Kletsk Memorial Book
A memorial to the Jewish community
of Kletzk-Poland

(Klyetsk, Belarus)

53°04' / 26°39'

Translation of Pinkas Kletsk

Edited by E.S. Stein

Published in Tel Aviv, Former Residents of Kletzk in Israel, 1959


In Memory of Moses Asner

 

This is a translation from: Pinkas Kletsk, Kletzk Memorial Book;
A memorial to the Jewish community of Kletzk-Poland,
Ed. E.S. Stein, Tel Aviv: former residents of Kletzk in Israel, 1959


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Donated by Brenda C. Aaronson

Translated by Danny Rubinoff

First Section
A) Chapters Of Nostalgia 
  
From The Publishers4
As An Eternal Light-The Editors7
Scenes From The Destruction (A Drawing)9
Historical Sources For The Town Of Kletzk9
Blood Libel9
Cemetery10
Number Of Jews In Kletzk10
Reformation Movement In Kletzk10
Reb Yoel From Kletzk (“Pusher For The Redemption“)11
Information On Kletzk Culled From Encyclopedias11
The Informer-Binyamin Goldberg (Brafman)12
The Milkman From Kletzk In The Old City Of Jerusalem12
A Letter To The Magid Of Kamenitz12
Kletzk Notations13
The Light That Was Extinguished On “Kol Nidrey”14
An Incident From The Days Of The Swedish War14
Excerpts From The Enlightenment Press15
A Letter To The Editors Of The “Hamelitz” Newspaper16
Mendele Mocher-Sforim and His Connection to Kletzk17
From The Memoirs Of A Veteran Zionist In Europe18
Letter Of Commendation From Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer19
  
B) Rabbis And Torah In Kletzk21
  
1. M. Tsinovitz -The Rabbis Of Kletz 
The First Rabbi; Rabbi Menachem Eizenstadt; Rabbi Moshe Eizenstadt; Rabbi Michael Eizenstadt (The Second); Rabbi Meir Eizenstadt And His Descendants; R' Nachman 'The Reciter Of Psalms'; The Rabbis: R' Gershon And R' Aharon; Rabbi Moshe Yaakov; Rabbi Yehoshua Rabinovitz (Ragoler); Rabbi Eliyahu Feinstein; Rabbi Zev Wolf Torbovitz; Rabbi Eliezer Strashon; Rabbi Tsvi Hirsh Tiktin; Rabbi Shal-Om Ber Herenzon, Rabbi Eliezer Yazgur; Rabbi Chaim Shimon Herenzon; Rabbi R' Moshe Feinstein; Rabbi Pesach Horovitz. 
  
2. Rabbis From Kletzk In Various Communities29
The Genius R' Dovid Head Of The Rabbinical Court Of Novordik; Rabbi Eliyahu Goldberg; Rabbi Eliyahu Yaakov Lesser; The Genius R' Yehuda Meshel Hakohen Tsirkel; Rabbi Yoseph Adler; The Genius R' Yitschak Isaak Veller; Rabbi Reuven Levinbook; Rabbi Eliezer Zalman Greyevsky; Rabbi Shimon Chaim Greyevsky; Rabbi Meir Berlin. 
  
3. The Rabbinical Judges And Torah Scholars Of Kletzk33
R' Yehuda Lieb The Son Of Shmuel; R' Yoseph; R' Chaikel; R' Eliyahu Feinberg; Rabbi Aharon Sinai Halevy Dovidzon; Rabbi Duber Halevi Dovidizon; Rabbi Noson Nota Handelsman; Rabbi Mordechai Kulkovsky; R' Shalo-M Tsvi Lampert; R' Yaakov Asher Greyevsky; R' Simcha Leib Izralite; Rabbi Chaim Pimstein. 
  
C) The Kletzk Yeshiva 
  
Rabbi Tsvi Yehuda Meltzer – “Bastion Of Torah”37
Simcha Gordon – “The Growth And Influence Of The Yeshiva”39
Rabbi Y. Halevi Epstein – “The Yeshiva And It's Personalities”41
Rabbi Elchanon Sorotzkin – “Even Haezel”44
M. Tsinovitz – “Greatness And Depth In Torah Study”45
Rabbi Yisroel Leib Kessler – “Tifferes Bachurim”46
Yehoshua Chaim Levin – “Dedication Of The New Yeshiva Building”47
  
D) The Jews Of Kletzk And Their Contribution To The Development Of The Land Of Israel 
  
N.G. Miller – “First Buds”48
Sh. A. – “The Love Of Zion In Kletzk And Surrounding Villages”48
Nechemia Izralite – “The Izralite Family”51
Y. Kantorovitz – “First Families Of The Soil”54
Tsiporah Zeltser – “From Luebenitz Until Rechovot”56
Y. N. Adler – “In The Zeltser Household In The Days Of The Second Aliya”57
Y. Ohliynik – “The Pioneers Of The Third Aliyah”58
Eliyahu Herenzon – “The 'Hitachdut' And Its Workings”59
N. Katzenelson – “At The Dawn Of Zionism In Kletzk”60
Eliyahu Goldberg – “Action In The Underground”61
Chayuta – “Monument To Lipa Gavza”62
Tsvi Lis – “In The Days Of The October Revolution”63
  
E) Figures And Personalities 
  
Yehoshua Barzilai – “Autobiography”64
A.R. Malachi – “From His Last Correspondence”65
M. M. Ussishkin – “Dreamer And Fighter”65
Sh. A. – “His Life And Works”66
Sh. A. – “R' Ben Zion Eizenstadt”67
R' Noach Eizenstadt68
R' Yoseph Meir Fish68
R' Moshe Eizenstadt68
Yaakov Mazal-Activist And Writer69
Moshe Hakohen69
R' Kalman69
Michael Tsvi Kamenetzky69
Shal-Om Tsvi Halevi Lampert69
Moshe Zalman Zatoransky69
Chaim Yonah Gurland And His Father70
Dr. Yehudah Leib Dovidzon71
Rozenkrantz And Shriftzetzer71
Y. Greenbaum – “Avraham Pudlishevsky”71
Yosef Adler – “The Genius From Slonim”73
  
F) Types From The Previous Generation 
  
A. L. Shvartz – “Grandfather's Character”74
Y. N. Adler – “My Brother Avraham Shlomo”74
Dr. A. Greenspan – “R. Berel Dovidzon, the Judge from Kletzk”75
Dr. A. Greenspan – “R' A. L. Shvartz”75
Dr. A. Greenspan – “R' Moshe Br' Tsvi Cohen (Moshe Hirshkes)75
Dr. A. Greenspan – “R' Moshe Tsvi The Shochet”76
Dr. A. Greenspan – “R' Leib Br' Yaakov Yoel”76
Dr. A. Greenspan – “R' Shmuel Yosef Shu“B”77
Dr. A. Greenspan – “The Head Shamash”77
Y. N. Adler – “My 'Melamids' And Teachers”78
  
G) Between The Two World Wars 
  
Aharon Hakohen – “Economic Life”79
Shal-Om Herenzon – “Municipal Institutions”81
Yosef Frankel – “Kletzk Under Soviet Occupation”84
Dr. M. Kotsiak-Gur – “Education And Way Of Life Under The Soviet Regime”91
Life In The 1930's94
  
H) Youth Movements 
  
A. Fish – “The Pioneer Movement”95
Esther Lev – “Girls In The Pioneer Movement”97
Sarah Slivovsky – “An Outstanding Figure”97
Chiyuta Busel – “As An Emissary”98
Sarah And Yitschak Menaker – “The Shomer Hatsair Movement”100
Elimelech Ben Ari – “Description Of The Youth Group”101
Moshe Kornus (Elezri) – “Charm Of A Movement”101
Moshe Vilentchik (Mexico) – “The Betar Branch”102
  
I) Education 
  
Yosef Frankel – “From 'Cheder' To The 'Tarbut' School”103
Rachel Alperovitz-Berzinsky – “Bais Yaakov“ Legacy”106
Tsvi Liss – “In Such A Way Was A School Established”107
Malka Kessler-Movshovitz – “Celebration Of 'Siyum' On Chumash”108
The Guard Over The Reizin Home108
  
J) Communal Leaders 
  
Ch. Y. Kreizer – “R' Michael Torbovitz”109
Yosef Frankel – “Zev Torbovitz”109
Yosef Frankel – “Avraham Breslov”110
Yosef Frankel – “Isaac Katzav And Boruch Dlugatch”110
Yosef Frankel – “Isaac Levenbook, Ginzburg And Friedkes”111
Yosef Frankel – “Yitschok Tserkovitz”112
Yitschok Menaker – “Meir Chaim Kulkovsky”112
A. Fish – “Michael Liberman”113
  
K) Kletzk And It's Surrounding Area 
  
Yehoshua Eizenstadt (Barzilai) – “Incident With Four Brothers”112
Aryeh Neimark – “Character Of Siniawke”116
Binyamin Eilan (Neimark) – “Small Town On The Crossroads”117
Sarah Denenburg – “The Struggle To Keep The Pasture Land”118
Shimon Shkolir – “The Kaplan Family”119
Noson Hochberg – “Not One Soul Survived The Massacre”121
  
L) Memories Of The Way It Used To Be 
  
Yehoshu Eizenstadt (Barzilai) – “An Incident With Four Brothers”122
Rabbi Y. K. Goldbloom – “Visits To Kletzk”123
A.L. Shvartz – “The Old Way Of Life”124
Y. N. Adler – “Childhood Memories”125
Boruch Noson Shamushkovitch – “Spirit Of The Holidays”128
Y. Ch. Levin – “Sabbath In The Town”129
A. Aharoni – “Four Roads”130
Rabbi Yitschok Halevi Epstein – “Father's Household”132
Menachem Breslov – “Memories Of My Youth”138
M. Tabatchnik – “Archangelsk”139
Yerachmiel Itzkovitz –“Superstitions”140
Yitschok Torbovitz – “Father's 'Business'”141
Golda Luria (Lampert) – “A World Destroyed”143
Shulamit – “Drama Club In Kletzk”144
A. Kam – “On The River”144
  
M) Kletzk In The Diaspora 
  
Yehoshua Hochstein – “In The House Of Immigrants In America”145
Moshe Kleinman – “Rabbi Y. K. Goldbloom”148
Sh. A. – “The Yiddish Poet-Yosef Greenspan”149
Morris Tadrov (Moshe Taravor) – “Kletzk Immigrants In America”150
Organization Of Kletzk Immigrants In Argentina151
  
N) The Destruction Of Kletzk 
  
The Ghetto In Flames-A Drawing By A. Finichal153
Yoseph Rice-Rabinovitz – “To Their Memory…“(A Poem)154
Tuvia Kirzner – “September-1939”155
Yeshayahu Kashetzky – “So Came Upon Us The Destroyer”156
Leah Fish-Meirovitz – “Life In The Ghetto”160
Alter Meirovitz – “Battle Of The Partisans”162
Nisan Izralovitz – “Destruction And Revenge”167
Eliyah Glazer – “In The Forests”168
Rochel Yonah-Dzsehntchelsky – “My Joining The Partisans”171
Rochel Kleinman-Kaz – “How I Was Saved”172
  
Second Section
  
Kletzk In Pictures 
  
Third Section (Yiddish)
  
As An Eternal Light-The Editors175
  
A) Chapters Of The Past177
  
Sources For The History Of Kletzk; The Founding Of The Community;  
   Earliest Sources On Kletzk;
   Information From Various Sources;
   The Old Cemetery In Kletzk;
   Blood Libel On Kletzker Jews;
   Reb Yosel-Pusher Of The Redemption;
   The Reformation Movement In Kletzk;
   Jewish Informers In Olden Times;
   The Number Of Jews In Kletzk;
   Historical Sources For The History Of Kletzk – Dr. M. Vishnitzer;
   The Light That Was Extinguished On “Kol Nidrey” – Moshe Feinkind;
   The Milkman From Kletzk In The Old City Of Jerusalem.
 
Excerpts From The Enlightenment Press182
Mendele Mocher Seforim's Connections With Kletzk186
  
B) Rabbinical Dynasties In Kletzk – M. Tsinovitz188
  
   The First Rabbi In Kletzk;
   Rabbi Michael Eizenstadt;
   Rabbi Moshe Eizenstadt;
   Rabbi Michael Eizenstadt;
   Rabbi Moshe Yaakov Eizenstadt;
   R' Nachman The Psalm Reciter;
   Rabbi Yehoshua Rabinovitz (Ragoler);
   Rabbi Eliyahu Feinstein;
   Rabbi Zev Wolf Torbovitz;
   Rabbi Eliezer Strashon;
   Rabbi Ts. H. Tiktin;
   Dr. A. Greenspan-Rabbi Sh. B. Herenzon;
   Rabbi Eliezer Yazgur;
   Rabbi Yitschok Epstein;
   Rabbi Ch. Sh. Herenzon;
   Rabbi Moshe Epstein;
   Rabbi Pesach Horovitz;
   Rabbi Meir Berlin;
   Rabbi And Shochet Sh. Y. Veller.
 
  
C) Kletzk – A 'Home' For Torah 
  
Simcha Gordon – “The Growth And Influence Of The Yeshiva”193
Rabbi Ts. Y. Meltzer – “Impressions And Memories”196
Ch. Y. Kreizer – “A Student Of The Kletzk Yeshiva Reminisces”200
Rabbi Y. L. Kessler – “Tiferes Bachurim”201
Yosef Adler – “The Slonimer Iliuy In Kletzk”202
Sh. Teitz-Molier – “A Brick For The Building”203
Eliezer Feinstein – “Learned Blacksmiths“204
  
D) Zionism 
  
N. G. Miller – “The First Buds”205
Y. Kantorovitz – “Kletzker Pioneers In The Land Of Israel”206
Sh. Ernst – “Kletzkers' Contributions To The Development Of The Land”209
Tsiporah Zeltser – “From Lubenietz Until Rechovot”213
Ts. Shimshi – “A Jew From Kletzk Works For Eretz Yisroel”215
Nechemia Izralite – “The Izralite Family”215
Eliyahu Herenzon – “The 'Hitachdut' And Its Workings”217
Eliyahu Goldberg – “Illegal Zionist Activities”220
Eliyahu Fish – “Pioneer Youth Movement”223
Esther Lev – “Daughters Of The Chalutz”224
Chayuta Busel – “As An Emmissary”225
Mashe Kornus – “My Way In The Shomer Hatsair”226
Elimelech Ben Uri – “The Shomer Hatsair In Kletzk”227
Sarah And Yitschok Menaker – “There Was Once A N Adolescence”227
Moshe Vilentchik – “Betar”228
  
E) Between The Two World Wars 
  
Aharon Cohen – “Economic Life”230
Tsvi Lis – “Echoes Of The October Revolution”232
Sh. Herenzon – “Municipal And Social Institutions”233
Kletzk In The 1930's236
M. Taravor – “A Visit In Kletzk (1928)”236
  
F) Culture And Education 
  
Yoseph Frankel – “From Cheder To Tarbut School”240
Tsvi Lis – “The Tarbut School”242
Y. N. Adler – “The Talmud Torah”243
Rochel Alperovitch – “The Spiritual Inheritance From Bais Yaakov”244
M. Tabatchnik – “Shulamit”245
Golda Luria – “The 'Atmosphere' Of Kletzk”246
  
G) Surrounding Villages 
  
A. Cohen – “The 'Yishuvniks' Around Kletzk”247
A. Neimark – “Origins And Development”248
N. Hochberg – “My Native Shtetel”251
Sh. Shkolier – “Our Shtetel”252
B. Ilan (Neimark) – “Between Field And Forest”254
Sarah Denenberg – “Siniawke Memoirs”255
M. Veinger – “A Family Of A 'Yishuvnik'”257
Y. Frankel – “The Jews Around Kletzk And Their Destruction”258
  
H) Ways And Memories 
  
Y. Eizenstadt – “Four Brothers”261
A. L. Shvartz – “The Old Fashion Way Of Life”262
Y. N. Adler – “A Young Boy Goes To Yeshivah”263
Rabbi Y. K. Goldbloom – “Ways Of Long Ago”264
M. Tabachnik – “Archangelsk; My Family; Breaking The Board”265
Sh. Kreizer – “In The Redzimenter Kloizel-Fragments”270
A. Aharoni – “Four Ways”273
A. N. Shamushkovitch – “ Old Time Shabbos And Yontov”274
Y. Ch. Levin – “Shabbos In Shtetel”276
N. Epstein – “During The First World War”276
Y. Torbovitz – “My Fathers' Feat”277
M. Breslov – “From My Kletzker Memories”279
Rabbi Y. Halevi Epstein – “My Father's Home”281
A. Kam – “On The River”287
Y. Menaker – “The Wood Knocker”288
M. Taravor – “Kletzk In Our Childhood Years - A Poem”289
  
I) Personalities 
  
Sh. E – “Yehoshua Eizenstadt”291
Sh. E. – “Ben Zion Eizenstadt”292
Chaim Yonah Gurland293
M. Lias – “Reb Nachum Yitschok Shiff”293
Sarah Malin-Gelfand – “Personalities”294
A. Kolakovsky – “My Brother, Meir Chaim”295
Y. Menaker – “M. Ch. Kulkovsky And The Younger Generation”296
Y. Frenkel – “The Director Of The Way”296
N. Epstein – “Preachers; Medical Men; A Melamid”301
M. Tabachnik – “Moshe Galush & The Bund; Die Hushekes; Chatshe & Hetshe; Unusual Characters301
A. Cohen – “Folks Mentchen”308
  
J) On The Eve Of Destruction 
  
Y. Frankel – “Kletzk In The Years 1932-1943310
Dr. M. Kotsiak-Gur – “Under Soviet Occupation”326
Sarah Fish-Shmukler – “Esau's Real Face”329
A Voice From The “Bund”330
  
K) Kletzk And The Diaspora 
  
Y. Hochstein – “In An Immigrant Home”331
A. Alperin – “The Most Veteran Zionist In Europe”337
P. Berg – “I Travel To America”338
Unforgettable-Frume Kam-Kulkovsky339
Herzl Gelfand – “An Episode”339
Sh. Ernst – “The Poet Yoseph Greenspan”340
M. Tarover – “Kletzkers In America”341
The Kletzk 'Landsmanshaft' In Argentina343
Y. Greenspan – “A Poem”347
L. Shmukler – “Amongst Kletzkers In Buenos Aires”347
M. B. Taraver – “To My Unforgettable Kletzk (Poem)”348
  
L) Destruction And Struggle 
  
Map Of The Ghetto348
Y. Rice-Rabinovitz – “My Heart Trembles With Your Memory”349
Tuvia Kirzner – “September-1939”352
Leah Fish-Meirovitz – “The Liquidation”352
Alter Meirovitz – “Holocaust And Revenge”356
Aryeh Glazer – “Struggle In The Ghetto”362
Nisan Izralovitz – “With The Partisans”367
Yeshayahu Kashetzky – “So It Happened…”368
Eliyahu Bontshtchik – “One Family's Tally”375
Rochel Yocha-Dzshentshelsky – “My Way To The Partisans”376
Rochel Kleinman-Kaz – “How I Escaped”378
Yitschok Garfinkel – “We Will Not Forget”379
Dr. Avigdor Greenspan – “Memorial“ (A Poem)380
Grisha Goldberg – “The Bloody Total”381
List Of Names382
  
Name Index
List Of Kletsk Rabbis


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