Slutsk and Vicinity Memorial Book
(Belarus)

53°01' / 27°33'

Translation of Pinkas Slutsk u-benoteha

Edited by: N. Chinitz, Sh. Nachmani, Yizkor Book Committee

Published in Tel-Aviv, 1962


 

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

 

Emerita Coordinator: Margot Tutun

 

Our sincere appreciation to Chaim I. Waxman for permission
to put this material on the JewishGen web site.

With grateful thanks to Stefanie Holzman for obtaining the pictures appearing in this translation project.

 

This is a translation from: Pinkas Slutsk u-benoteha (Slutsk and vicinity memorial book),
Editors: N. Chinitz, Sh. Nachmani, Tel Aviv, Yizkor-Book Committee, 1962 (H, Y, E, 450 pages).

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Slutsk


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Hebrew Section
Preface  
Heavenly Slutsk / Y. D. B. 8
On the verge of legend / Avraham Epstein 10
The City and Its Fullness / Y. D. Abramsky 11
History of the City 15
From Historical Ledgers 18
As reflected by periodicals 23
Professions and vocations / Nachum Chinitz 41
   
Movements and Factions
The “Lovers of Zion” 47
Letters (from his legacy) / Hillel Dubrow 49
Bygone Days / Dr. Meyer Waxman 54
Self Defence in Slutsk / S. Menachem 57
Three Encounters / Dr. Aaron Domnitz 58
Tzeirei Zion / Noah 59
Movements and Parties / Zvi HaGivati 61
The trial of the Zionist youth / Azriel Nekritz 67
Everything that have happened / Fayvel Efron 70
 
Institutions
Educational institutions / Nachum Chinitz 76
A Center of Torah / Rabbi Nissan Waxman 79
The Head of the Yeshiva / Rav Yosef Eliahu Henkin 85
The Eitz Chaim Yeshiva / Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Meltzer 86
The Trial of the Yeshiva / Rabbi Asher Sandomirski 89
The Modern Cheder / Samson Nachmani 91
The letters of Avraham Epstein / Abraham Epstein 93
 
Memories
Memories / Zeev Gluskin 96
My Childhood Days / Tzvi Hirsch Matlianski 101
Highlights of the life of Y.N. Simchoni 103
In the Place of Torah and Haskalah / Dr. Aharon Domnitz 105
Gleanings 106
Hillel Dubrow / Sh. N. 107
In memory of Dr. Nathan Klotz / Dr. Meir Waxman 108
Rabbi Shachna the Shamash [Sexton] / Rabbi Dr. Moshe Chiger 108
From the recent past / Dr. Moses J. Goldberg 110
Portraits / Baruch Domnitz 115
The imprisoned Hebrew teacher / Zvi Hazanowitz 119
Personalities 121
 
Hassidim in Slutsk 124
Folklore: Reb Mendele Epstein, Reb. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Reb. Jacob David Willovsky, Reb. Meyer Pehmer, Reb. Issar Zalmon Meltzer 128
Les Miserables / Baruch Domnitz 132
Native Authors of Slutsk and Vicinity: S. J. Abramowitz (Mendele Mocher Sforim), Yehuda Grozovsky, Salmon Wendroff, Jacob Kahan, Dr. J. N. Simchoni, Dr. Meyer Waxman, Dr. Feitel Lipshitz, Dr. Aaron Domnitz, Isaac Dov Berkovitz, Ephraim A. Lissitzky, Baruch Katznelson, Dr. Reuben Wallenrod 133
Rabbis and authors of rabbinics: Reb. Boruch Shklov, Reb. Eliyahu Zuta, Reb. Abraham Shevelov, Reb. Zvi Masliansky, Reb. Aaron Hyman, Reb. Israel Isserlin, Reb. Jacob of Tomashov, Rev. Isaac Zvi Brodetzky, Reb. Samuel Dov Marshak, Reb. Leib Neumark, Reb. M. B. Tomashov 138
Rabbis Born in Slutsk 140
Between Governments 141
 
The Holocaust
The Jews of Slutsk during the German Occupation / Steiman 143
Slutsk after World War II / Morris Hindus 144
From the partisan war 146
 
Slutsk in the Hebrew literature
Mendele Mocher Sforim / (Excerpt from the book “Of Bygone Days”) 147
Y.L. Gordon's letters to Maggid Reb Zvi Dainow of Slutsk 150
A. Y. Papirna – Israel Behmer 152
Excerpts from “Records” /Avraham Epstein 154
Isaac Dov Berkowitz (excerpts from his book "The First as Humans") 157
Yitzhak Katznelson in Slutsk / Y. D. Berkowitz 162
Episodes from “These Are the Generations of Adam” / Ephraim E. Lisitzky 162
Rabbi Rafael Yosel / Ephraim E. Lisitzky 167
Excerpts from his book “When there is no generation” / Reuven Valenrod 169
A Symphony of GenerationsBaruch Katznelson 170
Avraham Epstein / Y. N. Adler 171
 
In the Fight for Independence
Those who were and are no longer alive 172
Those who died in the War of Liberation 174
Those who were killed in Israel 177
   
The Vicinity of Slutsk
Urecz / Nachum Chinitz 185
Halusk / Rabbi N. Waxman 186
Hrozava / S. Alexandroni 188
Vizno / Reuven Wallenrod 193
Verkhotin / N. Ch. 195
Timkowitz / Rabbi R'Moshe Paleyev 197
A Passage from “In Those Days” / Mendele MO”S 199
Lyuban:  
    My Town That Is No More / Rachel Feigenberg 201
    Rabbi Yaakov Elya / Zalmon Epstein 204
    Rabbi Nechemya Yerushalmi / Zvi Asaf 205
    Rabbi Professor Simcha Asaf (Osovski) 207
    Memoirs / Reb Moshe Gershon Finkelstein 208
    R. Dov Ber Katznelson / Solomon Katznelson 210
    Reb Binjamin Wolfson / Zvia Ostrovsky 211
    Rabbis Who Came From Lyuban 212
    Lyuban As I Remember It / Zvi Assaf 214
    The Library of Lyuban / Joseph Kikoyon 218
    Lyubanites of my Mother's Family / Rachel Feigenberg-Omry 220
Starobin:  
     About Starobin / Eliyahu Chaim Chinitz 225
     My town / Rabbi Nissan Waxman 228
     The Three / Raphael Rivin 234
     Doubts / I. N. Adler 235
     Memories / I. N. Adler 236
     The Partisans 239
Staryye Dorogi:  
     About the town / Ch. N 240
     My town / Saul Bernstein 241
Pohost 245
Kopyl 246
Romanova:  
     Working the Land in Romanova 251
     My Town, Romanova / Dr. Aaron Domnitz 252
     The Rabbi of Romanova / Baruch Domnitz 253
 
Additions
From the newspapers / Rabbi N. Waxman 254
The Bereaved Family / Hadassah 258
Miriam Maharshak / S.B. 259
Baruch Lifshitz / C. H.. 259
The History of the Book / The Editors 260
 
Yiddish Section
Introduction – Slutsk in Eternity / I. D. B. 265
From Historic Sources – From the Jewish-Russian Encyclopedia / Brokhauz – Efron 267
Documents 269
Rabbis, Judges and shuln of Slutsk 272
Slutsk / M. L. Gorin 273
Folklore / M. L. Gorin 274
The Cold Shul and Its Courtyard / M. L. Gorin 275
My Memories of Slutsk / Eliyahu Shulman 278
Vigoda / Y. D. B 289
Crumbs of Memory / Moshe Strugatch 292
Nishke Kvasnik's Street / P. Shapiro-Mechanic 296
A fire in Slutsk / M. L. Gorin 297
 
Movements and Parties
The Zionist Movement in Slutsk / Sh. Menachem 299
The Rise and Fall of the Bund / Moshe Tulman 301
 
Personalities
Refoel Yossel / N. Chinitz 305
Portraits / M. L. Goren 308
Sextons in Slutsk / Rabbi Nissan Waxman 312
 
Torah and Wisdom
My youth in Slutsk / Yakov Patt 319
My Memory of Slutsk / Harry Lang 323
The Yevrehiskaye School / R. Berkavitch 330
Slutsk, my second home / Dr. L. Fogelman 332
Rav Yusele Peimer / Ch. A. Pehmer 336
Summer of 1919 in Slutsk / Nathan Kantrowitz 345
Khasidote in Slutsk 349
Folklore:  Reb. Israel Behmer, Reb. Mendele Epstein 352
R'Yasher-Ber as Slutsker Rav / Khaykil Lunski 353
Assistant Rabbis, Preachers / Khiam Zaydes 359
Two letters from Slutsk / Shin. Lamed. Beker 361
People's Character / Khyam Zeydes 363
Leybe the Blacksmith / Rabbi Moyshe Goldberg 366
Memories of the Old Home / Ikhorit Simval 367
 
Under Soviet Rule
Economic and spiritual decline / M. L. Goren 371
From teaching to shoemaking / N. Ch. 372
Fighters and martyrs / M. L. G. 373
Between the two World Wars 374
 
The Nazi Upheaval
Slutsk after the Destruction / Maurice Hindus 378
Under the Nazi Occupation / Yad Vashem Archives 381
Letters from the Slutsk ghetto 382
 
Writers of Slutsk and Vicinity
Writers of Slutsk and its Environs 388
Slutsk in Yiddish Literature: (Fragments from their writings):
   Mendele Moykher Sforim
   Beynish Mikhalevitsh
   Abraham Epstein
   I. D. Berkovitsh
397
J. L. Peretz in Slutsk / Nokhem Khinitsh 406
Slutskers in America / Israel Schwaidelson 409
Slutskers in America 54 Years Ago / Ch. Zaides 418
 
Slutsk Suburbia
Uretche / Nakhmen 420
Horki and its Environs / Joseph Nozick 422
Self-Defense in Hlusk / Samuel Liff 426
The Gaon Borekh-Ber Leybovitsh / Kheyn 427
Hrozowa / Sh. Frumkin 429
Sixty Years Ago / B. Epstajn (Bashe Greisukh) 432
My Father / Beinish Epstajn 433
Reb Nakhum Hrozower / Mendele Mokher Sforim 434
Hresk / M. L. G. 436
Vizna / Israel Kantor 437
Verchutin / Chanan 440
Timkowitz / Sonia Kashdan-Nachmani 441
Timkowitz / Mendele Mocher Sforim 444
Lyuban:  
    Rabbi Reb NehemiaYeruzalimsky / Hana Assaf 446
    Slaughter and Murder/ Binyomin Wolfson 448
    Lyuban in a Transitional Period 454
    A letter from Luban / Fanya 456
    Reb Hayim (Rukhover) Katzenelson 458
    Dovid Katzenelson / P.K. 458
Starobin:  
    My Town Starobin / Rabbi N. Waxman 460
    The Destruction of Starobin / Ch. Rubnitz (a partisan) 465
    Folklore / Raphael Rivin 467
Stari-Dorogoi / Khen 468
Pohost / Chaim Kuntser 469
Pohost / Miriam Marshak  472
Kapulie:  
    Kopyl 473
    Occupations in Kopyl / Mendele Mocher Sforim 473
    Kopyl / A. J. Papirna 476
    From Kapulie to Slutsk / Joseph Morgenstern 484
    Folklore 486
    Partisans 486
Romanova / Ish Yehuda Sfra 488
Shemezeve / Sonia Aizenson 490
 
Appendage Material
On the Threshold of Life / Zalman Wendroff 491
Setting Out from Romanova / Morris J. Meisel 495
My Father / Rabbi Dr. Raphael Gold 499
The Rabbi from Kapoly / Rabbi Dov Katz 500
Rabbi Zeev Gold of blessed memory / Rabbi Dov Katz 501
Chaim Kriwicki / Raphael Rivin 502
Among Our Landsleit [Compatriots] Who Contributed to the Publication of the Slutsk Chronicles / N. W. 503
The Closing of the Yizkor Book / Rabbi N. Waxman 520
In perpetual memory (Yahrzeit list of departed Landsleit) 522
Index of names and subjects 528
 
English Section
Slutsk: Its glory and its destruction / N. Waxman XI
Slutsk after World War II / Maurice Hindus XV
Early history and memories of Slutsk / Dr. Gregory Razran XVIII
A grandson's reflections on Slutsk / Rabbi Dr. Emanuel Rackman XXIII
The heritage of Slutsk / Rabbi Dr. Mordecai Waxman XXV
Acknowledgement to benefactors XXVIII
Index of names in English section XXIX

 


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