As mentioned, in addition to the listed houses of prayer, the majority of the small houses of prayer were Hasidic shtiblech. Every Hasid had to pray in his own shtibl and according to the style of his rebbe, but there were Hasidim who only liked to pray alone so that no one would disturb their ardent prayer during which they did not see what was going on around them. On the contrary, there were Hasidim who stood and prayed quietly and calmly, almost as if not moving, but with great fervor.

Each shtibl – a world of its own – where unity between the rich man and the poor man reigned, where everyone used the familiar form, “du [you].” The shtibl was the “second home” for the Hasidim and for many the “only home,” because here they had escaped from all of their cares and heartaches; here they found cheerfulness and help, as well as consolation from their daily cares.

This unity, which reigned among Hasidim in every shtibl, however, did not exist between one shtibl and another because each of them had its own opinions about city matters and carried on quarrels precisely about religious questions such as hiring a rabbi or a rabbi who decided matters of rabbinical law, a shoychet [ritual slaughterer], etc. and thus the Będziner rabbinate consisted of representatives sent by the large shtiblech which already had control over them in the city.

Every Hasid had to travel to his rebbe once a year, particularly for the Days of Awe [Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur]. In general, prayer in the shtiblech was said with ardor, with life and soul – “kol atzmotai tomarnah [“with all my limbs I will say praise”].” It was always joyous in the shtibl and there was no lack of a little whiskey for a bris [ritual circumcision] or a yahrzeit [yearly anniversary of a death]. On Purim or Shimchat Torah, when they would go from the house of one Hasid to another, drinking and eating everything that was prepared – in a word, Hasidim loved to celebrate and to drink or eat together, in a group.

The majority of Hasidic shtiblech in the city had someone who prayed well at the lectern, who would sing the nigunim [melodies] from the “court” that he brought from the rebbe.

The Gerer Hasidim were first in the city, both in quality and quantity, with their three shtiblech. The large Gerer shtibl was located on Berka Joselewicza Street. It was one of the oldest in the city. The Achdut young people were already meeting there in 1905 when the Cossacks attacked them and there were casualties. The prominent leaders of Aguda worshiped here, the Szapiro brothers, of whom Reb Mendl was a great teller of stories, Heniek and Towja Szapiro, J. M. Szenberg, Reb Mendl Rozenzaft, for whom even the mitnagdim [followers of the Enlightenment and opponents of Hasidim] had respect, the dayan [religious judge] Reb Heniek Dawid Frydberg, who was considered the great intellect of the Będzin rabbinate, Reb Lipa Kaminer and his son-in-law, Mosze Chaim Kaminer, editor of Yiddishe Wochenblat [Yiddish Weekly Newspaper], Mordechai Wajs, Jekele Szapiro's son-in-law, Reb Szlomo Jicchak Rynski, president of the kehila. Here the political decisions of the city were made.

The Gerer Hasidim struggled for years to place their rabbi [as the head of the Jewish community] and they succeeded: the last two rabbis of Będzin were from the Gerer court, the Rabbi, Reb Hersz Chanoch Lewin, of blessed memory and after his death – his son, Reb Mendele, may God avenge his blood.

The synagogue from inside The watercolor painting by S. Cygler

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The western wall of the synagogue Painting by Cygler

The learned men would sit in the shtibl studying Gemara from early in the morning and discuss Torah. The shtibl was open the entire day and one could hear the young men studying with well-known Gemara melodies until late into the night.

The Gerer were known as experts about music and as good bale-tfilot [cantors or those who pray at the synagogue lectern]; of them, the old Reb Jekele Szapiro, who prayed at the lectern into his 90's and chanted Kol Nidre [the opening Yom Kippur prayer renouncing all vows], Musaf [extension of morning prayers on Shabbos and holidays] and Ne'ilah [concluding prayer on Yom Kippur] during the Days of Awe; and the brothers Aron and Nuta Koplowicz, Berl Ajchenwald and Reb Lajbisz Froman were particularly distinguished. Reb Aron Mendl Redlic was the gabbai. The “silken young men” and the Gerer sons-in-law who received room and board from their fathers-in-law created their own shtibl, which was called the “14-ner” or “Cossacks.” They surpassed the older ones in zeal, did not know of compromise in making concessions and did not refrain from slapping an opponent when it was necessary…

The second spot in the city, according to the number of worshipers, was taken by the Radomsker Hasidim. Their importance in the Hasidic world of the city was very great. And if the Gerer Hasidim believed themselves powerful, the Radomskers believed themselves to be aristocrats. The large Radomsker shtibl, which was located on “Jatke” [butcher shop] Street, was a center of Torah and Hasidism. Dozens of young men heartily studied a page of Gemara there the entire day.

Many of the esteemed members of the city's middle class would pray in the shtibl, as for example, Reb Nachum Cukerman, Abram Dawid Openhajm, Reb Mosze Hersz Fiszl, Reb Szlomo Szajn, Abram Jakob Rajch, Jicchak Mordechai Gold, Hilel Pachter, Zalman Ernst, the brothers Chaim and Meszulam Liwer, the brothers Szlomo Josef and Jecheskiel Ber Openhajm, Gerszon Rechnic and Reb Jakob Rechnic, a good bal-tefilah [cantor or person who recites the prayers] and a better storyteller of rabbinic stories. The Radomsker Hasidim were famous as good bale-tefila [plural of bal-tefilah] and loved to sing. Among them were the Blind Jecheskiel (Frydman), Szlomo'le and Mosze'le Frajdman, Jakob Zyskind, Szlomo Himelfarb, Abram and Gerszon Rechnic. Later, when the city grew there were two more Radomsker shtiblech. One of them was on the market, which was called the “Katowice shtibl,” because progressive Hasidim who would travel to Katowice to enjoy themselves, worshiped there. Wolf Sztajnhart, Mosze Lask, Berisz Rembiszewski, Aron Hendler, and others prayed in this shtibl. The third shtibl was in the Szajn's house; it was called the Radomsker, perhaps because the bale-tefila were the well known Radomsker Hasidim, the Blind Jecheskiel, Jekl Zyskind and Abram Rechnic.

The Aleksander Hasidim in the city also held themselves to be great aristocrats and haughty people. They would not let themselves be pushed aside by the Gerer. Several hundred Jews prayed in their only large shtibl on Kołłątaja Street. There was also a yeshiva located in the shtibl where young men would study a page of Gemara for the entire day with the head of the yeshiva.

An entire group of the esteemed middle class of the city, such as Red Mendl Dąb, Jicchak Aron Landau, parnes [elected head] of the kehila, the dayan [religious judge] Dan Lipszyc, may God take revenge for his blood, Reb Lajbisz Buchwajc, chairman of Mizrachi [religious Zionists] and others, prayed at the Aleksander shtibl. The bale-tefila were Reb Jisralke Orbach and the brothers Monje and Jicchak Aron Landau. The Aleksanders played a large role in the city, first thanks to the constant struggle that they carried on with the Gerer Hasidim and thanks to their Hasidim who held a distinguished place in the Jewish community.


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The Sochaczewer shtibl, which was located on Modrzejowska Street in Hitelmacher's house, was also one of the largest in the city. Będzin had enough refined Jews and rich men to be divided among all of the shtiblech, but the Sochaczewer were distinguished by great scholars and keen minds, Jewish scholars. We will remember a few of the several dozen minyanim who prayed in the shtibl – the gabbaim: Reb Jakob M. Gutman, Reb Josef Grundman and Reb Heniek Jungster; the bale-tefila: Jakob M. Gutman, Reb Josef Prawer, Reb Chaim Dawid Rajch, Reb Aron Chaim Manhajmer, then Reb Juda Ferens, Reb Heszl Luftig, Jakob Landau, Chanoch Jungster, the Naszalsker Rabbi's son, Reb Abram Orner, Josef Grundman, Reb Hersz Josef Holender and his son, Fajwel, Reb Josef Herszberg (Kuliszer), Reb Herszele Erlich, councilman in the Będziner city council, Reb Majerl Herszkowicz, Dawid Erlich, Mendl Erlich (Fanja) and on and on. Who can enumerate all of the dear Jews?”

It is self-evident that other Hasidic shtiblech also had scholars, but it is not possible to recall all of them here. We will only mention the names of the shtiblech that were in our city, where thousands of Jews would come to pour out their most pained hearts in times of trouble: the Kromołówer shtibl, Amshinower [Mszczonów], Radoszicer [Radoszyce], Pilcer, Suchedniówer, Pińczówer, Rozprzer [Rozprza], Chenciner [Chęciny], Kocker [Kock], Sokołówer, Wolbórzer, Szureker [Żarki] and even a shtibl for far-off Boyan, which was located near the Hungarian border where the Boyaner Rebbe from the Sadigura dynasty lived. Yet in 1870 the esteemed Będziner resident, Manela Lasker, founded the Boyaner shtibl where the then rabbi Reb Icze Kimelman prayed (he later became a Gerer Hasid); in the last years, the brothers Szalom and Dawid Lasker, the esteemed Będziner rich men, Gutman, Richter and others prayed there.

At the conclusion of this article I will again recall the shtibl where I, as a young boy dressed as a Hasid, would go with my father every Shabbos to pray. Our shtibl was called “Liwer's Bet-haMedrash.” Later, the Amshinower Hasidim took over control. Many years have already passed since then; I have wandered across many lands and oceans, but many times I return to the shtibl in my memory, where I spent my childhood playing nuts^[10] or tag with friends. Many times my father would come out in the middle of reading the Torah and pull me by the ears back into the shtibl…

Or Shabbos evening, when the Jews would sing the Shabbos songs with rapture, clinging with all of their strength to Shabbos and not wanting to part with it, we young boys would sit in a corner and tell stories about ghosts and devils, about a prince and so on. We would also not want to part with the world of dreams… Until someone said with a sigh: “Nu, we have to do the Maariv [evening] prayer.”

Zagłębie by Abram Blatt In your festering alleys and streets Days speed as dynamo belts Skies darken over versts[11] and miles With dark reeds and dusty columns. Here picks roar and hammers rumble, There sparks spurt from the blacksmith's iron, Homeless mothers sob in cottages Complete invalids poisoned by gas. Here turbines from Bankowa Huta[12] whistle There chimneys spit from Dutel's factory Processions of mites[13] stretching outside And fists are raised with silent gazes. Here the miners go down to graves and shafts And dig out rocks of black diamond; A miner crawls in a blackish linen sheet (Like blind horses in the shafts) In Zagłębier country. Copper and lead accompany the sky Consumption[14] sprouts at intersections as lilacs on an avenue. Here a little shop flickers and there a stall, Zagłębie, a threatening volcano. (Published in Undzer Tribune [Our Tribune], Będzin, Kislev 5699 [December 1938])

The shtibl was small in quantity, perhaps three dozen Jews, but it had a great influence in city matters in quality. Three dazars [synagogue wardens], all from Aguda [Orthodox political party], prayed there and the two patriarchal brothers, Abram and Kalman Liwer, and Bunem Bonhart, the great Hasid and bal musaf^[15] of the shtibl, may the Lord avenge his blood. Here I see the beautiful and dear person, Jechiel Kurland, who was the main bal-tefila for many years and the two young bale-tefila, the athletic Chanan Londner with his strong voice and Jakob Zelmanowicz, whose quiet, somewhat hoarse voice was still charming in his praying and finally the gabbai of the shtibl, the short Reb Chaim Rubin, who would go home from praying every day at 12 or 1 in the afternoon.

All of the synagogues and Hasidic shtiblech have become still; the voice of Torah and prayer is no longer heard, perished in the great abyss that was named Auschwitz.

All perished, no trace remains, no grave. There is no one to say kaddish [prayer for the dead]; let these words be a gravestone for the dear Jews. Yisgadal, vayiskadash [Magnified and sanctified – the first words of the kaddish] …


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We present here an excerpt from the Hebrew book, Ma'agalot [Cycles, also known as Young Hearts], which has a connection to Będzin, from where the author, Melec, comes. The Editor

In his childhood years, when Menachem'ke spent days in the chadarim [religious elementary schools; the singular is cheder] that were distasteful to him and also in later years when he was freed from the burden of studying, being an idler, he read widely and faithfully devoured entire books. He willingly sat for hours, pensive, on the wooden bridge not far from the street where he lived, listening to the noise of the water that he absorbed in his blood so that it seems to him that he hears the echo of that noise even today.

There were two rooms, like two separate worlds, in the house where his parents lived, which stood across from the great courtyard. One room that was large and comfortable was dominated by the spirit of his father and of the people who stood around him. In this room there were all kinds of noises from his father's perplexing dealings.

Menachem'ke was very concerned about this room and its dealings, and many times he tried to reproach his father about why he spent entire days idle, unconcerned with the fate of the family and did not help to carry the burden of earning a livelihood, which fell solely on him.

His mother – an entirely different world. There was so much warmth, goodness and delicacy in her room. Sometimes on Friday when he returned from cheder, sitting so deep in thought when the day was still so long and boring, his mother came nearer to him, put her arms around him and nestled his head with such love and tenderness in her heart and he snuggled in her warm, fragrant bosom.

She served him some of the fish cooked for Shabbos. When he dipped the white, warm challah [traditional braided Shabbos bread] in the golden fish soup, its fragrance was like the intoxicating aroma of his mother, like the best wine pouring into his blood. After having been in Eretz Yisrael for many years, he often still felt this fragrant aroma.

His mother was always busy with the household, but her work was done so quietly and with such satisfaction. She prepared and cleaned, washed and cooked, polished and aired and always took care that the house was always freshly whitewashed and that it sparkled beautifully and clean. As a result, she had little time to devote to her vegetable garden that was planted in the spacious courtyard and glimmered with its cultivation and would be cleared of weeds.

He always appreciated his closeness to his mother, both in his childhood years and in the time of his youth. He was so thankful to her for her full and limitless good heartedness. After the work at home in the evening hours, when he wanted to thank her, he took her to the river, where the small barracks of Stefan dem hoyker [the hunchback] stood. There, small boats of various colors were tied up near the shore. Menachem'ke sat his mother in one of them. He moved the oars and at the same time he looked in his mother's eyes from which shone such clearness. He was delighted with her look and could not understand from where he had gotten such a mother and who in general could equal her because there was not another mother like her among all of the mothers in his shtetl…

When it was already dark, when everything was absorbed by the last light of sunset, when quiet reigned everywhere and the echo of the oars was heard in the slapping of the water – his mother sang some sort of song with such a sweet, pleasant, little voice, a melody full of incomprehensible longing and sadness.

When Menachem'ke decided to emigrate to Eretz Yisrael, his father was strongly opposed, pacing in his large room, screaming and ranting because his son, his only kaddish-zager [person who says the memorial prayer for the dead] was leaving him alone with his heavy labor, in pulling the yoke of earning, going to distant places where he would forget that he is a Jew, that there is yiddishkeit [a sense of one's Jewishness] in the world and a G-d in heaven.

His mother also spilled many tears in sleepless nights on her bed in hiding, when no one saw. It hurt her so much that her only son was leaving her. Only God knew if she would have the privilege of seeing him again. But besides this, she saw no obstacle to stop him, did not even try to stop him from his journey and also did not exert any influence that he give up his trip and, in addition, gave him her blessing on his long journey.

She prepared the necessary items for him for the long road and for his future life in Eretz Yisrael, as if her heart had told her that was this the correct road for her son, that his place was there in the agricultural work in the Galilee, his hope and connection to working the land that he, Menachem'ke, had often so beautifully described for her.

Yes, thanks to his mother's secret help, he had enough strength to withstand his father's opposition and he emigrated, and a feeling of thanks and love for the glorious image of his sweet mother accompanied him on his way to Eretz Yisrael.

How, in general, was Menachem'ke's idea to go to Eretz Yisrael born? Much youthful energy, deep feelings, clear hopes, golden dreams and joyous reports collected in the hearts of the young people in all parts of Poland. During the First World War, they came together in the Zionist union, they studied Hebrew and sang songs of Zion that were interwoven with a glowing halo of sweet longing for salvation, for redemption and they inhaled the national spirit and were seized by ideas.


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The repercussions of the revolution and of the pogroms against the Jews in Ukraine put in turmoil, shocked and quickly stirred up the young people's hearts with anxiety; they influenced and exalted them.

And the creations of the Jewish poets, the poetic allusions which throbbed with the eternal Jewish ache and affliction – they were not in vain and did not fall on deaf ears. Sons and daughters of the ancient people of Israel tore themselves to Eretz Yisrael, like waves that water dry land and bury the shores. Coming to an empty land, they bound themselves to the earth with a youthful fervor, with such impulsive passion to fertilize it, revive it from its desolation.

Menachem'ke's birth pains with his work were difficult, in the difficult climate of Eretz Yisrael, in empty, arid soil.

Arriving in the country, they assigned him to highway work in the Jordan Valley where, because of the glowing heat, it seemed to him that he had fallen into a lime kiln. And the barhash [tiny fly], a kind of insect that flew out of the emptiness of the world during the cutting of the wheat in the fields, really annoyed him, buzzing in his ears, penetrating into his nostrils and eyes, biting and annoying, actually drove him crazy.

Wounds, blisters and various physical pains weakened him, making him unable to do any work.

He struggled long for his survival; with stubborn strength he did what he had to do in order to overcome the initial anguish of the pains of absorption that he accepted with love, overcame them and actually integrated them into the earth…

([The original article was] translated by M. Hampel)

Translator's Notes

10. Nuts were used in various games played by Jewish children, including a sort of bowling game. return
11. Old Russian measure of distance equaling about .66 of a mile or 1.06 kilometers. return
12. Huta Bankowa, a steelmill located in Dąbrowa Górnicza. return
13. Stretchers on which corpses are carried. return
14. Tuberculosis. return
15. The bal musaf is the person who recites the prayers during musaf service – additional prayers said on Shabbos and holidays. return

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