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My grandfather was R'Hanoch Koch z”l, and he was called the pious ….{….}. My father was Avraham Koch and my mother was from the Slafter family from Meilitz.

My father was very devout and he woke up early every day and went to the Beit Midrash to teach and afterwards pray. He was a Shinover Hassid and also a Hassid of the Dombrover. So that he would have shmura matzo; he would buy dry wheat back in the summer and personally grind it while baking would be done in his presence and under his supervision.

In my time, the chazzan, R'Shmuel Yossel, lead the prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in the Scholl synagogue, while in Karlihaz, there was a famous chazzan, R'Eli. Later, he was transferred to serve in the city of Meilitz.

In the city there was a famous genius of a rabbi, R'Shmuel Engel z”l, as well as a famous rebbe, the Polonicher Rav. The people would come to the latter for holidays, especially Rosh Hashana. Many Hassidim came from far and wide, even from Congressional Poland.

Every Thursday was market day in the town and farmers would come from all of the surrounding villages, bringing with them eggs, chickens, horses, fruits, produce and all kinds of vegetables. This is how the town's Jews subsisted.

In the town there was one lawyer, two doctors and a barber whose name was Yaakov Peletz. The latter would visit the sick together with the doctors and in this way, he learned medicine. He would apply suction cups and leeches and he also pulled out teeth. No train reached the city so when there was need, the doctors and/or barber would travel to Meilitz, then to Cherna and then to Tarnow by wagon.

I am Shmuel Slafter and I was born in Radomyshl. At age three, I began to attend Heder with Rebbi Shlomo Stern. Every morning the assistant would come, dress me and wash me and say with me the morning blessing of Modeh Ani. Then he would bring me to Heder. Many times they would send us home from Heder, as when the police would come to check the Heder out. At age five, I began to learn the Chumash. We went with the assistant to the houses of mothers giving birth to read Shema and in return we got sweets.

Afterwards, I learned with Icha Poglefand and later still, I learned with a greater rabbi – Rab Asher Rav Iches together with Pesach and Reuven Eisland. We learned here the Chumash with Rashi's commentary and Gemarah. In the winter time, we learned until late at night and we would return home with paper lights in hand. Every Shabbat, they heard us say what we had learned and we received Shabbat fruits. We didn't go to the school since the Hassidim didn't send their children to the non-Jew's school. This, even though by my time there was a religious-studies teacher in the school.

At age 14, they sent me to a great business school in Tarnow to learn business. After a number of years, I travelled to Germany, to Düsseldorf. In 1906, I married the daughter of Aharon Moher from Tarnow. In Düsseldorf, I founded a furniture store and I was also a political and Zionist activist.

Likewise, I was also the gabbai for 25 years in the synagogue for Eastern Jews and among the founders of the Talmud Torah. I was on the council for the community of German Jews as the representative for Eastern European Jews.

I was the chairman of the Organization for Eastern European Jewry, the object of which was to channel funds to the needy and for immigration to different countries. Being as there was constant infighting between Eastern and Western Jewry, I as representative, fought for Eastern European Jewry.

My wife also founded the Misrah Society for Women which took care of the sick. We would organize Hanukkah and Purim parties together with the Zionist organization, and the funds we channelled to the needy and to Israel. At different times, I and my wife collected funds for Israel. When the Zionist leaders came to town, such as Moshe Beilinson, Anzi Sireni, M. Shartok and others, they would stay at our house.

When we left Germany in 1936 straight for Israel to the United Kibbutz Ein Harod, where my daughter and son-in-law were living. They had been there for a long time prior. I worked on the farm until I reached my 80's and we helped as per our abilities. We have been very satisfied with our lot.

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