The Israeli Organization of Zamość Jewry
1945 – 1988:
On May 6th 1945, a few days before the official end of the Second World War in Europe, a number of people born in Zamość gathered in Tel Aviv and founded The Israeli Organization of Zamość Jewry. The acting committee elected consisted of the following members: Meir Zagiel, chairman; Tova Burger neé Handelsman; Chana Szawit neé Zyngerman; Yaakov Naaman (Najmark), secretary. At the end of that year the committee was enlarged to include Zvi Gebet, Abba Acharoni (Spodek) and Aron Dolcher.
The founders of the organization had the following aims in mind:
· To provide urgent assistance to Zamość survivors, wherever they may be;
· To create contact between the survivors and their relatives and friends in Israel and abroad;
· To help the survivors arriving in Israel to get jobs, housing etc.
And indeed, the organization was able to assist, give advice and hearten hundreds of Zamość survivors on their arrival in this country.
In the course of time the committee was able to expand its activities in additional areas: Among other activities, it established a loan fund for the needy from Zamość and the vicinity, attached to the financial institution of the Association of Polish Émigrés in Israel. The organization also held annual memorial ceremonies in Tel Aviv and Haifa during the first week after Passover, attended by large numbers of people, and social gatherings during Hanukah.
The highlight of its activities was the publication of the book in Hebrw Zamość BeJagona VeHurbana (Zamość in its Grief and Devastation) at the end of October 1952, and in 1957 in Yiddish, entitled Pinkas Zamość (Zamość Notebook), by the organization in Argentina (Buenos Aires), with the active participation of a committee of members of the Israeli organization. The Hebrew book came out in 1,200 copies, just seven years after the establishment of the organization in Tel Aviv, in spite of all the difficulties and lack of funds.
The life and soul of the collection of the material was Yaakov Naaman (Najmark), who devoted all his skill and time to this important work. Decades later his only son, Uriel Naaman, handed over a suitcase with the photos and texts that he had collected and his son had kept after his death, to the new chairperson belonging to the second generation, Ewa Bar Zeev, of the Szper/Efrat (Efros) families.
On July 9th 1964 the bones of the town’s martyrs and ashes from the Dachau Extermination Camp were buried in the Kiriat Shaul Cemetery and a monument was erected to mark the site of the grave.
To perpetuate the memory of the community, the Organization purchased a place in the Holocaust vault on Mt. Zion and a marble memorial plaque was fastened above it.
The “Ehad Ha’Am” School in Petah Tikva with its principal Shlomo Ofir (whose wife was of the Zamość Garfinkiel family) adopted the Zamość community. The Organization contributed a bookcase to the school with the inscription of the community and provided three scholarships in the course of three years for students who had written particularly well on the subject.
In 1978 the committee in charge of the Organization’s activities consisted of the following members: Tova Burger, the chairperson; Yaakov Naaman (Najmark); Chana Szawit (neé Zyngerman); Yechiel Goldwag and Shlomo Zochar (Zec).
Note: Except for the current chairperson of the Organization, Ewa Bar Zeev, all the above-mentioned people have since passed away
1988 – 2008:
In the early 1980s the acting committee consisted of the following members: Tova Burger, one of the founders of the Organization; Shlomo Ofir; Shlomo Zec and Michael Domb (Kleks) all of blessed memory, and Miriam Domb, Judith Kruk, David Cwirn and Abraham Rub, may they live long. They understood that if they want the Organization to continue functioning, they must transfer the reins to the second generation. In this our Organization differed from most of the other organizations of this kind, which in fact ceased to exist.
Among the members of the committee there were three who were particularly intent on preserving the organization: The late Tova Burger, the chairperson (one of its founders and constant supporters), the late Michael Domb (Kleks) and his wife Miriam (neé Blum). They not only understood the need to involve the next generation, but acted to make it happen: They found the people they considered the most suitable: Ewa Bar Zeev, (of the Szper/Lewin/ families from Zamosc and Szczebrzeszyn Efros/Edelsztajn from Hrubieszow), and Moshe Frank (of the Fleshler family from Zamosc and Frank family from Szczebrzeszyn), one of the few children who had survived the Zamość Ghetto. At first the outgoing committee members assisted the new ones, advising and supporting them, but eventually they left them to their own devices, in spite of their protests.
Eva Bar Zeev was elected by the previous committee as the new chairperson, and Moshe Frank became the first member. After a period of transition they were joined by the late Esther Bornstein (Sharf/Gebet families), Irena Bursteen (neé Elbaum), and later Aharon Tzviran (Zwirn), who took turns in managing the accounts of the organization. Today the bookkeeping is done by Ziva Alon (of the Rappoport/Nechtman families from Zamosc Khermesh family from Szdelza and Zandberg family from Lludova). Sonia Hojnatcki (of the Sztajnkoler/Zigel/Gerszengraupen families) is the secretary, Dr. Bracha Falk (of the Lemberg/Klajn/Spodek/Rajhsztajn families) are members, while Miriam Domb (of the Blum/Borensztajn families) and Yoram Golan (Goldwak) of the first generation advise the members of the committee.
Tova Burger (neé Handelsman), who came to Israel as a pioneer in the 1920s and lived to the age of 97, was involved in the Organization’s activities until her last moment. She provided support and encouragement, and was happy that her life’s work had not been wasted, and the memory of the Zamość community lives on in the hearts of hundreds of people of the second and third generations, who have joined in and participate in the ongoing activities, volunteer for various tasks on memorial days etc.. Among the volunteers of the third generation are Oren Shmeiser, a professional photographer, who documents the memorial meetings, and Shir Paz (of the Blum/Borensztajnq/Domb/Kleks families), who conducted two such gatherings, Yafit Tzapler (of the Ajl/Ewikajt families from Zamosc and Zakser from Lublin), and Emannuel Bar Zeev (of the Szper/Lewin families from Zamosc and Szczebrzeszyn, Efros/Edelsztajn from Hrubieszow).
In January 31, 2007 the Organization became a Non Profit Organization (NPO) and the Founder Assembly chose a committee that will serve also as the Organization Board: Ewa Bar Zeev, (of the Szper/Lewin/ families from Zamosc and Szczebrzeszyn Efros/Edelsztajn from Hrubieszow), Ofra Ahron (Raimann/Zec families), Nili Ostwind (Blum family from Zamosc and Foerrer family from Raiwitz), Ziva Alon (of the Rappoport/Nechtman families from Zamosc, Khermesh family from Szdelza and Zandberg family from Lludova), Sonia Hojnatcki (of the Sztajnkoler/Zigel/Gerszengraupen families). Ahuva Mizrahi (of the Griner/Kasze families), Moshe Frank (of the Fleszler family from Zamosc and Frank family from Szczebrzeszyn), and David Stern (Sztern). Micha Kenig (of the Kenig family from Zamosc and the Rajs family from Bilgoraj) and Shmuel Ran (of the Cwirn/Kenig/Listhaus families from Zamosc, Sztatles family from Szczebrzeszyn and Graber/Gersztelman from Bilgoraj). were elected as the auditing committee. Zvi Livene (of the Lemberger/Spodek families) volunteered to serve as the NPO accountant.
Since the election of Eva Bar Zeev and the new committee, the following activities have been carried out:
1. The Organization has grown from 150 to 3000 families, 750 of them belonging to the third generation, and about 280 families living abroad.
2. In the year 2000 the Organization produced a documentary film “Zamość – Tracking the Lost Images” (59 minutes long) in Hebrew with English dubbing. Copies of the film were given to the National Library in Jerusalem and purchased by Yad VaShem and the Educational Television. The film was screened on the Holocaust Remembrance Days on April 26th 2006 April 16th 2007.
3. In 2001 the Organization created the documentary film “Why am I here?” (19 minutes long), dealing with the relations between Zamość and the second and third generations.
4. In cooperation with the Claims Committee in Jerusalem the Organization distributed an information sheet, appended to the forms. The Organization also helped claimants to fill out the forms.
5. The Organization helped people expelled to Russia during the war to receive benefits from the Finance Ministry.
6. Annual journeys to Zamość are organized for second and third generation members from Israel and abroad. Since 1997 (for eleven years) they have been escorted by Zamość survivors and local historians. Dr. Bracha Falek and Mr. Moshe Frank volunteered to organize and lead the first journeys (two journeys each), and Mrs. Miriam Domb (neé Blum, of the Blum/Bornsztajn families), a first generation survivor, joined the group twice to bear witness. In the course of the years hundreds of participants have heaped praise on these unique study trips. Three days are devoted to Zamość and the vicinity, with everyone participating in a memorial ceremony. People making family trees who are interested in finding their families’ addresses are helped to do so. The participants get together in the evenings to talk about their experiences, and by the time they return they feel as though they were one large family.
7. An exhibition “Shem Olam” (“Everlasting Name”) was organized, followed by the publication of a book with the same name in Hebrew, English and Polish, containing a rare document, the only one of its kind surviving in Poland: A list of the inhabitants of the Zamość Ghetto in 1940.At the Remembrance Day of May 2007, an enlarged new edition was issued.
8. A Zamość Grove was planted at the Polish Jewry Forest in Nataf near Jerusalem in memory of those who perished, followed by annual donations for trees commemorating recently deceased members of the community. Since 2006 we started to plant trees at the birth of the children of the Organization’s members.
9. An exhibition opened in the year 2001 on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. (On display was a unique list of the inhabitants of the Zamość Ghetto in 1940, containing the names of 10,086 men, women and children, and all their personal details).
10. In 2002 on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, an exhibition “Zamość - a Jewish town” opened at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque. In its wake, a booklet of the same name will be published next year.
11. For the past 15 years, documents, certificates, photographs and other items of interest and of historical value, related to the Jewish community of Zamość and its vicinity, have been collected and collated. These artifacts serve the organization’s primary purpose today – reconstructing memory on the individual, family and community levels, while commemorating the Zamość Jewish community, its members and their activities.
12. The Organization provides assistance in the building up of family trees (going back seven generations) to anyone whose family comes from the Lublin region.
13. The Organization assists and promotes research studies about the Zamość Jewish community by providing material to anyone interested - from primary school pupils to doctoral students.
14. The Organization cooperates with researchers in Poland in their studies of the Zamość Jewish community, and hosts them in Israel.
15. The Organization provides moral support to those writing survivors’ memoirs and/or making films: for instance, the book by Moshe Frank, LeHisared VeLeha’id (To survive and bear witness), about the trauma of the Holocaust for a Jewish child in Zamość; and the film, Tahat Etz HaTapuah (Under the Apple Tree), the story of Mina Konigsberg (née Rajman) of Zamość. All these serve to counter Holocaust deniers. We would very much like to have the resources enabling us not only to provide moral support, but also to translate and publish these important testimonials for worldwide distribution.
16. In 2002 we began to cooperate with the publishing department of Yad VaShem (thanks to Dr. Bella Guterman (of the Zajden/Kalpsfeld/Rozenplac families, a member of our Organization). As a result, Yad VaShem will publish our members’ testimonials, as they see fit.
17. Since 2006 we have been cooperating with the publishing house Kavim, publishing autobiographies, memoirs, books dealing with the search for roots, and commemoration.
18. One of the tasks we have set ourselves in the past two years is to locate Zamość descendants in the United States, Canada and Argentina in order to re-establish contact with the branches there and to form ties with Zamość descendants all over the world. We were able to locate 280 families only, and there is more work to be done.
19. From May 2002 until 2005, monthly "feedback" meetings were held at Tel Aviv's City High School “E” (thanks to Dr. Orbach, principal, and a member of the Organization). The meetings were conducted in a pleasant atmosphere and were attended by members of the first, second and third generations from all over the country, in addition to the committee members. Problems facing the Organization were discussed.
20. Various intensive efforts have been going on since 1997 to save and restore the old Sephardi synagogue in Zamość (the local community comprised both Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews), including the publication of an article in Hebrew and English on the subject in the journal Mizkar, disseminated worldwide, entitled: “Did you murder and also inherit?”.
21. The exhibition “From the Torn Album of Photos 1900-1942” took place on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2004 at the auditorium in the name of Recanati in the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, within the framework of the memorial gathering of the Organization of Zamość Jewry. In 2005 the exhibition opened in Bat-Yam and was also attended by groups of schoolchildren, who were given explanations. On April 23rd 2006 it opened in Ashkelon. The exhibition consists of 36 photographs, explored by the artist Judy (Yehudit) Ajzen. The photographs perpetuate the memory of a world that has disappeared.
22. In July 2004 a delegation went to Poland to participate in the unveiling of plaques in Hebrew, English and Polish, in the ancient Sephardi synagogue in Zamość (built circa 1600). Polish television and the press covered the event. In addition to the members of the Organization, among those participating in the event were mayors of towns in the vicinity, various government representatives, the Israeli Ambassador in Poland and his son. We are currently setting up a non-profit organization, consisting of people from all over the world (including Poland), to promote the saving of the synagogue and turning it into a museum and memorial for the Jews of Zamość and the vicinity, who perished in the Holocaust. The efforts are being coordinated by Mr. Yoram Golan (Goldwak/Szapiro/Majzles). In 2006 we paid for connecting the synagogue to electricity.
23. In May 2004 the unveiling of the memorial plaques in the Sephardi synagogue was filmed in preparation for the making of a film about the spiritual journey of members of all the generations when confronting their personal-family-community experiences. The film “Is there consolation in knowledge”, made in the wake of the journey to Poland in 2005, was screened on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 4th 2005 at the Tel Aviv Museum.
24. For the last two years, we have held meetings before the memorial gatherings, entitled “The first generation answers the following generations”. This gives the second and third generations the rare opportunity to ask all the questions they had no one to ask, about the way of life, the schools, the war, the escape to Russia, members of their own families, and to get help to identify people in their family albums (bring them along!), and so on.
25. The Organization has initiated the building of a synagogue in Modiin, a replica of the ancient Sephardic synagogue in Zamość (built circa 1600). In this project we are cooperating with a group of young people. The committee has already allocated the location (1,800m2), with a view of the landscape, and we are currently pursuing the matter with the Modiin municipal council and other institutions in the country.
The aim of the initiative: On the one hand, to build a synagogue with all it implies, for the purpose of prayer, the study of the Torah, educational enrichment for youth and so on; on the other hand, to create an exact replica of the synagogue still standing in Zamość, for the sake of the future by preserving the past, a living memorial of the Sephardic-Ashkenazi community, destroyed by the Germans 360 years later, in the Second World War. A room in the synagogue will be devoted to temporary exhibitions and a wall to the memory of those who perished. To date, we have not succeeded in creating the synagogue.
26. Museum of the Jews of Bilgoraj: At a meeting held subsequently by a few people originally from there and also members of the second generation, it was decided to set up a separate group of Bilgoraj descendents within the Zamość Organization. The person to contact: Israel Bar-On, (second generation of the Puter/Zicer/Dorenbaum families from Zamość and Braun/Puter families from Bilgoraj).
27. The Organization published the newspaper “Zamoschter Schtimme”, with a replica of the issue published in 1928 on one side, and news about the Organization in 2006 on the other side, and sent it to all the members.
28. The transfer to Israel of materials collected by the historian Bojarski about the Jews of Krasnistaw was funded by a generous donation by a third generation member of the Organization, who prefer to remain anonymous.
29. The Organization is trying to maintain the Jewish Cemeteries in Zamość and the nearby communities. In the recent three years broken headstones were incorporated in the Zamość Monument wall. In 2006 the Szczebrzeszyn Cemetery was cleaned and the headstones deciphered by pupil volunteers of the Reut School in Jerusalem. Similar work was done in Krasnik and Yozepov, In Izbitze the Cemetery area was cleaned, a Monument was erected, the headstones that were taken by the Germans to build the local Gestapo prison were collected. The unbroken headstones were placed in the Tsadik Yosef Mordechai Liener sanctuary, and the rest will be incorporated in the future Cemetery wall. In March.2007 the photos of the renovation efforts were displayed in the Jerusalem Theater.
30. In the 2007 Memorial Day the Organization website was inaugurated and since then close to 100,000 visits to the website were recorded.
31. During the month of March 2008 three guided tours of the Organization members in the Yad VaShem Museum were initiated by the Organization. Prior to the tour, reception for each group was held. More than 200 people participated, and their feedback was very favourable.
32. We are currently upgrading the Organization website, which has scored tens of thousands of hits to date and is to serve as a museum and archive. Unfortunately, the task is beyond our means, because all the documents must be translated into Hebrew and English (they are written in Polish, German and Yiddish). The translation of a page costs about $25 and we have in our possession thousands of pages to be translated into both languages.
33. In addition, we have to fund ongoing activities, such as annual memorial gatherings with the participation of hundreds of people, most of them belonging to the second and third generations, and the sending out of periodical bulletins with information for all the members of the Organization.
The activities of the Organization are constantly expanding and therefore more funds are required. For instance, sending a bulletin to 3,000 families in Israel and another 150 abroad involves printing and duplicating the material, addressing the envelopes, sticking on the stamps and mailing – the cost amounting to over $2,300.
All this activity is funded by voluntary contributions and carried out by our members on a voluntary basis. We cannot afford an office and to pay a book-keeper and so far we have not been able to establish an Independent Association status, owing to the expense involved. For this reason we cannot receive support from the government and other bodies; thus, paradoxically, a lack of funds leads to a lack of possibilities to receive financial support.
We ask you to help us by contributing to any of the following activities:
1. Ongoing activity of the Organization (printing, sending letters etc.).
2. The translation of documents for the website.
3. The collection and scanning of photos from all over the world for our website.
4. The restoration of the ancient Zamość synagogue and turning it into a museum and a memorial site for the Jews of Zamość and the vicinity.
Sincerely,
Eva Bar Zeev
Chairperson
The names of the persons mentioned in the 1945-1988 Organization history, arranged in the Polish alphabet order:
Bar Zeev, Eva
Burger nee Handelsman, Tova (Gitale)
Dolcher, Aron
Gebert, Zvi
Goldwag, Jchiel
Majmark (Neeman) Jakub
Ofir (Sztrasberger) Szlomo
Spodek (Aharoni), Abba
Zagiel, Meir
Zec (Zohar), Szlomo