Mezritsh Book,
in Memory of the Martyrs of Our City
(Międzyrzec Podlaski, Poland)

51°59' / 22°47'

Translation of

Sefer Mezritsh le-zecher kedoshe 'irenu

Hebrew editor – Yitzchak Ronkin, Yiddish editor – Bonim Heller

Published by the Mezritsh Societies in Israel and the Diaspora
Tel Aviv, 1978


 

     
 

 

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Jamie Kotler

 

This is a translation from: Sefer Mezritsh le-zecher kedoshe 'irenu
(Mezritsh book, in memory of the martyrs of our city)
Hebrew editor - Yitzchak Ronkin, Yiddish editor - Bonim Heller, Mezritsh Societies in Israel and the Diaspora,
Tel Aviv 1978 (Pages: 821 Languages: H, Y)

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Miedzyrzec Podlaski (1978)



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Translated by Jerrold Landau

[Page 373]

Part I - Hebrew

To the People of our City The Editorial Board 11
 
Mezritsh of Old 13
The Community of Mezritsh Meir Edelbaum 15
Tradesmen in Mezritsh in Earlier Generations Dr. Michael Hendel 33
The Bristle Workers of Mezritsh Sofia Dubnow-Erlich 53
The Dispute with Wladek in the Large Beis Midrash [Seminary] M. R. Slodki 58
The Two Story House (Chapters of Memories) Yehoshua H. Jawin 60
A Conversation with Reb Binyamin Farbman, an Elder of our City Fajwel Farbman 70
 
Love of Zion 77
Aliya to the Land of Israel and the Nationalist Movement Meir Ejdelbaum 79
Mezritsh and its First Chalutzim [Pioneers] – Builders of Yesod HaMaala [1] M. R. Slodki 81
Rabbi Baruch–Meir Rozenblum A. M. Charizman 83
Pages from the Diary of Rabbi B. M. Rozenblum   97
Organized Aliyah – Yesod Hama'alah Meir Edelbaum 104
With the Citrus Growers in the Land of Israel Meir Edelbaum 124
The Zionist Movement Meir Edelbaum 129
 
Between the Two World Wars
The Zionist Movement and Its Factions[2] 131
The Mizrachi Movement Meir Ejdelbaum 133
The Zionist Workers Movement in Mezritsh / Memoirs Ch. M. Zalsztejn 136
Poalei Zion Socialist Zionists Avraham Fiterman 148
The Hitachdut Party in our City Mordechai Miraz (Zawelewski) 154
The Emergence of “Hashomer Hatzair” in our City Fajwel Farbman 159
The “Hashomer Hatzair” Chapter in our City Fajwel Fiterman 166
The Realization of a Dream Chaim Najsztejn 178
“Hechalutz” and “Hechalutz Hatzair” Moshe Edelbaum 182
The “Hechalutz” Organization and my Aliyah to the Land of Israel Yitzchak Ben-Reuven (Slodki) 193
The “Gordonia” Organization Ch. Gilad (Goldfryd) 195
The Revisionist Movement in Mezritsh Pinchas Najsztejn 202
Pirchei MizrachiHashomer Hadati Yaakov Bojgman 207
 
Education 211
The “Tarbut” [Education] School in Mezritsh Moshe Trun 213
The List of Students of the “Tarbut” School in Mezritsh   219
The “Tarbut” Hebrew School Hoshea Szulc 221
There Once Was a Gimnazjum [Secular Secondary School] Binyamin Grossberg 231
The Talmud Torah [Torah School] of Mezritsh Binyamin Grossberg 237
The “Beit Yosef” Yeshiva of Mezritsh Rabbi Yitzchak Orlanski 241
 
From our Childhood Neighborhood 243
Staromiejska Street Shalom Smid (Semiatycki) 245
There we Were Born… Yocheved Jawerbaum-Flasztersztein 246
* * * Zehava Ornstejn-Flasztersztein 247
At the Edge of the City Chedva Rinat-Blusztajn 249
Memories From Father's House Mordechai Yaari (Perkelwald) 254
 
Personalities   261
Be Comforted (a Poem) Shalom Smid (Semiatycki) 263
Rabbi Dov Nachman Szapira Meir Edelbaum 264
Reb Motell Frydman Meir Edelbaum 264
Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Wachtfogel Meir Edelbaum 267
Father, of blessed memory Meir Eidelbaum 270
Rabbi Sh. R., Son of Reb Meir Gliksberg, of blessed memory M. R. Slodki 274
Reb Reuven Ch. Gilad (Goldfryd) 276
Reb Moshe Zylberberg Tzvi Arieli (Zylberberg) 280
Reb Moshe Rozenzumen R. 281
Y. H. Jawin G. Kresel 282
A. Y. Trywaks D. T. 283
Moshe Reuven Slodki Reuven Arzi (Cederbaum) 285
Y. Bider Yaakov Bojgenman 289
The Eighth Candle Was Extinguished (Poem) Yisrael Bider 290
Yosef Fiszer Dvora Ofek-Fisher 291
A Memorial to My Brother's Soul Gershon Dolinski 293
The Way of Life of Yitzchak Ben-Reuven (Slodki) Tzipora Broide-Slodki 296
 
Destruction and Heroism 299
The End of the Community Shulamit Chabkin-Najsztejn 301
The Expulsion from the Mezritsh Ghetto (Poem) A. Maggid, Hebrew: B. Tene 308
In Auschwitz Leahka (nee Cukierman) 312
During the Days of Wrath Rabbi Yitzchak Orlanski 316
Heroes of the Underground During the Holocaust Era Yaffa Farbman 321
A Letter from Ozer (Original and Translation)   322
Leah Goldman Sara Weksler-Goldman 324
A Page from the Legacy of Tzvi Goldman   325
Baruch Goldstein, a Native of Our City (A Survivor of the Vilna Ghetto Fighters) P. P-T-N 327
 
They Lie Slain on Your Heights[3] 331
** Avi-Rafi 333
Yitzchak Migdal M. R. Slodki 334
Aharon Cukierman   336
The Last Day of Yaakov Kac His Parents 337
Binyamin Trywaks   338
Moshe Lajzer M. R. Slodki 339
Shmuel Wachtfogel   340
Boaz Nusband   341
Yoel Biderman Avraham Blusztajn 342
Shmuel Mintc His Parents and Brother 343
Yaakov Lew   346
Efraim Bader His Father 346
My Dear Son Rafi His Father 348
Chaim Szacham (Stejnberg) His Mother Hinda 350
Dr. Yechiel Bejman His Father 351
Avraham Najsztejn His Father and Mother 353
The Names of Others from Our City who Fell on the Battlefields of Israel   356
A Poet Who Fell Chaim Guri 357
1) When do the Boys Go To Sleep (Poem) Rafi Farbman 361
2) These Paths (Poem)   362
The Mezritsh Center in Israel Menachem Bir 365

Footnotes
  1. Yesod Hama'alah was founded in 1883 by pioneers from Russian Poland on the shores of Lake Hula in Northern Israel. Approximately 20 pioneers from Mezritsh's chapter of “Hibbat Zion” joined in the effort to establish this early colony. Return
  2. For further information about the various organizations present in the town, please refer to the “Organizations and Publications” Appendix. Return
  3. This is a reference to King David's dirge to Saul and Jonathan in II Samuel 1:19 Return

 

[Page 822]

Part II - Yiddish

{Translator's Note. “H” indicates a corresponding article of the same name and same author in the Hebrew section.
This does not necessarily indicate that the two versions are exactly the same.}

To the People of our City {H- p. 11} The Editorial Board 381
 
Mezritsh of Old 383
The Community of Mezritsh {H- p. 15} Meir Edelbaum 385
Brush Workers and Brush–Making Enterprises Ch. Kac 394
In Mezritsh Yaakov Pat 427
The Bund in Mezritsh Before the First World War[1] Y. Horn 431
Episodes from Mezritsh M. Edelbaum 439
Avraham Reyzen's Visit to Mezritsh Y. Horn 448
 
Love of Zion 451
From Mezritsh to Yesud Hama'alah[2] Menachem Bir 453
Yesud Hama'alah Yoel Mastbaum 456
Roots A. M. Charizman 458
Mezritsh Jews: Among the First to Come to Build the Land Dr. Shoshan–Roz 470
 
Between the Two World Wars  
Under German Occupation During the First World War Meir Ejdelbaum 475
The Bloody Sabbath Simcha Birstejn 488
Eight Days With the Bolsheviks Y. Horn 491
Russian Exile and my Encounters with Mezritshers C. M. Zaltsztejn 494
Brush Making and Brush Makers in Mezritsh L. Frydman 506
Professional Unions in Mezritsh and the Struggle for Factional Hegemony Avraham Blusztejn 513
The Bund in Mezritsh between the Two World Wars Yosef Horn 519
A May the First in Mezritsh Yaakov Blank 537
The Folkspartei (People's Party) [1] Fajwel Fiterman 541
The Jewish People's School in Mezritsh Gershon Frydman 551
Jewish People's School in Mezritsh Leah Diament 555
Jewish Sporting Activity in Mezritsh Avraham Blusztajn 560
Volunteer Firefighters Association H. Bojgman 569
The “Lyre” Folks Choir of Mezritsh Gershon Frydman 573
Two Associations Motell Sobelman 581
The Organization of the “Friends of the Jewish Hospital” Mendel Aryeh 586
The TAZ Society in Mezritsh in 1929 [1]   589
The Orphanage of Mezritsh   590
 
Streets and Alleyways 593
Streets and Alleyways Y. Horn 595
Brisker Street Avraham Busztajn 605
Jews of Mezritsh who Lived on Christian Streets Yosef Cepelinski 611
 
In Stories and in Song 615
The Siyyum[3] Avraham Gelman 617
I Yearn S. Palme 621
The Shofar Blasts Lejb Lew 623
Grandfather's Death Meir Edelbaum 626
To a Deceitful Girl Lajzer Kloc 631
Over Stone Streets Meir Segal 632
Our River Fajwel Fiterman 634
Szmulowizna Street Fajwel Fiterman 636
The Song of the Shtetl Avraham Meir Ganz 637
Memorial Binem Heller 640
 
Evening  
In My Hometown A. Rejnwejn 643
In the Old Home Sh. Frajlach (Litman Geltman) 646
Sabbath in Mezritsh Eliahu Giladi (Perlsztejn) 664
From my Young Days Simcha Birstejn 668
My Mother's Merit Chaim Lebenholc 671
 
Personalities 673
Anuszka Adler L. Frydman 675
Moshe Gedalia Sajeta Yaakov Blank 679
About the Character of Reb Baruch Meir Rozenblum M. R. Slodki 683
Lajzer Kloc Litman Geltman 686
Sh. Frajlach Litman Yaakov Bataszanski 689
Yoel Mastbaum D. T. 693
Avraham Rejnwejn   694
Lejb Lew Fajwel Fiterman 695
Avraham Gelman Yaakov Bojgenman 700
Berl Leahka (Cukierman) 702
Pesach Sapoznikow Shlomo Rogoznik 709
 
Destruction and Heroism 711
The Destruction of Mezritsh Berl Manperl–Charuzi 713
My Visit to the Mezritsh Ghetto Yaakov Czelemenski 717
Prior to the Destruction Tzvi Goldman 726
The Five Aktions Esther Bronsztajn 730
The Liquidation in Mezritsh Tzvi Goldman 736
My Experiences in the Mezritsh Ghetto Malka Rendel-Wagszal 743
Surviving the Destruction Itke Szapira-Pogozelec 751
Attempts at an Anti-Hitlerist Resistance Movement Henryk Rilski (Ch. Rubinstein) 756
Szejndel Cemny Henryk Rilski (Ch. Rubinstein) 761
Mezritsh in 1946 L. Frydman 765
Postwar Mezritsh Y. Shmulewicz 768
The Cemetery of Mezritsh Nachum Gutman 775
Three Victims Avraham Blusztajn 778
 
Mezritsh Jews in the Diaspora 781
Memories of an Immigrant L. Goldfarb 783
The History of the United Mezritsher Relief[1] Chaim Mordechai Zalczstejn 800
Mezritsh Landsmanschaft Society in Argentina[1][4] Yosef Cepelinski 814
The History of the Mezritsh Landsmanschaft Society in Toronto, Canada[1][4] Eliahu Frydman 817
Mezritshers in Australia   821

Footnotes
  1. For further information about the various organizations present in the town, please refer to the “Organizations and Publications” Appendix. Return
  2. Yesod Hama'alah was founded in 1883 by pioneers from Russian Poland on the shores of Lake Hula in Northern Israel. Approximately 20 pioneers from Mezritsh's chapter of “Hibbat Zion” joined in the effort to establish this early colony. Return
  3. Siyyum - Literally “end” - is a celebration upon the conclusion of a study of a Talmudic tractate. Return
  4. Landsmanschaft - An immigrant benevolent organization formed by ex-residents of the same locality or town. These aid organizations were established to deal with social, economic, and cultural problems, and provided a social framework for mutual assistance. (Thanks to Glenda Rubin, “Landsmanschaft Immigrant Benevolent Organizations”, A JewishGen InfoFile, 1996) Return


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