E mails from people who have visited my home pages with the research of the history of the Jews from Debica Poland.
(last updating -Jenuary 23, 2001)
I have a painting in my possesion and would like to know more about the artist.
The name is David Moolenstein and the piece is inscribed "Krakow 1883". The name
sounds Jewish. Probably an artist that lived in Poland during that time.
Please let me know of any info on this artist, if you can, and the adress of the Old Synagoga in Krakow or the E-mail adress of a contact person involved with this museum.
PLEASE!
Regards
Eugene
S.Africa
December 10, 2000
I was very pleased to see what a wonderful job you have done with the
Dembica Memorial web site.
I particularly found the access provided to
the Dembica Yizkor book very helpful, as it includes in the listing of
Holocaust victims who were members of my extended family tree -- Lishe
Family (also spelled Lescha) and Reiner Family, all descendants of the
Chasidic Rebbe, Zvi Elimelech Spira, of Dynov.
David J. Waxman
Newton Massachusetts
E mail
November 25, 2000
Greetings to you Mr. Preker.
I have visited Warsaw a few times but have
difficulty in locating the boundaries of the Getto.
My late parents told
me much about the heroic uprising. Is it possible to find the area of
the getto on the map of present day Warsaw?
Any hint or help will be
appreciated. We still repeat the motto "never again" that has carried us
through some difficult times just after the war. Blessing upon you.
with respect and thankfulness for your work on internet, Lev
--
Dr Leon Mashchak
Semitics, Biblical Studies
November 17, 2000
Hello-
My name is Josh Joel.
For a project in my Jewish History class, I have chosen to write about the shtetl of Debica and the affect of the Holocaust on it.
I found your website and was wondering if you can send me any information via email on the history of the Jews of Debica or send me websites or people to email about this.
I live in Atlanta, GA. I am writing about Debica
because I found some information on your website and
from that info. it looked very interesting.
Thank you so much,
Josh
July 10, 2000
Dear Mr. Preker:
I got a chance to dance around your web site and
click on everything. It was really wonderful. You have done a really
great job.
I can't wait to show the site to my Dad who is still
alive.Since he was born in the US in 1911, he has no more idea what
Dembitz was like than I do. I have always wondered about the world that
my grandparents came from and in particular their town.
Judith Daar, Berkeley, CA USA
Looking under Poland - shteitl - the Roland S..Lauder foundation - the
Jewish Historical
Institute in Poland, I SAW DEBICA - DEMBICA, I could not believe it.
I went through all your site.
I am telling everybody about it.
Great effort. Intelligent work. Compasionate-loving approach.
It made "me" feel proud. You should be proud.
My search may not be finished during my lifetime, but WE WILL NEVER
FORGET
THE VICTIMS.
Their souls are alive in our souls.
Good Luck.
PETRA STEIN (married name COHAN)
La Jolla, Ca
petrac_esi@yahoo.com
May 15,2000
I saw your Debica (Dembitsa) Page on the web (I was doing a Hotbot search on
"Debica, Poland"), and I hoped that you might be able to help me.
On your site you indicated that you travelled to Debica in 1996 in order to
search for your ancestors' records and to get a feel for the place. I plan
on doing the same thing.
My Grandmother was born a little south of Debica,
and my records are either easier or harder than yours to find in that (and I
hope you don't hold this against me) my Grandmother was born in a Roman
Catholic church in a village that I think was called "Brziziny" (but I am
having trouble LOCATING "Brziziny").
Let me explain, below:
My Grandmother, Aleksandra Swiech, was born in the Debica area in 1893. I
have a copy of her baptism certificate, and I have been in the process of
planning a visit to her place-of-birth for this summer.* Unfortunately, I'm
not exactly sure where "her place-of-birth" is.
Her baptism certificate indicates that she was baptised in a church called
"S Nicolai Ep." in the "Brzeziny" parish, of Wielopole deanery, and Tarnow
diocese (as things stood then, at least, it was the Tarnow diocese). The
"Districtus" listed at the top of the baptism certificate is "Debica" (in
Krakow province).
I CAN'T EVEN FIND THIS "BRZEZINY" ON THE BEST OF MAPS OF POLAND. I can find
Debica (obviously), and Wielopole (only on the best of maps); but no
"Brzeziny" (at least not in this part of Poland).
Is there a web site I might have overlooked (that might help me find, at
least, "S Nicolai Ep.", if it still exists). Do you have any other
suggestions for where I should be looking? I've been told that her
"Brzeziny" is southeast of Debica and south-southwest of "Ropczyce". [In
your ancestral search, have you found an "expert" on the Debica area, who
has some knowledge of gentile records (and who might be able to help me)?]
Also, when I go to the Debica area this summer, I will be travelling with a
Jewish friend named Dave Shotland.*** I mention this because I see the name
"Schotland" on your list of surnames on your site. Dave is unsure where his
Shotland surname came from (Stuttgart, Germany, he's said; but he admits
that that was a "transitional" home). We might try to look into the Debica
Schotlands when we are there, too.
Finally, I'll also be trying to track down a distant cousin who lived in
Debica eleven years ago.**** She has probably gotten married (which is why
I can't find her). How big (how many people) is Debica today? [Indeed, if
YOU want me to look for records or other things that you left unsearched for
(or unfound) when you were in Debica (or you want me to take photos of
something), please let me know and I'll try to take care of it when I'm
there this summer.]
TIM LASLAVIC
New York City
Home: 212-535-2604
Office: 212-455-4733
timlaslavic@usa.com
Hi.
My name is Jesse Nasta, and I am also researching my Jewish ancestors
from Debica. I enjoyed your website-thank you for preserving the history of
our ancestors. This is some basic information I have about the Debican side
of my family-if you are interested in family stories or more specific
information, please let me know. Do you see any connection between our
families? I would be happy to hear from you:
jenasta1@aol.com
Dear Mr. Preker,
To my great surprise, I came across your wonderful web site about
Debica, Poland.
My grandfather and grandmother immigrated to the U.S. from Debica along
with my father and two other relatives in the early 1900's. I really
never knew my grandfather since he died when I was four years old. My
father never would talk about the "Old Country" because he really didn't
know too much about it.
Now, I'm going to Poland in June. My wife and I are touring through
Krakow. While there, I've hired a driver to take me to Debica. I want
to see my father's birthplace.
Could you give me any information as to whom I can contact in Debica who
could offer information of this type?
I know I'm asking much of you. My family at that time were Catholics
and left the country before the terrible Second World War. Is there
still a Catholic Church in Debica? Would the city government have
records? Who can I talk to in Debica? I will have a person with me who
can speak Polish.
Thank you so much for the time you've spent reading this e-mail. Again,
let me express my admiration of you for your very important web site and
your desire to trace families who may have lived through that terrible
time in history.
Sincerely,
Ralph Pasek
Hi,
I am a swiss / turkish girl and I am 16 years old.I live in turkey.
I am really very much interested in everything about poland and the history of this beautiful country carrying millions of immortal,generous souls in its heart...
I am really in love with POLAND..THE ADORABLE COUNTRY...
As soon as I visit and get info about anything,i will certainly mail you...
I really really enjoyed visiting your web site and thanks a lot...!!!I learned more and more...
Sema Pehlivan
April 27, 2000
Israel,
By the way, I was interested to look through the Dembitzer Society's
dinner in 1950, and, sure enough, found my father (Sidney Shield) and
grandfather (Morris Shield)!
Thanks.
Joel Shield USA
March 7 ,2000
I have visited your site and I am Impressed. You have
a very sophisticated site. KOL HAKAVOD.
I am searching
for the names Kratz and Indig please let me know if
you have any information regarding these names.
Nachi
keren- Israel
January 18,2000
My grandfather Ludwik Magryta ( later Louis Magretta) was not Jewish.
He was a Roman Catholic and left Dembica Galica, Poland in 1893. I
have been told that when he arrived in Buffalo, NY. the Jewish
community helped him because he had helped some Jews leave Poland
because of the dangers they suffered from Prussian soldiers. My
elderly uncle said grandpa had some very close Jewish friends all his
life.
I have always been curious about this. My grandfather married Regina
Marszalak also of Dembica. I spelled it this way because that is how
it is spelled on Grandpa's naturalization papers.
My Uncles also said that we had relatives who were catholic priests
and nuns and that they were killed by the Nazis army. An old priest
told me that Magryta was a Hungarian Jewish name. Is there any truth
to this?????
Thank you for reading this and if you wish to include any of his
information on your website I would appreciate it.
Fran Lake King,
Attica, NY.
Dear Mr. Preker,
the old pictures of Debica are really wonderful! Seems it was an industrial town. Nachmann Czecher, father of Josef, was born there in 1802. Josef became brother-in-law of my gf Dr. Albert Nussbaum. Thank you so much!
Andreas Inhofner,
Vienna
Israel;
Thanks again for providing awsome photos. I have imagined some of my family members standing in those photos. They were all slaughtered in the war. You have done a great job!!!
Regards from the US
Sincerely, Nadine Wagner
December 16, 1999
Israel,
great web site. It is tragic what happened. Many of us
Gypsies died there too, along with Jews. Good pictures.
Vina Marie
E mail
hello israel.....
just revisited your site and its really wonderful.
good luck with finding more of your family and friends..
phyllis kramer
Oct 1, 1999
Dear Mr. Preker,
I just wanted to send you this breif note to congratulate you on a well done web-site. As a researcher and writer on the Shoah, and as the son of a survivor from Rymanov (my late father was incarcerated at Pustkow and worked in Debica for the Nazi Firma Kirchhoff), I found your site an excellent source of information and a moving tribute to our martyrs from Galicia.
I would also note that my father and I collaborated on a book that may be of interest to you and your readers. It is entitled History of the Holocaust: A Handbook and Dictionary and was published in the United States by Westview Press (Boulder, Colorodo) in 1994. The book contains considerable material on Nazi concentration camps, ghettos, and resistance movements.
Again, best wishes on your site!
Dr. Abraham J. Edelheit, PhD
Kingsborough Community College/CUNY
Sep 28, 1999
Dear Israel,
Thank you for the work you've done on the town of Debica.
my
grandparents, on my fathers side of my family said that they were from
tarnow-not too far from debica. they left for new york around 1910. a
good thing ! their names were hodes(mine) and faust. even though we
technically aren't jewish, I raise my son Barry
with the traditions, and teach him about the shoah. I don't know if he
can grasp the enormity
of what we refer to as the holocaust at nine years old( i don't know if i
can at 46 !).
Anyway, thank you again
and may G_D richly bless
you.
Sep 13, 1999
Dear Mr. Preker,
My name is Valerie Alter and I am student at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the United States.
I am currently
taking a research seminar course on the Warsaw ghetto. For my term
paper, I am planning on looking at the concept of the shtetl and the way
that some American Jews in particular are relocating to Warsaw in an
attempt to revitalize the Jewish community there. This is very
interesting to me because my grandparents were survivors.
My grandmother
was from Nyepolimtze (I apologize for my incorrect spelling) and my
grandfather was from Radom. I grew up listening to them both tell me
they would never go back so naturally I am fascinated by people who are
the children of survivors or simply religious Jews who have chosen to
move back. I was wondering if you had any information on the biblical
sources of this movement or any other biblical sources or just
suggestions or opinions in general.
I would really appreciate any
insight you could give me. Your webpage and the links you provided have
already been helpful.
Thank you and shanah tovah,
Valerie Alter
vea@imap.unc.edu
July 29, 1999
HELLO!
MY NAME IS WOJTEK SUSZ AND I LIVE IN DEBICA.
NOW I'M ON VACATIONS IN BROOKLYN NEW YORK .
I'M NOT A JEW BUT I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT JEWS HISTORY IN DEMBICA.
I LIKE
THIS CITY VERY MUCH.
July 10, 1999
Hello;
My parents also came from the Debica -Tarnow area.
However you must have already been contacted by my cousin,
Philip Birn who also has a web page with all of our
lost relatives on it.
My name is Nadine Wagner (maiden name).
Just wanted to let you know that I read your page and found
it very interesting.
I have always wanted to take a trip to Poland to find
our if there were any survivors at all.
Sincerely,
jcaulkos@optonline.net
Nadine
Congratulations on the election of the new Prime Minister. Mr. Barak seems to
better understand that the Holy Land needs peace.
And in Poland Mr. Switon and
all the illegal crosses (but one - the so-called 'papal one') have been removed
from Auschwitz at long last.
All the Best,
Ireneusz Socha
Debica
Sun, 28 Mar 1999
Hello,
I visited your website on Debica and was very impressed.
My father was
born in Zabludow Poland in 1913. Zabludow is about 25 kilometers South
East of Bialystok. I have just recently created a memorial webpage for
Zabludow.
If you wish here is a link:
Zabludow Memorial.
Tilford Bartman
Thu, 18 Mar 1999
Dear Mr. Preker,
Greetings! I first came across your useful site already last December while
trying to map out pages on Polish shtetls.
The Polish Jewry has been one of my main interests for fifteen years now.
Although I am supposedly not of Jewish blood myself I have been trying to give
justice to the people.
I personally knew the last Dembitzer (as you call Jewish
inhabitants of Debica), living the whole of his life (including the WW2 period)
in the city, that is Mr. Izrael Goldberg of Strazacka Street, who died in 1993.
He miraculously escaped from the Nazi death camp at Pustkow near Debica, and
then spent the next years of the war in hiding in nearby villages and forests.
Izrael Goldberg worked his entire life as a meat selectioner (a specialist who
deals with examination and classification of meat of e.g. wild boar, deer,
etc.).
His professional expertise and devotion were valued and awarded
throughout the meanders of the Polish postwar history. I first met him while he
had already been retired (I do not need to add that even then his manager asked
him to assist whenever he could).
Mr. Goldberg tried to explain me the
conditions and circumstances of his living under Nazis. As he was all alone in
Debica, never got married nor really made friends with Poles he lived or worked
with, I was kind of his spiritual support for some time. We listened to klezmer
music and discussed religious life of Polish Jews as he remembered it. He told
me he had a brother in the U.S., but despite visiting him two times he chose to
make his days where he was born. Mr. Goldberg was among the very few who fought
for changing the miserable status the Debica Jewish cemetery was in in the
Eighties. Regrettably, he did not live to the moment of almost three years ago
when the Nissenbaum Foundation helped to renew and resanctify the place.
As a
resident of the nearby block of flats I was also involved in the change myself.
Back in the Eighties I even led a music/theater group named Kirkut-Koncept (The
Jewish Cemetery As A Concept) with whom I played and sang what seemed a
variation on Jewish folk and avantgarde motifs. We played all around Poland and
managed to release several cassettes in the underground distribution then.
Since 1984 I have collected cantorial and klezmer music, too. In the Nineties,
the overall climate for Polish-Jewish contacts improved significantly. More and
more books, TV and press features appeared on the history of the Polish Jews.
Two years ago the city council of Debica sponsored the edition of the city's
monography, including a highly interesting and vast chapter on Dembitzers of
the prewar period. Kazimierz, the Cracow's Jewish district, hosts the annual
Jewish Culture Festival. The latter event centered on developing an atmosphere
of friendliness and mutual understanding between Poles and Jews is worth
recommending for everyone aged 6 to 100. Below is a listing of links every
descendant of Polish Jews might find interesting:
http://kehillah.jewish.org.pl/index.html
http://hometown.aol.com/mike22rose/index.html
http://www.webkultur.com/piast/piast-80.htm
http://www.shalom.org.pl/eng/index.htm
http://www.icsr.agh.edu.pl/%7Ebigaj/
Thank you for your invaluable input in the reconstruction of our common history
for our future, because I believe everything
that there was someday will be one way or another.
I am open for any inquiries on the history and the present of Debica.
Best wishes for you and your family,
Ireneusz Socha
ireneusz.socha@goodyear.com
P.S.: I was extremely excited to have known that there is The Book of Dembitz.
Unfortunately, I cannot find it. And even if I could,
I would not read it, I am afraid, for it is in Hebrew and Yiddish. But still I
am eager to learn the languages just to read the book
and to compare it to what the monography claims. And perhaps The Book of
Dembitz is available in English? Please
let me know.
Sun, 28 Feb 1999
Hi,
My name is Margaret Wachter-Obyrn. I have felt so alone in trying to
trace my Jewish roots until now. This was such a taboo thing with my
grandmother who is no longer alive. She NEVER wanted to talk about her past.
She came to Chicago as a small child around 1913 or so. We don't know for
sure. Although she always claimed to be Austrian, she understood Polish very
well. She raised my mother Catholic, since she married my grandfather
Alexander Piedfort who was Catholic. She converted later in life, out of
respect of her parents, Isreal and Mary Wadler who died in the 20's and
40's.My grandmother Molly Wadler Piedfort was one of 5 children. Would there
be any birth records in Debica of this? I doubt it...I don't even know if she
is actually from Debica, but after reading your web page, I am almost certin.
I work in The Chicago Public Schools as an assistant in a heavily Polish
populated area of Chicago. I feel so close to the people there, and shop in
their little markets. I just have a sense of being one of them. It has been
hard for me in tracing this family's past, since there is nobody alive with
any information. Thanks so much for putting such a wonderful web page
together...It really warmed my heart and brought a tear to my eye...Do you
know of any tour groups that make trips to Debica, and surrounding areas? I
would love to find a group that does this kind of thing. I know like 10 words
in Polish that wouldn't get me very far . ...
Also, I am finding there were Wadler's living in Wadowice also
near Krakow that imigrated to New York in the early 1900's. I have called
Pizer funeral chapel in Chicago, they were the only Jewish funeral chapel in
the 1920's and have no record of his death, I also also contacted all of the
Jewish cemitaries in Forest Park, Illinois the only area that Jews were
allowed to be burried in at that time. Forest Park is right outside of
Chicago, and Jews were not allowed to be burried in Chicago at one time.
Forest Park has huge sections of different Jewish cemitaries. I think you
were burried accoring to what temple you belonged to ??? My mother seems to
think so. Anyway when you go through this area, you can't imagine how anyone
could find the right grave. There are literly grave upon grave all cramed into
this area....I will still continue my search, thanks again for putting
together such a wonderful web page..
With much appreciation,
Mrs. Margaret OByrn
1144 Amber Dr.
Lemont, Illinois 60439
Polyanna8@aol.com
23 Dec 1998
Dear Mr. Preker,
with much interest and pain I have visited your homepage. I am shattered to see how you
keep the memory of the victims alive, they still are present and will never be forgotten.
My grandfather was commander of the SS Military Training Area in Debica from Aug. 18,
1941 to March 31, 1942. His name was Hanns Feil. He most probably has been one of the
murderers of the families you mourn. I cannot tear his gens out of my body, but I can force
them to join me in mourning his victims.
I will not forget. And I will never let it happen again!
Sincerely,
Wolfgang W.
Vienna, Austria
Mon, 17 Aug 1998
Dear Israel !
Mazal tov on your excellent work about Debica. The web pages and links
are excellent.
My family in Debica (and in the nearby town of Radomyshyl Wielki, and
also in Krakow, Gorlice, Tarnozbreg/Dzikov, Novy Sacz) : Horowitz
(rabbis) and Pitzele.
Shalom
Ben Weinstock
Brooklyn, NY
Benweinstock@worldnet.att.net
Sun, 9 Aug 1998
Mr.Preker,
A friend gave me this web site knowing I was doing research on my
grandparents and father,Yankel and Matilda Mintz,and my father,Avrum Beryl
Mintz,born l899 in Austria-Hungary.In doing my research,I found a ship listing
that his home town was Dembresso,Austria,and another paper in Polish and Ger-
man that apparently my grandfather needed to leave the country.He left in
1901.
Is it possible that this is the same town you visited and did research on?
Would appreciate hearing from you and possibly you can give me advice
on future research.
Thanks,
Lester Mintz
Estm@aol.com
Thu, 30 Jul 1998
Dear Mr. Preker,
You might be pleased to know that the
former synagogue (turned houseware store) will soon become a
musuem honoring Jewish history.
I was quite surprised by this information (as Debica ranks
rather low on the museum circuit). The local residents I spoke with felt it
was time for this tribute.
I was only in Debica 1 day. (I got sidetracked in Bosnia)
I did visit the
Kazimirez district of Krakow again.
The Jewish history musuem has some new
improvements/remodeling and the famous Ariel cafe has become quite popular
with its evening entertainment of Jewish food and music.
Best regards,
Bernadette Heintz
DERRICKJCK@aol.com
25 July 1998
Dear Israel Preker,
My name is Wojciech Wolak wwj@friko5.onet.pl
and more you can see about me or my family on my web
homepage : http://friko5.onet.pl/ta/wwj/index.html.
I've watching your site. I do appreciated what have you done
for Debica as the Jewish Man. Most of it is
really true. I have check it with my old friends. The school which you call as jewish was built by Poles and it
was first Polish Primary School. I was attended to one.
You probably don't now but the next building to Gestapo
possesion was the place were was 11 Jewish
peoples hidden by one Pole who was killed by the Russian
bomb.
There is lots of stories about war times I have heard
from my Godfather who was witness that times.
Now I live in Pustkow - place where near by was situated former camp for all nations. Here was killed over
15000 peoples (not only Jewish). Pity you haven't seen it.
More news : Boznica (Synagoga) - old Jewish Church - will be change from store to museum.
It's already made decision by mayor of Debica.
With best regards,
Wojtek
Wojtek
Date: 7/22/98
Dear Israel,
I visited Dembitz Yiskor Book page and your family page today
for the first time looking for further information on my
maternal great grandparents families: BIRNBAUM, GOLDBERG,
LEINKRAM, all of whom came from the Krakow area.
While looking through the Yiskor book, I noticed a large
listing under the surname SHNEPS. My wife's paternal family is
SCHNEPS from somewhere in Poland.
Although I have listed that spelling in the JFF and also the
SCHNEPS maternal family name FISH (the name forced upon members
of the SCHNEPS family who immigrated from Argentina to Israel),
noone has ever contacted me concerning those names nor have I
ever found links to any other spellings of this name.
My wife's grandparents came to the US long before the war. She
knows that many of the extended family died in the Holocaust
but whether those listed are relatives or not she doesn't know.
If you hear of anyone seeking this family, please have them
contact me. I will naturally write to any researcher listing
this spelling variation in JFF myself.
Her maternal family was Kreindler, but again she doesn't know
from where in Poland they came.
I noticed that you are also connected to BIRNBAUM but the name
listed was not familiar to me. My maternal great grandparents
are both buried here.
We have tracked back one generation in Krakow, but my research
there has been limited. The LEINKRAM family married into my
great grandmother's GOLDBERG family in several generations.
I noticed that the town you live in is also the home of a
correspondent of mine in both the GOLDBERG & BIRNBAUM families.
Do you know: Alex Kerner ?
Best regards,
Steve
PS: I am researching the following families:
Baum Germany:Bosen
Eisenkramer & Lefevre Germany:Rhineland Palatine
Berlin
East Prussia
Basist Lith: Vilna or Vilnius
Belarus:Lida District
Ukraine Kremenchug
Cohen & Sheinhouse Belarus:Radoshkovichi
Molodechno
Birnbaum & Goldberg Poland: Krakow
Leinkram Poland: Krakow
Leinkram Ireland:Dublin
Leinkram England:ALL
---------------------------------------------------
Name: Stephen A. Cohen
E-mail:
Fax: (516) 826-5056 (24 hrs)
Mon, 08 Jun 1998
Dear Mr. Preker,
I am very touched and impressed by your website! My maternal
grandparents came from Debica and I visited there for the first time
last summer on a tour of southeastern Poland. Since visiting I have
become interested in Polish-Jewish history - especially the intermeshing
of these two cultures throughout a very long history. I have just
finished reading Eva Hoffman's book - Stetl - which helped me to better
understand the relationship between them.
I am returning to Poland this summer for a longer stay and will try to
visit some of the places in Debica that I am now familiar with through
your photos. I think that only by looking back with open eyes that we
can learn from the tragedies that occurred in this town and many others
like it in Poland. I am glad to see an effort being made by many people
like you to tell the story. Keep up the excellent work!
Donna Kolojeskie
dkoloj@pub1.tln.lib.mi.us
Sat, 2 May 1998
Thank you.
I really appreciate the fact that you are doing this. I have a
strong desire to find other members of my family. The fact that both my
mother's and father's immediate families got out of Europe in the teens and
20's was wonderful. Unfortunately, many of our other relatives, distant
cousins, etc. were not so fortunate and I was told, as a child,
that none of
our European relatives survived the Nazis.
Caren Epstein
cepstein@ipa.net
Wed, 20 May 1998
Mr preker,
I cant help you with your surname search but was
wondering if
maybe you may be able to answer a question for me.
My grandmother
was from
about the same area of poland only supposedly froma town called
lancut where
there is a large population of jews .
Her maiden name was suppose to be fryn'
and am having no luck finding it anywhere. what iwas wondering
is if you may
be able to tell me if this is a jewish name. I do know that her fathe
rs name
was suppose to be andrew fryn and that her 1/2 sister married a man named
walter lis
this name also sounds jewish to me but cannot find it either
..any help in
this matter would be appreciated.
kgdup@aol.com
Fri, 13 Mar 1998
Shalom, Israel!
My name is Yana Lantsberg, I'm 16, and live in Bakersfield, CA, but am
originally from Ukraine. This year I decided to learn more about Jewish
history in Eastern Europe and about Zionism. I'm wondering if you can
help me find people who are or know someone who migrated to Palestine
before the formation of the State of Israel from Eastern Europe.
Thank you for your beautiful website. I also have many ancestors who
were killed in shtetles during WWII.
Yana Lantsberg,
6201 Landfair Dr.
Bakersfield, CA 93309 USA
lants@ix.netcom.com
Sat, 07 Mar 1998
Hi Israel,
Thank You for your wonderful home page. I will be going through it very
carefully, since I have almost no information on Debica.
Regards,
Bruce W. Goldstein
Glen Rock, New Jersey; U.S.A.
metsfan14@earthlink.net
Sat, 17 Jan 1998
Dear Isreal:
I wanted to tell you that you did a very nice job on your home page and
it was a beautiful Mitzvot.
Also, if you have come across the name Jablonski, Jablonsky, Yablonski
or Yablonsky...please let me know. I have found those variations of
Jablonski on the Avotaynu Soundex Search. I know that my Grandmom was
called by Yablonski, Yablonsky, & Yablonska (her first name was
Sussanna. Bocci Sussanna Yablonski/y and my Grandpop (I think his
name was Frank) came to America somewhere around 1910-1913 with their 7
children. My other Grandmom's name was Eleanor Jablonski. If you have
seen my Grandmom's and/or my Grandpop's name and know what town they
came from and when, I would appreciate it if you would e-mail and let me
know. Thank you very much.
Janice Jablonski
msjanice@bellatlantic.net
Thu, 15 Jan 1998
Dear Mr. Preker
Before I moved to Canada, I used to live, go to school, and work in Debica.
I feel shame and guilt that the town that I call my home continues the
desecration and profanation of its historical and sacred places. One of your
guests stated that "some things never change"; I am deeply disappointed that
he has a point and I hope he will not be right for long. I hope the
enlightenment will come to the people who shop at the Synagogue, people who
live and walk by the cemetery, and the entire community of Debica will
realize the great atrocity that it continues to carry on.
I thank you very much for your great contribution to that enlightenment.
Sincerely,
Tamara Walus
twalus@uniserve.com
10 Jan 1998
ISRAEL:
I very much enjoyed your site. I am seeking information on my maternal
grandparents both of whom emmigrated to Chicago, Illinois o/a 1904 from
Nieciecza which is just NW of Zabno. This is straight West of Debica.
I very much enjoyed your site and
appreciate your efforts!
Thank you.
Larry Stencel
Palmdale, California, USA
lstencel@hughes.net
Mon, 5 Jan 1998
Hello!Preker!
I was looking for information about Jewish in net and that is where I
discovered ;your homepage. Sorry, I guess I'm not able to help you
to find your roots because I'm a pure Chinese, further more
not from Debica. I'm interested to know more about Jewish because I
admire their brain and
ability of surviving in tough world. Perhaps you may help me find a URL
which contains all about Jewish. Good luck to you!
Fiona
av940080@unixs1.ittho.utm.my
Sun, 4 Jan 1998
Dear Israel
I am emotionally impressed with your web site.
It has taken a lot of work and
energy to put it together.
It makes my heart glad to hear from you.
Although I have no relatives there and have not ever
been to Israel, my
heritage is linked to that country.
Where I live I am the minority because
there are not a lot of Jewish people in the area where I
live.
In the town
where I was born and grew up, there were about 100 Jewish families, so it
would be quite different to be in a place where I am part of the majority and
the Hebrew letter "chai" and the Star of David around my neck would not be a
mystery!!!!!!!
I am preparing to send a letter to relatives here in the United States to get
family information from them. Most of the information I am seeking at the
beginning of my journey for information is located in the records of New York
City. Since everything costs money these days, I must wait to apply for some
records, since I unfortunately am without a job right
now.
I am 53 years old . I was born in Durham, North
Carolina and attended Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. I have
lived in North Texas since 1966.
You are so generous to offer to take the pictures of
signs with names of my
family members.
My Mother was the president of the local
Hadassah (in the city in North Carolina where I was born and raised) for many
many years and she and my Dad raised a lot of money for Israel. There are
many trees planted in Israel in honor of my folks and other family members.
I do not know exactly where the trees are or
what names may
be there, but here are a few names of deceased family
members where a tree may
have been planted in their memory.
Frank Clemenko (my grandfather)
Guisse Clemenko (my grandmother)
Hyman David Wolff (my grandfather)
Fannie Nathan Wolff (my grandmother)
Clara Clemenko Wolff (my mother)
Amanda Rose Gershon (my niece)
Best regards.
Glenda Irving, Texas USA
GWolff7283@aol.com
22 Dec 1997
sir,
I am a 29 year old actor/director in los angeles, ca, u.s.a.
I will soon be directing a play entitled "a shayna maidel"
perhaps you've even heard of it.
the fictional family in the
play is from chernov, poland, and is seperated after the nazi
occupation. I am trying to do
a little research before starting to give the actors some background.
I've been browsing, and I came across your page.
thanks so much for
placing it.
most sincerely,
Kevin p. Kern
( kevinleigh@compuserve.com )
Fri, 7 Nov 1997
Hi
my name is Cindy Baranowski Janiga.
I recently found out my grandmother was from Debica. Her name was Cunegunda
Kot. She was Baptized in either St. Michael's or St. Nicholas Church.
What I don't understand is her parents were non-catholic and she was baptized
in a catholic church ( I think).
Anything>you can tell me would be greatly appreciated.
Cindy
Cindy6258@aol.com
>
Date: 6 Nov 1997
Shalom!
Like everyone else who has visited your site I am very impressed by it's scope, depth and feeling. It is obviously something you have put much effort and care into.
I have been doing some genealogical research, and some of my ancestors came from the Tarnow/Galicia/Debica area during the late 1800's. The family names were: Dintenfass, Rosenfeld and Springer. Please add these to your list of names, and include my contact information:
Howard Fink
how@kodak.com
(I live in Massachsetts, U.S.)
Thank you very much!
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997
Shalom,
I wrote you last February, about my search for a criminal named Babik
who, during the war, saved the life of a boy named Goldner in the
village of Grabiny just across the Wistoka River from Debica. I am
working on a book about Goldner's experiences.
I have just returned from a visit to that area, and had the good fortune
to find and interview four of Babik's children who today live just two
blocks from where they grew up (they do not know their father was a
bandit ). I also met and talked with three of the few surviving partisan heroes from that area.
It was
an incredible experience.
But it was so sad to see the synagogue in Debica now turned into a
department store, with anti-semitic graffiti on one of the outside walls
insulting a visiting soccer team by calling them "Jews." And the Jewish
cemetary which lies behind a metal fence separating it from apartment
buildings -- well, words cannot describe our feelings at seeing beer
cans lined up along the upright spikes of the fence for nearly a block.
Debica today is a modern, reasonably attractive city. But some things
will never change.
Larry Stillman
kahuna@insnet.com
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997
Dear Mr. Preker
I am writing to you from your homepage. I think you are doing a great
service in remembering another Jewish town destroyed by the Nazis.
If you have "any" other information relating to Jews-Judaism, please
tell us about it.
Thank you,
Mr. Gershon Frankel
wjcn@psynet.net
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997
Dear Israel,
I just spent the evening looking at your website and all of the pages.
You have done a wonderful job and deserve a lot of praise for this
effort.
My grandfather came from Tarnow and left Poland in 1913, he arrived in
New York in 1914 after the war had started. He was the oldest and was
left behind when his parent came here in 1900.
I admire your devotion to creating a memorial to the lost Jews of
Debica.
Best regards,
steve morgan
wilmington, north carolina
morgansr@ix.netcom.com
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997
Shalom, Israel!
I want to thank you so very much for creating a web page on Debica.
I
was so happy to see the photos and the information on your trip. It is
a wonderful web site and I hope you continue it for a long time.
A large part of my interest has to do with my wife's ancestors.
My
wife, Janet, is Jewish and her grandmother on her father's side
emigrated from Debica. The name of my wife's grandmother was Leah Recht
(she changed it to Lillian when she came to the United States).
My e-mail address is: brucescott@juno.com
My regular mailing address is: Bruce Scott
6050 Yukon Ave. N.
New Hope, MN 55428
Thank you so much for your help and interest.
God bless you! Shalom!
Bruce Scott
13-6-97
Dear Mr. Preker,
Your web site is so touching. You have provided a benefit for
all those searching for genealogical information, as well as
providing a poignant web site.
Shalom.
Jane P. McNally, Ph.D.
Boston, Massachusetts
USA
jmcnally001@sprintmail.com
Date: Sat, 10 May 1997
Israel,
Przed II wojna swiatowa w Debicy mieszkalo ok. 2600 Zydow co stanowilo
ok. 26% ludnosci.. W miescie byly dwie synagogi i cmentarz. Poczatkiem
1942 roku Niemcy zorganizowali getto a w lipcu przystapili do jego
likwidacji. 1500 osob wywieziono do Belzca, 500 chorych starych i dzieci
zostalo straconych na Lysej Gorze w Debicy. Jest tam zbiorowa mogila.
Reszte osob zdolnych do pracy przewieziono do obozu w Pustkowie i do
Rzeszowa. W efekcie dzialan zlikwidowano wlasciwie cala spolecznosc
zydowska w Debicy. Po wojnie w miescie pozostalo zaledwie 9 Zydow.
Niemcy nagrobki z cmentarza zydowskiego uzywali do utwardzania drog.
Boznica o ktorej wspominasz jest faktycznie obecnie sklepem. Znam wielu
mlodych ludzi ktorzy nie zgadzaja sie na ten stan rzeczy i chcieliby
utworzyc tam muzeum z duza ekspozycja poswiecona debickim Zydom oraz
sale koncertowa. Niestety nie ma na to pieniedzy. Dziwne jest takze to,
ze ze strony potomkow debicich Zydow nie ma zadnej reakcji na ten stan.
Wladze miejskie sadze bylyby sklonne do rozmow i wylozenia czesci
pieniedzy ale na pewno nie wszystkich, gdyz obecnie prowadzone sa
wmiescie duze inwestycje w infrastrukture komunalna.
Pozdrawiam
Artur Barwacz
moj adres e mail:Artur_Barwacz@tc.tel.debica.pl
Date: Tue, 06 May 1997
Dear Israel,
I just visited your website and I was surprised on the beauty and the
great design of your pages, their intelligent distribution and user
friendliness. I have to congratulate you and wish you the best.
Go on
with your quest, its the goal of all of us, to joint together whatever
was left of our families and feel the warmth of our roots.
Thank you for this beautiful moment that I experienced.
Sincerely
Bernard Weitz
Born in Tarnow in 1941
weitzber@inter.net.il
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997
From: Dr Lennie Marx sent1@wi.net
Organization: The Hebrew Apostolic Institute
I am interested in knowing if there is a source in Krakow that would
tell me if there are any Jews with the name Mroczkowski there now?
Shalom!
(can somebody from Krakow can help Dr Marx?)
Subject: Debica
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 1997
From: Jadypiper@aol.com
Dear Mr. Preker:
I enjoy your homepage tremendously.
I was born and brought up in Debica
though now I live in the United States (near Chicago).
I asked my father if
he is familiar with your surname, but unfortunately he's not. I'm sorry we
cannot help you.
I just wanted you to know that periodically I check your
homepage and review the pictures. They feel like home.
Thank you.
Date: Tue, 04 Feb 97
From :Jan Kozera jkozera@wios.tarnow.pl
Hello Israel,
My name is Jan Kozera. I am 48 years old.
I living in Tarnow 20 km west of Debica.
Your information about your trip to Poland and Debica was very interesting.
My friends live in Debica.If this interested you I can write for you more information.
Jan Kozera
Tue, 4 Feb 97
From:Daniel Beller DBeller@msn.com
Shalom Israel Preker,
I came across your website when I was looking for information about my
father's village, Krzywcza (pronounced Cheshovitz) which is not shown on my
map but lies between Debica and Przemysl (which is due east of Debica, perhaps
80 km).
Perhaps you encountered them as a youth? My father's name was Aron
Beller, son of Simon Beller (Chaim Shimon) My grandfather was originally from
Grodgisko.
The late Dr. Aron Beller, my father's cousin, lived in Jerusalem
and was the Dean of Hadassah Medical School. After World War I my father's
family moved to various places in Europe and settled finally in Vienna, but I
believe the family members continued to visit familly members in Krywcza from
time to time, until the second war.
Keep up your efforts to maintain links to the past, and do not hesitate to
e-mail me (DBeller@msn.com) on these or related subjects.
Shalom uvracha!
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997
Hello,
I enjoyed reading your work.
My grandparents are from Krakow and I visited there in 1987.
I stumbled onto your website while reading about Poland.
I am interested in Polish history, but there is not very many good things about it.
I know alot about the holocaust. Keep up the good work.
I wish you well in the coming new year.
Tom Callsen
tomc@onyxgroup.com
Subject: Greetings from Debica
Date: 19 December 1996
Organization:D.T. C. Debica S.A.
Hello there,
I came upon the message you sent to the press office at the Debica
Tire Company.
I'm an American who is living here in town and working as an
English teacher at the tire company. I speak some Polish.
Do you know that there is a local newspaper? I was thinking that
they might be interested in doing a story about your homepage and
your search. Maybe some older town residents would have some
information not contained in what's left of official records.
Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Yours truly,
Michelle Austin
Subject: Israel Preker Home Page
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 1996
From: Maralyn Steeg
Happy New Year,Israel,
I have just visited your home page and wanted to tell you how much I
enjoyed the photographs of your recent trip.
As part of my own genealogy research (I've only been at it for two
years), I've been reading a lot more Eastern European history and trying
to learn more about shtetl life so that I can better visualize the early
lives of my grandparents and great grandparents before their emigration
to the United States.
Someday I hope to travel to my family towns - Zmigrod (Rzeszow) Poland
and Krivoye Ozero, Balta Gorodnitsa/Horodnitsa and Ovruch in Ukraine)
but, in the meantime, seeing photographs of "the old country" is the
next best thing. I shall visit your album again. Thank you for sharing
your pictures.
Sincerely,
Marlayn Steeg
White Plains, NY USA
maralyn@westnet.com
Subject: Thanks for the great Pics !!!!!
Date: Sat, 5 Oct 1996
Dear Israel.
The pictures that you took in Debica and then posting them to the web
site were great. I downloaded some of them and sent them along to some of
my relations who also eminate from Debeca.
It sounds like you had a great time. I am curious, just what did you
really think of Poland and of Debica itself. Did it leave with a very sad
feeling?
Did you feel any connection at all or was like being in some kind of
distant dream.
Hope you had a good shabbos, and sorry things in "Ha Aretz" are in such
termoil.
Hope to hear from you soon
All my best
Jack Schraeter
Lake Medical Associates
12 Elm Street
Gorham, Maine 04038 USA
"If Wishes Were Horses, Then Dreamers Would Ride!"
Subject: Family searches
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996
Dear Sir:
Maybe you can help me. I am searching for my ancestors from Poland,The
Enders from Kielce, Singers from Ostrowicz, as well as the Feitelsons
from Riga (?) and the Savlovs who are possibly from Minsk.
If you have
come across any information about these surnames or towns, I would be
greatly obliged to you if you would pass it on. I am also looking for a
good, *inexpensive*, easy to use pedigree/tree genertaor. Have you any
suggestions?
Hilary Doda
Hilary_Doda@tednet.oise.utoronto.ca
Subject: keep up good avodah!
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996
shalom to you.
wanted to drop a note to tell you that I like your home page (although I
do not have any additional information for you).
Jewishgen is fantastic; I gave a monetary contribution immediately.
each day, I look forward to reading the information about jewish
genealogy in linking to jews throughout the world.
what program did you use to put your page together? did you get the
photos on the page with a scanner? or a digital camera?
best of luck, l'hatslechah,
Jim Borman,
indianapolis, INdiana, usa
jborman@iquest.net
Date:Wed, 20 Nov 1996
From:Rod and Linda McAdams
Been sooooooo busy haven't been on the net in many months.
Thanks for your E-mail about your home page and trip to Debica and
thanks so much for adding "SOKOL" to your list of families doing
research in Debica. You did a great job on your pages...good work!
I enjoyed them very much. Keep in touch. Take Care.
Linda SOKOL McAdams
Overland Park, KS
RMcPhd@gnn.com
Subject: Records in Rszezow (I forgot how to spell it)
Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1996
From: Esther Tschirhart
Hello,
I think we've been in touch before, but I forget what happened! There's
so much to do with genealogy. I was looking over the report of your
trip to Debica and Tarnow again, and was especially interested that
you'd heard the records in Rszezow (I know that's spelled wrong) were
closed in August. I know that all the births of my father and siblings
were registed in Rszezow. Do you know an address so I could write there
to request information?
I might be able to have something translated in
to Polish, since you say so few people speak English there. My family's
last name is ALLWEISS.
Thanks for any help.
Esther Allweiss Tschirhart
aliesri@ix.netcom.com
Can somebody help to Ester?
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996
Hi,
My name is Matlok Mieczyslaw.I wos born in Debica in Poland in 1957.
My
perents live in Debica.If this interested you I can write for you more
information bicouse I have contact with my family and my friends from
Debica.
Good bye
Mieczyslaw.
WOOORM@aol.com
Subject: Genealogy
Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996
From: John Smolarek
I came across your home page. What attracted me was the topic of
genealogical research in Poland. Then I noticed the low number of
"hits". What you need to do is to find, on the internet, those home
pages with some Jewish Genealogical research content. Contact them;
agree to link to each other. Everyone benefits.
Good luck.
John Smolarek
JSMOLARE@usccmail.uscc.bms.com
Subject: Some remarks
Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996
From: mirek.wegrzyn - Stockholm
Hello,
My name is Miroslaw Wegrzyn. I am 32-years old Pole born in Debica, but living now in Sweden.
Your information about your trip to Poland and Debica was very
interesting to read and see. Unfortunately I can't help you in your
search of your relatives.
I was born 1964 and I have no memory about
the horrible war. The problem is the people which could help you
are very old now or they don't live anymore.
I feel a sort of guilty that not everything was done in order to help
Jewish during the Second World War in Poland. Some Polish people colaborated with Germans, but on the other hand some of them tried to save Jewish families.
I hope you found your visit to Debica interesting and it was not your
last trip to Poland.
Happpy New Year.
Best regards:
Miroslaw
mj17344@janus.swipnet.se
Subject: Your Wonderful DEBICA HOME PAGE
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 1996
Shalom, Israel
Congratulations on a beautiful , easy to use home page. It is so esthetically
pleasing , with the large printing and great colors.
But, most of all , the emotion that leaps out is very touching. It is a
moving memorial to your family.
We are neighbors in Galicia--my father's family was from Rzeszow. In June
1995, I travelled with the Rzeszow Landsmanshaft (from Tel Aviv) to a dedication of a memorial in the woods of Glogow.
I live in San Francisco, and myfather's parents & grandparents were in San Francisco in 1860, unusually
early for emigration from Galicia.
Do you know about the Galicia SIG (special interest group)? People with
roots in Galicia join ($27 for Israel per year). We list the families &
towns we are researching. I just looked up Debica in our Galicia Finder, and there are about 11 people researching there, and some looking for some names
you list (not Preker). Maybe you have joined recently & have this info.
Kind regards,
Marian Rubin
San Francisco
merubin@aol.com
Many thanks for all the people who have written to me.
Israel Preker
Please visit DEBICA - THE SHTETL home page
I . Preker Home Page