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The Mizrachi movement was founded in the city at the end of the First World War. The movement engraved on its flag the synthesis of the redemption of Israel by man and Ezrat Hamakom^[1], and the shaping of an Israeli society in its country according to Jewish tradition and its Torah.

Among the founders of Mizrachi in Wyszogrod were Ichel Gerszt, Haim Tik, P. M. Lichtenstein, Yechiel Moshe Cohen, Shlomo Kruk, Moshe Szwarczhar, Itcze Yakov Zyychlin, Avraham Szenkman, Yona Szpigel, Mendel Pirsht, Hershel Meirsdorf, Meir Cohen, Shalom Grynbaum, Hieshel Fridman and Yisrael Hirsh Rotbard.

The movement's activities spread into various areas, and they all aimed at forming groups for aliyah^[2], to inspire the spirit of“Rise! Let us go” in the city, educating young people for fulfillment, and the establishment of an aid fund for immigrants and institutions in Israel.

The institutions that Mizrachi established were modern and run in a spirit of strictness and order with the emphasis on Eretz Yisrael.

Among them stood out the Credit Bank and“Yavne” school. This school was the first in the city to introduce the“Hebrew in Hebrew” teaching method. It was a humanistic school in its trend. The emphasis was placed on national-religious education, deepening the knowledge of Jewish history, and fostering ties with the population in Israel. Mizrachi paved the first path in this last area, and the events in the population have become a daily topic which was included in the children's curriculum.

Many were Mizrachi's educational activists, and all contributed their ability to the glorification of the institution. All of them revealed educational talent and deep intuition in the field of education.

Haim Tik stood out among them, with his great dedication to the institution, the children, the teachers, and the smallest needs of the school.

His religious and general education helped him, and he left his impression on everything that was done at school. He ensured that suitable teachers were assigned to their positions, maintained an adequate standard, and worked to ensure the existence of the school.

Quite a few students at this school came closer to the idea of realizing Aliyah and the revival of the Hebrew language. It is impossible to estimate the right of Mizrachi in Wyszogrod in the youth march for aliyah .

The Credit Bank, which was founded at the initiative of Mizrachi, was an institution supervised by government institutions and conducted in a modern banking manner.

The vigorous activity of Mizrachi was felt in various public areas. Members of this movement were active in various strata of the population in Wyszogrod, including Christians who needed it and placed their trust in it.

The bank manager, Ichel Gerszt, who was among its founders, contributed greatly to its development and continued existence. With his great energy and his pursuit of modernization, he brought the institution to a highly respected level.

He was assisted by the movement's activists in the city who served as bank managers, each in turn and by legal election, as was required by the government supervision agreement.

Mizrachi was not an acceptable framework in Wyszogrod. The Hasidic atmosphere in the city turned the aliyah to Eretz Yisrael as something that deviated from the norm, in the term of“the time had not come” and “the generation has not yet been trained to accept change that will benefit them.” Anyone, who tried to take organizational or informational action to mobilize people to aliyah, placed himself in an atmosphere of deviation from conventions and attracted an attitude of foreignness bordering on hostility.

The Mizrachi movement suffered from lack of young people to follow its path, perhaps because of its unpopularity among the older religious community. The youth, students of“Yavne” school, found themselves in an uncomfortable position as they grew older and were about to join Mizrachi. The public doubts, and the difficulties resulting from both factors, unpopularity and lack of youth, weighed heavily on the development of the movement and jeopardized its continuation.

Nevertheless, the influence of Mizrachi in the city was evident, and its representatives in the city's institutions, municipalities, community, and other public entities were very popular among broad strata of society of Wyszogrod.

Being a member of Mizrachi in Wyszogrod's atmosphere was not easy, and those who joined it put themselves through a difficult personal test and a significant ideological ordeal. Therefore, a certain selectivity was created, which brought Hasidim with personal importance and independence. It was possible to be a member of Agudat Yisrael like everyone, but to be a member of Mizrachi you didn't have to be like everyone else.

It was a movement small in number, but notable for the quality of its personalities, and to its credit will be written the bold combination of aliyah and Torah, religion and fulfillment. Aliyah and fulfillment, which were considered at that time“non-Kosher” in the city, rendered“Kosher” by Mizrachi, and this legalization, which was given by a number of bold men in the city, made it easier for religious people with“common sense” to express themselves. To disagree with the ban imposed by their leaders and to think about immigrating to Eretz Yisrael. Who knows how many cut themselves off from life in the Diaspora and made aliyah to fortify a religious life for themselves in Israel.

Who knows how many were touched by the thought of aliyah able to realize it, and in their heart appreciation for the handful of Mizrachi members who gave them the courage to think about it.

Translator's Footnotes:

1. Ezrat Hamakom (lit. “with the help of the place”) is a phrase used to acknowledge that the Divine is present in every location, and that one's actions and outcomes are also influenced by that Divine presence. Return
2. Aliyah (lit. “Ascent”) is the immigration of Jews from the Diaspora to Eretz Yisrael. Return

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Agudat Yisrael in Wyszogrod was founded in 1918 by HaRav R' Naftali Spiwak, R' H. A. Pershet, R' Itzi Meir Cohen, David Witlzon and Lipa Wizhebinsky.

At first, its name was Agudat Ha'Orthodoksim [Orthodox Union], changed to Agudat Shlomei Emunei Yisrael[Union of Faithful Jewry], and only later was called Agudat Yisrael [non-Zionist orthodox movement]. The name indicates that someone in the city saw a way to strengthen the religion by organizing committed people, and this was also done as an internal initiative and not by inspiration from outside.

Upon its founding, its activists founded “Cheder Yesodei HaTorah” and “Talmud Torah.” The second was intended for boys without means so that no boy would be left out of the circle of religious education.

The living spirit in the association's activities was R' Itzi Meir Cohen. A simple Jew, watchmaker by profession, who more than anyone else was blessed with the outstanding talents of a public figure. He had a sharp expression, knew how to put things in perspective, and had the courage to innovate in obtaining the means to realize his goals.

The association also established Kupat Gemilut Hasadim^[1], that the echoes of its activities reached beyond the city boundaries and served as an impetus for several towns. The founder of the fund was A.M. Krongrad, the youngest in the group, who later grew and emerged as a leader of national proportions, and with him worked Eliezer Kermush, Avraham Geziwatz and Yakov Welman.

The fund's secretary was Yosef Menachem Bzezina and after him the signed above.

Standing (from the right): N. L. Daicz, Yoel Naszelski Seated (from the right): S. M. Taub, A. Pelz, A. M. Taub Caption inside the photo: Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael in Wyszogrod, 1 Nisan 5693 [28 March 1933]

This youth association was founded in 1919, but its activity was recognized in the following years, when both worked with Yeshayahu Taub and Yosef Menachem Bzezina who lives in Afula and served in a senior position at the General Federation of Labor. Later, the second shift joined us: A. Pelz, N. L. Daicz and Pinchas Krongrad. As I remember, N. L. Daicz served as chairman of the youth association after me, and Avraham Meir Taub was its last secretary

Fishel Reichman, Yona Goldman, Shmuel Michel Taub, Yisrael Holender, Yoel Naszelski, Yakov Mordechai Taub, Alter Rora and Michael Zand also revealed special activity.

Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael, which was blessed with ardent and active youth, spread over vast areas of activity through objective and subjective difficulties. The association established a large library and brought the youth closer to Hebrew and Yiddish literature. People saw us as deviating from the accepted path, but they were forced to consider our reasoning. The library grew and encompassed many readers, spreading culture and education among the broad strata of religious youth without, God forbid, jeopardizing the foundations of their education.

We also organized lessons in the Talmud, which took place almost simultaneously with Daf Yomi^[2], Gavriel Baumgold, Yehoshua Sokolow and Baruch Ezriel Popowski who served as preachers in these lessons.

This young association had many meetings and frequent contacts among its members. Minyan prayers were held every Sabbath, and the entire Sabbath turned to one long social day. With Seudah Sshlishit^[3] and Melaveh Malkah^[4] the youth received invaluable cultural and social content.

We published a periodic newspaper, most of which dealt with the issue of building Israel. A distinct Zionist tone, which stemmed from personal intuition without any order from above, was heard in the members' expressions.

Here is the place to mention that in 1929, when the echoes of the bloody events and the massacre of Hebron Yeshiva students reached us, we held a very impressive demonstration in partnership with Michel Zichlin from Gordonia and Henech Cohen from General Zionists. Our identification with Israel, which was conquered with the blood of our sons, and the demonstration of this identification in cooperation with Zionist bodies, constituted a departure from the tradition of this movement and emphasized its uniqueness in Wyszogrod. It is interesting that the city, and within it the zealots of Agudat Yisrael, understood our spirit and cooperated with us. The righteous city rabbi, Rabbi Spiwak, appeared at the protest rally held at the Great Synagogue.

In 1925, a girls' school, “Beit Yakov,” was founded on the initiative of Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael and in cooperation with Agudat Yisrael. Eighty percent of the local girls studied there, and the teachers, most of whom came from outside, were among the best in the teaching force in Poland.

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The school's founders were A. M. Cohen, Lipa Wizwinski, Moshe Fuks, Pinchas Grebrz, Yehudah Pelz and Meir Gurfinkel.

In 1930, we were able to establish Bnot Agudat Yisrael in which the graduates of Beit Yakov served as the young shift. Among the movement's activists stood Breindel Taub, Fredel and Sara Estar Zilberboim, Chaya Edel Cohen, Ita Holender and Yehudit Grosman.

Years have passed since then and many details have been forgotten. Meanwhile, many members have gone through the crucible of ideological transformations, but, despite everything, we remember the youthful grace of this youth movement.

We will also always remember the names of the movement's activists who perished: Avraham Meir, Shmuel Michel and Yakov Mordechai Taub. Fishel Reichman, Yona Goldman, Yisrael Holender, Yoel Naszelski, Michael Zand, Lajbel Szpiwak, Shlomo and Yehudah Lawencki.

The movement also sent the following representatives to the municipality: Avraham Yosef Reichman, Mendel Prusht, Yakov Moshe Goldman, Hirshel Sczwirc and Yosef Asz. The latter was our representative in the Magistrate's Court.

We were represented in the community committee by Yitzchak Meir Cohen, Pinchas Grebrz, Moshe Wolf Holender, Leizer Zilberstein Binyamin Rora and Meir Gurfinkel.

It is heartbreaking that most of these precious names, who invested their lives in the movement's activities for education and peace, to design a society of values and justice, have perished. We, A. Plez, the undersigned, Yeshayahu Taub, N. L. Daicz, Pinchas Rora, Alter Rora, Tova Plez-Rora and Sara Ester Zilberboim, were left orphaned by these loved ones and our share is so sad.

Since we are dealing with names, and each name is a world of emotions and memories, we apologize if a name was omitted from the precious names, as this only happened due to the forgetfulness of time.

Translator's Footnotes:

1. Kupat Gemilut Hasadim (lit. “interest-free loan fund”) a charitable fund that provides interest-free loans or other forms of assistance to those in need. Return
2. Daf Yomi (lit. “page of the day”) is a daily regimen of learning the Oral Torah and its commentaries (also known as the Gemara). Return
3. Seudah shlishit is the third meal customarily eaten on the Shabbat in the late afternoon or early evening before sundown. Return
4. Melaveh Malka, meaning “accompanying the queen,” is a customary meal eaten on Saturday night after Shabbat concludes. Return

I remember that it was the day of the completion of Daf Yomi founded by HaGaon R' Meir Shapira, head of Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva.

After seven years of daily study, page after page in the Gemara, it was decided to celebrate the completion of the study of Six Orders of Mishnah with great splendor and enthusiasm, as befits Jews busy with their work and daily worries, who had the willpower to set aside their time and energy for the purpose of studying and meditation in the book of eternal life.

Preparations for the celebration were felt weeks before the completion, and the city was buzzing with excitement.

My brother-in-law Shlomo Lebinsky took me with him. At the age of thirteen I already belonged to Pirchei Agudat Yisrael, but my path was not yet complete. I was still searching for my own world and intellectual and social content.

The party was held at Gemilut Hasadim hall in Mendel Holender's home on Krotky Street, which was also the club of Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael. Then, their secretary was the member Pesach Melnik.

It was a big day and an impressive party. A large crowd of Hasidim, mood that was all spirit and soul and a real mitzvah meal. All of this took hold of me. The next day I registered as a member of the movement.

Every day I came to classes, started reading religious literature and was particularly interested in Rabbi Leiman's literature .I participated in members' conversations, together we wrote and published a newspaper, and my interest in the movement had grown.

Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael in Poland membership card

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Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael participated in all the social and municipal institutions. They conducted an outreach campaign in the direction of traditional religious education and showed great activity in maintaining Beit Yakov School and Cheder Yesodei HaTorah. Our movement also took care to instill spiritual values to Pirchei Agudat Yisrael, and give these children, who for some reason did not continue their studies at a yeshiva, spiritual content with which they will live and continue to forge the Golden Chain of Judaism.

We held fundraisers for Keren Ha-Yishuv in Eretz Yisrael and for Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva. We lived a social and intellectual life full of enthusiasm and content thanks to our distinguished member, Avraham Meir Krongrad z”l, who, together with Shlomo Yehuda Lebinsky, deepen the roots of Judaism within us.

We entered Shlomo Yehuda's cheder. We were indeed few in number, but rich in creative spirit and our longing for knowledge has grown immeasurably.

The youth of Wyszogrod were generally lively and alert. Their place in Poland was narrow for them.They felt that the ground was burning under the Jews' feet and looked for ways of improvement. Various movements were established. Among them those who leaned towards the path of progress and, unfortunately, departed from the path of the Torah which they called fanaticism, while we, Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael, drew from our ancestors' springs of life. Our slogan was, “If there is no past, there is no future, but the kindness of the kingdoms is sin,” when the emphasis was on “kindness.” That is to say, even their charitable movements, which had brotherhood and kindness in them, like socialism and communism, are “sinful,” meaning, the transgressors of the Jewish cause. As we moved with the times in general cultural issues, we remained within the realm of Judaism and its problems, adhering to the ancient origins of our people.

The youth in Wyszogrod in general were thirsty for knowledge and attracted to spaces of study and reflection. Therefore, there were two rich libraries in the city, “Peretz” which also had a dramatic troupe, and the “Zionist Center.” Together with Bnot Agudat Yisrael we had a library with books in Yiddish, Polish, and Hebrew, but most of the books were rabbinic literature and reference. Next to Beit Yakov school we also had a dramatic troupe that performed at Hanukkah and at the end of the school year. Of course, our troupe only performed religious historical plays like “Hannah and Her Seven Sons,” or “Ahasuerus and Esther,” “Graff Potocki - a convert” and more.

Almost the entire religious public in the city came to our performances, and an atmosphere of fondness and awakening was created around Beit Yakov. It was felt that from here would come generations of children who would work for God and man, and this recognition was a reward and encouragement for our work.

Every day we studied together the Daf Yomi in Beit HaMidrash. After the prayer we bought a bottle of alcohol from R' Shmuel Leib Kruk and drank lekhayím. On Sabbath afternoon we held a joint lesson and together went to Beit HaMidrash to pray Mincha and have Shalosh Seudot at Shlomo Yehudah Lebnsky. Yeshayahu Taub sang Bnei Heichala in good taste. When he left Wyszogrod he gave me his right, and I followed him in his tone and taste.

When I was in the ghetto and the camps, I hummed Yeshayahu's Bnei Heichala to myself and immediately all members of Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael passed before my eyes, and I saw them around me in my city. To this day, when I play this tune, they immediately come and stand before me, and images from that time appear in my dreams.

In these Shalosh Seudot we said Torah discourses and had small talks of scholars and society. Later, I suggested that we will also pray together on Sabbath morning to strengthen the group.

The community office was located in the annex of the Great Synagogue, and on Shabbat members of the early morning minyan prayed there. We decided to hold our own minyan every Shabbat at nine o'clock immediately at the end of their prayer.

From the shows of the students of Beit Yakov

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With the establishment of the minyan, we “earned” one more thing. All who came late to the prayer at the synagogue joined us, and our pleasure doubled. They increased our income by donating money when they were called for the reading of the Torah. They also praised us, the young men, for dedicating time to prayer with humility and politeness.

I had the privilege of being elected the minyan's gabbai and Ephraim Zilberstein treasurer. He was the young son of the gabbai Leizer Moshe Zilberstein. We dedicated all of our income to purchasing books, and when we saw that we had money left we decided to write a Torah scroll.

Our movement's chairman was Avraham Pelz and with him served Avraham Meir Taub, Yoel Naszelski and Lajbel Szpiwak as committee members.

The member Avraham Pelz was tasked with buying sheets of parchment for the Torah scroll while he was in Warsaw, and when the sheets were purchased, the city was buzzing with joy that the young men were writing a Torah scroll. There were pessimists who denied our strength and did not believe that we would be able to meet the financial burden. But we continued with full faith that we could accomplish the task.

When we started, many came and “bought” letters. They paid for each letter they filled in and the money started coming in. We also had people donate in the synagogues and prayer houses, and we got to Parshat Tazria in the writing of the Torah.

But here we are stuck without moving.

In the meantime A. Pelz and P. Kronberg made aliyah . Yitzchak Kronberg got married, Yeshaya Taub also got married and left Wyszogrod. Alter and Shmuel Michel were getting ready for aliyah, and I was also thinking of doing the same. Through all this, we did not let up on our activities. We moved to a new club on Shoemakers' Street, we established a charity fund, we gave four to five loans every month, and the city felt us and our activities.

At that time I was elected chairman and tried to stimulate our activity. In 1935, Shmuel Michel Taub pointed out that the aliyah was about to increase, our group would split up, and the Torah scroll, God forbid, will remain unfinished. He approached me, since I worked at Konta Bank, and suggested that I withdraw six hundred zloty from the bank, buy sheets of parchment and then I will take care of the continuation of the writing. According to his proposal, when the writing of the Torah is finished and the letters are sold, we can cover the expenses and also return the money to me. I consulted with my late wife, Sarah, daughter of Shmuel Grassman, and she did not object to the idea, despite all the risk involved for both of us.

I traveled with Shmuel Michal, we bought sheets of parchment and instructed the scribe to speed up the work, so that we can finish on 7 Adar. As the work progressed, it became clear that we did not have enough money and more had to be raised. I almost despaired, I knew that without a completion party my money would be lost, and the entire enterprise would go down the drain. Shmuel Michal, Alter and Natan Meir Rora, Avraham Meir Taub and Haim Rosenberg join together as one member to increase efforts and save the situation. We turned to our parents and our members' parents to lent us money and promised that their money would be returned to them first.

Binyamin Rora, Yitzchak Leib Taub, Sini Daicz, Avraham Szajnblum, Avraham Kashtshanovsky and Motil Wizbinsky, Shimshon Zilbrboim and his son-in-law lent us fifty zloty each and thanks to them we were able to continue, even though the main financial burden fell on me later.

The scriber came. We started sewing the pages. The impression in the city was tremendous, who would have thought that a handful of young men, and a small number of yeshiva students, would write a Torah scroll. We must remember that since the First World War no one dared to write a Torah scroll in Wyszogrod. We became the heroes of the day, and the city was swept away by great enthusiasm. We received over one hundred zloty from sewing the pages and B. Rora personally paid for the sewing of the Torah scroll dress.

Then the celebration began.

Sochaczew's orchestra was invited for that evening and youth associations from nearby cities participated in the celebration. Alexander Zishe Fridman came from the movement in Warsaw and the Torah scroll was taken from our club to Beit HaMidrash before Mincha prayer. Here, we started to sell and write letters. Each person who wrote a letter paid and drank lekhayím. The whole city participated in the purchase of letters. Doctor Widawsky also bought a letter. At ten o'clock the writing was finished, and the Torah scroll was carried to the synagogue with great honor.

The synagogue plaza was illuminated with special lighting provided voluntarily by Motil Wizbinsky and Shmuel Menashe Zilberstein. The Torah was carried under a canopy lit by two lanterns as walking to a real wedding. At the synagogue the Torah was placed in the Holy Ark and the crowd recited the Song of David with enthusiasm and joy. The party was opened by R' Simcha Gurfinkel who gave the right to speak to the city rabbi R' Naftali Szpiwak zt”l, and the chairman of Agudat Yisrael R' Pinchas Grbrush. R' Alexander Zishe Fridman concluded with a speech. He praised our association without slandering or criticizing any other movement. We pointed out to him that all movements share in our joy, and no one boycotted the matter.

After the speeches the audience burst into song and went to Ger's shtiebel for the mitzvah meal.

The feast ended at dawn. In the summary prepared the next day, all expenses were covered.

Since the Torah was placed at the Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael club we held a prayer minyan on the Shabbat and Shabbat eve. We studied a lesson and held Shalosh Seudot and Melave Malka every Shabbat.

As a movement we lived a life full of content and action, as individuals and young, we lived a social life full of thought and interest, until the cruel reaper came and destroyed the community of Wyszogrod.

This Torah accompanied us for many days in the ghetto and served as a beacon of hope and a pillar of faith that days will come, and they would be good.

On the eve of Black Yom Kippur, when the Germans invaded our city, I took the Torah to my home and also moved the library's book to the attic. Until the deportation of Wyszogrod Jews we read the daily and weekly Torah portions in public with great dedication and passion.

For the credit of Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael it is necessary to add the activation of people for aliyah.

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Thanks to Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael, and under the inspiration of A. M. Kronberg, five families from among us made aliyah: R' Zenwil his wife Pesia and their mother Chava, Pinchas Krongrad and his wife Sara-Ester, Yehoshua Taub, Avraham Pelz and Sini Pelz.

All the immigrants from our association have built magnificent homes in Israel and sons who hold important positions in the country. Like Pelz's sons who are high-ranking officers in the Israel Defense Forces, Segal Zenwil's sons who teach at a yeshiva, and others.

The social atmosphere that was created at Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael has left its mark in Israel, and the most prominent example is the family of Pinchas Krongrad. Although they worked hard to make a living, their home served as a warm place for every immigrant to relieve their loneliness in the early days of their lives in Israel.

In the last years of our community's existence, the following members of our association were about to make aliyah Shmuel Michel Taub and his family, A. M. Taub, Alter Rora and his wife and Tova Pelz who have undergone the required pioneering training and Kalman Pelz who studied a profession suitable for Israel, his sister Shendel and others who have trained themselves for aliyah and were not granted.

When we remember Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael in Wyszogrod, we remember our beloved members, brothers in the idea of the dream of redemption and brotherhood of Israel, and remember our town, which through our energetic action was blessed with the juice of youth renewed in hope and in dreams.

The Rora family - of the activists of Tzeirei Agudat Yisrael

Surname	Given Name
BENZOIM	Baruch
BIRENHOLC	Issachar
BRZYRZYNA	Mendel
BRZYZOWSKI	Yosef
DAICZ	Michal
DAICZ	Nachman
DAICZ	Natan Lejb
FRIDLAND	Wopcze
GOLDMAN	Yana
GREBRZ	Herszel
GRINBOIM	Israel Icchak
GURFINKEL	Simcha
HOLENDER	Israel
HOLENDER	Mosze Mordechai
HOLENDER	Mosze Wolf
KIRSZENBAUM	Simcha
KRONGRAD	Abraham Meir
KRONGRAD	Icze (Icchak)
KRONGRAD	Menachem
KRONGRAD	Pinchas
KRONGRAD	Szlomo Lejb
LAWENCKI	Szlomo Yehudit
MILINECK	Pesach
NASZELSKI	Daniel
NASZELSKI	Joel
PELZ	Abraham Szimon
PELZ	Kalman
RAJCHMAN	Fiszel
RORA	Alter
RORA	Natan Meir
RORA	Becalel
ROZENBERG	Chaim
SZLOMO	Herman
SZPIWAK	Lajbel
SZPIWAK	Lajbel
TAUB	Jeszajahu
TAUB	Szmuel Michal
TAUB	Abraham Meir
WIZWINSKI	Jerachmiel
ZAND	Michael
ZIANC	Abraham Michal
ZILBERSTEIN	Szmuel Menasze
ZILBERSTEIN	Efraim

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At the end of the month of Tevet 5679, at the conclusion of Shabbat Kadesh Parshat Vayechi, a large meeting took place in Wyszogrod to hear from R' Naftali Spiwak the report from the national conference of Agudat Shlomei Emunei Yisrael that was held in Warsaw in which he participated as a delegate on behalf of the ultra-orthodox Jew in Wyszogrod. The rabbi presented the plan approved at the conference and its basis. All questions will be resolved in the spirit of the Jewish people for their generations under the slogan: “I am a friend to all who fear you.” He specifically noted that the program places a significant emphasis on work for the benefit of Yeshuv Eretz Yisrael [settling Eretz Yisrael]. Based on this report, a founding meeting was held on Wednesday, Parashat Shemot, at which members were registered, and the entire constitution with all its various articles was unanimously accepted by us as binding.

This meeting elected the following administration: R' Naftali Spiwak chairman, R' Meir Burg the slaughterer and R' S. Gurfinkel his deputies. Haim Yitzchak Sczwarc treasurer, R' Pinchas Grebetz and R' Avraham Frindlender secretaries. Elected as members: Gurfinkel, A. M. Krongrad, L. Wierzawinski, P. Krongrad and E. Taub.

Elected to the committee of Yeshuv Eretz Yisrael: S. D. Wage, S. M. Lipman, A. Zilberstein, M. Fuks, A. M. Kramazsz, A. Lichtensztein and R. Lawenczki.

Elected to the council: A. S. Reichman, S. Z. Sbirtz, Y. Zanabend, S. L. Gilari, S. L. Kruk, D. Witlzon, M. Gurfinkel, A. Grebetz, Bialowitz, D. Z. Lubin, A. Z. Holender, Y. Grynbaum, S. Goldman and P. Kostas.

This news appeared in Der Yud [“The Jew”], the daily newspaper of “Agudat Shlomei Emunei Yisrael,” Warsaw, Thursday Parashat Terumah, 6 First Adar 5679, 6 February 1919, No. 6. page 14. The reporter also knew tell that “ultra-orthodox Jews from various societies are united in the association.” In the same news it was also reported that “Agudat Tzeirei Emunei Yisrael” was founded in those days

The extent to which this association succeeded in penetrating the broad strata of Wyszogrod Jews can be learned from the well-known action taken at the time for those affected by the pogroms in Poland. On 20 Sivan 5679, large sums were collected by the rabbi, R' N. Spiwak, R' S. Gurfinkel, M. Burg the slaughterer, P. Grebetz, M. Pershet, E. Taub and V. Spiegel.

The list in the daily newspaper Der Yud Warsaw, Thursday, Parashat Pinchas, 19 Tamuz 5679, No. 27 (7/7/1919), contains about 270 names of Wyszogrod Jews who donated larger sums, about 50 men (unnamed) 1 Mark, and dozens of men less than 1 Mark. About 60 women (unnamed) 1 Mark, and dozens of women with smaller donations.

This list also includes the names of fans, ordinary people, and not just actual members. However, this is precisely the proof of how great the influence of this new party was on the Jewish. public in Wyszogrod despite its novelty. After all, in those days, there was general opposition to innovation, and the general opinion was that “anything new is forbidden from the Torah,” and yet the influence on the masses was so strong that this action encompassed such a large crowd, and it is also possible to assume that this was not the only action initiated by “Agudat Shlomei Emunei Yisrael” and crowned with success.

Sara Rivka Sheir Daughter of Haim Meir Kleinbart		Yocheved Grebetz, Ita Holnder, Breina Taub

It is difficult to determine the exact date of the founding of the Zionist Youth Movement in Wyszogrod, although it is known that the push for its founding was given with the closure of Hashomer Hatzair branch.

This movement did not last long and did not encompass masses, but its brief activity and the composition of its activists are of interest in recording the history of the national and personal hesitations of the youth in our city, their reactions and solutions to their social problems.

With the closing of the branch of Hashomer Hatzair we felt the need for a pure educational and pure national youth movement. Many of us could not accept the intervention of Jewish youth, young and old, in the search for solutions to the problems of an aging society, in which was nationalist military operative extremism or social revolutionary extremism. Its main function was economic and materialistic, and not in shaping the character traits and direction of the mental processes of the growing child. In other words, the lack of an educational dimension in the founding movements prevented a number of good young people in the city from uniting around the Zionist Youth, which had pure nationalism and an educational-scouting element only.

Interestingly, among these young people were boys with older brothers or sisters in both of the aforementioned movements, and their act of choosing their other path testified to ideological independence and personal courage.

Such was Simcha Shedlov, a lively and energetic youth, who devoted all his spiritual strength to deepening movement's path. Such were Hannah Rothbart, Bella Mindel, Lipsker Beile, Shimcha Puterman, Simcha Braverman and Asher Zionetz. They cut themselves off from their social life, deviated from family conventions and placed themselves at the disposal of the unpopular idea in the city. They constituted the adult scout group that managed the branch and directed it to be a corridor for fulfillment and aliyah. They prepared for fulfillment and aliyah. In 1939, their first group left for agricultural training near Grójec and to our great sorry they did not get to come to Israel.

This movement struggled for its existence, being isolated even from its mother movement and was also considered a stepdaughter by the General Zionists in the city. Nevertheless, it sought paths in social education and engaged its members in extensive social tests, taking them to summer colonies, to camps and contacts between branches outside the boundaries of Wyszogrod, which were the beginning of a path leading from the town to the expanses of national connection.

The members of Zionist Youth pledged to cultivate Hebrew as a spoken language, to get closer to new Hebrew literature, and to instill in them Israeli values and, and revival values in particular.

As mentioned, it was a small movement, but a great one in its Zionist social experiment.

Unfortunately, it disappeared with the disappearance of the spiritual Polish Jewry, full of longing for the improvement of people's lives, and with it disappeared a vital and good part of Wyszogrod's youth.

The children of Yisrael Hirsh Rotbert and Alter Zajanc

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