Talk:Sieradz

According to a wide range of neutral descriptive sources, Polish Jews comprised between 30-40% of the population of Sieradz between the world wars. As did Jews across Poland, they maintained a substantially separate political and cultural life marked by separate institutions, political parties, a formally recognized separate religious community, etc, all conducted not only in Polish but also (and in many places primarily) in the distinct languages of East European Jewry, Yiddish and Hebrew. During World War II, the Jewish community of Sieradz, like the Jewish community of Poland as a whole, was specially targeted for murder by German occupiers and for the most part indeed killed. These facts regarding those who lived in and helped shape the life of the town, and regarding their targeted murder and the way that that in itself transformed the town's life quite dramatically, should be registered. Here are sources and bibliography:

From "Jewish Virtual Library" (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/sieradz):

SIERADZ (Rus. Seradz), town in the province of Lodz, central Poland. Jews settled in the town around the middle of the 15th century and in 1446 there was a Jewish street. In the second half of the 16th century the struggle between the Jewish community and the townsmen was intensified as a result of the latter's complaint about competition from Jewish merchants. In 1569 King Sigismund II Augustus prohibited Jews from entering the town. They resettled in Sieradz during the 17th century, but their residence was forbidden once more in 1725. In 1765 there were only 17 Jews in Sieradz. Under Prussian rule (1793–1806) Jewish merchants and craftsmen again settled in Sieradz. The Jewish population of Sieradz rose from 177 (10% of the total population) in 1808 to 595 (19%) in 1827; 1,782 in 1857; 2,357 (35%) in 1897; and 2,835 (31%) in 1921. They earned their livelihood from trade in cereals, shopkeeping, tailoring, weaving, carpentry, and haulage. From 1829 to 1862 the authorities of Congress Poland restricted the Jews to a special quarter of the town where not more than one family could reside in a room and the houses were to be built of brick and covered by tiles. A number of Sieradz Jews joined the Polish rebels in 1863. After the retreat of the Russian army (1915), Jewish cultural institutions were established in Sieradz and the Zionists subsequently acquired considerable influence. Between the two world wars, various Jewish social and political organizations were active.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

B. Wasiutyński, Ludność żydowska w Polsce w wiekach XIX i XX (1930), 10, 12, 27, 50, 71; M. Baliński and T. Lipiński, Starożytna Polska, 1 (1845), index; A. Eisenbach et al. (eds.), Żydzi a powstanie styczniowe, materiały i dokumenty (1963), index; I. Schiper, Studya nad stosunkami gospodarczymi Żydów w Polsce podczas średniowiecza (1911), index; idem, Dzieje handlu żydowskiego na ziemiach polskich (1937), index; R. Mahler, Yidn in Amolikn Poyln in Likht fun Tsifern (1958), index; D. Dabrowska, in: BŻIH, 13–14 (1955); T. Berenstein, ibid., 38–39 (1961).

From Pinkas Hakehillot Polin (Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities, Poland), Volume I, pages 263-265, published by Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, translation on https://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/pinkas_poland/pol1_00263.html:

(Sieradz District)

Population Year Total Jews 1764/65 ? 17& 1793/94 1,234 70 1808 1,753 177 1827 3,165 595 1857 5,256 1,782 1897 6,826 2,357 1921 9,284 2,835

Sieradz achieved town status in the middle of the 13th century. In 1331, as a result of war, the town was completely razed. Within a few years, however, it was rebuilt and restored to its previous status, marking the beginnings of a new era in its development, where the Jews now began to establish themselves. In 1436 there was already a Jewish street in Sieradz; eventually the Jews dispersed throughout the town. Testimony to this is one of the few extant items of information from that period: 'The Jew Yakov purchased in 1581 from the town of Sieradz a wooden house in Bałutna Street, the adjoining house previously sold to another Jew'.

In the 16th century the Jews of Sieradz dealt mainly in money lending and commerce. The Jew Yakov, mentioned above, traded in textiles produced in Sieradz and the surrounding towns, as well as money lending, pearls, and zinc-spoons. The first Jewish settlement in Sieradz lasted 150 years. In 1569, the king granted the privilege prohibiting the residence of Jews in the town of Sieradz ["privilegia de non tolerandis Judaeis"].

In the 17th and early 18th centuries, because of the severe economic situation and decline in the town's population, the Jews did not bother to seek a permit to live inside the town. They did attempt to resettle and trade in the 1820's, however, the town dwellers objected to Jews living in their midst and took them to court. The court acknowledged the validity of the privilege of 1569 prohibiting Jews from residing in the town of Sieradz ["privilegia de non tolerandis Judaies"].

In the second half of the18th century, a new Jewish settlement began to emerge. At first, just a few Jews lived in the town, among them a tailor, a furrier and a shochet. In 1793/4 there were 16 craftsmen representing 22.9% of the Jewish population (9 tailors, 3 butchers and 2 furriers). Among the Christians, who were mainly farmers, craftsmen made up just 1.8% of their working population. Apart from the craftsmen, there were also two Jewish shopkeepers, a pub owner, a barber and a midwife.

In 1817, there were 18 tailors, 5 furriers and 2 glaziers. In 1833, among the 187 working Jews were 6 tailors, 2 furriers, 2 weavers of fringed materials, 2 barley grinders, a carpenter, a glover, a soap maker, a butcher, a sheet-metal worker, a cotton comber and a jeweler. Included in this list are also 9 shopkeepers, and 4 merchants who traded mainly in textiles produced in the Łódź industrial zone, and in imported wine. In 1833, Shlomo Rothschild opened the town's first commercial bookstore where he sold Polish books. At the end of the 1820's the Jews established industries producing soap and candles and another Jew set up a brewery.

In 1822, an order establishing a separate Jewish quarter brought serious hardships to the Jewish population of Sieradz. This quarter was to include merely 4 streets, and the transfer of the Jews from their homes to this ghetto was to take place over a period of 5 years – that is, up to 1827. The actual implementation of the order did not go smoothly, partly due to the stratagem pursued by the Jews in their efforts to annul it, and to other problems such as the shortage of houses in the allotted area. Citizens of the town who had rented out their apartments to Jews also tried to cancel the order; they were anxious not to lose those profits gained from rent payments. The order decreed, among other things, that Jews were allowed to reside outside the quarter on condition they build a stone house instead of a wooden house. This proved that the local authorities were interested in some Jews remaining outside of the Jewish quarter so as to contribute to the building of stone houses throughout the town. Up to 1833, from among the 692 Jews living in Sieradz, 505 moved to the Jewish quarter, leaving 187 residing in other parts of the town. Those in this ghetto were living in 111 rooms, which is to say an average of 4 or 5 persons to a room; this went against the obliged sanitary standard in the whole Kingdom of Poland. The struggle over living accommodation continued up to 1862, when the restrictions on Jewish housing were abolished in every town throughout Poland.

Between 1810 and 1820 an independent Jewish community was established in Sieradz. In 1812, the cemetery was consecrated – up to then the Jews of Sieradz had buried their dead in nearby Burzenin. At the beginning of the 19th century, a Rabbi named Reuven Yisrael Frankel served the community. In 1830, Rabbi Abraham was the rabbi in place; he was well known for his learning and sharp intellect. After his death in 1846, his younger brother, Rabbi Shlomo, took over the office. He would discourse with renowned rabbis, such as Rabbi Dov Majzels, the Rabbi of Łask, on 'Questions and Answers,' the great rabbinical work on Jewish law and legend. During the period between the two world wars, Rabbi Binyamin Ha-levi Lewi served the community.

In the second half of the 19th century, a number of Jews of Sieradz became prominent in political and social circles. In 1862, a proprietor of a brewery, Israel Kempinski, was elected to the municipality of the district of Sieradz, and his deputy, Szymon Wolasz, was also Jewish. In 1864, Kempinski was banished to Siberia because of the participation in the Polish Nationalist uprising of a 27 year-old Jew from Sieradz. On this account alone, Markus Perkal was hanged in the town. A bitter fate awaited those Jews exiled to Siberia, accused of revolutionary activities. In 1908, a 53 year-old Jewish peddler, Zysman Celnik, was exiled to Siberia for such activities. In the infamous Sieradz prison, quite a few of the inmates were Jewish revolutionaries. Three of them, Jakob Szumierski, Haim Yehudah Fuks and Lewek Fuks, were sentenced in 1908 to two years exile in the north of Russia.

During the first world war, the Jews of Sieradz founded charity organizations to aid the local population as well as refugees coming into the town. In 1915, a shelter for refugees was set up, as well as a kitchen providing free meals; also a youth club where cultural activities took place and free meals were supplied. A Jewish sports association was instituted, too. In these years, Zionist influences and activities increased in Sieradz, and Agudat Israel got organized. Between the two world wars A survey of the professional makeup of the Jewish community between the two world wars, shows us that in 1921 the Jews of Sieradz owned 111 workshops: 4 metal, 5 wood, 1 leather, 2 weaving, 75 clothing, 18 food, 3 chemicals, and 3 building. Altogether, 255 people worked in these shops, 157 of them proprietors and 98 employees; all of them, apart from 6, were Jewish. The rest of the community continued to make a living in commerce and in transport etc.

In Sieradz were several branches of Zionist parties: General Zionists, Mizrachi, both Po'alei Zion Right and Po'alei Zion Left. Youth organizations were founded: Hashomer Hazair, Zionist Youth, Young Mizrachi and Hechalutz. The influences of these various factions on the Zionists of Sieradz can be ascertained from the election results at the Zionist Congresses. In 1937 the General Zionists got 85 votes, Mizrachi 75, League for the Land of Israel Workers 65. In 1939, the General Zionists gained 94 votes, the League for Land of Israel Workers 68, and Poalei Zion Left 36 votes. During these times Agudat Israel (anti Zionist) continued its activities, devoted mainly to the community and to Jewish education. A branch of Po'alei Agudat Israel was also established in Sieradz.

In the 1920's Agudat Israel increased its power in the Community Committee. In the elections of 1924 Agudat Israel received 149 votes, the joint list of Craftsmen and Zionists got 100, Mizrachi 98 and Hasidei Alexander 51. In the 1920's the Jews had but one representative in the Town Council. However, in 1930, 6 Jews won seats on the Council: 5 United Jewish block and 1 Po'alei Zion. The man elected to the Mayor's committee was a Zionist, but nevertheless, voted in, unanimously, by all the Jewish factions.

At the beginning of the 20's, efforts were devoted to setting up a Jewish school in Sieradz; a Heder, 'Yesod-Hatorah', was established. A few years later, a company, "Shul Kolet", opened a small elementary school - 'Yehudah' - in a two room residence. The local branch of T.O.Z. monitored the health of the children under school age, organized summer school for part of the summer and provided milk for those from poor families. In the 1920's two Jewish libraries functioned in the town; in 1929 they united and became one. There were also two sports associations: The Jewish Sports Association and Maccabee.

In the 1930s, anti-Semitic activities intensified in Sieradz. In 1935 they were centered around two elderly Jews accused of handing over 3 Polish children to the Germans during the first world war. The accusation was never proven but was used to inflame anti-Semitic propaganda. They demanded that the two accused Jews pay compensation to the families. This demand went hand in hand with the economic boycott of Jews, then causing great hardship. In 1937, 28 Jews were forced to liquidate their shops; these were replaced by 42 Polish competitors. In the same year, 55 market stalls owned by Jews were closed down and 48 Polish stalls came in their stead. Also, 11 Jewish workshops were liquidated, and 10 Polish workshops were set up. As a result, in 1937, 84 Jewish families remained without means of support, 73 of whom, unable to find an alternate source of income, moved to other towns. The Holocaust When war broke out, all the inhabitants of Sieradz including the Jews left the town. When the Germans conquered the town on September 3, 1939, most of the Jews slowly returned. The German army and Nazi authorities began their persecution of the Jews by robbing their homes and shops, and soon began to set in motion severe persecution tactics. A number of Jews were taken hostage. Some of them, it is believed, were sent to Germany to concentration camps, while others were incarcerated in the local prison. On September 15 (the second day of Rosh Hashanah), the Nazis murdered 5 Jews and 2 Poles. The following day another Jew was shot: according to a German police report, he assailed a German policeman with an axe. On Shabat-Shuva (the Sabbath that comes between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), the Germans slaughtered Jews on the pretence that they had shot at German soldiers: Jewish men were hunted and hounded into trucks where they were tortured and eventually transported to German barracks. The result of this action: 33 Jews killed, of whom we have just three names: community worker Haim Josef Erlich, Jerachmiel Zonenberg and Yudel Natel. On November 11, 1939, the Germans again organized a blood bath during which Dr Eliaszberg (eye doctor) was shot, and also Israel Rosenkranc, a dental technician.

During the years of the occupation the Jewish population in Sieradz decreased because the local authorities initiated expulsions. In December 1939, some 1,200 Jews who had been expelled from Sieradz and Kalisz arrived in Sandomierz. In 1940 or '41, 1,000 Jews were expelled from Sieradz to Zduńska Wola. Most of the younger Jews of Sieradz were sent to work camps in the region of Poznan -- the first such transport probably took place in June '41. Thus, in the last year of the existence of the Jewish community in Sieradz (1942), the population stood at 1,000-1,400. They lived in an open ghetto established on March 1, 1940. In 1942, during the 6 months before the final destruction of the ghetto, persecutions intensified; the Jews were now ordered to appear at German army headquarters twice a day, where they were carefully counted to make sure that no Jew had dared to run away from the ghetto. They were also ordered to leave their houses open during this attendance, thus facilitating the robbery of the remnants of their meager possessions.

The final expulsion of the remaining Jews of Sieradz took place from August 24-27, 1942. All the Jews were assembled in the local church. After undergoing the selection, 184-190 young, healthy men, and some craftsmen were transported to Łódź Ghetto; the rest were sent to the extermination camp at Chelmno. Many Jews were also killed during the actual demolition of the ghetto.

A place of work for Jews in the notorious Sieradz prison, in the years 1940-1941 (1942), is worth mentioning. Imprisoned with Jews from Sieradz were others from the area, including Pabianice and Zduńska Wola. A workshop for weaving from refuge had been set up, and employed not only the Jewish prisoners, but also Jews from outside of the prison. The Jew Ajdlic, an expert who ran the production, would travel, accompanied by German guards, to Zduńska Wola to select suitable items of raw material for the product. This Jew was granted special privileges in the prison: a cell for himself, and the right to choose those workers (always Jewish) he saw fit to employ.

Some 80 Sieradz Jews survived the war; 27 of them returned to the town, for a short time.

KBMNJ (talk) 21:40, 21 March 2018 (UTC)