[Page 45]

Older boys already studied Gemarah and Tosefos with the teachers Yoysef-Mordkhe,

Berl Viskitker, Avrom-Yisroel Urshins and others. Twelve- and thirteen-year-old boys already bore the entire yoke of Judaism. They studied with zeal, with a melody, in earnest and in depth.

Others already followed all the quirks of the Chasidim, and they gestured with their thumbs,

like their fathers and grandfathers did. They already studied Jewish ethics, as if they were

plunged in sin over their heads. Such lads already began to study by themselves. Often they would study all night, with feverish ecstasy. Others would travel to various yeshivas, they would wander in unfamiliar places, where they were fed as guests in wealthier homes^[24], and drank from the wellspring of Talmud.

But most of them started to vacillate. They snuck a peek at a secular book, or at the page of a newspaper. They started reading non-kosher things (fiction and science) and in fact they studied goyishe grammar, algebra and geometry… This was, in essence, the age of Jewish Enlightenment in Skierniewice. This led to great controversy. Pious zealots were literally fighting. And since the Jews of Skierniewice had always been hot-blooded, both factions, the religious fanatics and the heretics, were eager to fight. Neither side held back from bloodshed and breaking each other's bones. It was then that the “Fellowship of Unity” was established, which finally overcame the fanatics. Afterwards, it was no longer necessary to steal away to the outskirts of the town in order to take a look at HaTsfira [“The Siren”] and HaMelitz [“The Advocate”]^[25], and to read a book by Mendele Moykher Sforim, Sholem Aleichem, a poem by Bialik, and an essay by Ahad Ha'am and Nahum Sokolow… For some of the lads, the transition was slow and gradual and consequently without particular repercussions. For many of them, however, the change was radical, quick and drastic. This resulted in their having to run away from the town. Others even left for foreign countries. So as not to be dependent on their fathers, they began to learn a trade and became good craftsmen.

That is what the “Renaissance” looked like for the youth of Skierniewice. From there, it was just one leap to the great, bubbling social life into which our youth threw themselves with enthusiasm. Indeed, proportionally, our activities in every area of social life exceeded by far the number of Jews in town…The fanatics placed a herem^[26] on them. They persecuted not only young cultural activists but also their families, which

[Page 46]

Yitskhok Grinboym and the Zionist activists of all parties in Skierniewice Sitting from the right: Kalikshteyn, the Hebrew teacher Volman, Moyshe Rozenblat, Moyshe Rotblit, Yitskhok Shvarts, Shaye Rozenblum, Mordkhe Nayman, Yisroelke Shpikhler, Yitskhok Grinboym, Yekhiel Veynakht, Alter Levkovitsh, Leybl Tsudkovitsh, Yekhezkiel Levkovitsh, Meylekh Levkovitsh, Meyer Sharfharts, Yenkl Shvaytser, Dovid Himlfarb, Ben-Tsien Haus, Zelik Rotman. Standing from the right: the two heads from the door: Rozenblum and Rokhl Rozenblum, Shayele Bresler, Mordkhe Zilberberg, Yirmiyohu Rozenberg, Yosl Lando, Moyshe Shenitser, Mendl Gros, Ruvn Pintshevski, Moyshe Kurts, Tsalel Zeyler, Yitskhok Boymerder, Yenkl Koyen, Yenkl Zeyde, Yiskher Dzhalovski, Shmuel-Leyzer Segal, Leybl Lifshits, Yenkl Nayman, Moyshe Lando, Yoysef Firstnberg, Moyshe Zelman, Mendele Birnboym, Fishl Shvaytser, Shloyme Zakon, Berish Zakon, unknown, Yenkl Nayman, Leybl Sharfharts.

[Page 47]

were banned from shtibls and prayer houses. But time did its work: as soon as the first idealistic cultural activists started their selfless activity, it took hundreds of boys and girls by storm. The first swallows appeared so we knew that a new spring is coming. Some speakers were brought in from Warsaw and our own “reinforcements” also showed up. We organized conferences, lectures, fundraisers, theatrical performances, recitations, concerts and many other cultural events which were very well attended. Our youth so distinguished themselves that Warsaw political leaders, writers and artists who we had

Founder and leader of Brit Trumpeldor[27] Yisroel Glovinski

Yitshok Grinboym would always gladly accept the invitation to visit Skierniewice and devoted special attention to our youth.

Dr. Shiper, after his visit to Skierniewice, spoke in the Writers' Union in Warsaw with fondness and respect about our youth.

Avrom Hartsfeld visited Skierniewice, as a representative of the Jewish National Fund commission from the Land of Israel. On that occasion, all the Jewish youth came out to the railway station to welcome him. The “Brit Trumpeldor”^[27] organization, with Yisroyelik Glovinsky at its head,

[Page 48]

received him in a military fashion, giving orders in Hebrew. When Avrom Hartsfeld saw the huge crowd, as he alighted from the train, he refused to travel in a droshky. He took a few young people by the arm and began to march on foot into the city. All the young people followed him, singing songs from the Land of Israel. This was a spontaneous demonstration along the train station road, Pshernik, up to the meeting place of “Ahavas Tsion” which was located in the home of Daytsher. Once there, they really started dancing, singing and eagerly hearing the important news from the Land of Israel until late at night. The next morning, he showed up with a report from the Land of Israel in front of a fully packed hall in the “Oaza” cinema. Years later, when I met Hartsfeld in Jerusalem, he still spoke enthusiastically about the youth of Skierniewice.

Once, after a lecture by Meylekh Ravitsh in “Satyr” hall, which the “Bund Organization”^[28] had arranged, he got into a big peasant cart, with a large group of youth from the “Bund” and headed out on an excursion through the woods. There they passed the time with storytelling, singing, and fun and games until late in the night.

Segalovitsh was moved by our welcome and always spoke sentimentally about his Skierniewice readers and audience.

Perets Markish used to enjoy visiting us and afterwards spoke enthusiastically about our youth.

The same thing happened with actors, producers, political party leaders and cultural activists.

Each organization in town had its own meeting place and its own cultural committee, which took care of classes, library books, lectures and theatrical performances by visiting troupes and by their own drama club. The youth flocked to these organizations, which were full of life, joyful learning, knowledge and idealism. At the center of all these activities were the Zionist parties. Together, they were the force that had the greatest influence on

[Page 49]

the intellectual development of almost all the young people. The representative boards of both Christian and Jewish institutions were almost completely composed of influential people who were Zionist sympathizers. The Zionist groups and the Bund organization led all cultural activities. The other parties played an extremely limited role, because the Folkists^[29]), the communists, the members of Agudat Yisrael and others were small in number and weak in terms of cultural impact and consequently they had no access to the youth.

For a certain period, the great movement of “Hibbat Zion” (“Love of Zion”), which started with the Zionist congresses and with Dr. Hertzl's Judenstaat,^[30] attracted almost all the inhabitants of Skierniewice: Chasidim and their opponents, observant Jews and free thinkers, rabbis and common people. Then it seemed as if Messianic times had arrived…But later,

A group of Zionist girls study Hebrew with the teacher Halter under the guidance of Yekhiel Lifshits and Shifre Bornshteyn Upper row, from the right: Rivke-Leye Zinger, Rivke Zelmanovits, Royze Holts, Miryem Leye Nayman, Khane Zhitelnitski, the teacher Halter, Rotman, Blime Karp, Shifre Bornshteyn, Yekhiel Lifshits. Second row, from the right: Liza Frenkel, Khantshe Bresler, Khane Rotman. With the sign: Frimet Grinboym, Sorele Shvitser.

[Page 50]

The first members of the Zionist organization Ahavas Zion “Love of Zion” First row, standing from the right: Arn Shiglits, Khayiml Lifshits, Arn Rozenboym, Yitskhok Shevats, unknown, Moyshele Lifshits, Yekhiel Muster. Second row, from the right: Leyzer Moshkovits, Bunem Tugetman, Khatskel Nayman, Yekhezkel Levkovits, Shmuel Bak, Mordkhe Shtern, Yenkl Vudki. Third row, from the right: Zelik Shenitser, unknown, Betsalel Daytsher, Rabbi Melikovski, Lipman Karp, Eliezer Freylekh.

[Page 51]

In Zionism they found their remedy, a way to continue to survive spiritually.

Among the Zionist leadership in Skierniewice at that time were: Shmuel Bak, Khayiml and Moyshele sons of Yokhebed Lifshits, Arn Roznboym, Yitskhok Shevats, Yenkl Vurka (who had already started raising the kronot [funds] and selling shares in the Jewish National Bank), Boyez Plotsker, Fishl Bornshteyn, Yekhiel Vaynakht, Sore Neyman, Miryem Borenshteyn, Dovid Shtshupak, Rivke Ventland and Rivke Karp. At that time, the idea of establishing Hebrew schools emerged. Then fresh forces joined those activities, among them: Khaym Bentshkovski, Yokhebed Vaynakht, Meylekh Liberman, Khayml Levkovitsh, Rozalye Finkelshteyn, the teacher Hershkorn, Khayim-Lozer Yitskovitsh and others. The Hebrew schools opened under the supervision of the good Hebrew educators: Osher Bakalar with his father and the teacher Sokolovski. Bakalar's personality had a strong influence on all the Zionist activities.

In our schools, Hebrew was taught in Hebrew. A strong love for the people and for the land of Jewish yearnings was instilled in the children. The children celebrated Lagboymer^[31], in the woods, together with their teachers. For the children, all the Jewish holidays took on a whole new charm, a different color and taste. The taste of the Land of Israel…

Notes:

23. Gemara is Talmud and Tosefos are medieval commentaries on the Talmud Return
24. esn teg literally: eating “days” – the practice of eating meals at different homes on different days Return
25. secular Hebrew language newspapers Return
26. herem: the strictest form of censure by rabbis on Jewish wrongdoers, i.e. the total exclusion of a person from the Jewish community. Return
27. a right-wing secular Zionist organization Return
28. Jewish Labor Bund, Jewish socialist party founded in 1897, very influential in Russia and particularly in Poland until World War II Return
29. members of the Yidishe Folkspartay – the Jewish People's Party, founded after the 1905 pogroms in the Russian Empire and active in Poland in the 1920s and 1930s Return
30. Judenstaat (“The State of the Jews”) German title of an important Zionist pamphlet written by Theodor Herzl in 1896. Return
31. Lagboymer – Hebrew Lag BaOmer, spring holiday on the 33^rd day after Passover, celebrated with excursions to the countryside. Return

  Skierniewice, Poland     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2026 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 30 Dec 2025 by JH