Remember Jewish Krzeszów

Pronunciation: Kresh-ov

HISTORY OF JEWISH KRZESZOW

Krzeszow is a village in Nisko County in southeastern Poland. It is on the San River, 21 km. southeast of Nisko and 48 km. northeast of Rzeszow.

Jews began to settle in Krzeszow by the 16th century, however all of the town's original Jews were killed by Khmelnytsky's Cossacks during the Khmelnytsky Uprising. The community revived in the 18th century, and in 1726, the bishop of Przemysl gave the community permission to build a new synagogue.

In the 17th century, a wooden synagogue was built in Krzeszow, which was burnt during the great fire of the city in the 17th century. Another one was erected in the 18th century, although not much is known about it. One photo of the synagogue exists. In the interwar period, a ritual slaughterhouse operated in Krzeszow. Prices for ritual slaughter at the beginning of the 1930s were as follows: cattle, 8 zlotys; calfs, 3 zl., goose, 80 grams, duck, 50 grams, turkey, 1.5 zlotys, and hen, 40 grams. There was also Jewish ritual bathhouse in Krzeszow, located at 3 Sieniawska Street.

In 1785 there were 360 Jews in Krzeszow, and in 1860 there were 623 Jews out of 1,012 total residents. The Jewish population peaked in 1867, when Krzeszow was inhabited by 650 Jews out of the total population of 1,093 inhabitants. After World War I, the Jewish population shrank dramatically. In 1921 Krzeszow was inhabited by only 281 Jews. About 1692, Szlojme from Krzeszow was unjustly accused of sacrilege; he refused to convert to Christianity and was hanged. Szmul ben Dawid from Lublin wrote a song about his martyr death. Isaac Baschevis Singer, a Nobel Prize winner, titled one of his stories "The downfall of Krzeszow" ("Upadek Krzeszowa"). He must have visited the town many times, as he perfectly described its pre-war local color and the atmosphere of the Jewish shtetl.

In 1929, the employees of the Jewish community were Chaim Mendel Rojtman, rabbi; B. Manes, secretary of the Jewish community; and Mordka Aszenberg, a shochet. During the interwar period, a ritual slaughterhouse operated in Krzeszów. Information regarding its exact location is currently lacking. In 1929, Mordka Aszenberg served as the ritual slaughterer for the municipality. During the interwar period (certainly as early as 1919), a Jewish ritual bath (mikvah) existed in Krzeszów and was located at 3 Sieniawska Street. A listing from the 1929 directory of workers in Krzeszow includes the following Jewish workers:
Food and Drink: Alcohol: Mielnik, Sz.
Baker: Flisswaser, R.; Kieslowicz, A.; Mleczko, F.
Grains: Flug, F.
Grocery: Becher, Z; Blumental, Ch.; Blumental, R; Bokser, J; Boksor, M; Fridland, A;
Various goods: Langbaum, L.
Services: Doctor: Horowitz, Z.
Mill: Hochman, Sz.
Shops and Goods: Oil: Manes, S.; Tin: Perlmuter, E.
Leather: Bochner, Sz.; Frydland, I.; Klejnerman, S.; Zychler, R.
Fabrics: Bermanzon, L.; Bokser, B.; Berensztajn, Ch.; Brajt, Sz.; Goldrojt, N.; Maler, Ch.; Maler, J; Maler, Sz.; Nussenfeld, G.
Other miscellaneous: Forest workers: Danziger; Holdhandel, S.A.; Furer, M.; Goch, S.; Hajnman, I.; Herszman, M,; Kieslowicz, Sz.; Orensztajn, H.; Szyffer, Sz.; Tabak, L.; Wajstuch, L. Haberdashers: Nussenfeld, H.
Land owners: Goldsztajner, Froim (Podolszynka Plebanska 117); Luniewski, Tad.; Sabo, Jan; Stoboy, Tadeusz.

KRZESZOW DURING THE HOLOCAUST

Following the outbreak of World War II, Krzeszow found itself caught on the border of the Soviet and German occupation zones. Some Jews managed to flee east, however, a new wave of refugees came to the town which consequently led to the increase of the community's size to 600 people.

The ghetto was established on January 1, 1940. In the Chojnik Forest, on the hills north of Krzeszów, in November 1942, the Germans executed hundreds, perhaps even up to 1,500, of Jews.

There were at least two deportations from Krzeszow to the Belzec Death Camp in November of 1942, although there is no direct witness account of the specific events. 1,200 Jews from the ghetto were murdered in the Belzec gas chambers after these two deportations. Each deportation had around 600 Jews on the transport. The ghetto was liquidated on November 2, 1942.

Krzeszow resident Mieczyslawa Mitkowska recalls, "We lived then together like neighbors. They respected our customs and we respected theirs. Children made jokes but it was not due to racial hatred. We looked with curiosity when people went for a walk with their families after Sabbath dinner. They always walked the same route from the market square across the wooden bridge over San, and then they walked back. The tragedy came along with the German occupation. Never will I forget the events of that day [probably 2 November 1942] -- a two-year old girl shot by a gestapo officer next to the local government building and blood of a child, which splashed on his uniform. An old Jewish woman in a scarf who was killed with a rifle butt by a young Ukrainian. A young girl, a manicurist, who was shot by a S.S. man in a garden located a few yards away, and others who were helpless under rifles and dogs.”

ADDITIONAL SOURCES

Some additional sources exist related to Krzeszow during the Holocaust, including:

(1) Dechnik M., Krzeszów and the Krzeszów-Tarnogród Estate Complex in the Early Modern Period, Rzeszów 1994 (Master’s thesis). (2) Ginalska T., Krzeszów: A Municipality on Both Banks of the San River, Krosno 1999. (3) Gnot L., The Lublin Region: History, People, Landscapes, Lublin 1974. (4) Hułas A., Krzeszów in the Years 1864–1914, Lublin 1966 (Master’s thesis). (5) Łysikowska J., An Outline of the History of Krzeszów on the San River up to 1869, 1977 (Master’s thesis). (6) Mazurski K., Krzeszów, Warsaw 1989. (7) Myjak J., Krzeszów on the San: A Tourist Guide, Sandomierz 1994. (8) Pisula H., Krzeszów on the San: A Tourist Guide with Illustrations, Sandomierz 1994.

These same sources listed in Polish are as follows: (1) Dechnik M. Krzeszów i klucz krzeszowsko-tarnogrodzki w czasach nowożytnych, Rzeszów 1994 (praca magisterska). (2) Ginalska T., Krzeszów: gmina po obu stronach Sanu, Krosno 1999. (3) Gnot L., Lubelszczyzna. Dzieje, ludzie, krajobrazy, Lublin 1974. (4) Hułas A., Krzeszów w latach 1864-1914, Lublin 1966 (praca magisterska). (5) Łysikowska J., Zarys dziejów Krzeszowa nad Sanem do 1869 r., 1977 (praca magisterska). (6) Mazurski K., Krzeszów, Warszawa 1989. (7) Myjak J., Krzeszów nad Sanem: informator krajoznawczy, Sandomierz 1994. (8) Pisula H., Krzeszów nad Sanem : informator krajoznawczy z rysunkami, Sandomierz 1994.

WHAT REMAINS

The Jewish cemetery in Krzeszow still exists and has over 100 tombstones, with one dating back to 1852. The Jewish cemetery is located at Ulanowska St., northwest of the town, on a hillside overlooking the San River. It was most likely founded in the 17th century. In 2001, thanks to the initiative of three individuals (Sidney Pressberg, Jan Martz, and Abraham Kessler), the cemetery was cleared and enclosed by a concrete fence featuring a metal gate.

In the Chojnak forest, there is an obelisk on the mass grave of the murdered Jews from the towns of Krzeszow, Lipiny, Potok, and the nearby towns and villages. This memorial was erected in 1986.

Not much information is known about the synagogue, including where it was located or when it was destroyed.

Please review the site content below. Zachor - We Remember.
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[Meyer Zinn Testimony: Krzeszow to Belzec Transport]
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Facebook group for Krzeszow Jewish research

Rabbis of Krzeszow:

- Moshe Naftali Kacenelenbogen
- Chaim Hochman
- Majer Folk
- Chaim Mendel Rojtman

Remember Your Family:

Central Judaica Database - Museum of History of Polish Jews
Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors on Facebook
Guide to the YIVO Archives
Holocaust News/Events from Generations of the Shoah Int'l
Holocaust Survivors and Victims Database
JewishGen Family Finder
JewishGen Holocaust Database
JRI-Poland: Search for Your Family
Museum of History of Polish Jews Introduction
Yad Vashem: Search for Your Family
Yad Vashem: Submit Names of Your Family Members
Yad Vashem Requests Photos of Shoah Survivors and Families


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