be for a Blessing 273
Yoseph Lifshitz 274
Yoseph Shamushkovich 274
Aaron Ruzofski A. Barzin 274
Gavriel Katz 274
Zalman Shifres Binyamin Yoeli 274
 
Yiddish 277
 
1. From the Near and Distant Past
History of the city and of the Jewish community, of its interference – until the outbreak of the Second World War Binyamin Yoeli 279
The seat of Radziwill rulers 279
How the Jewish settlement formed 280
The social and economic life of the Jewish community in the 16th and 176th century 281
Jews in Nesvizh in the 18th century 282
Nesvizh under the Russian power – from the year 1793, after the second partition of Poland 283
Jewish Life in Nesvizh in the Last Quarter of the 19th Century and the Beginning of the 20th Century 285
In the years 1914 – 1916 289
From the Februuary Revolution in 1917 until the German occupation 1918 290
Under the Soviet rulers – 1919 291
Under Polish Rule (1919–1920) 292
Under the brief Soviet rule (1920) 293
Independent Poland (1920–1939) 293
On The Threshold of This Century Noach Mishkovsky 298
Establishment of the second Jewish school in Russia 298
My socialist society work in Nesvizh 302
In the Years 1905-1906 Shimeon Damesek 304
The Diligent Ones – a description of the Nesvizher yeshiva in the year 1872 305
Documents Tell the Story 307
Hebrew kindergarten in the name of C. N. Bialik in Nesvizh 307
Regional Conference of the Tarbut teachers in Nesvizh 307
Handwritten letter 307
Cash collection for the exiled Of Germany 307
A letter from Rabbi Yoel Rozovsky 307
Printed Certificate 308
Other handwritten material 309
 
2. Styles, Memories, Social Life
Jewish society life in the 30s Yitzchak Alperovich 313
Institutions of Learning and Philanthropic and Cultural Institutions Shlomo Farfel 319
A Full Blooded Jewish Life Yitzchak Shachor (Itshe Charny) 324
Pictures and memories of Nesvizh Moshe Aizenbud 327
My father used to tell… Moshe Aisenbud 329
The gardener cooperative Zev (Velvel) Breslov 337
The Children's organization “Skif” M Aizenbud 338
Of the Nesvizher Jewish manner Moshe Blachinsky 340
Memories of the old life Binyamin Yoeli 343
This all belongs to the past Rachel Yasinafsky 347
Inside Nesvizh 348
Memories of a Bundishn father Shimon Netzov 351
During the First World War and After Yehuda Leker 352
In Those Days Shlomo Damesek 353
The Shtetl Snov Chaim Yelin 357
 
3. In Wartime, In The Ghetto, In The Forest
September 17 1939 Moshe Blachinsky 361
Under Soviet Rule in the Years 1939–1941 Moshe Aizenbud 362
On the Threshold of Destruction Y. Alperovitz 370
The Testament of the Martyrs Moshe Lachovitzky 372
Memories of the Ghetto and the Forest David Farfel 389
Bondage, resistance, death Yishai Mazin 412
A Glorious Chapter of Jewish Resistance Yitzchak Alperovich 427
Falsehood and Truth About Jews and Jewish Resistance in Nesvizh Mordechai W. Bernstein z”l 430
In the Ghetto and With Partisans in the Volozhiner Forests Moshe Damesek 433
My Experience During the Hitlerist Occupation Yehudis Mirsky–Damesek 440
Jews Made A Resistance Laizer Katzovich 444
Story of a Fighting Prisoner and Partisans Dov Berezin 445
 
4. Figures
The Gaon of Nesvizh Dr. A. Koralnik 451
The Engraver Hershko Leibowicz from Nesvizh (1700-1770) Yosef Sandel 453
Leibowicz Hersh (Herszek) 456
Undzer Foter Shomer Miriam Shomer-Cunzer 456
Falk Heylperin [Halperin] B. Tsh. 459
Lipowski Nakhum Y. Kh. 460
Beker Yosef 461
My Grandfather Falk Falk Halperin 461
Rebbe Meirke Falk Halperin 463
The Poresh Shlomo Damesek 467
Moshe Eliezer Eizenstadt 468
Dr. Moshe Eliezer Eizenstadt 468
Lazar Fogelman M.Sh. 469
Elihu-Yisroel Radunsky 470
Akiva Baksht M. Eisenbud 470
Benyamin Graubart 470
Mikhal Czarni, of blessed memory Yitzhak Alperovich 470
Jews from My Home City Yakov Andrusier 471
From Our Way (Rav Moshe Tsitsis; the Letter–Writer; Yasche the Doctor King; King Ramaz the Nihilist; the Single–Daughter Genius) 473
My Family 475
Abba the Chasid and Other Nesvizher Jews 476
Yankel the Blacksmith 479
Shlomo Lansky (1914–1942) 480
Motte Ber Zatorensky 480
The Two Spirits (Basha and Perla) 481
The Unknown Singer (Syomka Farfel) 484
Kashmirantses 485
Conspirators 488
Shalom Shapiro z”l 490
Rav Aharon Levin the Shoichet z”l 490
The Death of my Father 491
My Sessions With Yoel Razowitzky 492
Name and Address 492
The Names and Nicknames as I Remember Them 493
Nicknames and the Family Names 494
 
5. Index – Eternal Pages
Necrology 501
Memorial Scroll 506
 
6. Sons of Nesvizh in Israel and the Diaspora
From Irgun Veterans from Nesvizh in Israel Avraham Berezin 509
About the Activity of the Nesvizher Landsmanshaft in Israel Avraham Berezin 510
A Little Story of the Nesvizher Compatriots in America Velvel Belmont 511
 
7. Reserve
On Wings of Memories Nachum Krasnoslisky 519
“Nesvizh Group” in Rechnovot Tzipporah Bat–Ami 521
Sayings of the People of Nesvizh 522
Memorial Plates – Remembrance of the Shoah and Warning to the Future Children of our Nation B. Yoeli 522
To Their Memory  
Rav Yosef–Ber Soloveichik 523
Beile–Henya Angilovitz 523
Pesach Berezin z”l 523
 
Fallen Soldiers, Children of Those from Nesvizh – To Their Memory
Dani (Daniel) Berkovitz 524
Yoav Yakir 525
Mordechai (Moti) Madin (Medvitzky) 525
About the Old Nesvizh Shalom Balavsky 527
Shlomo Maimon – the Greatest Jewish Philosopher 529
The Ninth Account – The Bloody Day For The Nesvizher Jews Moshe Lachovitzky 530
 
Name Index–Hebrew and Yiddish Sections
Subject Index

 


 Yizkor Book Project    JewishGen Home Page     Nesvizh, at Kehilalinks


Yizkor Book Director, Lance Ackerfeld
Emerita Yizkor Book Project Manager, Joyce Field
Contact person for this translation Stephen Stein
This web page created by Elliott Terman

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 10 Aug 2021 by LA