JewishGen

PASSOVER COMPANION
5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬
 About JewishGen
JewishGen is an affiliate of New York’s Museum of Jewish
Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. JewishGen serves
as the global home for Jewish genealogy. Featuring unparalleled
access to 30+ million records, it offers unique search tools, along
with opportunities for researchers to connect with others who
share similar interests.

Award winning resources such as the Family Finder, Discussion

Groups, and ViewMate, are relied upon by thousands each day.
In addition, JewishGen’s extensive informational, educational
and historical offerings, such as the Jewish Communities
Database, Yizkor Book translations, InfoFiles, Family Tree of
the Jewish People, and KehilaLinks, provide critical insights,
first-hand accounts, and context about Jewish communal and
familial life throughout the world.

Offered as a free resource, JewishGen.org has facilitated

thousands of family connections and success stories, and is
currently engaged in an intensive expansion effort that will bring
many more records, tools, and resources to its collections.

For more information, and to get started with your research,

please visit www.JewishGen.org.

Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Place, New York, NY 10280

646.494.5972 | [email protected] | www.jewishgen.org

©JewishGen, Inc. 2023. All Rights Reserved

An affiliate of New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

Design: Jen Klor, Jerusalem | jenklor.com

This matzoh cover was made by Sarah Rafalowicz, from
Kielce, as a gift for her intended husband, Pincus Bertram,
of Dubiecko. The front is hand-embroidered with flowers
and Hebrew: Seder shel Pesach. The tabs are embroidered
Cohen, Levi and Israel. She embroidered a Star of David on
the back with the Hebrew year (taf resh tsadi tet, i.e. 5699 =
1939) and her initials Shin Resh for Sarah Rafalowicz. Lace
is sewn around edges. She brought it as a gift on a visit to
Dubiecko in the spring of 1939, and then returned home
to Kielce. The wedding was planned for the summer, but
because of the unsettling times, it did not take place. Gift
of Hannah Bertram, 52.94.

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

JewishGen Leadership
Leadership Board

Susan E. King, z”l Avraham Groll Bruce C. Ratner Jack Kliger E. Randol Peter S.
Founder Executive Director Chair Schoenberg Kalikow

Volunteer Leadership
Communications JOWBR

Richard L. Phil Goldfarb Jessica Gayle Justman Stephen Jones Nolan Altman Eric Feinstein
Baum Lead Feinstein Social Media Moderator Director Associate Director
Newsletter Editor Moderator Moderator Coordinator

Member Support Systems Kehila Links ViewMate

Support/IT

Jay Nusholtz Marian Price Iris Folkson Karen Leon Susana Sam Eneman
Director Coordinator, Support Desk Volunteer Leistner Bloch Director
Gary Sandler
LostNFound Coordinator Director
Director

Press

Joel Alpert Jessica Feinstein Rachel Kolokoff Susan (Irit) Nina Schwartz Jonathan
Director of Managing Hopper Oher-Rosin Graphic Wind
JewishGen Press Editor Cover Designer Publications Designer Layout
Manager
Peter & Mary Kalikow Holocaust Research Division: USA
Jewish Genealogy Center Database
Susan
Nolan Ellen Lauscher
Karen Franklin Altman Kowitt Projects
Consulting Director Director Director Coordinator

4 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

Education

Nancy Holden Wendy Starr Jay Filan Larry Fagan Marion Werle Marjorie Geiser
Director of Education Instructor Instructor Instructor Instructor Instructor

Barbara Krasner Amy Mitchell Susan Rand- Barbara Rice April Stone
Instructor Instructor Lakritz Instructor Instructor
Instructor

Research Division: Research Division: Research Division:

Germany Latvia Hungary

Alex Calzareth Arlene Beare Marion Werle Paul Cheifitz Vivian Kahn Eric Bloch
Director Co-Director Co-Director Co-Director Director Project Coordinator

Research Division: Ukraine Research Division:

Subcarpathia

Phyllis Gary Pokrassa Chuck Weinstein Ariel Parkansky Stefani Twyford

Berenson Data Acquisition Towns/Districts Website Publicity Lara Diamond
Director Director Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator
Director

Research Division: Research Research Research Division:

Belarus Division: Division: Romania
Danzig/Gdansk Sephardic

Dave Feldman Paul Zoglin Michael Moritz Dana Lugassy

Director Database Logan Kleinwaks Sarina Roffé Director Town Leader
Coordinator
Director Director

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 5

Yizkor Books

Lance Allan Ira Bass David Mink Ellen Irv Osterer Jane S. Gabin Carol Green
Ackerfeld Translation Project Garshick Graphic Translation Ungar
Director Project Coordinator Editor Designer Editor Translator
Coordinator

Sondra S. Genia Philip S. Stefanie Brigit Young Tom Merolla Michael Palmer
Ettlinger Hollander Shapiro Holzman Project Project Project
Photo Extractions Transcriber Editor Indexer Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator

Erica S. Deborah Max G. Heffler Bruce Drake Max Wald Debra Judy Petersen
Goldman- H. Long Yizkor Book Facebook Project Michlewitz Transcriber
Brodie Project HTMLer & Curator of Coordinator Project
Article Editor Coordinator Necrology Yizkor book Coordinator
Indexing excerpts
Manager

Research Division: Bessarabia In Memorial

Barbara
Ellman, z”l
Co-Director of
KehilaLinks

Yefim Kogan Alan Levitt Alan Levine Sheli Fain Emilia Alexeeva Phyllis
Director Moderator Translator Translator Translator Kramer, z”l
Director of
Communications

Nancy
Siegel, z”l
Director of
Terry Lasky Harvey Jeffrey Wexler Ala Gamulka Roberta Communications
Translator/ Kabaker Project Translator Jaffer
Photographer Project Coordinator Project Bob Wascou, z”l
Coordinator Coordinator Romania
RD Project
Coordinator

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

CONTENTS

8 Introduction

10 The Bread of Our Affliction

Przedecz (Pshaytsh/ ‫)פשייטש‬, Poland

17 The Passover Seder in Camp

Skalat (‫)סקאלאט‬, Ukraine

21 The Feast of Unleavened Bread – Passover

Chorzele (‫חורזיל‬/‫)כאָזשעל‬, Poland

28 About the JewishGen Yizkor Book

and KehilaLinks Projects

JewishGen Passover Companion 2021 | 5781 | ‫תשפ״א‬ 7

 INTRODUCTION
APRIL 2023/NISSAN 5783

Dear JewishGen Community,

As part of a multi-year effort, JewishGen has been translating Yizkor (Memorial)

Books. To date, 161 books have been published, with dozens of other projects in
progress. They offer researchers the opportunity to explore what life was like in
towns throughout the world before, during, and after the Holocaust.

Rabbi Efraim Sokolower, who wrote an introduction to the Yizkor Book of Chorzele,
Poland (see the Passover related excerpt on page 21), described the pain of not being
able to visit the graves of family murdered during the Holocaust. And how, decades
later, the memory of the Shoah, and the destruction of so many communities, was
slowly being forgotten. In his words:

The terrible tragedy of the murder of six million Jews – men, women,
and children – no longer makes an impression in the world. People
have already become accustomed to these words, and their meaning
has turned into a mere linguistic expression.

In response to this, the publication of a Yizkor Book would serve as a “memorial

monument” for generations. He wrote:

Whenever we look into it, we will be inspired to remember our relatives

in our hearts, and this memory will draw us closer to their spirits and
souls. When the righteous Joseph was in Egypt, oppressed in body
and spirit, young in years, of refined soul and noble spirit, he fell
into impure and cruel hands. Before his eyes stood the image of his
elderly father, and since he saw the image of his father, his spirit was
strengthened to withstand all the obstacles and oppression in his path.
This memory gave him the power and encouragement to gird himself

8 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

 and continue on in the tradition of his dear father, as he received it
during his childhood. This memorial book will adorn every house
of our fellow townsfolk, and will stand constantly before our eyes in
honor and glory.

We hope that this Passover Companion, which contains Passover related Yizkor book
excerpts, will likewise help ensure that the memory of those murdered during the
Holocaust will not be forgotten, and that we will strengthen our sense of identity and
what it means to be part of the Jewish people.

Thank you to the many volunteers who have made this Passover Companion
possible, specifically: Lance Ackerfeld who oversees the Yizkor Book Translation
project, Joel Alpert who oversees the JewishGen Press, Bruce Drake who drafted the
article introductions, and to Richie Baum and Gayle Justman for proofreading.

Wishing you all a happy Passover, and Chag Kasher V’Sameach,

Jack Kliger Avraham Groll

President & CEO Executive Director
Museum of Jewish Heritage – JewishGen
A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 9

 THE BREAD OF OUR AFFLICTION
Przedecz (Pshaytsh/ ‫)פשייטש‬, Poland

Przedecz was a town in western Poland about equidistant between Poznan

on the west and Warsaw to the east. Jewish settlement began there towards
the end of the 14th century. In 1921, its Jewish population numbered just
over 3,000. But in December, 1940, as the Nazis were advancing in Poland
that population stood at 840 Jews. And, in the year after that, many of
them were taken to labor camps. The following year the Przedecz ghetto
was liquidated.

In the “The Bread of Our Affliction,” from the town’s Yizkor book, Passover
becomes a tragic milestone in the darkening lives of the Jewish people as
many faced death in the gas chambers of Chelmno, about 20 miles away.
The chapter includes testimonies recalling what was once a joyous holiday:
“Sit, sit, make yourself comfortable and listen, since this is the last Seder
in town, and the second under such circumstances. We will not sing here
anymore, even though we haven’t been singing for a long time.”

It was the last Seder with her parents for one of the contributors to the
chapter. She remembers a child bursting into tears when he asked the
question, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” and crying
out “Chelmno.” Another had suffered through all the horrors of the time –
hunger, forced labor, beatings and degradation – and wrote of the last Seder
she experienced in Przedecz. Her little brother said to her, “I don’t want to
die.” And every Passover after that, she heard his voice.

10 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

The following is a composite of events described
to Y. L. L. Shlomi by Tuvshe Yakubovitch,
Rushke (Shoshana) Yakhimovitch, and perhaps
the daughter of Khaim Kladovsky and others

Sit down, please, and recline. After all, today

is the first Seder night. There are no feathers
in the blankets or pillows; the Germans ripped
them all up and threw the feathers to the wind.
They searched for gold, silver and jewelry in the
pockets.

Sit, sit, make yourself comfortable and listen,

since this is the last Seder in town, and the
second under such circumstances. We will not
sing here any more, even though we haven’t
been singing for a long time.

These are my memories of the last Seder in the

town of Pshaytch (Przedecz in Polish) in 1942,
shortly before the poisoning in the gas chambers
in Chelmno. We remember little about the
Haggadah, about the miracle of leaving Egypt,
nor do we mention matzah because we have
none, just a poor man’s bread, the real “Bread
Cover of a Passover haggada with commentary by Rab-
of Affliction”, large quantities of maror (in bi Yitzchak Itzik Horowicz, and his son, Rabbi Yaakov
English, bitter herbs) – bitterness; nonetheless, Ori Shraga from Pshaytsh (who passed away on March
2, 1839).
we prepare a Passover Seder.

(Translator’s Note: the next few paragraphs were of Poznan. We were sent to three farms which
told by Tuvtshe Yakubovitch.) One hundred were converted into labor camps; Gnojno,
girls and one boy, Avromek Zikhlinsky, were Lojewo (in Yiddish, Layove) and Tuczno. I
in the first transport in 1940, recalled Tuvtshe was with my sister Hella. We brought with
Yakubovitch. We had been assembled via a us bedding, clothing and underwear. We
list from the Jewish council. They said we worked hard from dawn until dusk. The local
were going to pick potatoes and beets in Volksdeutsche (people whose language and
the fields. It was around the time of Sukkos culture had German origins, but who did not
(Translator’s note: October). They divided us hold German citizenship) guarded us and liked
into three groups once we arrived in the region to beat and whip us to show their importance

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 11

and power. The camp had its own kitchen, but and two brothers, Yakov and Notte.
at the beginning we received packages and a bit
Sitting anxiously impatient on the train, I had
of money from home. Understandably, not all
to remain inconspicuous, since I did not have
parents could help. We also received help from
permission to ride this means of transportation.
friends. We were not free to wake up and go
to sleep at will, because of lights in the living With great fear, I got off the train at the last
space, nevertheless the possibility of legitimate station in the hamlet of Szatki (Tseti in Yiddish)
cultural activity didn’t exist. The exchange of and walked the last eight kilometers.
letters with our families was limited. We asked
after and thought about them. From time to I arrived in town on Passover eve, at night
time, someone would go home for a few days. (Translator’s note: Wednesday evening, 1 April
We had to buy a furlough with money or a gift 1942), when Jews are required to go to the
for the head of the camp, the Volksdeutsche synagogue, but I met nary a Jew. I was overcome
Urbansky, or other services for the Hitleristic with fear in that horrible stillness.
low life creatures. I could not enter my house. My parents
The worst was when they took us from one had been moved to the ghetto and had left
place to another. We had already settled in a everything behind. A Christian let me know
little, placed a bit of straw on the plank beds we where to find the Jewish quarter. Pshaytch
slept on, become familiar with the surrounding (Przedecz) is a small town, and it was not
population through which we were able to offer difficult to find the place where those remaining
our belongings and goods – so-called – for a were, in a very crowded, destitute situation.
bit of food, and then they moved us to a new
I found my mother in the house. My father
place. For a long time, we slept in the hall of the
was still at work. The curfew (police hours)
theater in Inowroclaw (in Yiddish, Inovrotslav)
hadn’t yet come. He worked as a tailor for
on bare boards on the stage, and this was in
a Volksdeutche woman living in the former
winter, with a frosty wind blowing in from all
apartment of the Rappaport family. My brothers
sides. We all caught cold. Understandably, we
were already in one of the murderous camps,
sent or wrote letters in Polish or German. We
and in my lifetime, I would never see them
had to write carefully. Writing between the
again.
lines, not everything could be inferred.
Many parents came to me asking about their
Before Passover 1942, thanks to some money
daughters. I could not offer them anything
my sister Hella and I received from home, I
more than greetings. I could not tell them the
received a three-day furlough.
whole truth. But in my last visit, our parents
It had been two years since I had seen my had talked only about Chelmno and how the
parents and brother. My brother Mordkhai was liquidation of the Ghetto was approaching.
in a prisoner camp as a Polish soldier, which I They knew exactly what was happening there.
hadn’t yet learned. But I still had my parents My father returned late, and after he finished

12 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

 perhaps five years old. I
don’t remember whose child
he was. The windows were
curtained. Two candles
burned on the table. My
mother managed a few dry
white pletzels (a flatbread
similar to focaccia). All of us
tried with all our might to
hold back our tears, but when
my father came to the passage
“we shouted unto G-d and he
heard our voices” he could no
longer control himself, and
continued with quiet sobs
until the end of the service.

This was the last Passover

Seder with my parents. After
my return to the camp, I
did not see them again. Nor
did I hear from them again.
But when I had returned to
the camp, I had to describe
everything anew. This time I
could not control myself.

(Translator’s Note: The

next few paragraphs were
Mrs. Kayle Yakubovitch, of blessed memory, and her daughters: told by Rushke (Shoshana)
Hella and Tuvtshe.
Yakhimovitch and perhaps
the daughter of Khaim
praying, we sat down for a Seder. Many women Kladovsky.) Bitter herbs. Egg. Rushke, take
were in the group. Their husbands were in me with you. Shank bone, karpas (a raw
camps. Among them were widows – although vegetable, usually parsley or celery), matzah.
not all – knew about that yet. Some little Chelmno. Gas chambers on wheels. Charoses.
boy asked the questions “Why is this night Wine. Everything, everything, I have forgotten
different”. In the middle, he burst into choking nothing. Beautiful candlesticks with candles, a
tears and cried out Chelmno. The child was white tablecloth, covered matzah, everything,

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 13

 18

2 17

15

1
5
7 8
6

4 9 10
11

16
12 13
14

Map of the City of Przedecz

KEY
1. Synagogue 10. Young Mizrachi
2. Cemetery 11. The pump
3. Chevra Tehillim 12. Fire fighters
4. Mikva 13. Butcher shops
5. Bank 14. City Hall
6. Beitar 15. School
7. House of the rabbi 16. Police Station
8. Beis Midrash 17. Library
9. Slaughterhouse 18. Post office

everything, just as it is supposed to be. Rushke, With these words, Rushke (Shoshana)
don’t leave me behind. Everything so beautiful. Yakhimovitch began her description, her
Traditions, customs, clean without chometz. description of the last Seder she experienced
Kosher. Without memories, without bitter in Pshaytch (Przedecz) in 1942. I was sent to
thoughts, without parents, without graves for Gnojno, a hamlet not far from Inowroclaw
a brother and sister, how can this happen, how (Inovrotslav). A ranch. From the autumn of
can we understand this? 1940, I began to work there in the field picking

14 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

potatoes, beets, guarded by savage, brutal At this same time, that is autumn, 1941, they
Volksdeutsche with sticks, whips and other brought another group of thirty girls from
instruments to beat stooped shoulders wet from Pshaytsh (Przedecz) to a camp in Tuczno,
rain. They acted with particular cruelty towards not far from us. Among the girls was Kayla
the Krel and Engel sisters. There was not a day Vishnivska. At about the same time, they
or a night without beating them, accompanied brought a large group of men from Pshaytsh
by wild laughter. They took special pleasure (Przedecz) to work in a sugar factory near
in beating and kicking the unfortunate girls Lojewo (Layove). We received very little food,
until they bled. They beat other girls too, but and the men received even less. Many of them
they mistreated these girls in an animalistic died from hunger and hard labor. The weak
way. They had not dropped anything or done ones were sent to the hamlet Amze, which was
anything wrong. The truth is that they simply near Inowroclaw (Inovrotslav), where they
chose them as a scapegoat. Without any reason. were shot by the German executioner. Among
That is how it was, because they were the rulers, those killed were Yakov Pinkhas Rumer,
the masters. As for culture, I believe they could Dovid Vishnievsky, Hersh Zielinsky, Shlamek
not read or write. They spoke Polish poorly, Makovitsky, Moishe Raukh, Mendel Kviat,
and their German was not any better. That is Dovid and his uncle Israel Khaym Zielinski,
how it was. The stick was in their hand. And Maniek Raukh, and many others.
they knew how to use it. After that, there was
By the beginning of 1942, they began to
clearing the fields and carrying full sacks of
liquidate the camps of Tuczno and Gnojno and
produce on our backs. Then they harnessed us
sent everyone to the camp at Lojewo (Layove).
to the wagons because they treated their horses
A large number of youths arrived from the
with respect. They kept us busy caring for the
town of Radziejow. In Lojewo, the head of the
pigs, cows and horses. To cut straw, to cook
camp selected Kayla Vishnivska as foreman
potatoes for the animals, from which we also
of the girls (the elder Jew). We should write a
ate a little, stealing food from the pigs. Not
second chapter about her, the good things she
everyone had the means to buy food from the
did. She organized a workshop for seamstresses,
local peasants or trade a piece of clothing.
headed by Yetta Lntzitzka, for Pshaytsher girls
We lived like this for a year. Then they took in Lojewo; with ten girls, the work was not too
us to Lojewo (Layove) camp. The guards there difficult, and quietly they earned a bit of food
were a bit more humane. They did not beat which they gave to the starving men in the
us. The work there was also not easy. Perhaps sugar factory. But with it all, we were anxious.
it was more difficult. We excavated ditches, We received bad news from our parents at
arranged wagons, transported the carts, which home. Thanks to Kayla Vishnivska, I was able
we had first filled with earth, and then poured to be free for a week and go home. The others
additional earth on the road as appropriate, who went home with me for that bitter Passover
filling holes and puddles. were Khava Zielinsky, Feyge Pshedetzke, Tova
Yakubovitch, Brayna Engel, Brayna Ofnbakh.

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 15

We kept apart, in the event the Germans My mother was hungry. She sold everything in
would capture one of us (we were not travelling order to send me packages to help me endure
legally), but we all arrived home. These were my suffering. My little brother became small
difficult days with our close ones for all of us. I and weak from these problems. He had begun
found my mother and my eight-year-old brother to have a speech impediment. When I left to
Levi in the ghetto. They had been thrown out return to camp, he accompanied me. On the
of our home. My family now lived in a small road, he asked, Lushke, take me with you.
attic room at Avrom Fisher’s. My father, Khaim Lushke, I don’t want to die. They will take us
Kladovsky, and my eldest brother had been all to Chelmno where they will gas and burn us.
sent to work a few weeks after I had been sent Little brother, how can I? I have no idea what
away, and no one had had any news of them will happen to me. But Lushke, I don’t want to
since. I was told my father was killed working die.
at the trains in Inowroclaw (Inovrotslav), but
Every Passover I hear Levi’s voice. Lushke, I
I later learned he was taken to the death camp
want to live. Lushke, Lushke, Lushke.
Amze and murdered there. Tell me, my dear
one, where is your grave? Where are your bones? I want to live.
When is the anniversary of your death?

Project Coordinator: Roberta Paula Books

Purchase a hardcover copy of Memorial Book of Przedecz:

www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/ybip/YBIP_Przedecz.html

To learn more about Przedecz, please visit:

www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/Przedecz/Przedecz.html

16 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

 THE PASSOVER SEDER IN CAMP
Skalat (‫)סקאלאט‬, Ukraine

Skalat is in western Ukraine and, according to its Yizkor book, is one

of the oldest Jewish shtetls in Galicia, where Jews had settled in the
sixteenth century or earlier. About 4,800 Jews were living there in
1939 before the German invasion.

In 1942, the German opened the Skalat Camp where the forced
work ranged from hard labor in a quarry for those who were stronger
and healthier, to maintenance tasks such as carrying water, chopping
wood, sweeping, hauling garbage, cleaning privies and peeling
potatoes in the kitchen for people broken in body and spirit.

This was the setting for “The Passover Seder in Camp,” a chapter
from Skalat’s Yizkor book. It tells a story that is similar to that in other
Yizkor books, about the ways Jews found to celebrate the holiday in
the harsh conditions of the Nazi camps. “Someone suddenly said:
‘Jews, let’s prepare a Seder. Isn’t this the first Seder night?’” And so
they did.

It happened after the Pre-Passover ‘action’ dear friend. Although their emotions had long
in 1943. All the clothes of the victims had since been dulled, a bloodied garment could
been brought to camp for sorting, baling and have a shocking effect on the strained nerves of
transporting to Germany. The camp Jews an inmate. Who could say whether tomorrow or
experienced terrible moments in the course of the next day, some other Jew would be sorting
this work. Often someone would recognize his his blood-soaked clothes?
child’s dress, or the clothes of a brother, father or

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 17

Often American dollars or gold coins would be discouraged and brought dreams of liberation to
found sewn into the seams of the clothes. The their souls if not to their bodies. For some, faith
overseers would watch everyone’s hands and and prayer could sometimes cancel out decrees.
the ordinary inmate would wonder: “Whom
will these enrich? Obviously some officials. It was the first night of Passover. The inmates
But couldn’t we better use the gold to rescue returned from work, tired to the point of
ourselves?” A piece of jewelry would fall from exhaustion. They remembered the Festival of
a garment to the floor, it would shine for a Spring and Freedom. Nature is waking up to
moment and then the glow would be darkened life: the skies turning blue, the earth green;
by the thoughts of one’s own perdition. first born sons are dying, slaves are becoming
free people. The brutal overseers are assailed by
A certain part of the camp population sought various plagues. Pharaohs drown. And homes of
solace in religion. Hassidic young men, such the past awake in memories.
as Asher Geter, Mechel Klein, Nisan Messing
and others, would organize prayer sessions. They remember a table covered in white,
Marking the yahrtzeit and saying the Kaddish candles flicker in silver candlesticks, the Pesach
prayer were the most moving expressions in table is prepared, the cups of wine in place. At
this sorrowful existence. The daring to be the head of the table a seat is pillowed for the
pious under those conditions gave hope to the Master of the Seder to eat reclined, as a king.

Children of the Hebrew School in Skalat, 1937

18 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

 The Grina Kloiz – the Green Chapel Study House – in Skalat

can take care that they don’t catch us. We’ll

Joy shines all about, encircling wife, children,
have the Seder! “Lookouts were posted at the
and friends. Remembering this, eyes start to
gate and on the staircase. If anyone were to
glisten.
appear, an agreed-upon signal would be given
Someone suddenly said: “Jews, let’s prepare and everyone would pretend to be asleep on
a Seder. Isn’t this the first Seder night? The their cots.
Kommandants are carrying on over there – we

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 19

The secret quickly spread from ear to ear and softer, the ears, sharpened by fear, bend to the
soon the very air was filled with it. A table is melody but it is hard to catch the living words...
born. From out of the table grow two burning quieter! Still more quiet lest we be heard. The
candles. A bit of matzo lies as a reminder, a path to the heart is open, and the melody is felt
tin plate on the table bears haroset and maror. even if not heard. From here it is but a short
Three Jews sit on a bench and prepare to repeat step to the tear ducts. Soon everyone is crying.
the wondrous tale of bondage and freedom. The very air is transformed into a lake of tears.
“Today we are still slaves, but next year we shall Everyone remembers the past, yesterday, today...
be free men!” The walls are draped with dark
From the table one can barely hear the intoned
shadows that move surreptitiously with the
words: Blood...Frogs...Lice... – and all about
flames of the flickering candles. Rows of heads
one feels the impact of the plagues. Were there
look down from the double-decked cots, their
camps in Egypt?
frightened glances turn in anticipation to the
pale light from the Seder table. Hearts tremble, The great mystery of faith, though mixed with
uplifted in ecstasy a shiver rises from the depths pain, descends over everyone’s spirit and proffers
of the sleeping shelves, from the corners, from a measure of solace.
under the table, from beneath the beds, from
all of the crowded surroundings. The room is Asher Getter chants the Hallel (hymn of praise).
filled with a mass of human heads, resembling When the four cups have been filled with tears,
frightened ghosts. They want to hear the Nisan Messing ends with the allegorical song,
reading of the Haggadah. Chad Gadyo (I had a little Kid).

The familiar melodies rise: Avodim Hoyino Thus the camp inmates celebrated the night of
(we were slaves)...times gone by...once there was the first Seder.
a conspiracy in B’nai Brak... quiet!...quieter!..
They will hear us! The singing grows softer and

Project Coordinator: Kathryn M. Wallach

Purchase a hardcover copy of Skalat, Ukraine: A Memorial Anthology for a

Community Destroyed in the Holocaust:
www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/ybip/YBIP_Skalat.html

To learn more about Skalat, please visit:

www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/skalat1/skalat.html

20 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

 THE FEAST OF
UNLEAVENED BREAD – PASSOVER
Chorzele (‫חורזיל‬/‫)כאָזשעל‬, Poland

“The Feast of Unleavened Bread – Passover” from the Yizkor book

of Chorzele, Poland is a happier story than the other Yizkor book
chapters in this Passover guide because it recounts the celebration
of the holiday in happier times.

The town is in east central Poland, 70 miles northeast of Plock

and 70 miles north of Warsaw. The Kehila was formed at the
turn of the 1820s and 1830s. Its people were craftsmen, traders,
laborers and owners of shops, bakeries, an inn as well as most of
small industries such as the brewery, brick factory, and tannery.
In 1905, 2,301 Jews lived there and in 1939 the population was
1,300. After the outbreak of World War II, all Jews, except for
three families, left Chorzele.

The chapter starts with the matzo baking that began after Purim
and describes all the rituals that followed: the cleaning of the
houses, the search for leaven, and all the preparations for the
Seder. And then the Seder itself, which was celebrated much as it
still is today.

When Adar comes, joy increases. When Purim dough. Twelve women wearing white aprons
ended, matzo baking would start. We would that covered their entire body stood face to face
bake at the home of Rachel-Leah, who brought on both sides of the table that was supported by
us milk every morning. The kneading woman stilts. They would roll the dough until it was
[kneterke] sat in a room. She kneaded the thin and round. The dough would be given to

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 21

the redler who made holes along the matzo with On the morning of the eve of the festival, prior
a studded roller. Then it would be given over to to 9:00 a.m., we would quickly eat three rolls
the sheiber who placed it into the baking oven, of bread with coffee. 9:00 a.m. would be the
from which kosher for Passover matzos emerged. transfer time. We would have to eat on the
porch, for the inside was already sealed off from
All the furniture was taken out of the houses
chometz.
and placed in the yard. The double windows
would be removed. The rooms would be We would go to bake matzo shmura. Here, the
whitewashed. The aroma of spring encouraged men did all the work: they kneaded, rolled, etc.
and awakened the desire to act, do, and help. They recited verses and sang. The matzo shmura
was very expensive, and was designated only for
The search for leaven would be conducted on
father, and only for the Seder nights.
the night before the festival. Crumbs of bread
would be placed in several corners. Father would In the afternoon, we would eat potatoes with
take a wooden cooking spoon in one hand and borscht. This borscht would be brought from
a bundle of duck feathers in the other hand. the cellar, where there was a barrel of beets that
I would hold the candle. Father would recite had been picked for some time, had become
the blessing for the search for leaven, and we sharp and sour, with the taste of good wine.
children would go and seek out the leaven. He
We would go to Fiszlender to get a haircut (he
would sweep the leaven into the cooking spoon
lived in a one room attic). Many people would
with the feathers, cover it with a cloth, tie it, and
be waiting.
burn everything completely.
He received a “machinka” from his daughter
After the search for leaven, we would go to the
in America, but he did not know how to use it,
wooden bridge at the Orzyc River, where we
so he continued to work with scissors. He was
would immerse the new tableware that would be
not the only Jewish barber in the town. There
used for the first time on this festival. We would
were people in the town who grew their hair like
draw water for the matzo shmura with a special
monks. There was also Notka Yaakov-Pesach’s
pitcher, to use for baking the next day, the eve of
who had a haircutting machine. I would say to
the festival. At home, the Passover dishes would
him, “Notka, I am already big, and I want you
be taken down from the piekelek.
to leave me a grzyba.”
I had the job of taking down all the books to air
I went to the son of Chaim to purchase a hat
them out, including the large, leather bound set
that he had brought from Warsaw. He would
of Talmuds and about a hundred other books.
look at me, measure my head size with his
They had to be removed from the shelf and
glance, and say, “Number 32 will fit you.” It did
checked page by page due to the suspicion that
not fit. He would put two fingers on one side of
crumbs of chometz might have fallen into the
the hat, two fingers on the other side, and pull it
pages while eating or reading.
forcefully until they had made a knock. He put

22 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

The sale of chometz [leavened products] document from the eve of Passover

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 23

 There was a spring wind,
and an encouraging feeling.
The prayers were recited by
Father in the festive melody
that was unique to him.
I believe that the festivals
have their own additional
soul.

At home, all the

preparations for the Seder
were made. Father would
wear his kittel. There
would be a large pillow on
the chair to lean upon, as
a sign of royalty. Everyone
sat around the long table in
a crowded fashion. Many
exacting preparations had
been made. The maror
[bitter herbs] was checked
to ensure they were strong,
and the charoses was
checked to see it has been
made properly. There
were three matzos on a
plate, covered with a cloth.
A view of the cemetery Everything was set up in
accordance with the laws of
the hat back on my head and said, “It fits you,” Passover: the shank bone, the karpas, etc., some
as he pulled me to the mirror on the wall. on the right side and some on the left.

At home I found out that they brought a new Father was a scholar, but he nevertheless
coat from Feivel-Berl. I was fortunate, for he reviewed the laws, even though he knew them
was the best tailor, and he would sew for me. At well, to ensure that no error would be made,
Father’s order, they would make it wider, so it Heaven forbid, in any of the minutiae of the
would also fit me five years hence. I went to the Seder.
synagogue with the new coat and hat, and felt
We would wait impatiently. We were very
like a scarecrow in the fields.
hungry. The weakness penetrated to the

24 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

heart, but we sat patiently, with appreciation is equivalent to a small egg. He swallowed it,
and reverence for everything that Father was and it got stuck in his throat. We were afraid.
doing. He began by explaining the essence of Avraham-Michel stuck his finger into Father’s
the festival, the exodus from Egypt. We did mouth, to take remove maror. There were tears
not rush, for it is a mitzvah to tell the story at in Father’s eyes. However, he quickly resumed
length. the Seder as if nothing had happened.

We filled the cups of wine. Father recited The Seder continued until after midnight. We
Kiddush out loud, and we recited it after him. drank the four cups in accordance with the law.
The youngest present asked the four questions. We ate the afikoman (a custom that turned into
Every word was a question. When he finished, a law because it was a custom). Wearily but with
we all broke out in unison in the recitation of excitement, we recited Chad Gadya.
“We were slaves.” Only someone who has read
Throughout the festival we played with nuts: nis
books about those who were captive or sold as
and druit, or seven gribelech, three next to three
slaves could understand, “and today we are free”
and one on top. We tossed a nut from afar. If it
in its unique sense.
fell on top, we would take everything. If it feel
We recited the haggadah, and stopped to listen on one of the three, we would only take that. I
to explanations and commentary, until we always lost my nuts.
finally reached the meal. The first course was
The same Seder took place on the second night.
a hardboiled egg in salt water. We ate with an
However the additional soul was somewhat
appetite. However, I suddenly got a stomach
diminished, it did not tolerate repetition.
ache. The pain grew worse, and I writhed.
However, I had to continue on.

Father took the maror with his fingers. The

portion was the size of an olive [kezayit], which

Project Coordinator: Susan Kittner Huntting

Purchase a hardcover copy of Memorial Book of the Community of Chorzel

(Chorzele, Poland):
www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/ybip/YBIP_Chorzele.html

To learn more about Chorzele, please visit:

www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/Chorzele/Chorzele.html

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 25

 : .
A N D 0 23
L r2
PO m e r
O m fo
I P T r Su fa l l rip
!
TR d fo ext r' s t
A MA fi l le ck n yea
SH is ba next
N E ra m eck
g ut
p ro e ch a bo
is s n
T h P l ea a t i o
m
or
inf

JewishGen Neshama Travel

& Preservation Program
Join us for an unforgettable trip to Poland whereby you can learn about Polish Jewish life,
clean-up a cemetery that has been largely neglected over the past 80 years, and help preserve
- with your own hands - our collective Jewish familyhistory and heritage for future generations.

JULY 11 - JULY 20, 2023

Led by highly experienced staff, this 10 day travel and study trip will allow participants to explore
Jewish heritage sites in Poland, and help clear-up a long neglected cemetery. Along the way, we will learn from rabbis,
scholars, dignitaries, and community leaders, who will offer first-hand insights regarding the imperative (and challenges) of
cleaning-up cemeteries in accordance with Jewish law. And we will discuss how local Polish communities view Jewish
cemeteries in their towns, the need to preserve Jewish memory, and more.

PROGRAM COST
$3,099 USD of which $1,375 USD is eligible for tax-deductions for those eligible for charitable contributions.
Reserve your space with a $1,000 deposit. A Note: Cost is per-person, double occupancy with an option for a
single supplement. Airfare is not included.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Adults over the age of 18 are welcomed. Children 15 and up must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

WE WILL VISIT A NUMBER OF PLACES/SITES, INCLUDING:

Warsaw, Łódż, Kraków (where we will spend Shabbat), Auschwitz-Birkenau, Oświęcim, Tarnów, Markuszów and Lublin.

LEARN MORE, AND APPLY AT: WWW.JEWISHGEN.ORG/NESHAMA

I N PA RT N E R S H I P W I T H

26 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

 Pro
gra F UT
m U
wi fil l R E S
ll o e C
pe d . T h H O L
ni en AR
nt
he ext S
Fa ap :
ll o p
f 2 l i ca t
02 ion
3.

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 27

 JewishGen
Yizkor Book Project

About the JewishGen Yizkor Book Translation Project

Yizkor Books (Memorial Books) were

traditionally written to memorialize
the names of departed family and
martyrs during holiday services in the
synagogue (a practice that still exists in
many synagogues today).

Over the centuries, as a result of

countless persecutions and horrific
atrocities committed against the
Jews, Yizkor Books (Sifre Zikaron in
Hebrew) were expanded to include more historical information, such as biographical
sketches of famous personalities and descriptions of daily town life.

Following the Holocaust, the idea of remembrance and learning took on an urgent
and crucial importance. Survivors of the Holocaust sought out other surviving
residents of their former towns to memorialize and document the names and way of
life of those who were ruthlessly murdered by the Nazis.

These remembrances were documented in Yizkor Books, hundreds of which

were published in the first decades after the Holocaust. Most of these books were
published privately, or through landsmanshaftn (social organizations comprised of
members originating from the same European town or region) that still existed, and
were often distributed free of charge.

Sadly, the languages used to document these crucial histories and links to our
past, Yiddish and Hebrew, are no longer commonly understood by a significant
percentage of Jews today. It is our hope that the translation of these books into
English (and other languages) will assist the countless Jewish family researchers who
are so desperately seeking to forge a connection with their heritage.

Thank you to Lance Ackerfeld for overseeing the Yizkor Book Translation project,
and Joel Alpert for overseeing the JewishGen Press.

28 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

 Lance Ackerfeld was born in Australia and settled
on Kibbutz Yiftah, Israel in 1977 where he has lived
with his family since then. By day, he is presently a
senior database and BI expert in the global “Netafim”
company and after work, devotes time to the Yizkor Book Project
in which he has been involved in various capacities since 1999 and
has led the project for more than 10 years.

Joel Alpert is a retired electrical engineer, who

worked for MIT, Raytheon, the Israeli Armaments
Authority and Bell Laboratories. He was born and
educated in Wisconsin, lived in Israel, Boston and
Tucson. He created the Yizkor-Books-In-Print project in 2012 and
is now the coordinator of the project.

At the end of each week, we have been been distributing “A Window into our Treasured
Past” emails, which feature timely excerpts from Yizkor books in JewishGen’s archive. In
choosing the weekly excerpts, JewishGen volunteer Bruce Drake tries to balance selections
that recall the suffering of the Holocaust with chapters that paint pictures of what daily
life was like in the communities of Europe, such as market days, how Jews made their
living, the joys and sadnesses of every day life and portraits of memorable characters.
Bruce has also overseen the completed translation of the Kover Yizkorbook and created
Kehilalinks sites for Kovel and Wojnilow, now known as Voynilov in Ukraine. He spent
most of his career in journalism at the New York Daily News, NPR and Congressional
Quarterly, and until recently, was a senior editor at the Pew Research Center.

To learn more, and to access

the translations at no cost, please visit:
www.JewishGen.org/yizkor/translations

To purchase hard copies of Yizkor Books that

JewishGen has translated, please visit:
www.JewishGen.org/press

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 29

 JewishGen
KehilaLinks
The KehilaLinks project is managed by Susana Leistner Bloch,
and until her recent and untimely passing in February, Barbara
Ellman, z”l. Barbara began volunteering for JewishGen nearly two
decades ago, and oversaw the creation of dozens of KehilaLinks
pages which have helped so many thousands of people research their
roots. Her work was very much “behind the scenes,” engaging with
dozens of project coordinators and technical volunteers to provide
support for the development and maintenance of KehilaLinks
websites. However, she also traveled to conferences whereby she
would make presentations, recruit potential volunteers, and speak
passionately about how KehilaLinks served as a critical component
of JewishGen’s suite of resources. Barbara will be deeply missed
by everyone who knew her, and we continue this project in her
memory. For more information, and to get involved, please visit:
www.KehilaLinks.JewishGen.org.

30 JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬

Sunday, May 21st, 10am - 5pm ET
In-Person & Livestreaming
The Hebrew word Mishpachah means family – we invite you to join ours
Celebrate and explore Jewish genealogy, heritage, and immigration
with live music, activities for kids and families, Jewish genealogy
lectures, cooking demonstrations, Jewish heritage panels, and more.

Scan to register at
mjhnyc.org/mishpachah-
festival/

JewishGen Passover Companion 2023 | 5783 | ‫תשפ״ג‬ 31

 JewishGen
‫מרכז עולמי לגנאלוגיה יהודית‬
The Global Home for Jewish Genealogy

There has never been a better time to discover your roots.

www.JewishGen.org