Suchedniów was one of the town which enjoyed the privilege called “de non tolerandis Iudaeis”[1.1]. It forbade the Jews to possess any real estates. This legal constraint was removed finally in 1862[1.2].

In 1887 402 Jew lived in the municipality of Suchedniów, which constituted a relatively small percentage of merely 6%. According to the first census conducted in independent Poland in 1921 the said area was inhabited by 10,449 by Poles and by 1,114 people of the Jewish origin [1.3]. Ten years later this number increased. The data presented in the above table indicate that the number of the Jews living in the municipality of Suchedniów did not exceed 1.300 in the interwar period. It made up as little as from 8 to 10% of the total number of residents. The considerable amount of the Jewish population lived in Suchedniów itself, especially on Handlowa Street, where out of 83 real estates 33 properties belonged to Israelites [1.4]. The description of the municipality written in 1935 shows that 99 stores, 49 of which were owned by the Jews, operated there. This indicator confirms that the Jewish population dominated in the trade [1.5].

The Jews also played a significant role in the commerce and crafts. The list of industrial works and craft workshops made in 1924 comprises both functioning and closed industrial plants and handicraft stores operating in the municipality. The Jews of Suchedniów belonged to the kehilla in Bodzentyn .[1.6] There its managing board and synagogue were situated. Initially in Suchedniów there was only a prayer house [1.7]. The profits generated by the hiring out of the slaughterhouse constituted the funds of the municipality, whereas the fees charged for shechita increased the budget of the kehilla. They were quite considerable amounts, taking into consideration the fact that also Suchedniów belonged to the kehilla of Bodzentyn until 1935 [1.8].

In 1931 in Bodzentyn shechita brought PLN 8,441.80, while in Suchedniów PLN 9106 [1.9]. In 1937 the slaughter of a sheep cost PLN 3, of a hen PLN 0.40 and of a chicken PLN 0.20 .[1.10] A rabbi performed the major religious function in a kehilla. In the said period in Suchedniów there was one rabbi, Izral Dawid Lejman, who was actually a ritual supervisor. The role of the rabbi (Hebrew: raw means teacher and judge) was not limited only to saying prayers and obeying customs [1.11]. He also spread the idea of charity, organized the social life and was a judge who announced decisions concerning the conformity with the Talmud law .[1.12] A rabbi had profound knowledge of the Torah, he was a teacher, preacher, celebrant and man of God .[1.13] Furthermore, sacred places: synagogue, mikvah and cemetery, were in his custody .[1.14]  Also a chazzan (cantor) was connected with the existence of a synagogue. He was a vocally talented man, who as a chazzan was entitled to preside religious ceremonies, to read extracts from the Torah and to sing prayers .[1.15] Usually he performed the function of a helper .[1.16] No mention of a chazzan can be found in the files. A shochet (ritual slaughterer) was another important figure in the Jewish culture. His task was to provide the Jewish community with kosher food. If he was suspected of applying an inadequate method of slaughter, a rabbi was obliged to check if everything conforms to the regulations .[1.17] He received a respective salary for his services. The salary amounted to PLN 3,000 a year in 1932. The following people were among those who performed this function: Abram Weber from Bodzentyn, Moszek Zylbersztajn from Bodzentyn, Berek Lederman from Suchedniów and Berek Herszkopf from Suchedniów .[1.18]

The organization of the kehilla in the interwar period of 20 years It was prepared and presented in details at Bodzentyn. However, it is worth mentioning the attempts to establish a Jewish cemetery in Suchedniów. As it was extremely difficult (especially in spring when snow was melting) to transport the deceased to Bodzentyn, situated quite far away, the Jews from Suchedniów demanded that a cemetery be founded in Suchedniów. In 1930 they started to make efforts to have a Jewish cemetery opened. In order to succeed they had to convince the managing board of the kehilla. However, the managing board objected to this project. Lejzor Chmielnicki, who was a chairman of the board then, was especially against this idea. The lack of support resulted from the fears that the incomes of the kehilla would decrease. However, a year later the situation changed, because the foundation of a cemetery in Suchedniów was considered to be indispensable. PLN 200 was allocated to this investment .[1.19]

The cemetery was to be established in the village of Błoto, but despite the adherence to all the standards, the residents of the village did not give their consent. On April 24, 1931, during the meeting of 70 people a protest against the foundation of a cemetery was prepared. The Head of Province of Kielce considered the submitted protest but again gave his permission for the cemetery to be established there. As a result the inhabitants of Błoto appealed directly to the Minister of Internal Affairs against the decision and the construction of a cemetery was stopped.

The fate of the Jewish people who used to live in Suchedniów and its vicinity has been best described by Franciszek Gładysz “Florek” in his Kronika [The Chronicle]: “On Monday, September 21, 1942 (and it was a “nice” day), before noon, the Germans gathered a few thousand Jews from Suchedniów, Bliżyn, Bodzentyn, Bielin, Nowa Słupia, Wzdół and Płock in a square opposite the post office in Suchedniów (…) When the group of the Jews was big enough, the Germans sent part of them, those who were young and healthy, to “Hasag” Factory in Skarżysko Kamienna. The others, mainly women and children, were loaded into goods wagons at the railway station in Suchedniów. The Germans threw chlorine lime on the floors of the wagons and closed the doors tightly. They would shoot to Poles who were trying to give some water to the thirsty Jews. After a few hours of keeping the Jews in the wagons, the train departed the station and must have gone to Majdanek via Skarżysko, Radom and Dęblin. Several Jews of Suchedniów were hiding in private houses and shelters prepared, risking their own lives, by Dr. Witold Poziomski, Judge Aleksander Jankowski, woodman Józef Kostyra, Nikodem Majewski, Jerzy Grygor, Teofil Dulęba, in the mill belonging to Marek Stobiecki from Ogonów, at Ciślik’s in Krzyżaki. Only a few men survived, e.g. the Herlings brothers, Lejzerowicz, Herling-Grudziński and some others.” .[1.20] Most probably the Jews were deported to Treblinka.