The Jews of the towns will remember that they needed to pass through Zagórze before they reached the larger cities in Zaglembie. If there are still Jews that survived from the aforementioned towns, that were merchants in the Zaglembian market, in grains, fruit, eggs, butter and so on, they will remember the grocery stores in Zagórze, from Majdl Guterman whose apartment was near the entrance to Zagórze, up to Herszel Zaks, Szmalke Zajdler, Mojze Grinwald, Mojze Zaks, Balcia Zajdler, Arie Skoczylas, Alter Kazimierski and Mendel Najman, who were located at the other end of Zagórze.

Week after week, on every Monday and Wednesday, they'd know, that the same Jews would come again to tender their wares. In Zagórze, they were used to seeing the same merchants year after year. If there was an instance in which one of the merchants didn't arrive on the designated day, the Jews of Zagórze did not rest and were not satisfied until they knew that nothing untoward had happened to them.

The Jews in Zagórze were not just food salesmen. They also owned shops for fabrics, butchers, bootmakers, tailors and other trades, that were a source of livelihood for all the Jews in Poland.

The Jewish community life in Zagórze began as follows. As in all Zaglembie, Zagórze was rich in coal and the renowned coalmines of “Mortimer”, “Kazimierz”, “Jadwiga” and others were located there.

There was also a foundry in Zagórze that employed a large part of the Christian population, in a place that provided a decent profit and a respectable livelihood for all the Jewish community.

The Jewish shopkeeper and tradesman would give goods and food products on credit, because the workers would only receive their wages twice a month. If the worker felt like getting drunk and squandering all of his wages – once again, it was the Jewish storekeeper who stood by the worker and continued to give him credit even in a difficult period.

The contact between the Christians and the Jews emerged in this manner, and each side took part in the celebrations of the other side. When a Jew married his son or daughter, he would invite his Christian clients, would prepare a special reception for them and treat them with respect. If a Christian had a celebration he knew that the Jews would not come and not eat non-kosher food but he would still send invitations to his Jewish friends and in these instances the Jews would send them fine presents.

On Saturdays and holidays, when all the Jewish shops were closed, the Christian customers would wait patiently till the evening. When evening came and the Jews were engrossed in their evening meal and the “Ma'ariv” prayer – the Christians would bang on their windows with a cry: “Mr. Najman, Mr. Najman. You are already allowed to open the shop.


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There are already three stars in the sky. ”During Pesach, every Christian knew that for the eight days of the festival they would not receive “chametz” [bread products], and because of that they would prepare a supply for themselves for all eight days, in advance.

Thus the Jew lived a tranquil life in Zagórze and when there were no livelihood problems, he began to think about spiritual matters. And where did the Jew find his spiritualism in previous generations? It is quite clear that he found this in the synagogue or Bet Midrash.

For this reason, there were four synagogues in the small town of Zagórze. When the Jew had a means of livelihood and also a fine home he also wanted to go to his own synagogue, and a spiritual competition began amongst the Jews of Zagórze. Jews began ordering the writing of torahs. They would organize large celebrations when the torah was finished, and all the Jewish community would take part in the joy of completing the torah, even from the “Mitnagdim” [opponents to “Hassidism”] In this holy celebration there was no room for jealousy or hatred.

The young generation of Zagórze was also taken care of. There were two “cheder”s [religious elementary schools] in Zagórze. The “cheder”s were run by elite scholars who were brought from the larger cities in Poland. The Jewish youth would learn in the “cheder” till the age of 12. Even if the youth was interested in reaching the “lamdan” [Talmudist] stage – he was obligated to know how to pray and learn the bible using “Rashi” [Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki – paramount Bible and Talmud commentator]. Indeed, the greater majority of Jewish youth in Zagórze knew Mishna, Gemara and even, Tosafot [annotations to the Talmud].

In Zagórze there wasn't a family whose children didn't study in the “cheder” and there were many amongst the girls who knew how to pray well.

Thus life went on in Zagórze for many years until the youth began maturing. The boys began learning a trade. At the same time the new generation began looking for new directions, new ways. They began organizing themselves into political parties or cultural and educational groups. These new spirits began appearing in all directions in the town.

At the beginning of the thirties a deep financial crisis emerged in Zagórze, and together with the financial crisis came a political crisis that took a fiercely anti-Semitic manifestation. The anti-Semitism scourge spread with lightning speed throughout Poland. The Nazi neighbor somewhat assisted this. This wild anti-Semitism reached Zagórze as well, the youths began leaving Zagórze, and those that found work in the larger cities returned infrequently. Others emigrated over the border.

The financial crisis thus severely harmed the small community. The coal export diminished, and several of the coalmines ceased operation. Those that continued to operate did not work more than two to three days per week. The foundry also stopped working. Unemployment grew daily. Due to unemployment people were unable to cover their debts. A large number of the Jewish shopkeepers and craftsmen lost everything and remained impoverished.

On the other hand, the Christian customer didn't show an inclination to buy in the Christian shops, because the Jews would sell at lower prices and even gave credit. Still the Christian customers were forced to succumb to the terrible anti-Semitic terrorism. The Jews remained in their businesses and anticipated a miracle, waited fro the Christian customers to realize that the Jewish shopkeeper was more righteous than the Christians.

However, miracles didn't occur. A number of Jewish businesses did indeed remain, though to make a living from them was harder than parting the Red Sea.

During this period the Zionist vision spread amongst a large majority of the youth in Zagórze. Only in rare instances were youths not affiliated with the various Zionist parties and movements.

There was a Jew in Zagórze by the name of Gecel Erenfryd. He owned a large men's clothes business and he earned a good living from this. When the crisis came his life was truly destroyed. He did not have a profession and had nothing to keep his business going. He came up with the idea of establishing a training “kibbutz” belonging to the “Hapoel Mizrahi” movement. It turned out that in establishing this “kibbutz” he sought a sanctuary for himself and his family. The “kibbutz” did not exist for long because of a lack of work places for its members. Only a small number of the “kibbutz” members managed to find work with the Klajn brothers in Dabrowa and Fersztenberg in Bedzin. The greater majority was compelled to find black market work, and frequently even this type of work was unavailable. For a certain period, the “kibbutz” fought for its survival but was then forced to be closed down. However, the Jew [Erenfryd] received his payment: He and his wife and his two children, and also a sister that he recorded as his, all received a certificate to immigrate to the Land of Israel. They immigrated to Israel, and thus five souls were saved from the Nazi Holocaust that was to reveal itself.

My parents continued to maintain the grocery that was once a source of our livelihood. Then it was difficult to make a living from the store alone. Of the six children in our family there were two married sisters and who didn't live in Zagórze. Two brothers wandered as far as France. I remained with another sister at home with my ailing parents.


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I managed a furniture factory, that had previously belonged to my older brother, who after seeing that there was no future in our little community, had transferred the factory to me, and he himself had gone to France, to our eldest brother. I managed the factory till the outbreak of war. I earned quite well because there was still no Christians in the furniture profession. Three years before the war passed quickly till the storm came.

The Polish Jews, and the Jews of Zaglembie inclusive, were put face to face with a terrible and cruelest enemy known to our history that had been full of richness, suffering and distress, destruction and turmoil.

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