The Jews of Częstochowa: The Life and Death of a Community, a Concise History

Mark W. Kiel

Published by De Gruyter Oldenbourg 2023

The Jews of Częstochowa

The Life and Death of a Community, a Concise History

Mark W. Kiel

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110770230

Overview
Contents

About this book

Częstochowa was the home of the eighth largest Jewish community in Poland. After 1765, when there were 75 Jews in Czestochowa, the community grew steadily. With emancipation in 1862, many Jews migrated to Czestochowa and contributed to its industrial and commercial growth. In 1935, there were 27,162 Jews out of a total population of 127,504. When the Nazis deported Jews to Częstochowa to work in its munition factories, the Jewish population exceeded 50,000. Almost all perished in Treblinka.

Anti-Jewish feeling was spurred on by the Church and Fascist groups that organized boycotts of Jewish stores and incited pogroms intended to drive the Jews out of the city.

The Jewish labor movement fought unemployment and poor working conditions. Impoverished families were aided by community charitable funds. Jewish philanthropists established the non-sectarian “Jewish Hospital,” progressive schools, two gymnasia and the “New Synagogue.”

During election seasons, the entire Jewish political spectrum, from the socialist parties to the ultra-Orthodox, competed in the self-governing body, and in the Municipal Council.

By 1901, stylishly dressed men and women mixed in the streets with poor religious Jews in their traditional garb. A popular press, libraries, theaters, cinema, sporting events and youth movements gave Częstochowa Jews a variety of cultural choices to suit their politics, artistic taste, and modes of leisure. Public life transformed a dreary factory town into one of the most colorful and celebrated Jewish communities in Poland before and after the First World War.

Author / Editor information

Mark W. Kiel, Jewish Theological Seminary of America, New York, USA.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	V
Acknowledgements Publicly Available Download PDF	XI
Foreword Publicly Available Download PDF	XV
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	XIX
The Polish Background Publicly Available Download PDF	XXI
Table of Population and Percentage of Jews Publicly Available Download PDF	XXIX
Introduction: The Pulse of the City Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Part One: Origins to World War I Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	13
Part Two: The German Occupation and Political “Democratization” Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	52
Part Three: The Second Polish Republic and “Democratization” Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	57
Part Four: Culture Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	69
Part Five: Jewish Political Parties Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	83
Part Six: Recovery and Economic Assault Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	114
Part Seven: 1939–1946 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	127
Part Eight: Aftermath Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	165
Part Nine: Rescuing Memory Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	174
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	179
Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	183
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	185

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter Oldenbourg
Audience: Historians in the field of Polish-Jewish history; Jewish Studies.
Pages
- Front matter: 29
- Main content: 198
Illustrations
- Illustrations: 13
- Coloured Illustrations: 2
- Tables: 1
Keywords: Poland; Jewish histoiry; Jewish Polnish history; Holocaust

eBook

Published: November 7, 2022
ISBN: 9783110770230

Hardcover

Published: November 7, 2022
ISBN: 9783110769944