Jews began to settle in Włoszczowa at the turn of the 16th and 17th century. The first Jew mentioned in the archives of 1601, was Mojżesz from Włoszczowa who was transporting stall merchandise from Kraków. In turn, Stanisław Janaczek in his work Włoszczowa: zarys dziejów miasta do końca XVIII w (Włoszczowa, outline of the town’s history till the end of 18th century) mentions a Jew who came to Włoszczowa in 1650 with twelve stones of wool and five sacks of feather. He also notes that Piotr Jacek Pruszcz In Morze łaski Bożej (A Sea of Divine Grace – published in Kraków in 1642), while writing about the apparitions that occurred in Włoszczowa in 1642, confirmed the presence of Jews in the town[1.1].

According to statistical data, after the Swedish wars, the number of Jews in Włoszczowa decreased to 10 people obliged to pay the poll tax (at the time the Christian population numbered 368)[1.2].

At the end of the 18th century, the number of Jews in the Chęciny county was continuously increasing. More accurate data comes from 1765– at that time, 282 Jews lived in the town, and in 1790, 380 (144 in Włoszczowa itself and 236 in the county). It was the third largest Jewish community in the Chęciny county (after Przedbórz and Chęciny). Most probably, the Jewish community of Włoszczowa did not constitute an independent Jewish community at that time, but only a sub-community of one of the communities (in Przedbórz or Chęciny), it had a house of prayer, for which a Catholic building was perhaps donated by the then owner of the town[1.3]. On the other hand, Z. Guldon writes about the community organization that existed already in 1765, but the existence of a smaller organizational unit is more likely due to the aforementioned number of Jews, as well as the considerable financial outlays that had to be available for the proper functioning of the community[1.4]. However, the construction of a synagogue and the establishment of own cemetery (which was on the right at the end of Strumień Street - nowadays Kościuszko Street) undoubtedly strengthened the Jewish sub-community in Włoszczowa and contributed to the community in the next century.

At that time, the Jews of Włoszczowa were earning their living mainly as craftsmen (they worked as tailors, bakers, and tanners), merchants - on the Kielce - Chęciny - Kraków route, where mainly wool, feather, tar, grease, honey and wax were traded, as well as lessors[1.5].

The greatest influx of Jews into Włoszczów county took place in the 19th century. While it was noted that 1,588 Jews lived in Włoszczowa in 1862 (constituting 63% of all the inhabitants, in 1876, the number of inhabitants was 4,359, including 2,631 Jews (1,364 men and 1,267 women). This population growth can be explained by the changes taking place in the legal status of Jews, especially resulting from Tsar's decree on equal rights. The list of Jewish men in Opis miasteczka Włoszczowy (The description of the town of Włoszczowa) by Father W. Khaun is worth mentioning[1.6]: “1739 Jewish men lived in the town at that time - 1 rabbi, 7 Jewish clergymen, 14 merchants and farmers, 565 traders and industrialists, 384 craftsmen, 92 labourers, 24 beggars and the poor”. In 1885 the number of Jews increased to 3,152, in 1892 there were 3,253, in 1904 - 3,567, and in 1916 - 3,422[1.7]. The Jewish community included not only the Jewry of Włoszczowa but also of Kluczewsko, Krasocin, Kurzelów, Oleszno, Radków and Secemin. Historical sources mention individual Jewish families in some villages of Włoszczowa county, such as: Łachów (6 Jews lived there in 1898), Konieczno (22 Jews in 1893, out of over 850 inhabitants), Dąbie (11 Jews in 1893). , Boczkowice (7 Jews), Błogoszów (11 Jews), Rzeszówek (11 Jews).

After Poland regained its independence, the numbers of the Jewish community members were as follows: in 1921 - 2,910 (53% of the town's population), in 1926 - 3,864, in 1929 - 3,762, in 1932 - 3,756, in 1932 - 3,985, in 1938 - 3,640, in 1939 - 3,790. Near Włoszczowa, there were two more Jewish communities located in the Włoszczowa county: Lelów - over 2,000 Jews and Szczekociny, inhabited by about 2,500 Jews (both counties currently located in the Silesian Voivodeship).

Until 1931, the Jewish religious community had the status of a larger community - according to the regulations in force, it was granted to communities with more than 5,000 inhabitants (incorrect calculations were made). Because of this error, there was a Board in the community, which included a 12-person Council of Plenipotentiaries (headed by Nuta Apelsztajn - a merchant, orthodox, non-party)[1.8]. However, numerous conflicts (mainly concerning financial matters, which hampered the efficient functioning of the Management Board for 3 years) and requests from members of the community resulted in actions at the voivode office, which resulted in a decision at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education to transform Włoszczowa into a smaller religious community[1.9]. The community board assembled at 227 Sienkiewicza Street.

The first elections in the community after the change of status (May 20, 1931) aroused great interest amongst the inhabitants of Włoszczowa – elected to the Management Board were: Nuta Albersztajn, Mordka-Dawid Zilbersztajn, Szlomo Goldsztajn, Chila Rubinsztajn, Icek Rajchman, Icek Zajączkowski, Menachem Moses Mendel.

The board of the community implemented tasks in accordance with its competences, i.e. maintained the rabbinate, managed buildings serving religious needs, organized education, social assistance, supervised ritual slaughter and the distribution of kosher food.

The community had at its disposal several properties - one of them was a brick synagogue, located at Bożnicza Street in the southern part of the Market Square. The synagogue was severely damaged by fire in June 1904. At that time, 49 Jewish shops, many houses, the community office and the court were burnt down. It was not the only fire that hit the town - the earlier one in 1876 also caused a lot of damage and destroyed Jewish buildings at the Market Square and in the surrounding area [1.15]. Moreover, the community managed the Kehilla house and the slaughterhouse at Czarneckiego Street, a ritual bath with a residential house at Górki Street, a cemetery, a house of prayer and a bathhouse in Kurzelów, as well as a bathhouse and a cemetery in Secemin. The community also had a cheder, a library, a hospital and a poorhouse.

In the interwar period, the representatives of the community were mostly the followers of Aguda and the supporters of Zionism. In 1929, 220 people in Włoszczowa were the members of the Orthodox party. Its seat was at the Market Square. The party was headed by Menachem Mendel Mozes - a merchant. The party was also active in Szczekociny (100 members) and Lelów (24 members). The second largest party operating in the county were the General Zionists - in 1929 their organization had 55 members, and its seat was at Żwirki Street. The leader of the party was Mordka Jonasz Kaczka. In 1935, the number of members slightly decreased. At that time David Klajman was the leader. Moreover, in the mid-1920s, the Mizrachi party started to operate in Włoszczowa. In 1926, it was supported by 37 people, mainly young, up to 30 years of age. In 1929 it had 15 members, in 1935 - 10. Its seat was at Czarneckiego Street. The founder and leader of the General Zionists was merchant Szymon Kurc Izrael, and from 1935 - Isaac Rajchman. The party was also active in Szczekociny, where it had 30 members. The political party that became active in the 1930s were revisionist Zionists who had their seat at the Market Square. In 1935, it had 50 members, the management included: Mordka Rajchman, Szeja Zajączkowski and Mosiek Minc. Poale Zion and the youth organization Hashomer Hatzair also operated in the town. The members of HeHalutz established a farm and thanks to the activities of this movement the first group of young people left for Palestine in 1925[1.10].

Representatives of political parties, apart from active participation in the life of the Jewish community, ran in the elections to the Town Council. As a result of the self-government elections in the years 1918–1930, about 12 Jewish representatives were in the Council (that is about 50% of its members), and in 1939, only 3 representatives of the Jewish community were the town’s councillors. This fact should be explained by the increasing boycott and antisemitic occurrences, and also by the emigration of part of the Jewish community, among other destinations to Palestine.

It is worth noting that the party members, apart from carrying out strictly political tasks, were also involved in promoting culture and organizing social life in the town - e.g. they organized theatre performances, dance parties, public fundraising, ran a library, invited to lectures, meetings on political and social issues. These activities complemented the tasks that the Jewish community carried out for the town’s inhabitants. One of them was the issue of the development and dissemination of education. In 1899, the number of cheders in Włoszczowa was 14 (28 in the county), in 1893 - 16, in 1901 - 16 (33 in the county), in 1903 - 11 (36 in the county). In the interwar period, 15 Jewish schools operated in the county, nine of which were cheders, and there was one elementary school. The Jewish community, in addition to tasks related to education, carried out social and care tasks. In 1927 the Gemilut Chesed Charity Society was founded.

In small towns of the Kielce Province, there was not much cultural activity. Cultural and social changes took place slowly. Undoubtedly, the carriers of these changes were political parties, social organizations and the press, which, however, was read only by the intellectual elite (a good example is the number of subscribed copies of the press in the county in 1927: "Hajnt" - 28, "Der Moment" - 16, "Nasz Przegląd" - 1). In 1929, " 18 people, subscribed to "Fołks Cajtung” and 16 to "Der Jud"[1.11]. Several attempts to establish active organizations ended in failure – like, for instance the Polish-Jewish Clerks' Club established in 1918, or the Lovers of Zion Society, registered in 1914, which for a brief period had 95 members.

The Jewish Culture Association, which was established in the second half of the 1920s, played a significant role in the town. A little earlier, the Library started its activities. It was founded by the Zionist Organization operating from 1917; in 1929 it had 416–512 volumes.

The Jews of Włoszczowa lived around the Market Square and in the quarter called Górki. In 1877, 126 craftsmen were registered in Włoszczowa, including: shoemakers - 50 (20 Jews), butchers - 16 (3 Jews),  Jews were also involved in trade (in particular: food, grain, leather, haberdashery), forestry, transport, crafts. Moreover, two sawmills were owned by Jews - Kornfeld’s at Jędrzejowska Street, Apelstein’s near the railway station on the Kielce-Częstochowa line; salt and sugar warehouse was run by Landau; Edelis and Zalcman had a printing house established in 1910 (the first printing house was set up at Moszek Plawner's bookshop); a mill, built in 1931, was also owned by Jews as well as a metal factory producing ploughs and agricultural tools; Szlam Minz had an oil mill (driven by two horses and employing three men).

However, no major industrial plant operated in the town. A Jewish entrepreneur from Łódź, Izrael Poznański, a great tycoon of the cotton industry, as well as the owner of many estates in the Włoszczowa county (including Nieznanowice, Czarnca), wanted to set up a textile factory in the town - he was allegedly told that the peasants did not want it since they have to graze the cows.

The economic structure of the Jews of Włoszczowa did not change in the interwar period. Most of the retail outlets were focused on small trade, out of 175 outlets in the town, only 10 belonged to Christians. “All trade is in Jewish hands. Apart from one Catholic confectionery, everything is Jewish. Despite this, there is no greater turnover, everything is done in miniature because there is no cash. In the busiest store, and there were 30 in Włoszczowa - only 20 people did some shopping" [1.27].

Wacława Zimoląg-Szczepańska in the book Mężczyzna czy ryba przynosi szczęście – włoszczowskie szkice (A man or a fish brings good luck –sketches from Włoszczowa) – describes Jewish shops:

next to the one-story school building there was a tiny display window advertising the following goods: a huge ruddy challah leaning against the window frame, round ruddy rolls, some sprinkled with salt, others with poppy seeds, kaiser rolls, and also flattened, dimpled pancakes sprinkled with salt – a specialty of Jewish bakeries and browned plump buns. Higher up, there were hanging: a sprat, a pickled cucumber, a carob, ... and a head of a herring..., on the second stringed floor, in transparent bags, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, candies, cookies strung directly on a thread... – his whole life, from morning till the dark night, Dereś stood behind the counter and was looking at the same dark window."

"Gotlieb's shop" - a board with a white running deer hung on the door. Jeleń Schitt soap. The true one only with "Schitt" on it. The shop was at the outskirts of Włoszczowa ... it smelled of soap, kerosene, next to it there were herrings in a wooden barrel. There were sacks with plums, flour, groats, bunches of carob bread hung over the counter. It smelled like cocoa, chocolate, vanilla.

"in the first townhouse behind the church, at the market square there was the shop of Liechter family. Two saleswomen in red wigs were always there. They were smiling and kind surrounded by piles of laces, curtains, ribbons, multi-coloured strings, shiny lacets, mouline threads, cords and beautiful wools...

On the left side of the Market Square there was the Szyldhauzowa’s shop. High, steep stairs led to it... The owner was tall woman, with black hair and large, kind of bulging eyes... She was sprawling on the counter stockings, sweaters, blouses, woollen caps with pompoms".

This is how Maria Stępowska-Szwed in her reminiscences Maniusia, Marynia, Maria describes the traders from Włoszczowa:

"Motyl Kaczka, the owner of a townhouse, would often visit his father's shop and choose the due amount for rent in goods. He ordered fresh salami, waited for ham from Baranowicze, Amur or Astrakhan caviar, Swiss or Lithuanian cheese. It must be acknowledged that, despite his prosperity, he never forgot about his poor brothers. He presided over the kehilla, the Jewish community, which allowed him to help the poorest and the sick. He founded a cheder in the town. The Jews called Kaczka the father of the town. There was an annex next to the cheder, where one Jew in the town assigned to this task killed poultry using the schechita method. He slaughtered a goose or a hen with one stroke of knife. If he didn't kill it, he would sell it to poor Catholics for almost nothing. Jew Fiszof run his shop in the middle of the Market Square. Fiszof's family belonged to very noble and good people, the old one was crippled. On clear days, he would sit in front of the store, reading something and praying. His son Chaim, young and emancipated, was about 25 years old, handsome and smartly dressed. In the synagogue he was sitting next to the cantor. Many a time, while in the store, I heard him singing in the apartment. He had two sisters: the older one, a teacher at the Polish school, also attended by Jewish girls, was named Estera. The younger one, Sulamitka, was beautiful..."

When at the end of the 19th century, the campaign of establishing Christian stores was carried out in other counties of the governorate, in Włoszczowa the project of establishing a store of the "Associates" was born as late as in 1902. The permission to open the shop was obtained in 1901. It was opened on August 11, 1902. (The store later became the basis for establishing the Powszechna Spółdzielnia Spożywców [The General Food Sellers Cooperative). Its founders set themselves the primary goal of diverting the Polish clientele from Jewish traders - blaming them, inter alia, that the goods in their shops are too expensive, stale, and the fruit unripe. Another form of imputation, which could often be heard in the town, were accusations against Jews that they ruthlessly used economic advantages in connection with crop failures, as well as the suspicion that they were spreading the so-called "French disease" (syphilis), when in 1905 there was an increase in the number of cases among the inhabitants[1.12].

As many as 35 tailors, exclusively Jewish, worked in the town. In the interwar period, this tendency was even more visible: of the 171 workshops that operated in Włoszczowa in the mid-1930s, most of them belonged to Jews.

This is what Anna Szymańska née Stępkowska, who often came to Włoszczowa as a little girl, wrote about trading with Jews:

shops occupied the ground floors of townhouses, and sometimes outbuildings, to which led dark tunnels of gates. It seems to be a less advantageous location, but you can trade there as well when you know how to. Certainly, the sisters Rozenkrantz or maybe Rosenduft or maybe something else, who were running the textile shop knew how to do it - Sulanita was in charge of supplies, Ruchla was involved in sales and Sara was in charge of advertising and marketing. So Sara was sitting on the sidewalk under the sign, sitting on a chair and catching customers. Seeing that my mother and I were walking at the Market Square, she called: good morning, Mrs. sendzyna(?), please, please! What kind of goods Sulamita brought! Pure honey! Have a look, it won’t hurt, please, please...

At that time, my grandfather got to the hardware and building store - also at the market square. From the very entry the merchant welcomed him, bowing. He efficiently weighed 3 kg of the desired two-inch nails and constantly encouraged further purchases.

– Sir, I got a snake for pea pods. Miracle machine. You should buy it

– I know, I know, but I won’t buy it – answered my grandfather decisively.

– Why, such a machine? Why not?– I have no money.

At this the merchant perked up - Money? Who is talking money? I do not want money, I will give credit. If Mr. X from Y had come here and took a brick, I would take the brick from his hand, but from Mr. Stępowski from Boczkowice I do not want money, I will give a loan.

As in every Jewish town, the rabbi played a very important role. He was also a person supporting Jews in their everyday and religious life. He was the highest authority in the community, a mediator in contacts with Christians. He was also responsible for compliance with regulations and for coordinating the work of the Commune Board.

In Włoszczowie this role was played by:

• Wólf Kimelman – till 1889;
• Abraham Aron Haltz (Ha-Lewi) – in 1890–1897;
• Gawryel Ropel – till the mid-1898;
• Fiszel Halamaner – until December 1898.;
• Szymon Hertz –  performed this function from 1898 until his death on February 9, 1928. He won great respect and was often a representative in Christian-Jewish disputes;
• Chaim Blachsztajn – as a lower rabbi;
• Chaim Uszer Finkler – confirmed on December 18, 1932, Orthodox from Radoszyce. He lived at the Market Square. Died in the Kielce ghetto on February 18, 1942;
• Josek Chaim Blachsztajn – a lower rabbi assisting Finkler, Orthodox.

It is worth mentioning that Szlomo Rabinowicz (1801–1866) came from Włoszczowa – he became known as a Hasidic leader in Radomsko, author of Tiferet Szlomo, a pupil of the yeshiva in Piotrków Trybunalski, a student of tzadik Meier from Opatów. His teachings were continued in Radomsko by his descendants - son Avraham Isachar Dow and grandson Jechezkel (o).

During the occupation, Włoszczowa was administratively part of the General Government. The Judenrat was established in the first weeks after the town was occupied by the Germans, and its members were representatives of the last community council; it was headed by Landau. One of the first orders issued by the Germans was to draw up a list of Jewish citizens and impose the forced labour regime.

In 1940, 2,700 Jews lived in Włoszczowa (42% of its total population), this number was growing due to the fact that residents from the nearby towns, such as Szczekociny, Przedbórz and other parts of the country (Poznań, Łódź province) came to the town. Already on November 20, 1939, there was the first larger execution of Jews - suspected of possessing weapons. They were shot at the cemetery (7 people)[1.13]. In the town, Jews began to organize self-help: shelter, food, medicine and money collections. On January 10, 1940, the Committee for Aid to Refugees and the Poor was established by the Jewish Council in Włoszczowa, there were two peoples’ kitchens. Significant support was also given by the Joint from Warsaw, and the YSS from Kraków which were providing material and substantive assistance. In January 1940, a typhus epidemic broke out in the town, and in addition it was a severe winter and there was a shortage of medicines and food. At that time, the Germans demanded that a hospital be opened immediately for the victims of the epidemic. Within two days, the hospital was opened.

Another group of refugees from Włocławek (440 people) was settled in the surrounding villages within a 20 km radius from the town (Kurzelów, Kluczewsko, Dobromierz, among others).

On July 10 or 11, 1940, a ghetto was established in Włoszczowa. It included the following streets: Przedborska, Śliska, Gęsia, Mleczarska, Stodolna and the area of the Market Square and Górki. The ghetto was surrounded by a wooden fence and over 4,000 Jews lived in it. Some of the inhabitants, especially young people, were soon after sent to the labour camp in Cieszanów near Lubaczów.

The liquidation of the ghetto began on September 12, 1942. The Germans herded over 5,000 people in the Market Square. They were then crammed into cattle cars and transported through Skarżysko (selection camp) to Treblinka. That is how Antoni Doerffer describes the moment of the deportation in his Memoirs:

Jews had to go out of their houses into the street and line up in fours. If anyone was reluctant or could not walk quickly enough or get out of bed because he was ill, he was shot on the spot. After forming fours, they were driven to the train station, where a train with chlorinated cattle wagons waited on a side-track. The Jews were loaded into these carriages and crammed as much as possible. The children, separated from their parents, were thrown into the loaded carriages onto the heads of crowded people. After each carriage was loaded, they pushed with the boards those who were sticking out, so as to close the door. The carriages were tightly shut.

Shortly thereafter, an additional group of 70 people was selected and added to the transport. During the search and escort actions 67 Jews were killed. In the autumn of 1942, a group of several escapees from the transport arrived in Włoszczowa, including Szaja Semel. They reported on the fate of their comrades. A group of 16 Jews stayed in the town - they was used for cleaning works; they were murdered at the Jewish cemetery in March 1943.

After the war, the small group that survived the Holocaust lived in Włoszczowa, Secemin and Lelów - about 100 people. After the Kielce pogrom, these people departed to larger cities in Poland, but some found employment in the county, in particular in a sawmill, distillery and mill, completely assimilating with the local community.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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