THE JEWISH
OF
A
full survey of tombstones was recently completed by a joint effort between
YACHAD and the ORGANIZATION OF FORMER RESIDENTS. We found that, instead of the initial
2001 estimate of 800-900, there are 3,495 tombstones in the cemetery, of which
about 2/3 do not have surnames. An average of 4 photographs was taken for each
tombstone, yielding a total of approximately 14,000 photographs. Moreover, by
comparing the names and dates on the tombstones with those in metrical death
listings, we are in the process of assigning the missing surnames to most
tombstones!
This
enormous amount of work should be completed by the summer of 2007. A book is in
preparation, which will include the full listings and a DVD with all
photographs.
Daniel Wagner, Rehovot
(May 2007)
________________________________________________________________________________________
(some of the pictures are
courtesy of Mr. Omasta,
Commemoration of the ghetto - A ceremony in September 2002
For a cemetery map, see bottom of this page
(compiled by Asher Ud,
Introduction
The formal owner of the cemetery is the Jewish Community in Lodz, headed by Mr. Symcha Keller. Two committed Jewish groups outside of Poland are the “Organization of Former Residents of Zdunska Wola in Israel”, currently headed by Mr Yehuda Krool (about 400 members), and an Internet group comprising descendants in various places (Australia, USA, Canada, France, Belgium, and other countries, currently about 80 members), administered by Bernard Markowicz (USA) and myself. The Office of the Mayor of Zdunska Wola (specifically, Mr Jacek Hillebrand) is involved in current activities regarding cemetery clean up and restoration. A local group of citizens is also concerned by the future of the cemetery.
Historical perspective
The Jewish cemetery of Zdunska
Wola was founded in 1828. It is located in Kacza Street and has an area of about 2 hectares. Orthodox,
Conservative and Progressive Jews were buried in this cemetery. During recent
visits (from 1998 to 2001) by A. Ud, Y. and S. Krool, A. Holtzman, and D.
Wagner, and thanks to the efforts of the students of the Yotveta
Maale Shaharut School, the
Jerusalem Arts and Science School, and the Zdunska Wola Gymnasium No 5, the names and texts on the tombstones
were recorded. According to our most recent survey (October 2001), there are
currently 963 visible tombstones, including 295 with surnames and 668
patronymic (which was the more traditional Jewish way). I believe that the
total number of gravestones is probably as high as 1200 or more. It is the
largest Jewish cemetery in the Sieradz region. The
oldest gravestone is that of Elazar LIPSZYC, who died
in 1837. The last recorded Jewish burials were in 1946. Eventually, when the
names recording process is complete, a full listing will be published in a book
form.
A total of 1008 Jewish cemeteries have been identified within the territory of present day Poland6. Of these, 521 cemeteries have no visible gravestones, 134 have between 20 and 100 gravestones, 83 have between 100 and 500 gravestones. Only 37 cemeteries (3.6 % of all Jewish cemeteries in Poland) have between 500 and 5000 remaining gravestones. With its 963 gravestones, the cemetery of Zdunska Wola is, therefore, one of these few valuable testimonials. Only seven Jewish cemeteries (two in Warsaw, two in Wroclaw, Lodz, Krakow, Bialystok) have over 5000 gravestones.
The Jewish cemetery is the only remaining concrete testimony of the Jewish presence in Zdunska Wola since the early 19th century. As such, its historical value is imperative. Several known individuals and Rabbis are buried in the cemetery, including Szmul GRINSZPAN (who wrote Torah books), Sarah Rahel KATZ (whose father was Rabbi Nisen of Bialystok), Eliezer LIFSHIC (High Judge of the rabbinical court in Zdunska Wola, his father had the same highly regarded role in the “Beit Hilel” court in Lublin), Menahem Mendel LIPMAN (High Judge of the rabbinical court in Zdunska Wola), several individuals belonging to famous rabbinical lineages (such as descendants of the Rabbi of Gur).
Noteworthy individuals whose origins are in the Zdunska Wola Jewish community include Rehavam Zeevi, the Israeli Minister of Tourism who was recently murdered in Jerusalem (his father was born in Zdunska Wola under the surname WOLKOWICZ), the late Israeli General Haim Bar-Lev (formerly WROCLAWSKI), and the former American Ambassador in Israel Martin INDYK (his family emigrated to Australia in the 1920s).
The current condition of the cemetery
The Nazi destruction of Jewish buildings and
cemeteries in Poland, with the goal of eradicating every trace of Jewish
existence, was followed by ½ century of neglect. Despite recent profound and
welcome change in the valuation of these sites as significant to Polish-Jewish
history, an enormous task lies ahead to halt and reverse deterioration and
abandon. In the Zdunska Wola
cemetery, trees and plants are growing everywhere and progressively cover the
tombstones. Vegetation overgrowth is a constant problem. Many stones have been
turned over, are broken, or have been erased by the weather. An unknown number
has been vandalized and marble plates with inscriptions have been stolen.
Overall, many stones are in bad shape and there is a lot of restoration/digging
work to be done. A full cleaning and restoration of the cemetery is imperative.
The cemetery is voluntarily taken care of by local, concerned citizens (Ella and Renek Bartsch, Kamila Klauzinska, Tomek Polkowski). A masonry wall, which is partially damaged, surrounds the cemetery. The original wall was destroyed during World War II and was restored by private donations and efforts (Mr P. Grinbart and Mr A. Schwarzbart, from Frankfurt/Main). The old gate is not used anymore, and it is in precarious state. Up to half of the surviving stones have fallen or are broken. Many stones were removed but their location is not known. The cemetery is rich in finely carved headstones that are datable from the 19th and 20th century. Some have traces of painting on their surfaces. Inscriptions are in Hebrew, Yiddish and Polish (and at least one in German). The cemetery was seriously vandalized during World War II, and has been mildly vandalized in the last 10 years. Serious threats include security and vandalism because the surrounding wall is easily crossed.
In early October 2001, the cemetery was divided into sections and all sections were measured. Based on this work, a detailed cemetery map was drawn. A few days later, the Israeli and Polish children who worked in the cemetery (including my son Jonathan, with his classmates from the Jerusalem School of Arts & Science) restricted their gravestone deciphering activity to two sections only. They added a total of 150 new names to the cemetery listing, including the section location. A total of 963 names are currently included in a computerized database, including 295 with surnames and 668 patronymic (which was the more traditional Jewish way).
The future
In the last few years, with the advent of the World
Wide Web, new relations were created worldwide between many Jewish descendants
of ex-residents of Zdunska Wola.
This has created a welcome momentum, including among the larger existing group
of older ex-residents in Israel, who suddenly understood that it might now be
possible to better take care of what was left of the Jewish heritage in Zdunska Wola, including the
cemetery, and to perpetuate more concretely the memory of their lost families.
Trips were organized to Poland, and meetings between older and younger
descendants were held both in Israel and in Zdunska Wola. More importantly, contacts were recently established
between the Polish authorities, local concerned residents, the Historical
Museum, local high schools (Gymnasium) and the Jewish descendants. All have
expressed their concern about the Jewish cemetery, which they acknowledge to be
of profound historical importance to the town. There currently is a strong
willingness to act. Provided that all groups and individuals share their
vision and efforts, it hoped to renovate the cemetery in a time frame of two to
three years. Plans are also being made to publish a book about the
cemetery.
Various crucial actions may be implemented to commemorate the memory of the Jewish community of Zdunska Wola in general, and to preserve the history and beauty of the Jewish cemetery in particular. The most important one is, I believe, the educational activities that should be initiated among the younger generations in Zdunska Wola itself and among the younger descendants in Israel and abroad. The local Historical Museum is playing a role of great importance with the presence of a Jewish Room, which could be expanded. However, the most important task is the development of contacts between youngsters, of joint activities such as restoring the cemetery, meetings and lectures in schools, and more. The objective would be to develop the awareness of younger generations of elements of Jewish culture and history in the context of the town of Zdunska Wola. It is also important to continue and develop the sensitivity of Local Town authorities towards local Jewish sites and the lost Jewish culture in Poland.
Additional information about Jewish life in Zdunska Wola, and the Jewish
cemetery, is available on the following web sites:
http://www.weizmann.ac.il/wagner/ZdunskaWola/Contents.htm
http://www.jewishgen.org/JRI-PL/zdunwola.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/4017/zdunska/zdunska.htm
The caretakers of the cemetery are: (1) Elzbieta & Renek Barcz, ul. Tulipanowa 8, Z-W, Tel: +48 43 234078; (2) Kamila Klauzinska, kamisiakk@poczta.onet.pl; (3) Jerzy Chrzanowski (Director), The Historical Museum (Muzeum Historii Miasta), ul. Zlotnickiego 7, 98-220 Zdunska Wola, Tel: +48 43 823 3332. Another institution with information about the cemetery is the Zydowski Instytut Historyczny w Polsce, ul. Tlomackie 315; 00-090 Warszawa; tel 27-92-21.
The names on the tombstones are currently being computerized. However, in the future it will be imperative to perform a full cleaning and restoration of the cemetery, which is in a very poor state. Trees and plants are growing everywhere and progressively cover the tombstones. Many stones have been turned over, are broken, or have been erased by the weather. An unknown number has been vandalized and marble plates with inscriptions have been stolen. A tombstone inscription can be viewed (here) after the stone was turned over (it was facing the ground so the inscription was well preserved). A second example of a stone that was digged out can be seen (here). Overall, many stones are in bad shape and there is a lot of restoration/digging work to be done. But it is definitely feasible.
The old entrance is not used anymore, and a new gate has been in use for some time, but its lock is not working properly (D. Wagner, October 1999). Close to the new entrance, a monumentwas erected above the mass grave in memory of 219 Jews murdered by the Nazis during the 1942 liquidation of the Zdunska Wola ghetto.
At the
Acknowledgements
Each one of the following people has been kind,
helpful and influential in his own way: Josef Matusiak
and Teresa Wojciak (Director and Vice-Director at USC
Zdunska Wola), Jacek Hillebrand (Vice-Mayor of Zdunska Wola), Jerzy Chrzanowski (Director of
the Historical Museum of Zdunska Wola),
Piotr Skorek (Historical
Museum of Zdunska Wola),
and Ella and Renek Bartsch,
Agnieszka Daniel and Kamila
Klauzinska.
SOURCES AND REFERENCES
1. J. Goldberg, in “The Zdunska
Wola Book”, Israel Press Ltd (1968), pp. 6-15.
2. D. Kij, in:
http://www.jewishgen.org/cemetery/e-europe/pol-w-z.html.
3. A.
Galinski “Getto w Zdunskiej Woli” (“The Ghetto of Zdunska Wola”), in BIULETYN,
Glownej Komisji Badania Zbrodni Przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu, Instytutu Pamieci
Narodowej XXXV, Warszawa 1993, pp. 142-156.
4. L. Kaye-Klin,
in “The Zdunska Wola Book”,
Israel Press Ltd (1968), Preface.
5. P. Rosenberg, in “The Zdunska
Wola Book”, Israel Press Ltd (1968), pp. 22-25.
6. S. Gruber, P. Myers, E. Bergman, J. Jagielski, “Survey of Historic Jewish Monuments in Poland”,
A Report to the United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, (2d Edition, 1995).
[http://www.preservationcommission.org/plrep.html].
7. I. Tabacksblatt, in
“The Zdunska Wola Book”,
Israel Press Ltd (1968), pp. 38-46.
8. “The Zdunska Wola Book”, Israel Press Ltd (1968), p. 564.
Additional information about the cemetery is available on a Jewishgen subsite here.
- see a CEMETERY MAP
(created by Daniel Wagner, Ella and Renek Bartsch, Kamila Klauzinska, October 2001)
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