Suchovola
(Memorial Library of Jewish Communities)

(Suchowola, Poland)

53°25' / 23°06'

Translation of Sefer Sukhovola

Editorial board: Kh. Shteynberg, M. Vonkhotsker, Y. Levin, Y. Tsaban

Published in Jerusalem/Tel-Aviv, 1957


Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator and Translator

Peter Zinn

 

This is a translation from: Sefer Sukhovola; (Suchovola (Memorial Library of Jewish Communities),
Editorial board: Kh. Shteynberg, M. Vonkhotsker, Y. Levin, Y. Tsaban, Jerusalem/Tel-Aviv, 1957.

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


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Translated by Peter Zinn

Title By (Author) Column*
A Map of Suchawola (from Memory) Mr. Tsaban 8
Who will recount your suffering (poem) Mordekhai Temkin 9
A map of Suchowola and surroundings   9
Introduction   11
 
The face of the town    
Suchawola in recent generations
    1. The founding of the town
    2. The populace and its means of livelihood
    3. The Fair
    4. Education and Culture
    5. Communal leadership and Public life
Yerukham Levin 19
19
20
21
22
23
The Rabbis of Suchawola
    1. Rabbi Meir Yona
    2. Rabbi Avraham Einhorn
    3. Zionist Rabbis
    4. haRav haGa'on Moshe Betzalel Luria
    5. Rabbis born in Suchawola
M. Tsinovitch 25
25
27
29
29
29
Rabbi Shabbtai (Shepsel) Berlin Yosef Halperin 31
R' Shmuel ben Meir Brumer Yosef Halperin 32
Rabbi Yaakov Binyamin Ze'ev haCohen Yakimovsky M.S.Gshuri 33
The Community and its Servants
    1. R' Avrahamtchi Einhorn
    2. The dayan Rabbi Shepsel (Shabtai) Berlin
    3. Rabbi Yisrael Libnershtein
    4. Rabbi Shlomo-Tzvi Kalir Shokhtim (Ritual slaughterers)
    5. Reb Natan Bura (Nosske the Shochet)
    6. Reb Alter Mali
    7. Reb Shlomo Amsterdamsky Khazzanim and Ba'aley Tefilla
Khana Steinberg 41
43
45
45
45
46
46
46
47
 
Institutions and Movements
Our School Batya Peles (Cohen) 51
From the annals of our Library
    1. The library in the underground
    2. Activists of the library
    3. For and Against at the assembly of the library
Pnina ben Artsi (Shklar) Khana Shteinberg Gedalia Grimitchansky 59
59
61
63
The Keren Kayemet leYisrael Rivka Matz 67
Of the Activities of the Mizrahi movement in Suchawola From articles in Mizrahi movement newspapers 71
The “Tehiyya” and “haShahar” Youth Movements Khana-le 72
(The) Beitar (Youth Movement) and its members Yesha'yahu Vorushilsky 75
Members who did not merit to make Aliyah Yisrael Eshkoli (Karolinsky) 77
Amateur Theatre Khana Privolsky 83
The “Linat Tzedek” Society Eliezer Yeshurun (Zazdere) 85
The Chevra Kadisha of the Suchawola community Miriam Posfeld (Vorushilsky) 87
 
Zionism and its Realisation
The First Ones
    1. Reb Terahmiel Shteinberg - the “old man” from Motsa
    2. Michael Shteinberg
    3. Motti the Napah (Blacksmith)
Y. Tsaban Rivka Gil'ad Gedalyahu Gil'ad-Grimitchansky 95
95
99
100
Families who were the first to make Aliyah Elhanan Carmi Weinberg 101
The Khaluts (Pioneering) era in Suchawola Gedalyahu Gil'ad-Grimitchansky 103
The Khaluts in our town Mordekhai Sidransky 105
The Khaluts Organisation in Suchawola Rivka Matz, Ahuva Vennkhotsker 107
Pioneering preparation/training Rivka Matz (Vidatch) 113
In the the Pioneering era Aryeh Zazderi 115
The “Young Khaluts” Gedalyahu Poria 119
The pain of (de)parting Tzvia Donir-Veinberg 121
The joy of the Balfour Declaration in the town Gedalyahu Gil'ad–Grimtchansky 125
A letter from a teacher to his friend in the land (of Israel) (the teacher Z.Navinsky to Y.Halperin) Tsvi Novinsky 127
 
Memories and the Way of life
My Town Aryeh Shmukler 131
From my childhood Gedalyahu Gil'ad 133
The image of my town Esther Ostrov (Berelkovsky) 137
This was Suchowola Shoshana Levinsky (Shpecht) 139
My Childhood in the town Hayya Suchowolsky (Barkai) 141
My emigration to the Land of Israel Miriam Ron Sidransky 141
Difficulties Regarding Education
    1. How our mothers were educated
    2. The education of the boys
    3. “The reformed cheder”
    4. Compulsory education (Tzwangshules)
    5. Private Teachers
H. Privolsky 145
145
146
148
149
150
Market and Fair days Sarah Kaleko–Vardi 151
Impressions of Life Zvi Zalman 153
In memory of my parents Zvi Zalman 153
The divide between the “Berg” (Hill) and the “Morad” (Dale) Unknown 155
The Great Trial (di Groise Sproveh) Unkown 155
The Riots in Suchowola in 1920 Kh. Sh. 157
The Riots of the eve of Yom Kippur Hadassa Khevin – Goldberg 159
In the days of the First World War Shoshana Luninsky 160
The Great Fire of 1926 Esther Krutsel–Pazi 161
The Storm in Suchowola Shoshana Shpecht 163
Our House Esther Fazi- Krutzel 165
Hershke Krutzel (Hershke Tashmeniches) Bruria Golov - Livni 166
My Family Miriam Krutzel - Zam 169
My Family Home Isaiah Voroshilski 171
Holidays at my Family's House Hadassah Chavin Goldberg 173
A Portrait of the town Avraham Shapira 177
Stones of the wall will cry out Gedalyahu Grimtchansky–Gil'ad 179
 
Important Persons and Characters
Reb Zalman Yaffe Avraham Khefetz 187
  Yosef Tsaban 190
  M. Bori 191
Yitzchak Prybolsky Chana Steinberg–Prybolsky 191
Moshe Katz Kh. Sh. 195
Chaim Shneiderovsky Mushka Shneiderovsky-Yerushalmi 197
Bashke Shefler-Galanti Kh.Sh. 198
Reb Shmuel and Reb Isser Shlomo Berelkovsky 200
Rabbinical families Rabbi Moshe Miller and Gittel nee' Brumer Yosef Halperin 201
The annals of one family (Reb Yokhanan Rushin - Yukheke' the Engraver and his sons-in-law) Bruria Golov-Livni 203
Reb alter Mali Bruria Golov-Livni 207
Gedalyahu Stotchinsky Menakhem Zaharoni-Yerushevsky 211
The house of Shalom Motti's Chaim Stotchinsky 213
Sketches of Memory Many contributors: 215
  Sarah Yakimovsky-Hendler, Sarah Yakimosky-Hendler, Avraham Strinkovsky, Chana Fruend (Ditkovsky), Yaffa Olart-Khevin, Pessia Sokolsky-Liverant, Chayya Maik-Tikotsky, Ze'ev Binshtein 216 - 222
Grona the Midwife Tssvia Donir-Veinberg 223
Henia the Aide (helper) Batya Peles 224
 
The Shoah and Destruction
How we were saved (eyewitness report of the Zela family) Kh. Sh. 227
The Shoah Sarah Ivri-Tikotsky 233
Witness reports
    1. Mother
    2. The female “contact” in the Underground
    3. Faitshe Rvov - one of the female fighters
    4. One of the mutineers
Yehudit Poplovsky-Burshtein
Masha Fisher-Bagner
Moshe
251
251
252
255
256
 
Our Shtetl's Past
Step by Step
    1. General
    2. Schools and Study Halls
    3. Baalei Tefilos
    4. Our Teachers
    5. Jobs [Employment]
    6. Our Youth
Yankel Czerow (Detroit) 263
263
265
268
271
272
275
My Shtetl Shmuel-Eisik Frantchuz (Montreal) 277
Ther “Barg” and the “Arop” Yerukham Levin 283
The Yiddisher Youth Union of Suchawola Y. Levin 293
Suchawola in the 2nd World War Isser Smollar 295
Such was a Shtetl (poem) Shoshanna Stotchinsky-Cohen 299
     
From Place to Place Khana Pribulski – Stajnberg 301
Nostalgia Khana'le Yehudit's 347
 
Reminiscences and Descriptions
Tradition and Foolishness
    1. Rabbi Avrah'mel Einhorn
    2. My dear friendYitshak Privolsky
    3. With R' Avraham Einhorn
Perets Hirshbein 351
356
Those Close to me Babke Nissl's Barelkovsky 365
From my joyful childhood Dina Berelkovsky-Zaklokovsky 373
Suchowola Tales Chana Pribulski – Steinberg 373
1. Reb Shaime Moshe's (Gornostawski)
2. A Conversation with Reb Shmuel Yofe
3.
Avrahamel Chaim Leizer's (Liverant)
4. With Our Mothers in the Land of Israel: Bat–Sheva Shulzinger; Shushke Juchkes–Golub, Czipe Worosilski; Babki Nisel's – Barelkowski; Soroh Rochel Bori; Dena Nisel's Barelkowski–Zaklukowski
  373
374
375
376
377
In my time Ze'ev Marenberg 383
Events large and small Yaakov Tikotsky (Philadelphia) 386
This is our past Zerakh Sidransky (Mexico) 390
My Father's Gaba'ut Babke Treshtchansky (Chicago) 394
In the old home
    1. My family Elders
    2. Yehudit's Groom
    3. The „Pozsharne“ Fire Commando
    4. Fires and Firemen
Fanny Rabinovitch-Lipshitz 395
395
396
397
397
Fires and Holy Days Sarah Sokhovolski-Fargamanik 399
Matza Baking Yankel Shmulk'es 401
Preparations on Erev Peisach (the eve of Passover) Eisik Sokolsky 402
Erev Peisach Khana Privolsky 404
Our Millers Peshke Liverant-Sokolsky 405
Chaim Leizer's watermill Yekhezkel Liverant 408
A dispute for the sake of heaven Mordekhai Sidransky 409
A trip to Bialystok Sarah-Rachel Buri 411
Forced Labour (Tsvangsarbeit) Mordekhai Sidransky 412
Omfargeslekher Yohren
    1. My teachers
    2. Sabbaths
    3. “haTekhiyya” Youth Club, voting “Left”, Emigration.
Moli Driyansky 413
413
415
417
The Zsholtak Family Moshe Yanovsky 419
Tater Performance Eisik Sokolsky 421
Kiddush Levana Sima-Raizel Shpecht 423
Two Weddings Simkha Lazar 425
Sarah-Dina and her mute husband Khana Privolsky 427
My Home Ya'akov Lofshitz 429
Beautiful behaviour (midot) in the shtetl P. Y. 430
The first Khalutza (pioneer) Rivka Shkop-Gur-Aryeh 431
In my home Rivka Krutsel-Eckshtein 432
My grandfather's house Yaffa-Shapiro-Ahuvi 434
 
Events and Episodes
The first victim (the murder of Khatskel Piasker) Yosef Halpern 439
The Murder of innocents Avraham Liverant 441
My Tzorisener coat Breine Kaminsky-Tikotsky 443
Opposition Eisik Sokolsky 445
The great fire of 1926 Rakhel Perei-Abramson 446
The geshalgener Policeman Rivka Krutsel-Eckshtein 447
The violent policeman Leibel Tikotsky (Philadelphia) 448
Exchanging Blows
The Wagon-Wheel thief
An incident with the library
Breine Kaminsky-Tikotsky 451
451
453
 
Important Persons and Characters
haRav haGaon Rabbi Avraham Einhorn Yankel Tsherovo (Detroit) 459
Reb Koppel Maggid Yerucham Levin 461
Itamar Nisselkovsky Yerucham Levin 463
Daniel Shklar Khana Privolsky 467
Shmulke' the tailor Yankel Chovorovsky (Detroit) 469
A Chossid Yerucham 471
Sol Rosenblum Kh. Sh. 473
Shlomo (Solomon) Veinshtein y-n 475
Professor Oscar Yanovsky Kh. Sh. 477
Khatskel Ostrovo Kh. Sh. 479
Outstanding people
    1. Itamar Nisselkovsky
    2. Moshe Putiel
    3. Zalman Yaffe
    4. Leizer Tikotsky (Motke's)

Teachers
    1. Meir Buri (Nosskes)
    2. Isser Smoliar
    3. Yaakov Tsaban (Polominer)
    4. Moshe Vonkhotzker
    5. Khaim Shneiderovsky

Lamdanim
    1. Koppel Maggid
    2. Zalman Galanti
    3. Avraham Moshe Kharlap
    4. Hillel the Toiber (Leibling)
    5. Alter Itshes (Lazar)
    6. Blecher, the Featherman

Khazanim [Cantors]
    1. Khatzkel Krutsel (Henne Rochel's)
    2. Mordechai Yosef Krutsel
    3. Reb Natan Bori
    4. Nisel Berelkowski (Yoshe's)
    5. Reuven the Melamed [teacher]
    6. Khaikel Treszczanski (the dyer)
    7. Itche Eberstajn (Itche Motle's the carpenter)

Honorable Heads of Families
    1. Daniel Skljar (Yoikhne's)
    2. Yankel Shein'es (Yakov Sochowolski)
    3. Shlomo Rabinowycz (Iser's)
    4. Gedaliah Swarcz (Gedalia Khaim Yankel's)
    5. Melamdim [Teachers] in Suchowola:

Community Leaders
    1. Moshe'l Gupershtein
    2. Yosef and Shmuel Tsaban
    3. Sender Lazar

Simcha Lazar 481
481
482
483
483

483
483
483
484
484
486

485
485
485
486
487
488
488

487
487
488
488
489
489
490
490

489
489
490
491
491
492

491
491
491
492

Gedalia Bagner the undertaker   494
Yankel the “Dziesietnik” [Section Head] Chana Pribulski 494
The Mameh, Henne–Rochel Krutsel Khana Krutsel – Droyan 494
Eida Krutsel – Goldin Khana Steinberg 498
Sorah Miller (Karo) Ch. Sh. 499
Misfortunate characters
    1. Leibe
    2. Leibel Kamikai
Rivka Viyadatsh-Matz 501
501
502
 
The Destruction of the shtetl
Never Forget Shloim'ke Pribulski (Chicago) 507
Suchowola in 1938 Chava'ke Krutsel–Tchekow 508
Letters from Suchawola (before the war)
    1. Moshe Gupershtein 16.2.1938
    2. Yaakov Adelfang 12.10.1937
    3. A delegation from the Help Committees to Suchawola
  509
509
512
513
The events of the last few years, and how they died Simkha Lazar 514
In the Ghetto and the Camps Yehudit Privolsky-Burshtein 525
In Memory of my friends Yesha'yahu Vorushilsky 531
The destruction of a family Sarah Tikotsky-Ivri 535
How I was saved
    1. The destruction of a family
    2. A letter from a survivor
    3. A day of horror
Shim'on Tsimbal (Atlassovitz)
Elke Sokolsky-Vaksman
Dopke Tsiboly (Kartovsky)
537
537
539
541
After the Liberation
    1. Sender Pribulski
    2. 3 letters from Shloime'ke Pribulski
  543
543
544
 
Expatriate Activities (Landsmanshaften)
Documents
    1. Report from the Suchawoler Community Committee to the Suchawoler Relief Committee of America
    2. An Appeal of the Suchawoler Relief Committee of America (New York Branch)
    3. A letter to the Suchawoler Lady's Auxillary Group in New York

Meir Buri, Isser Smoliar

Jacob Kahan

Rabbi Shlomo-Tzvi Kalir, Rabbi of Suchawola, 1938

551
551
552
553
Suchawola Expatriates in Mexico Yekhezkel Liverant 555
A letter to Suchawoler expatriates Eli Poplavsky, Mexico 559
Suchawola expatriates in Israel Khana Krutsel-Droyan 560
Extras
    1.Velvel's tefillin
    2. Sketches of Memory

Mordekhai Tikotsky
Pessakh Pinkasovitch
567
567
568
Al D'Avdin (poem) Mordekhai Tikotsky 569
From the days of my youth Sarah Carmit-Temkin 571
 
These I remember
On the Day of Remembrence Y. Tsaban 575
 
Images of those who have died – Numerous photographs  
Words from the Editors (Yiddish)   602
A list of the Jews of Suchawola before the war   603
     
In memory of Suchawolers who died in Israel's war of independence
    1. Gid'on Eilon
    2. Yerakhmiel Amali (Milak Tikotsky)
    3. Dr. Avraham Droyan and his son Tsvi
Bruria Livni Yerukham 613
613
613
614
Words from the Editorial Committee (English)   617
To the younger generation (English)   618
* each page has two columns.
 
 
Index of photographs including captions


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