Molchadz (Maytchet),
In Memory of the Jewish Community
(Molchad, Belarus)

53°19' / 25°42'

Translation of Sefer zikaron le-kehilat Meytshet

Edited by: Benzion H. Ayalon

Published in Tel Aviv, Meytshet Societies in Israel and Abroad, 1973


 

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Myrna Brodsky Siegel

 

Permission given by Isaac Margolin,
son of Nahum Margolin, one of the original members of the editorial committee.

This is a translation from: Sefer zikaron le-kehilat Meytshet (Molchadz (Maytchet), In Memory of the Jewish Community),
ed. Benzion H. Ayalon. Tel Aviv, Meytshet Societies in Israel and Abroad, 1973

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

Purchase details for a printed copy of this translation can be found at http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/ybip/YBIP_Molchad.html


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A Letter from the Web Site Coordinator
Letter from U.S. Army Chaplain Rabbi Oscar Lifshutz to his Mother in Chicago
Enhanced map from page 24 Martin Small A/K/A Mordechai Shmulevicz
 
Title Page  
Preface / Book Committee  
List of Pictures 9
 
CHAPTER ONE / OPENING
 
Introduction / Editor 15
Foreword / Book Committee 17
Foreword / Book Committee (Yiddish) 19
It Was Said With The Book / Nahum Margolin 21
Map of Molchadz 24
 
CHAPTER TWO / EARLY PERIOD
 
Map of the Region 26
A general historical-geographic and Jewish socio-cultural survey / Benzion H. Ayalon 27
 
I. EARLY PERIOD
 
   a. The name and its meaning;  
   b. References on the early period;  
   c. Settlement of Jews in Lithuania;  
   d. Multigovernment region;  
   e. Mass-slaugther of Jews by Chmelnitzky et al;  
   f. The region and its cultural influence;  
   g. Immediate surroundings and economic relations;  
   h. Maytchet in Memorial Books of the Region;  
   i. The Jewish town in the view of the newspapers;  
   j. Summary Table Part One.  
Memories from my birth town / Max Novomisky 49
My town Maytchet / Nahum Margolin 57
The dead Maytchet / Haya Lubchik 64
Jews in Great Svorotva / Y. Serebrovsky 67
Small Svorotva / Haya Lubchik 68
The village of Yatra / Esther Malishansky (Lozovsky) 70
The tragic end / Haya Lubchik 72
My Village and the Memories of my Birthplace / Sarah Biribis 75
Jewry, Virtuous and with Difficulties / Chaim Kravetz 78
 
CHAPTER THREE / TORAH AND CHASSIDISM
 
The Gaon Shlomo Polachek / Benzion H. Ayalon 85
   
The Rabbis of Maytchet and its Scholars A / Rabbi Aharon Surasky
 
   1. Rabbi R' Yosef Mordkovski, ztz”l - RY”M 92
   2. Rabbi R' Noah Mordkovski z”l 97
   3. HRH”H R' Yisrael Zalman Shelovski ztz”l 98
   4. Rabbi R' Shalom z”l - Head of the Rabbinical Court in Maytchet 105
   5. Rabbi R' Yaakov-Sender Grinberg z”l - The Last Rabbi of Maytchet 106
   6. Rebbe Nahum Shu”b z”l - from the Hasidim in Maytchet 108
   7. R' Yitzhak Gratzikovitz (G-d should avenge his blood) (Itshe Kozlovicher) 109
   8. The Rabbi, the Gaon Rebbe Meir Meirim z”l, Head of the Rabbinical Court in Maytchet 110
   
Rabbis and Scholars B / Moshe Zinovitz  
   
   1. Rabbi Meir-Meirim 113
   2. Rabbi Yehuda-Leib Hacohen 117
   3. Rabbi Shmuel 118
   4. Rabbi Zvi-Hirsh 119
   
Rabbi Isaac-Naftali Belsky / D. Shlomovitz 121
   
The Spiritual Center in Maytchet / Nahum Margolin  
   
   1. The Shul-Heif 122
   2. In the Congregation of Hasidim and Admorim 124
   3. Melamdim, religious and public figures 127
   
Rabbi Yisrael Elchanan the “Maytcheter” / Rabbi Joseph-Eliahu Pniel (Pekelni) 134
 
CHAPTER FOUR / EDUCATION, SOCIETY, ECONOMICS
 
Maytchet, general survey / Benzion H. Ayalon 137
 
II. BETWEEN TWO WORLD-WARS
 
   a. General Background;  
   b. In Retrospect;  
   c. Town Panorama;  
   d. Government and Administration;  
   e. Public and National Activities;  
   f. Educational Institutions;  
   g. Commerce and Business;  
   h. Agriculture;  
   i. Transportation;  
   j. Jews of Maytchet.  
The students – the golden youth / Nachum Naor (Orzechovsky) 151
Trade and Labor / Dov Shlomovitz 153
Youth in Maytchet / Haya Lubchik 156
Maytchet in the press / Moshe Zinovitz 159
The coming of Passover / Haya Lubchik 161
The Zionist Movement in Maytchet 163
Maytchet in pictures A 169
   A. “Hehalutz” in Maytchet 185
   B. The Story of the Travails of Hehalutz in Maytchet 187
   C. About Hehalutz and the Training Groups / Nahum Margolin 189
The Organization of Maytchet Natives in Israel and the World, and its Activities / N. M. 195
Maytcheter Jews in New York / from the press 201
Maytcheters in Argentina / Ben-Zion Sack 202
 
CHAPTER FIVE / PERSONALITIES, FAMILIES, FIGURES
 
My parents' house - The Orzechovsky family / Nahum Naor (Orzechovsky) 207
The Dvorzecky family / Dr. M. Dvorzecky 211
Reb Nathan the son of Reb Asher Orzechovsky of blessed memory / Yisrael Neiten 218
Sima Ben-Hur (Abramovsky) / Dr. Nahum Ben-Hur 221
Reb Moshe-Ahron Borecky and Family / Hana Mechtiger 224
Two letters from Feigl Borecky 227
My Parents - The Boretcky family / Sarah Biribis 230
My parents - Wolinsky family / Miriam Kleinshtub 232
Memories from Maytchet / Mordechai (Munia) Hassid 235
Gedalya and Nehama Yatvicky / Yitzchak Binyamin 236
Reb Joshua Aharon Lozovsky of blessed memory / Yosef Lozovski 238
Family Lubecky / David-Leib Lubecky 240
My Family - the Margolin Family / Chemda Lubrani 242
Reb Zvi-Hirsh Aharonovitz / Jacob Horvits 245
Reb David-Hershel Novomiski and his family / Sara Aharonovsky 248
Sheine-Rachel Simkof-Bader / Moshe Zinovits 250
The Polonsky-Edlin family / Tova Shomroni 252
My family in Maytchet/ Moshe Korn 255
The Family of Moshe Aharon Shevchik / Yehuda Ben-Moshe 258
My ties with Maytchet / Zeev Rimon 261
My Connection With Maytchet / Zelda Rozovski 264
My parents - Stolovitsky family / Benjamin Stolovitsky 266
Shlomo-Hirshl Shlomovits / Dov Shlomovits 268
Members of my family at Maytchet / Haya-Rivka Dissin 269
People and Personalities / Nahum Margolin

  Shlomo Shnitzki; Avraham Garbash and Leib Winograd;

  Leibel Gilerovits; Alter Abramovitz; Yisrael Elchanan Pikalni;

  Moshe Savitsky; Yisrael Belski; Yaakov Gilerovits; Naftali the Blacksmith;   Chana Shlomovitz

271
Maytchet in pictures B 275
Maytchet natives as soldiers in foreign armies 285
 
CHAPTER SIX / THE HOLOCAUST
 
Remember the Holocaust / Dr. M. Dvorzecky 288
The Soft Whisper of the Haboinik– The Hill of Blood (For the Memorial Day of the Maytchet Community) / Benzion H. Ayalon 289
Self-defence in Maytchet 291
My Travails in the Holocaust / Moshe Korn 293
A War of Life and Death (Memories of a Jewish Partisan) / Abrasha Hanelis 300
The rise and fall of Maytchet / Freidl Makarensky 303
The bravery of Zimel Stolovitsky / Abrasha Hanelis 307
Three Who Set Out on a Journey / Binyamin Stolovitsky 309
With the nomads staff / Reuben Rabinovits 312
My personal experiences / Tsira Rayak (Rabets) 314
Maytchet partisans / Moshe Rabets 320
Survivors' tales / Mina Levin (Gurski) 323
The raid...and the meeting / A. Ben-Shalom 325
Partisan fighters and avengers / Hanan Shmulovits 328
My memories from mournful Maytchet / Yaacov Lachovitsky 332
My Memories of Maytchet / L. Ozersky 335
Maytchet Natives in Lithuania During the Period of the Second World War / Nachum Ben-Arie 337
Maytchet Refugees from Maytchet in Vilna / Isaac Movshovits 343
Partisans and the Jews in the Forests of Maytchet / Dr. M. Dvorzetsky 346
Death Chronicles of Maytchet 364
These I Remember and I Moan… 367
Memorial for the People who are gone 369
     Memorial Candle for Yehoshua Shomroni z”l / Shmuel and Amir Shomroni 370
     Avraham Rimon of blessed memory / Aleksander Novitz 370
     Esther Biribis of blessed memory / Sara Boretsky Biribis 371
     Moshe Kleinshtov of blessed memory / Aleksander Novitz 372
     Untitled List of Names 373
Memorial Pages and Pictures 377 - 421
Yizkor – List of Holy Ones 422
Epilogue 427
Memorial Prayers for the Deceased and Communion 429
Index of Names 431 - 460


 

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