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The Jewish settlement in Lublin, which numbered approximately 43,000 Jews, also included those living in the suburbs.

Despite having their own institutions and leaders, the Jews in the suburbs remained connected to the Jewish community in Lublin. All of the institutions that the Jews possessed in Lublin, such as the hospital, orphans' and old people's home, yeshivus [religious secondary schools] and synagogues, philanthropic institutions, also were supported by the Jews in the suburbs. In public political campaigns, such as voting for the Sejm [lower house of the Polish parliament], city council elections, to the fund for the sick, the Jewish kehila [organized Jewish community], the suburbs went along with the Jews in Lublin. In the local campaigns, every political belief placed influential representatives from the suburbs on their list of candidates to draw more votes. In general, one did not feel any difference between the Jews from the city and those in the suburbs.

Czechów belongs to the oldest area of Lublin. They began to build and develop Lublin at Czechów. In the center of Lublin was the zamek [castle] and its [Crown] Tribunal, where the administration was located, and there sat the dukes and noblemen. However, the people began building their houses and the city at Czechów.

The name comes from the River Czechówka that cuts through the suburb and empties into the River Bystrzyca.

Around the brook were large and wide meadows. All kinds of cattle grazed there. Since the Jews had little to do with cattle or horses, the Jews of the suburb were referred to as “Czechów goats.”

The Jews of Czechów had their own cemetery, which the two other suburbs, Wola and Zamd, did not have.

The suburb was divided into two parts: small Czechów and large Czechów. In small Czechów, one saw modern one- or two-story houses, while in large Czechów this was a rarity.

The Jewish population of Czechów consisted mainly of artisans and retailers. The young were simply sent to the crowded, small residences, which also housed the worker workshops. A large number of Czechów young people came into the city [Lublin] and created places for themselves. The communist movement, which was illegal, [and] along with the Bund and other movements, influenced the young. The political leader, Heshel Szpiro (today in Israel), personally influenced the older generation [and] was elected to the kehila council on the list of the Orthodox. However, he represented [all of] the Jews of Czechów at the kehila.

Just as in the remaining two suburbs, a series of philanthropic institutions existed in Czechów.

The most difficult part was reaching an agreement with the Jews from Czechów about the campaign for moes khitem [collection of money to provide Passover needs to the poor] for Passover. The Czechów Jews maintained that because they had their own cemetery, they wanted to benefit from the [commandment, often translated as good deed], too, and did not consent to a combined moes khitem campaign. The rabbinate always had to intervene on this question.

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A special activity in Czechów was led by the revolutionary young people who carried out their work under various legal institutions.

In the end, a sports club was active under the name Wieniawa, which carried on sports activities. The leaders of the sports club were politically on the left. From time to time, various readings on literary and political themes took place at the club. The sports club had the confidence of a large number of the residents in Czechów.

Jewish life in Wola had a completely different appearance, livelier, more influential, and Wola provided many local and even national communal workers. The reasons are understandable. There were large Jewish tanneries in Wola, employing approximately 300 Jewish workers. They were organized in a professional union, which placed a stamp on the suburb of Wola.

The entrance to Wola was through the old cemetery, leading to the Słomiany rynek [marketplace], where Knipek's orchard was located; Słomiany rynek was a part of Wola.

Together, there were approximately a thousand Jewish residents, almost all from the working class.

At Wola, there was a synagogue, a house of prayer, and an Ahi-Ezer [help for my brother] Society. The Ahi-Ezer Society once played a great role; its yearly ball was always prepared carefully, so that before and after the ball, people spoke about the beautiful and useful work of the Society. The middle class wore masks and on Purim went around gathering money. The Wola Jewish residents supported the Society generously. The leaders of the Society were: Avraham Goldfinger, Yitzhak Szticer, Avrahamtshe Zaionc, and others.

Wola also had its good and pious Jews who evoked respect and esteem. Reb Avrahamtshe, to whom one came for advice and remedies, Reb Shmelka and Reb Mordekhai Yakov, had great prestige. The latter was a cantor and, after praying, he studied with the congregation.

The three women who collected money every Friday and distributed it to the needy were very beloved. Their names were: Surala, the wife of the shoykhet [ritual slaughterer], Malkala, the wife of Hersh Melamed [teacher], and Malkala Szilewicz. That was how we referred to them.

There were three large tanneries in Wola. The owners of the tanneries were Jews, and their names were also known outside Lublin: Pesakh Brikman, Sh. Zilbersztajn and Shmuel Aychenbaum. Approximately 600 workers worked in these tanneries, among them more than 300 Jews. The relationship between the Jewish and non-Jewish workers was not bad.

The remaining Jews drew their livelihood from trades and retailing. Since this was a workers' suburb, both Jewish workers' unions, Bund and Left Poalei Zion [Marxist Zionist], prevailed there. The Orthodox and Zionists had a smaller influence there.

The deaf Shlomo, a Jew in his sixties with a long beard and a Jewish hat, worked at Zilbersztajn's and was very beloved by the Bund in Wola. In addition to him, active in the Bund group were Noakh Beker, Leiba Flug, Meir Goldadler and others. The latter is in Paris today. They led the Bundist group in Wola.

Leading the left Poalei Zion in Wola were: Kopl Diament, Chaim Yisroel Mugerman, Noakh Mugerman, Yisroel Szafran and Mordekhai Mugerman.

The interparty struggles among these two parties in Wola were played out in the various elections that took place in Lublin for the city council and the kehila.

A special meeting took place in

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Wola. Both groups mobilized all of their strength so that each would receive an appropriate number of votes. The leaders of the Jewish workers' parties in Poland: [Yankev] Zerubavel, [Benish] Michalewicz and others appeared at election meetings in Wola when they were in Lublin.

Active among the Bundists: Avrahamtshe Zajonc, Mordekhai Yakov Edelman. They did not carry on any particular activities. Shmuel Sztil, Hershele Anker, Tovya Grinszpan led the Orthodox. The latter mainly was occupied with house of prayer questions.

The young from Wola were mostly employed in the city and, as a result, they had their communal interests in the city. This was mainly because Wola was not a great distance from the city or from Czechów.

Attempts were made several times to create an institution that would carry on the cultural or sports work in Wola. They did not succeed because the young were engaged in various parties and institutions that were active in the city.

It is characteristic that a resident of Wola said that “he was going out to the street” and a resident of Czechów said that “he was going into the city,” because Wola was near and connected to Ruska, Sieroca, Podzamcze Streets and the entire area near the castle through a meadow on which was the location of the TOZ [Towarzystwo Ochrony Zdrowia Ludności Żydowskiej – Society for Safeguarding the Health of the Jewish Population], where thousands of poor Jewish children received their rest during the summer.

Two suburbs filled with Jewish folk life. They perished with the Lublin Jewish community. The surviving Jews of Lublin will always remember them.

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