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{468}

In Memoriam

Translated by Jerrold Landau

Yitzchak Spiegel

Yitzchak Spiegel

 

His path of life was not paved with roses, but its entire path was a line of simplicity in approach to life, cordiality in his relationship to all people, and the internal essence of someone who knows what suffering is. These traits stood with him to overcome all struggles of life. In every situation, he had a smile on his face, beaming from him whenever one would meet him. He was a man of a simple path, honest, doing good, and with a pure heart. Wherever he went and whatever he did, he was straight with himself and with the faith that dwelt in his midst. His simplicity drew its source from the deep spiritual foundations of the Jewish town of Rozniatow in the Diaspora; from the sublime character traits of the family with many children who already spread out to different lands and places during their youth in order to find sustenance for their souls.

He was full of energy, blessed with strength, quiet in his demeanor, and everyone who met him on his path of life became a friend. His thirst for knowledge knew no bounds. He excelled in his great patience and his rational sense of judgement. People placed their faith in him and trusted him.

When he arrived in the Land as the pioneer of his family, his first actions and purpose for his efforts was to bring over his family to the Land despite the conditions of those times – to the shore of promises, to this poor and meager land regarding which he knew the conditions of those years very well.

The man did not rest until he was able to say to himself that he did whatever was possible within human power, and even more so. Upon this altar he offered up the greatest sacrifice that a person could offer, his personal life, for he did not establish a family but rather dedicated his entire holy effort to other members of his family.

Only later did he build up his own family with Freda, may she live long. Then, he continued his effort at nurturing family relations with those near and distant with greater energy, forging links with acquaintances, friends, and workmates, in both joy and sorrow. They all regarded him as a faithful friend.

His heart stopped on the 14th of Av, 5731 (1971).

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Shmuel Leib the son of Yoel Rosenbaum

He was an interesting and complex personality. He was an only son to his parents, and was nurtured by the judge Reb Yehuda Hirsch Koren. He spoke calmly and politely. It was indeed a pleasure to sit in his home and listen to his conversation, that was always spiced with words of the sages. His jokes that he told had a special charm. His statements of opinion were measured, weighed, and calm, without fire. He and his father worshipped in the Beis Midrash, but when he studied in the kloiz he would also remain there for prayer. His service and dedication made him appreciated by everyone.

There was a period when his wife's family took him to Germany, but his longing for the town and its people gave him no rest. He returned to Rozniatow and dedicated himself to his desires, to swim in the sea of Talmud. Once again he sat in the kloiz and occupied himself with Torah. His Torah was his faith.

He made aliya in 1934. Despite his depressed economic situation, he was always content with his lot. He did not change his customs. He performed all types of difficult labor, and he dedicated every free hour to the study of Torah.

When his brothers-in-law Yisrael Horowitz of blessed memory and, may he live Tzvi Fesberg built the theater in Petach Tikva, he was hired by them as a cashier. As always, he excelled in his honesty, uprightness and modestly. He was generally appreciated, and everyone treated him with honor and respect.

When he died in Petach Tivka in 5632 (1972) thousands accompanied him on his final journey.

Reb Yechezkel the son of Reb Avraham Nussbaum

He was born in the village of Knizisk near Rozniatow. He was the grandson of Tzvi Yaakov Stern and Reb Mordechai Stern. He was the son of the sister of Reb Yosef Shimon Stern. He studied Gemara with Reb Yitzchak Branik. At the age of 16, he worked for Leizer Yitzchak Leib.

He left home and traveled to Vienna prior to the First World War. There he completed studies as an accountant, and later worked in one of the banks. He was diligent in studying Torah in the evenings.

He was a faithful friend to his Torah and his people. He absorbed rooted and traditional Jewish culture.

During one of the memorial gatherings for the martyrs of our city, he lectured about the Jews of our city from the previous generation, about the great and important ones of that time.

At one memorial gathering, he guided the gathering and spoke about a memorial book for the martyrs of our city, and even promised to take part in the writing of the book. He poured out his bitter heart with pain and anguish over what the Nazi enemy did to us. He expressed his great joy that he merited to see Jerusalem built up. He requested that Yad Vashem demand that the enemies Kruger and Muller be tried.

He was a member of the committee for the publication of this book. He was greatly anguished that he could not write his memoirs on account of his illness.

He passed away before his time. He was an illustrious man, a man of truth, graced with Torah and wisdom.

May his memory be a blessing!

Reb David Glass

(He was born in the city of Kalusz in 1875 and died in Jerusalem in 5700 / 1940.) He was accepted as a shochet in the community of Rozniatow in 1903. He was graced with many talents. He was a veteran Torah reader, a prayer leader for the High Holidays, with a pleasant voice and a pleasant demeanor. He endeared himself to the community, which eased his absorption into his community.

The community of Strettiner Hassidim, who were a small minority in Rozniatow in comparison to the Hassidim of Dolina (Zidichow) but strong in their faith to the Strettin dynasty, found him to be man of like mind, which greatly eased his integration into society. He was numbered among the chief scholars of the Chevra Shas. He gave a class to the Or Hachayim circle of young married men on Sabbath eves. He was the rabbi of a number of youths, friends of his sons, who studied Talmud every morning before the Morning Service.

He raised his family throughout a number of years. He was blessed with a family of ten sons and daughters. The needs of his household and yoke of debts that were related to building his house brought the family to economic straits. This was the reason that they left Rozniatow and moved to Germany in 1912, where they lived until the entire family made aliya to the Land of Israel in 1931-1933.

This organization would arrange an annual completion of the Talmud ceremony with festivities, joy and large crowds. This was an important event among the scholars of the city. That night, they would divide up once again the tractates among the members for the next year. This took place each year.


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The Children From Whom We Were Bereaved

Even though our community is small, the angel of death has already succeeded in snatching from us the best of our sons through the manner that is unique to them: war and accidents.

Eliahu Hausler

Uncaptioned. Apparently Eliahu Hausler

 

He was the son of Leah and Baruch, the only child to his parents. He was born in Germany on June 5, 1930. From his youth, he was educated in a school under the supervision of Dr. Rothschild, and was a good student. However, the Second World War interrupted his studies. When he was eight years old, the Nazis broke into the school where he studied, and snatched him and his friends. That year, he arrived in the Land with his parents, and they settled in Petach Tikva. There, he studied in the PIK”A School. He quickly mastered the Hebrew language and excelled in his studies. He also excelled in sports. He worked in a garage after he finished his studies, for he was attracted to mechanics. He was a member of the Haganah from the age of 14. He participated in the defense of the Shefiim Kibbutz which was attacked by the British.

He enlisted in the army when the War of Independence broke out. He was only 17 and a half years old. He fulfilled his duty as “a guard of the people”, and from there he was sent to a sniper's course. He excelled at that course, and was transferred to an active unit where he served as a sniper. He was very successful at sniping, and was the assistant and right hand man of the captains. He participated in the battles of Tantura and Kakon, and endeared himself to his comrades as a friend and a fighter. He participated in the conquest of Migdal Tzedek, and he fell when he was defending it against a fierce attack.

On July 12, 1948, Eliahu was shielding the machine gunners of his division with his targeted sniping, as he was leaning against a rock. A bullet shot him in the heart, and his friends found him dead while he was still leaning against the rock.

The next day, he was laid to eternal rest in the cemetery of Petach Tikva.

Mordechai Shnitzer

The son of Yosef and Chana. He fell while standing guard in the south of the country during the War of Independence in 1948.

Yosef Friedler

The son of Yisrael and Chana. He was born on July 24, 1922 in Hamburg, Germany. He fought in the British army against the Nazi enemy and fell in a sea battle near Malta. His boat sunk in the sea. 138 Jewish soldiers died along with him.

Yoel Friedler

The son of Yisrael and Rivka. He was born in 1928 in Germany, the son of a religious family. He was the only son in a family with three sisters. He joined the machteret (underground army) of the Irgun Tzvai Leumi and was very active in it. His parents wished to send him to relatives in America to remove him from the constant danger that threatened him both externally and internally. However, he conducted his life in accordance with his response: “We have been drafted for all of life. Only death frees us from duty.” When the disturbances broke out again, he was among the first who went to the Old City and organized its defense. This was a small group of youths who stood their stand.

On January 20, 1948, he went to Bikur Cholim with two friends to transmit a message by telephone. Along the way, they were snatched by members of a gang who were accompanied by a British policeman who had given his weapons to one of the Arabs. He shot the three of them. Yoel remained there injured for approximately three quarters of an hour, as the Arabs tortured him. When the members of the Irgun Tzvai Leumi broke through to the place, they found him dying.

His last words were: “Tell them that they beat us… I feel that this is my end, but it was worthwhile.”

Eliezer Lipa (Eli) Sternberg

The son of Yaakov and Miriam. The grandson of Reb Lipa Tanne of Rozniatow as well as of Yosef Sternberg who served in the court of the Admor of Chortkow of blessed memory.

He was born on the 11th of Tishrei, 5707 (October 6, 1946). He studied in the Bilu School. After he concluded his studies in the Bar-Ilan School, he studied diligently in City High School A. His desire was to merge Torah and work. He worked in the security unit in the mornings, and he dedicated his evenings to studies. On the eve of his draft in February 1965, he managed to write several matriculation exams, at which he was highly successful. He intended to complete the rest of them during his army service. He was a youth of many interests, and was involved in various hobbies (chess, stamp and coin collecting, and autograph collecting). He was interested in sports, and participated in races, among other things. He loved to read books, and delved into them until his final day.

His boundless love for his family, his dedication and faithfulness to them, and his concern for every one of them, exudes from his letters to them while in the army.

He was prepared to help his fellow, and therefore, he was loved by all of his acquaintances. His modesty and righteousness were among his traits that endeared him to everyone.

He was able to delay his enlistment until his older brother finished his service. However, he refused to do so. He enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces when the time came. He was placed in a battle unit, and he said: “It is a great honor to serve in such a unit”.

He did not even manage to serve for a half a year, for on the 13th of Av 5625 (August 11, 1965), he fell. He was brought to eternal rest in the army cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. May his soul be bound in the bonds of eternal life.

Michael Dingut

He was born on January 7, 1918 in Hamborn, Germany. He served as a guard. He fell on his guard on the 7th of Nissan 1939, as he accompanied a postal bus in Haifa. His parents, Moshe and Sara (nee Adler) Dingut died in Haifa.

Perpetuated by his uncle Binyamin Adler and his sisters Tova and Ruth


{474}

A Memorial for Those Who Left Us

The son of Eliezer Yitzchak of Perehinsko
Baruch Hausler

Uncaptioned1

 

He was born on September 1, 1898 in Perehinsko, Poland. He lived in Germany from 1926, and was a merchant of furniture and confectionery. He made aliya to the Land with his family in 1938, at the beginning of the Second World War. In the Land, he volunteered to serve as a guard in the Israel Police force during the time of the British Mandate. He particpiated along with his son and many others in the defense of Kibbutz Shefiim, at the time that the British were searching for arms. He earned his livelihood from managing a restaurant, until the time that tragedy struck, when his only son fell during the War of Independence in 1948 during the conquest of Migdal Tzedek. The tragedy crushed him deeply, and he was not able to continue managing the restaurant. He accepted a job in the office of commerce and manufacturing. He was a member of the Committee of Bereaved Families in Petach Tikva from the day of its founding.

He bore the pain of the memory of his son for 20 years, and on the eve of Yom Haatzmaut (Israel Independence Day), 4th of Iyar 1968, during the memorial at the monument of Migdal Tzedek, he fell to the ground as he was walking up to lay a wreath for the fallen. Immediately upon his arrival home after the memorial service, he did not even have a chance to say a word, and he died. He suffered a heart attack.

May his memory be a blessing.

 


Translator's Footnote

  1. It is not clear if the name in the title and the uncaptioned photo is that of the father or the son. From the entry on page 471, it appears that the son is Eliahu Hausler, the photo is the father whose name is Baruch, and Eliezer Yitzchak would be Baruch's father. Back

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