Ostrów Mazowiecka
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Tsair Zion Committee 1919 |
Hashomer Haleumi
By Jehuda Szulc, Bnei Brak
Translated by Roz Romem
In January 1928 a chapter of Hashomer Haleumi [National Guard] was founded in our town.
The member D.T. (today deputy mayor of a town in Israel), emissary from the steering committee in Warszawa – started the chapter with the help of the Tarbut School principal, Mr. Zlotkies z”l and the pupils he recommended, Knyszynski, Szulc, Golodzierz and Majdenbaum.
Although the youth were already semi-organized in Hashomer HaTsair and so on, we never the less succeeded in organizing four hundred youngsters in our service, after explanatory social activities.
The trainees who were called cubs, scouts and seniors were integrated into units and battalions according to the custom that existed then. They absorbed the theory of guarding and scouting from their teachers and the chapter became the pride of Ostrowa.
The parents' committee, “Patronet” was established, headed by the members Margolis, Glinka, Holcman and Wagman. With their assistance we sent the instructors Szulc and Majdenbaum to the first managers' meeting.
The youth were organized and were the avant garde of the Zionist organization in our town and always headed by Margolis and Glinka.
We participated in all aspects of the work actively and devotedly. When election day arrived for the Polish Sejm or the municipality, we were the executive branch.
One of our sacred duties was the Doar Hashomri [Guardian Post] that played an important part in increasing the earnings of the Jewish National Fund. During the months of Elul [August]and Tishre [September] we distributed all the greeting cards sent for the Jewish New Year.
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“HaShomer HaLeumi” group |
In 1931 a Hakhshara centre was organized in Ostrowa by the main leadership.
The pioneer guards of Hakhshara came from all the provinces for “training” and to achieve their life's dream. They worked at all kinds of physical tasks until it was their turn to make aliyah and they laid the foundation for the Labour Zionist kibbutzim that exist to this day in Israel.
They worked hard to establish themselves in this training program – and to make their parents and other adults understand. Here they sanctified themselves for the desired homeland and filled their years of service with pioneering fulfillment and when they received the hoped for certificate – they made aliyah to Israel with joy.
Members of the training group poured new content into the Zionist youth groups and the chapter strengthened from day to day.
In June 1934 a farewell party was held for the instructor Szlama Golodzierz (Giladi) for his impending aliyah to Israel. He had served at the training centre and there were many other achievers who continued to be true to the intensive work in the local chapter and in the training group battalion.
The chapter was associated with the steering committee in Warszawa, headed by Dr. Reuben Ben-Shem Feldshau. On various occasions he visited our town and increased the importance of the Guard movement among the members who were influenced by his “fatherly” attitude and enthusiasm. They penetrated our hearts deeply and planted in us the loyal and self-sacrificial love for the Zionist concept and pioneering achievements.
The pages of this book will tell about all the blessed activities of the youth in our town and these lines will serve forever as a memorial to the souls of those who unfortunately were unable to make aliyah to Israel.
Our dear friend Noah Knyszynski z”l, hy”d deserves special mention as he devoted all his energy to serving HaShomer HaLeumi.
In this Yizkor Book the photographs of the martyrs who perished speak to us – every dear, individual, soul – compelling us not to forget what the Nazi Amalek did to us by murdering our dear parents, brothers, sisters and relatives.
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A regional meeting of all Zionist groups from the area that was arranged by Mosze Polakiewicz through the central office in Warszawa. Chaim Glinka arranged for Kibbutz Hakhshara of “HaNoar HaZioni”, “HeHalutz HaKlal Zioni” [General Zionist Pioneers] and “Tarbut” School to take part.
The “General Zionist Pioneer” Kibbutz
By one of the members
Translated by Ros Romem
In 1932 – 1934 one of the pioneer kibbutzim in Ostrów Mazowiecka was the “General Zionist Pioneer”. Then it had about thirty members, men and women, who came from various towns in Poland, from places near and far.
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Kibbutz Boneh Zion [Builders of Zion] Ostrów Maz. |
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Pesach – The Kibbutzim Seder – in Ostrów |
We worked to prepare ourselves for aliyah. The kibbutz hostel was in a building that housed the “Tarbut” School and later in Frejman's house, also on Rożanska Street.
There we lived and sang and from there we went off to work in the flour and saw mills. We did all kinds of work. We were cutters of wood and drawers of water. In the evening the hostel was noisy. The members would return from work and the hostel was full of life.
The women members also went to work either doing housework or as saleswomen in the stores.
Generally we lived in crowded conditions. We did not want help from home and our earnings did not cover our essential needs. And here I must mention the help we received from the local members of the Zionist Organization. They provided material and spiritual help –by finding work for us, by giving us loans when needed, by encouraging us with their visits and by taking an interest in us. The members were Pinchas Rajgrodski, Mosze Cwi Bursztyn, Szalom Polakiewicz and above all the patron and the one taking care of us, bearing the burden and visiting us frequently, was Arija Margolis.
Yet all hoped to make aliyah to Israel soon and this was the source from which we drew our strength and encouragement to endure the suffering. Sometimes it seemed to many of us that we were already Jewish residents in the Land of Israel except we continued to live in Ostrów and dream…until we succeeded in making aliyah to Israel in December 1934. A member of the central committee of the Zionist
Organization in Poland, Dr. Mosze Klejnbaum, (now Sneh) came to bid us farewell and to congratulate us on our aliyah.
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Kibbutz “HeHalutz HaTsair” with Szmul Fejgin (sitting centre) |
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