Bielsko Biała, Poland

Chapters From the Past
(Bielsko Biała, Poland)

49°49' / 19°02'

Translation of
Bielitz-Biala pirkei avar

Editor: Elijahu Miron

Published in Israel 1973

Our sincere appreciation to Yad Vashem
for the submission of the necrology for placement on the JewishGen web site.

This is a translation of: Bielitz-Biala pirkei avar (Chapters from the past),
Editor: Elijahu Miron, Published: Israel 1973 (H,G 182 pages)

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Bielsko-Biala

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.
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JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material for verification.
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Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.

Translated by Yocheved Klausner

Title Page

Foreword 5

The city of Bielsko 6

The Bielsko Community Along the Generations

The history of the Jews in Bielsko 9

The Jewish community 15

Jewish education, its various branches 22

Associations and Organizations

The Chevruta Association 27

The Hashachar Association 29

The Emuna Association 36

The Hatchiya Association 38

The Sport Association Hakoach 42

The Sport Association Maccabi 43

The Hagana Organization 44

The Jewish Economy

The status of the Jews in the general economy 47

The Jewish craftsmen 50

Movements

The orthodox Jewry 52

The Zionist movement and the Parties 54

The Hit'achdut (Union) 55

The Mizrachi 56

The Revisionist Party 57

The Bielsko Zionists 57

WIZO 59

The Youth Movements 60

Training for Aliya and Aliya 63

The “training camp” in Leshtchin 67

The Press

Seven hundred issues of the Yiddishes Folksblatt 69

Personalities and Figures

Prof. Dr. Michael Berkowitz 73

Shlomo Zalman Chaim Halberstat 77

A. D. Rosenberg, a pioneer of the Hebrew Language 78

The Rabbi Rav Zvi Shmuel Hirschfeld z”l 79

The Rapaport Dynasty 80

The Rabbinic family Stern 83

Bielsko-Biala and Surroundings

Biala 85

The Biala Jews 88

The Jewish community in Biala 91

Skotchau 94

Dzidzitza 96

The Community in Bliona

On the eve of the German invasion 98

The expulsion before the Holocaust 100

On the eve of war 101

The days of the Nazi occupation 104

The story of a survivor 110

The last rabbi in Bielsko, Rav Yehuda Stern 113

Among the ruins 115

Memorial Pages - We shall remember 118-134

German Section by Elijahu Miron

In Memoriam (List) 135-141

Foreword 181

1. On the early history of the Jews of Bielitz 1677–1816 180

2. The History of the Jews in Bielitz 177

3. About the History of the Jews in Bielitz 172

4. The Jewish Kehila in Bielitz 1865–1905 167

5. From the Early Days of “Haschachar” 159

6. The History of “Emunah” 1896/1906 157

7. Z. G. V. “Chewrussa” 154

8. Retrospective on the Jewish Athletic Club Maccabee Bielitz–Biala 151

9. The Jewish Craftsmen 148

10. Prof. Dr. Michael Berkowicz 147

11. Jakob Glasner 144

12. Dr. Josef Traubner 142

13. In Memoriam 141

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Yizkor Book Director, Lance Ackerfeld
Emerita Yizkor Book Project Manager, Joyce Field
This web page created by Lance Ackerfeld

Title	Page

Foreword	5

The city of Bielsko	6

The Bielsko Community Along the Generations

The history of the Jews in Bielsko	9
The Jewish community	15
Jewish education, its various branches	22

Associations and Organizations
The Chevruta Association	27
The Hashachar Association	29
The Emuna Association	36
The Hatchiya Association	38
The Sport Association Hakoach	42
The Sport Association Maccabi	43
The Hagana Organization	44

The Jewish Economy
The status of the Jews in the general economy	47
The Jewish craftsmen	50

Movements
The orthodox Jewry	52
The Zionist movement and the Parties	54
The Hit'achdut (Union)	55
The Mizrachi	56
The Revisionist Party	57
The Bielsko Zionists	57
WIZO	59
The Youth Movements	60
Training for Aliya and Aliya	63
The “training camp” in Leshtchin	67

The Press
Seven hundred issues of the Yiddishes Folksblatt	69

Personalities and Figures
Prof. Dr. Michael Berkowitz	73
Shlomo Zalman Chaim Halberstat	77
A. D. Rosenberg, a pioneer of the Hebrew Language	78
The Rabbi Rav Zvi Shmuel Hirschfeld z”l	79
The Rapaport Dynasty	80
The Rabbinic family Stern	83

Bielsko-Biala and Surroundings
Biala	85
The Biala Jews	88
The Jewish community in Biala	91
Skotchau	94
Dzidzitza	96

The Community in Bliona
On the eve of the German invasion	98
The expulsion before the Holocaust	100
On the eve of war	101
The days of the Nazi occupation	104
The story of a survivor	110
The last rabbi in Bielsko, Rav Yehuda Stern	113
Among the ruins	115

Memorial Pages - We shall remember	118-134

German Section by Elijahu Miron

In Memoriam (List)	135-141
Foreword	181
1. On the early history of the Jews of Bielitz 1677–1816	180
2. The History of the Jews in Bielitz	177
3. About the History of the Jews in Bielitz	172
4. The Jewish Kehila in Bielitz 1865–1905	167
5. From the Early Days of “Haschachar”	159
6. The History of “Emunah” 1896/1906	157
7. Z. G. V. “Chewrussa”	154
8. Retrospective on the Jewish Athletic Club Maccabee Bielitz–Biala	151
9. The Jewish Craftsmen	148
10. Prof. Dr. Michael Berkowicz	147
11. Jakob Glasner	144
12. Dr. Josef Traubner	142
13. In Memoriam	141