Rozana; a Memorial Book to the Jewish Community
( Ruzhany, Belarus)

52°52'/ 24°53'

Rozhinoy; sefer zikaron le-kehilat Rozhinoy ve-ha-seviva

Edited by: M. Sokolowsky

Published in Tel Aviv, 1957

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Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Edith Taylor

This is a translation of: *Rozhinoy; sefer zikaron le-kehilat Rozhinoy ve-ha-seviva;
Rozana; a memorial book to the Jewish community. Ed. M. Sokolowsky.
Tel Aviv, Former residents of Rozhinoy in Israel, 1957 (232 pages H,Y).
With a supplementary chapter in Yiddish by Joseph Abramovitsch "Once there was a shtetl."

*Ruzhinoy = Rozana (Polish pronunciation), now Ruzhany in Belarus.

My copy has a handwritten dedication to my father: "Abraham Vegotsky, fellow citizen of Ruzhnoy, as a sign of respect and thanks from the committee of Ruzhnoyan landsmen. Tel Aviv, May 7, 1958."

Translation by Nurith Brier and Edith Vegotsky Taylor.

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TITLE PAGE

RUZHINOY

Commemoration Book to the Ruzhinoy Community and Environs

A Memorial to the Jewish Community

Collected and Edited by Mayer Sokolowsky

Published on the 15th year to the Shoah

5717

Published by the organization of Ruzhinoy Landsleit

in Israel on the 300th year of the Blood Libel
 

Table of Contents

Subject  Page
 
Introduction by the Editor 5 
Ruzhinoy Map 6 
History:  
History of the Town of Ruzhinoy 7 
Ruzhinoy according to the registry of the Committee of Communities 8 
Ruzhinoy according to General Encyclopedia* 8 
Ruzhinoy according to the Jewish encyclopedia 8 
Martyrs:  
Ruzhinoy’s martyrs according to Daat (early book) 10 
Slichot over early martyrs 12 
Martyrs tomb 17 
Martyrs’ descendents  17 
Ruzhinoy’s martyrs according to Souls of Israel 18 
Torah:  
Cheders 21 
Melameds Association 22 
A Cheder for Girls  23 
Splendor of Youth (Tiferet Bachurim, vocational education) 23 
Yeshiva of Ruzhinoy 24 
Various study groups 26 
Rabbis 29-41 
Story written by Chernikovsky, "Sha’at Nez" 41-46 
Labor (Economy of the town):  
Lives of weavers in Ruzhinoy in 19th century 48 
Workers family in the shtetl  49 
Labor movement in Ruzhinoy in 19th century   50 
Founding of Pavlova in Constantinova  51 
G’milut Chassadim (Benevolent Societies):  
Idealists of the people 52 
Hadassah 54 
Leib Vash and other members of Pines family 56 
Yona the Shoemaker 59 
Nimele the Butcher  59 
Shapis of Pavlova 59 
Our Shetl Ruzhinoy:  
Synagogues of Ruzhinoy  62 
Public life in Ruzhinoy   64 
The tax (on meat)   65 
My childhood in Ruzhinoy   66 
The Fires:   
Plague of fires  68 
Leib "the only one" 71 
How the fire brigade was set up  72 
Fire brigade in Ruzhinoy 72 
Fire brigade parades  73 
Fear of pogroms in the shetl in 1904  75 
The beginnings of Zionism:  
"Hurry up Brethren," written by Yechiel Michal 77 
Pines (song still sung in Israel)   
Beginnings of Zionism in Ruzhinoy  78 
Yechiel Michael Pines 78 
More about Y. M. Pines  80 
Passages from "The Children of My Spirit" by Y. M. Pines    81 
Itta Yellin   82 
Rabbi Ze’ev Wolf Shachor (black)  82 
 The founding of Akron (agricultural settlement south of Tel Aviv)   83 
Yearning of redemption   85 
The years of agitation: 
The year 1905--the political parties 87 
The struggle for 12-hour work day  87 
The big strike of 1910  88 
Public figures and personalities:
 Lullaby 90 
Aron Lieboshitsky, Mayer Krinsky, Zelig Sher, Melech Epshtein,
Dov Lobsovsky, Avigdor Michal, Goldberg, Dr. Mayer Pines, Moshe Limon 		 91-95 
First World War:  
 World War I   97 
Rule of the German Occupation  98 
About the German Occupation 99 
The Forest People  100 
 The Big Fire  101 
The Kinder Heim (Children’s Home)  102 
The Choir   103 
Hazamir "and Hertzliah" (gymnasium)  104 
Consume verein (consumers’ organization)  107 
In between powers--the German occupation and the Russian revolution   108 
Pogroms in Ruzhinoy   108 
Way of Life in the Shetl:  
The libraries of Ruzhinoy  110 
The library in Pavlova   110 
Memories of childhood  111 
Longing for the land of Israel  114 
Ma’ot Chitim (food fund for needy)  115 
Passover eve in our shetl  115 
Economic Situation:  
After World War I   119 
In Ruzhinoy  119 
The bank in Ruzhinoy   120 
Zionist Movements:  
Hechalutz Movement in Ruzhinoy   122 
Actions in behalf of the Jewish National Fund   126 
The Zionist Organization   129 
Hashomer Hatza’ir   131 
Hashomer Hatzi’r renews its activities   132 
Betar (Jabotinsky’s youth movement)   136 
My birth place   137 
Educational Institutions:  
Educational institutions in the stetl   138 
The Tarbut School   139 
The Talmud Torah Institution   143 
Dovid Miller   144 
Charitable Institutions:  
In the 19th century   145 
In the 20th century   146 
Second World War and the Holocaust:  
19 days of German-Polish war & Russian jurisdiction   150 
Echoes of the times in writings   151 
Under the Nazis in Ruzhinoy   153 
Passing through Ruzhinoy   162 
Echoes  167 
Poem: "Everything Precious to Me"   170 
In German Captivity   170 
On what had passed on my return   171 
Jacov Mayer Maruchnik   172 
In Memory of Ruzhinoy’s Martyrs   174 
Beloved   175 
In Memory of Those Who Made Aliyah:  
A.Y. Haboynik and Wife   177 
Rabbi Ze’ev Wolf   178 
Leibl Ziskind   178 
Nachum Alperstein Committee ofLandsmen’s  Organizations   181 
Our Families:  
A listing & photos of some of the families   184 
The Fallen in the War of Independence: (Israel)  
Listing of many names & photos   190 
Poem: The Jewish Body   192 
More names listed   193 
Another poem: Liberty   197 
"Amal is Geven a Stetl"- Ruzhinoy as I Remember:  
Survey in Yiddish   199 
In Memory of our Martyrs   212 
Ruzhinoy and Environs  213 
Lists of Ruzhinoyer in Israel  229 
Lists of Liskovers in Israel  232 
Once There Was A Shtetl - Supplementary chapter  

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