In the 19^th century, Jews were allowed to purchase houses and plots in Daleszyce, but they were banned from permanently settling in the town until the 1862 reform (Edict on the Emancipation of Jews in the Kingdom of Poland). Most Jewish people sought to buy houses located near the Market Square, as it was the centre of the local trade. An official Jewish community was established in Daleszyce in 1869. A wooden synagogue was built in 1894.[1.1] In 1909, a Jewish cemetery was founded in the town; it was located between the roads to Staszów and Napęków. A year later, the Jewish community had 400 members. After World War I, the number of Jewish inhabitants of the town fell to 290. In 1921, the Daleszyce community also had jurisdiction over the Jewish populations of Górno, Cisów, and Szczecno.

Among the most prominent Jewish enterprises of the interwar period were I. Sternfeld’s dyeworks, sawmills owned by A. Machtyngier and M. Kryształ, watermill of M. Machtyngier, tailoring workshops of Sz. Apel, R. Hirszman, and G. Zajdenberg, bakeries of M. Bekerman and Sz. Bekerman, carpentry workshops of N. Pasternak and H. Frajdman, and S. Guterman’s soda water plant. The local tradesmen were: P. Sztarkman and I. Szternfeld (textiles), B. Frajman (haberdashery), B. Langwald, J. Sztarkman, and M. Zylberberg (meat), and K. Bekierman, B. Kuperberg and K. Wajnsztok (foodstuffs).[1.2]

After the election of 1924, the community board was composed of: Judka Bekierman, Abram Machtyngier, Dawid Newerski, Icek Szerenfeld, Kiwa Bekierman, Lejbuś Dębski, Abram Guterman, and Baruch Icekson.[1.3] On 3 May 1925, Chaim Lejzor Sylman, selected by the general public, was officially approved for the post of rabbi after providing proof that his name was listed in the official register of rabbis.[1.4]

In 1926, only 50% of the planned budget was executed, which did not affect the local governor’s decision to raise the rabbi’s remuneration by 950 zlotys and the mohel’s salary by 500 zlotys.[1.5] The main source of income for the community was slaughter, because member contributions were hardly ever paid. The governor’s office ordered to remove the planned revenue from circumcisions and weddings from the budget, because they formed part of the rabbi’s salary. The local mikveh was leased out because the building required renovation. It was also decided to hire a scribe with a yearly salary of 600 zlotys and to rent premises for the community board for 300 zlotys a year. In 1926, the fee for the slaughter of an ox or cow amounted to 6 zlotys, for a calf – 2 zlotys, for a goose – 0.6 zlotys, for a hen – 0.4 zlotys, and for a chicken – 0.2 zlotys.[1.6]

Remarks made by an auditor in his report of 1928 are an interesting insight into the community of Daleszyce. As he noted, “the local population is extremely reluctant to pay the synagogue fee.”[1.7] He made the following comment on the state of the cemetery: “[…] the bodies are buried in graves which are not arranged into neat rows.” The mikveh was leased out to Pinkus Rubinowicz for 150 zlotys. In 1928, the community board planned to obtain 2,452 zlotys from fees paid by 115 families, 3,000 zlotys from slaughter, 10 zlotys from burial fees, 15 zlotys from monuments, 100 zlotys from reading Torah scrolls, and 150 zlotys from the mikveh. The total revenue was expected to amount to 7,657 zlotys. The list of expenses was as follows: remuneration for rabbi Ch. L. Sylman – 500 zlotys a year, salary of the mohel, Majer Szafir –2,000 zlotys, salary of the synagogue keeper Gancwajg – 50 zlotys, and salary of the scribe –300 zlotys; 500 zlotys for the renovation of the mikveh, 250 zlotys for the renovation of the synagogue, 120 zlotys in taxes, 250 zlotys to settle a mortgage, 200 zlotys for lighting the synagogue, and 250 zlotys for the rent of administrative premises.[1.1.7] However, the local governor believed that contributions collected from the 115 indicated families would not be sufficient to cover all these expenses. At the time, the community board was composed of J. Szternfeld (president), Ch. L. Sylman, Dawid Nawarski, and Abram Machtyngier. L. Gancwajg was the synagogue keeper and Szapiro was the mohel. Rozalia Sylman was the secretary.

The follow-up document issued on 10 November 1928 shows that the governor’s office was deeply involved in the matters of the Jewish community. The local authorities issued a list of recommendations for the kehilla, including:

• to tidy up the archive,
• to set door to the doorframe in the back entrance of the synagogue,
• to rent suitable premises for the chancellery,
• to renovate the mikveh,
• to enforce the payment of contributions and regulate the rabbi’s salary.[1.8]

The board was given a deadline of 60 days to implement these instructions.

The audit carried out on 23 March 1929 showed that the kehilla owned a wooden synagogue in a relatively good condition. The cemetery was also properly maintained, but the mikveh and the bathhouse were significantly run down. The board still did not have a separate seat, and the archive was kept in the house of Icek Szternfeld. The community’s financial standing was terrible. Due to lack of funds, the board owed 1,252 zlotys to the rabbi and 233.65 zlotys to the mohel.[1.9] The board kept a “General Cash Register Book,” “Account Book,” “Book of Resolutions,” checks from the slaughterhouse and income confirmations. The rabbi was in charge of keeping birth and marriage registers. Deaths were recorded by the Office of Vital Records.

The subsequent audit was conducted on 15 January 1930 in the presence of president of the board I. Szternfeld, member Dawid Nawarski, and secretary Rozalia Szternfeld. There were 3.75 zlotys in the cashbox, the cemetery’s area was fenced and amounted to 3 morgens, poultry was slaughtered in the backyard of the house of shochet M. Szapiro. It was pointed out that the board was much more involved in the life of the community than in 1928.[1.10] In 1930, the board held only five meetings. The position of the secretary was held by Lejzor Bekerman. The budget in 1930 included revenue in the amount of 8,311 zlotys: 3,000 zlotys from slaughter, 2,850 zlotys from contributions, and 150 zlotys from the lease of the mikveh.[1.11] As the lessee of the mikveh died and there was no one else interested in renting the building, the community incurred a loss of 150 slotys.

The audit of 1933, carried out in the presence of community head Herszel Kupferberg, showed that the kehilla had 536 members. A total of 103 families were selected to pay the contribution. The lowest fee amounted to 2 zlotys. The contributions were paid by the Jewish inhabitants of Daleszyce, Górno, Kielce, and even Będzin. The total amount due was 2,380 zlotys.[1.12] The 1933 budget provided for revenue in the amount of slightly over 5,000 zlotys, including 2,115 zlotys from contributions and 3,000 from slaughter. The expenses were similar to the amounts from previous years. However, the governor’s office questioned the community’s calculations. According to the local authorities, the total income should have amounted to 9,706.72 zlotys. With the population of 592 people, the community should have collected 4,115 zlotys from contributions, 3,000 zlotys from slaughter, and 2,291.72 zlotys from other sources. Expenses should have amounted to: 2,500 zlotys for the rabbi’s remuneration, 6,312.91 zlotys for salaries of board members, 270 zlotys in other costs, 270 zlotys for investments, 134 zlotys for charity, and 489.81 zlotys for miscellaneous expenses.

In 1937, there were 525 Jewish people living in Daleszyce, and 84 families were obliged to pay the community contribution. The real estate owned by the kehilla had an estimated value of 250 zlotys, and its movables – 1,400 zlotys. The debt amounted to 3,000 zlotys. It was estimated that Orthodox Jews had a share of 87.5% in the community board, while the remaining board members were unaffiliated.

During the German occupation, in September 1942, almost all Jews from Daleszyce were deported to the ghetto in Bodzentyn and later sent to the extermination camp in Treblinka.[1.13] The synagogue and the Jewish cemetery were destroyed. The surviving matzevot were stolen after the war and used to renovate houses destroyed by Germans. No traces of the cemetery have been preserved.

Bibliography:

• “Daleszyce” [in:] Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust, ed. Sh. Spector, New York 2001, p. 291.