The exact beginnings of Jewish settlement here is not known. The first Jews to live in Mińsk came in the 17th century and engaged in alcohol production. In the 18th century, Jews were no longer in Mińsk, although it is probable that some Jews (barber-surgeons or some lessees of inns) still remained in the city and belonged to the kehilla in Węgrów. Larger scale Jewish settlement in Mińsk took place after 1768, following the lifting of restrictions on permanent Jewish residence in the Mazowiecki Province.

Until 1822, Jews who lived in the town belonged to the Kałuszyn kehilla. An independent Mińsk community was established after the kehilla law was abolished and arrangments for synagogue supervision were in place.

By 1867, the local Jewish Community Council had its own synagogue (on ul Karczewska 2), mikvah and a Jewish cemetery situated nearby. It was 1 morgen (1 morgen ≈ 0,56 ha) and 169 rods (1 rod ≈ 5,03 m) in area. Around 1870, Jews established a second cemetery, outside the town, in the direction of Cegłów.

Mińsk synagogue supervision included the city itself and some of the towns in Mińsk county (from 1867, the New Mińsk County) such as Cegłów, Siennica, Latowicz, Iwowe and Jeruzal. The jurisdiction of the Jewish Community Council covered paying rabbi’s living expenses; maintenance of the synagogue, cemetery, mikvah and ritual slaughterhouses; taking care of religious upbringing of youth; providing the faithful with kosher foods; managing communal property and organising charitable activities.

Minsk's first rabbi was Israel Jankiel (last name unknown). He was followed by Menashe, Mosiek Nejman and Majer Selson[1.1]. At that time, Josek Grynberg deputised for the Mińsk rabbi. In 1835, Szymsio Kligman became the rabbi and held that position for 40 years. He contributed to the development of the community by, among many other things, building a wooden synagogue and apartments for the rabbi and for a scholar – Josek Arson. In 1874, Jechiel Michel Rabinowicz became the rabbi.

Mińsk Jews quickly became interested in Hassidism. By 1873, a tzadik, Jakub Perlow, son of Szymon of Zawichost, had set up his court in Mińsk. In 1896, thanks to funds provided by Szlomo Folman, a Hasidic Jew from Warsaw, Perłow established a yeshivah in Mińsk Mazowiecki. The school, attended by around 200 students, had a dormitory and a dining room. Dean of the school was Moses Mass from Siemiatycze, following his death, his son, Alter Israel Szymon, was appointed to continue his work. In 1916, the tzaddik moved his court to Warsaw.

Hassidic Jews constituted a fairly large group within Mińsk Mazowiecki. They were divided into supporters of seven tzadikim - those from Góra Kalwaria, Aleksandrów, Parysów, Radzymin, Skierniewice, Piaseczno and Nowomińsk.

Hassidic Jews from the court of the Góra Kalwaria tzadik had their prayerhouses at ul1 Rynek 13. In 1929, the building burned down, but was rebuilt afterwards, this time, with brick and financed by a rabbi from Góra Kalwaria. Members of the Góra Kalwaria group included Icze Meir Siennicki, Mordechaj Wasermacher, Samuel Rochman (ritual slaughterer), Benjamin Dangot, Joske Feldman (oil producer), Samuel Finkelsztejn, Izrael Isor Rochman, Lejbisz Finkelsztejn, Mordechaj Finkelsztejn, Mosze Bialer and Sanele Milchberg. .

At that time, Aleksandrów tzadik also had court, his on ul Nadrzeczna Street. His supporters supporters included Abraham Lejzer (ritual slaughterer), Mosze Ichiel Tokulski, Motel Bronsztejn, Herszel Kramasz, Berisz Sapirosztejn (slaughterhouse trustee), Berisz Finkelsztejn, Boruch Ziserman, Aron Feldman, Chaim Boruch Goworczik (long-standing chairman of the Town Council), Lejbele Rozenberg (Zionist), Mendel Openheim (Mizrachi chairman and town lay magistrate) and Chaim Dawid Geltbart.

Hassidic Jews from Parysów had their prayerhouse on ul Górna. They included Efraim Beker (community caretaker), Josef Chaim Kapota and his son Samuel, Meir Felsajcher, Aron Jakub Felsajcher, Samuel Frojman, Jankel Grinberg, Motel Szifman from Prague, Chaim Zelik Rotlewicz (teacher) and Abraham Hersz Wiśnia.

Followers of the Skierniewice tzaddik incuded Tojwe Rogatka, Jakub Arie Zelicki, Lejb Rozenberg, Jankiel Rozenberg, Nataniel Rozenberg, Abraham Icchak Biblarz and his sons.

The most important followers of the Radzymin tzaddik included Szbajmele Berkowicz, Gerszon Liberman, Icchak Samuel Cilich, Jankiel Ziserman, Josef Grinbaum, Josef Topilowski and Moszko Sojfer (writer). Their meeting room was in the loft of the synagogue at ul Karczewska 2. Minsk also had Jews described as "Piaseczno Hassidim” and “New Mińsk Hassidim”.

Into the 20th century, the Jewish Community Council of Mińsk Mazowiecki took in the town itself and the village Siennica (11 kms away). It had offices in two locations - at ul Karczewska 2 and ul Nadrzeczna 13.

Following the death of Rabbi Rabinowicz, a conflict emerged regarding the choice of a replacement. There were several candidates for the post, the most important of whom were Jakub Arie Ajzncwajg from Miechów and young Josef Kapłan from Brześć Litewski. Advocates for Kapłan were the intelligentsia, young Jews and the Skierniewice Hassidim. The entire Jewish community (including from Siennica) took part in the election in 1913. Ajzncwajg won by a small margin.

However, the advocates for Kapłan did not accept the election result and, from that time on, there were two rabbis. Kapłan`s advocates even had their own ritual slaughterer. Ajzncwajg, shortly after being proclaimed the “New Mińsk Rabbi”, moved to Warsaw. However when, in the summer of 1915, Kapłan was later appointed as the new Rabbi, Jakub Ajzncwajg began a series of processes in the rabbinicl court of Warsaw Rabbi Szloma Dawid Kahan. Ajzncwajg withdrew his claims only after receiving monetary compensation.

Josef Kapłan died in 1929. This time, the procedure for electing a new rabbi was different. The rabbi was chosen by the Jewish Community Council under the leadership of the chairman Chil Trojanowski. Mosze Nataniel Szapiro, a grandson of a rabbi from Kałuszyn, became the Rabbi in 1934[1.2].

Unfortunately, it is not possible to find information about the successive chairmen of the Jewish Community Council of Mińsk Mazowiecki. It is known that, on 2nd August 1926, the Chairman was Mordka Kirszenbaum. On 27th January 1927, the position was held by Szyja Mendelson. Chil Trojanowski again became Chairman in 1934. The last chairman of the Council was Szlojme Morgensztern.

The Jewish Community Council had twelve members. In 1924, nine of them were from Aguda, two from the Craft Union and one Zionist. In 1931, seven were from Aguda, four from the Craft Union and one from Poalei Tziyon. Unfortunately, not much is known about the Jewish Community Council's.

During the inter-War period, Jews in Mińsk Mazowiecki constituted around 40% of the city's residents and were active in the city's political life. Many stood for election to the City Council and formed several political groupings. Jewish Councillors took an interest in the city's development and supported many initiatives, such as the introduction of electricity or the building of a school. Despite the fact that the vast majority of Jews were orthodox (the most numerous party was Aguda Isroel), most Jewish Councillors supported Zionism. The Zionist movement was developing rapidly. What is interesting, while the revisionist faction in Poland held a strong position, it was dissolved in Mińsk Mazowiecki due to lack of support.

During the inter-War period, elections to the Mińsk Mazowiecki City Council were held five times - in 1919, 1923, 1927, 1934 and 1939.

In December 1919, the City Council comprised 24 Councillors, including seven Jews. They were Jakub Farbman (52 years old, tradesman, independent), Szymon Goldman (61, a paramedic, independent), Mordka Kirszenbaum (28, a shoemaker, Zionist), Mendel Openheim (28, tradesman, Zionist), Josek Perkal (63, a tradesman, independent), Chil Trojanowski (34, tradesman, independent) and Jankiel Rozenberg (32, tradesman, independent). Only two Councillors were politically aligned. The others were independent.

The City Council executive was comprised of five members, only one of whom was Jewish - Izaak Wajsbrod (50, independent).

For the following elections in 1923, Jews created a separate grouping. There were 21 Jewish candidates, seven of whom as deputies. Eventually, 7 aldermen and 3 assistants were elected.Those elected as Councillors were Izaak Wajsbrod, Moszek Liwerant, Josek Perkal (there is a notation next to his name stating that he belonged to the Zionist Union of Young Jews), Mordka Kirszenbaum, Mendel Openheim, Chil Trojanowski and Jankiel Talarski. Deputies were Bencjon Berger, Jankiel Pietrzyński and Motel Borensztejn.

In 1934, the City Council consisted of fifteen Poles and nine Jews[1.3]. The names of those elected as councillors is unknown. It is known, however, that they were ran as two separate electoral groupings - the Jewish Busines group and the United Jewish Economic Block.

In 1939, only four Jews were elected to the City Council - Abram Felner a member of Zionist Union), Jankiel Lejb Wajsbrod (Bezprocentowa Kasa Żydowska, Zionism sympathizer), Noach Mikanowski (independent, Zionism sympathizer) and Moszek Różański.

Jewish councillors most probably served on Council committees. However, there is limited archival information on this subject. The Jews would, however, caucus together as the “Jewish circle”. Documents sent to the City Council Chairman have survived which usually concern the adjournment of Council session or a market day due to a Jewish holiday. Unfortunately, no documents remain regarding cooperation between Jewish and Christian councillors.

The Jewish community was a very active one. They established trade unions, founded associations and formed committees. They ensure the development of education and maintained contact with other Jewish Community councils (especially those in Warsaw and Kałuszyn).

Mińsk Jews mainly earned their living from trades and crafts which were traditionally Jewish. Based on data received from the Tax Inspectorate, on 27th August 1919 the City Council Executive prepared a register of businesses with in Mińsk Mazowiecki with a capital exceeding 10,000 Polish marks. The list contained 536 entries, 393 of which (73.3%) were owned by Jews. Among the Jewish enterprises were 156 shops, 14 mixed stores (e.g. grocery and snuff store, grocery and shoe accessory store); 7 service and trade shops (shop and workshop); 11 places described as warehouses, therefore much bigger than shops; 46 in trade, 22 catering and 137 industrial or service enterprises.

The greatest number of shops, 74, were in the food industry. There were also 12spice stores, 12 haberdashers and 10 metal products stores. There were individual stores selling spectacles, lime, leather, pottery, tobacco, wine and stationery, plus five 5 butcher’s shops.

Among the trade-service shops were: two grocery and tailor, a grocery and shoemaker, shop and bakery, a paint shop and painter.

Mińsk Mazowiecki had two beer warehouses, a building materials warehouse, three timber yards, a pharmaceutical warehouse, a tobacco warehouse, anther containing oplanks and another for shoemaker’s supplies.

There were also narrowly-specialised trades people, some surprising specialisations. There were three people trading cattle, two people trading exclusively in horses, another two people traded calves, whereas only one person traded cows. All in all, eight people made their living by trading cattle. The list mentions also people trading in poultry (6), kitchen utensils (3), fruit (3), peat (2), dairy products (2), wood (2), vegetables (2), yeast (1), women’s coats (1), milk (1) and salted blood sausage (kiszka) (1).

Mińsk Mazowiecki had also thirteen teashops, five beerhalls, three restaurants and one hotel. Szyja Mendelson, without hired help, owned a place which was simultaneously a beerhall and a bakery.

The majority of the trade and service shops weremade up of shoemakers (18), butchers (15), tailor workshops (12) and workshops producing upper parts for boots (10). There were eight bakeries and watchmakers, four leatherworkers, whitesmiths, capmakers and oil mills. Apart from those, there were also three soap factories, three dairies and three painters. Others included two blacksmiths, two butcher shops, two dyeworks, two currency exchanges, a photographic studio, a printworks, a lathe, a motorised mill, a vinegar factory, a soda water factory and bicycle rental service.

In 1934, the City Council Executive also prepared a list of doctors, paramedics, lawyers and engineers. Out of the forty listed, only four were Jewish - Abram Goldman (a paramedic), Szlama Zarecki (a paramedic, Gabryela Belka (a midwif)e, Dina Rozensztejn-Wajner (a dentist), Leon Grűnberg (a lawyer) and Władysław Ekiel (a lawyer).

Ulike the inhabitants of other places in the Mazowiecki Province, the residents of Mińsk had a greater opportunity of being employed with in heavy industry (there were two such factories in Mińsk Mazowiecki). Consequently, Jewish traders were able to sell more, owing to the large number of workers coming from the surrounding area.

Generally, the Jewish community was rather poor. The majority of factories and shops may have belonged to Jews, but the larger factories, with a high working capital, were owned by Poles. The majority of the Jewish community belonged to the lower middle class. Many workers and cottage workers, whereas the intelligentsia was sparse.

In June 1936, a pogrom hit the community. Many Jews escaped from the city, never to return. They settled elsewhere. The pogrom resulted in sudden poverty within the Jewish community. Many shops and workshops were vandalized, their owners being unable to reopen them.

Jewish-Polish relations in Mińsk Mazowiecki worsened when members of the National Radical Camp (Obóz Narodowo-Radykalny, ONR) attacked five Jews coming back from Warsaw on the night of 30th April 1936. Izrael Cylich, Chairman of the Poale Zion, died as a result of the assault. Other Jews, like Hersz and Izrael Wiernik, were severely injured. Around 1,000 people attended the funeral of 26-year old Izrael Cylich, among them representatives of various Jewish community organizations, trade unions and the Communists. Jews announced a month of fasting.

A direct cause of anti-Jewish incidents in Mińsk Mazowiecki was the assassination of Sergeant Jan Bujak of the 7th Pułk Ułanów Lubelskich. Jan Bujak was killed on 1st June 1936 by a tailor, Judek-Lejb Chaskielewicz from Kałuszyn. The assassination caused violent riots.

In the aftermath, groups of teenagers (aged 16-18) began breaking windows in thouses and the synagogue and vandalising Jewish shops. Jews barricaded themselves in their homes. Socialist activist, Stanisław Dubois, described the events thus:

The windows of Jewish shops and homes were shattered. Although cleaned up by the authorities, glass fragments still littered the streets. In the north, there is not one Jewish home where the windows have not been shattered by rocks. For this "patriotioc" activity,they mainly threw stones used which were used to repairs the streets of this famous town. IN  the market square, the centre of the city's trade, today no one is selling and no one is buying. All Jewish stalls are closed, killed off.

Jewsh began heading to safety in Warsaw. Trains were overcrowded and there were not enough train tickets. In total, around 3,000 people fled the city. The poorest people, or those who did not have any relatives or acquaintances in Warsaw, remained. They gathered in the homes of wealthier Jews. These houses were made of brick and were therefore quite safe. One of them was the house of the lay magistrate Mendel Ofenheim. Another was owned by beer and carbonated water trader Halcband (it was the house of the father of Roma Byczuk, the last Jewish woman living in Mińsk Mazowiecki).

The riots lasted during the whole night. They were suppressed with the help of the Warsaw police and lancer patrols. On the third day, a Wednesday, there were more attacks on Jews. Groups of teenagers began breaking into houses and beat the Jews there. The riots last ed the whole night. In total, over the first three days, 41 people were injured.

The local police were spoken of with anger and indignation. Not only did they stand to one side when the beatings and vandlism occurred, but they acted dishonourably, inciting and openly approving of the excesses and insults aimed at the Jews. A Sanacja policeman in the role of an Endek agitator– that is also not a bad picture of our times.

A subsequent wave of riots took place following the funeral of Jan Bujak. Over a dozen people were beaten, five of them severely. Unknown perpetrators set fire to 8 houses belonging to Jews in different parts of the town. The fire accidentally spread to two Polish houses.

A group of Jewish parliamentarians arrived on the Friday - Poseł Emil Sommerstein and Senators Schorr and Trockenheim, along with editor Heszel Gotlieb. They met with the city elder (starost). That day, following the meeting with the parliamentarians, City Councilliors signed a public notice calling upon people to keep the peace and to return to their daily routines. The notice was posted throughout the city.

The police had no problems with apprehending arson suspects. There were over a dozen perpetrators, many of them known to the police due to their previous criminal records. They were also found in possession of goods stolen from Jews.

After three days of quiet, the first Jews began retuening from Warsaw. On Monday 8th June1936, Jews reopened the majority of their shops and began their damaged property. Over the following days, many Jews began returning to their houses.

The subject of the pogrom was raised during a session of the City Council Executive on 3rd June 1936. Executive members were not concerned by the situation of Mińsk Jews. The only note referred to the fact that Executive member Ofenheim was absent during the session due to a trip to Warsaw. It can be stated, therefore, that Christian Councillors did not concern themselves with what haad happened and what was happening to the Jews.

The Jewish community in Warsaw helped the Jewish community in Mińsk, not only financially, but by, for example, sending glass to repair broken windows. This aid was extremely important and vital in order to enable Jews to, once again, live peacefully.

The anti-Jewish atmosphere did not with the pogrom. As throughout Poland, antisemitic slogans appeared in Mińsk Mazowiecki through to the outbreak of the World War II. The economic boycott began escalating, with the Polish community beginning to establish its own shops and market stalls

The Germans occupied the city on 13th September 1939[1.4]. By the end of that year, they had established a Judenrat and a Jewish police force in Mińsk Mazowiecki. Jews were sent to labour camps.

On 25th October 1940, a ghetto was established, into which were squeezed 5,242 Jews. Its area Błonie, Siennicka, Nadrzeczna, Rynek, Warszawska, Mostowa and a part of Piłsudskiego streets. The ghetto was not fenced and Jews living there could move around the town quite freely. Jews were brought here from Kalisz, Pabianice, Lipno and Kałuszyn. The Judenrat established a communal kitchen and a hospital. The Chairman of the Judenrat was Moszek Kramasz. His assistant was Majer Bryks. Members of the Judenrat includd Jankiel Popowski, Chil Morgensztern, Mordka Kirszenbaum and Moszek Majnberg.

A typhus epidemic broke out during the winter of 1940. By mid-1941, four resistance groups had formed in the ghetto. Thirty people belonging to these groups planned to escape to the underground army. They contacted the People’s Guard (Gwardia Ludowa). They even raised funds in the ghetto, during June and July 1942, in order to buy weapons. The Chairman of the Judenrat donated 10,000 zloty. Some Jews managed to join the partisans where they died during the fighting.

On 21st August 1942, the ghetto was liquidated. The Jews were first crowded into the market place and then moved to the railway ramp. The next morning, on 22nd August 1942, they were all taken away to Treblinka. Around 1,000 people were killed on the spot. The members of the Judenrat were executed by firing squads at the local SS headquarters. Mordka Kirszenbaum was not killed, because he chose to go to Treblinka.

Only 370 skilled workers remained and were employed in the Wehrmacht and Rudzki factories. They were kept in the labour camp, in the Mikołaj Kopernik school building on ul Siennicka. Jews, who managed to escape, also found their shelter there. At the end of November, around 100 people were moved to Kałuszyn. From there, they were deported to Treblinka. 218 Jews from the labour camp were killed at the nearby Jewish cemetery on 24th December 1942.

The Germans continued the liquidation of the ghetto on 10th January 1943. Around 300 people lived in the ghetto at that time. The first group of Jews, who were taken out of the school, attacked the Germans on their way to the cemetery. The rest of the prisoners locked themselves inside the building. They threw bricks, tools and stones at the Germans. The building was shelled and burned. A group of 104 people, who were still working in the Rudzki factory, was killed on 5th June 1943.

Several dozen Jews survived the war, the majority of whom were hidden on “the Aryan side”. Roma Byczuk was among them. She was captured during one of the round-ups, but she was not recognised as a Jew and was deported to work in Germany[1.5]. She survived the war there and, after its end, Roma returned to Mińsk Mazowiecki. Both her sister and her mother managed to survive thanks to hiding, whereas her father had committed suicide.

After the War, a Jewish Committee was established in Mińsk Mazowiecki. Its board comprised Lejb Guz, Pola Płutycka, Sabina Popowska, Szmul Róziański, Jankiel Świecki and Moszek Zyserman. By 15th November 1944, 85 people had  registered with the Committee. The ultimate fate of those Jews from Mińsk Mazowiecki is unknown. It can be assumed that, in the following years, the majority left Poland.

Bibliography

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