Markuszów, Poland

The Destruction and Heroism
of the Town of Markuszow
(Markuszów, Poland)

51°22' / 22°16'

Translation of
Hurbana u-gevurata shel ha-ayara Markuszow

Editor: David Shtokfish

Published in Tel Aviv 1955

Our sincere appreciation to Yad Vashem
for the submission of the necrology for placement on the JewishGen web site.

This is a translation of: Hurbana u-gevurata shel ha-ayara Markuszow (The destruction and heroism of the town of Markuszow),
Editor: David Shtokfish, Former Residents of Markuszow in Israel, Published: Tel Aviv 1955 (Y 436 pages)

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Markuszow

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Translated by Gloria Berkenstat Freund

Introduction (Hebrew)		5
Introduction (Yiddish)		7

*First Part - This is How the Shtetl* Looked**
Several Historical-Statistical Facts about Jews in Markuszow (Inserted at page 12)	Dr. Rafael Mahler	I
Several Historical Dates and Numbers about Markuszow		13
A Stroll through Markuszow	Dvora Czapnik-Fiszbajn	14
Introduction 1) Markuszow Piety: Fishele Melamed; The “Silk” Shtetl; The “Shokl”; The Draftees; The Up-Side-Down One; Reb Hershele the Shamas; The Verker; Gepsele the Shoykhet; The Small Robe; A History of a Groom and Bride; Markuszow Had No Luck; The Well; The Jewish Law about Non-Jewish Wine; The Ceremony at the Conclusion of Writing a Torah; Two Houses 2) Guests in the Shtetl: The Russian-Japanese War;The Revolution of the Fifth Year In… Markuszow; The Natshalnik is Here!; Stolen Cholent; A Disturbed Purim; The Gramophone; The Goblets 3) Types and Figures: Avraham-Ber the Maskil; Berish Lerer; Pinkhas Kandel; The Lamed Vovnik; Kis-Kis; The Shabbos Goy; The Tall Yitzhak, The Sportsman; The Composer, Zeligl Gutbizicer, The “Honest One”; Avraham-Dovid Kopitko; Markuszow Wagon Drivers		17

The Religious, Political and Cultural Life
The Hasidic War between Radzin and Markuszow	M. Nachshon [Capa]	59
The Kehile [organized Jewish community] and its Dozores [members of the communal council]	Arya Wajnriber	64
Our Clergy; Markuszow Wants a Rabbi; Rabbi Wajcman.
Sholem Asch and I.M. Wajzernberg in Markuszow	Chaya Herc-Lotersztajn	71
Kadima - First Zionist Organization	Moshe Nachshon [Capa]	75
Memories of Kadima	Chaya Herc-Lotersztajn	78
Zionist Organization Tarbut School, Plan for a Markuszow Colony in Eretz Yisroel, Hasidim and Zionists, Away to the Revisionists, Without an Esrog…, Again a Split	Arya Wajnriber	80
Difficulties in the Zionist Work	Sura Fianka-Wajnfiber	87
Revisionists and Betar	Moshe Nachshon [Capa]	88
Left Poalei-Zion	Dovid Brener (Tevl)	98
Yugnt, Yungbar and Sport, Persecutions, Great Youth Celebrations, Decline and Rise, In Memory of Comrades
Sustenance, We Act in Theater, Fooling Our Father	Tzipora Fedberg (Bajgelman)	110
The Professional Union	L. Kandel, Dovid Brener	113

Jewish Income
The Monday Fair	Moshe Nachshon [Capa]	120
Sadownikes [orchard renters]	Dovid Brener (Tevl)	126
Young Women of the House	Pesa Wasersztrum	129
Merchants and Artisans	Sholem Wasersztrum	130

Help Organizations
Markuszower Philanthropy	Sholem Wasersztrum	132
Banks	Arya Wajnriber	134

To the Memory of Our Personalities
Reb Yosef Zeev Ashkanazi Idlsh (Rabbi in Markuszow)	Avraham Yuri	137
Reb Yosef Zeev Idlsh	Sholem Wasersztrum	140
Reb Reb Avraham-Moshe of Markuszow	N. Shomen	141
The Rebbe, Reb Avraham Moshe	Sholem Wasersztrum	142
In Memory of Yitzhak Wasersztrum	M. Nachshon [Capa]	144
The Four Maskilim	M. Nachshon [Capa]	145
The Builders and Fighters: In Memory of a Comrade	Arya Wajnriber	147
Yisroel-Itshe Roguski	Sura Fianka-Wajnfiber	150
Moshe Ejdlsztajn - the Heroic Messenger of the Community	Sholem Wasersztrum	151

Second Part - Death and Resistance
List of Markuszow Jewish Partisans		157
With Partisans, with Peasants, in Bunkers The Shtetl until the Destruction; Markuszow is Bombed; The First Days of the Occupation; The Deportation Actions; We Gather Weapons; In the Woler Forest; Back into the Bunkers; Partisan Stories	Dina Gothelf	159
In the Fight against the Hitlerist Enemy	Moshe Pelc	195
With the Markszow Partisans	Nusan Westlsznajder	226
My Experiences during the German Occupation (Eyewitness Testimony)	Eidl Fiszbajn	239
Memories of Nazi Hell	Ester Zilbering	256
The Hero of Majdanek (Eyewitness Testimony of Rywka Nachszun [Capa])		270
Two Week Period of Partisan Life	Shmuel Rubinsztajn	272
Jewish Partisans in the Armia Ludowa	Mikhal Lotersztajn	283
A Group of Partisans at Plouszowice	Alter Raset	300
My Child Wanted to Live	Ester Zilbering	302
Two Sisters Speak (Frandl and Rywka Zilberman)		307
(Eyewitness Testimony Recorded by M. Nachshon [Capa])
My Experiences during the Occupation	Ester Zilbering	312
(Eyewitness Testimony Recorded by M. Nachshon [Capa])
Miriam Lotersztajn		349
In the Partisan Movement	Shmuel Laks	350
List of Jews Who Perished during the Occupation		389
Obituaries		399
Markuszower in Israel		429

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