Szczebrzeszyn Jewish Cemetery Project: 2009

Nov 19, 2009

Local media picked up the story.

Local daily "Dziennik Wschodni" wrote an article about the letter to the Mayor of Szczebrzeszyn and intervention of Rabbi Schudrich and Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland.

Nov 15, 2009

Sad visit to the cemetery

In the end of September I went to show Szczebrzeszyn Jewish cemetery to my friend working at the Museum of the History of Polish Jews. To our disgust the old, metal gateway falls apart and the fence is ripped in many places. The place looks abandoned. But not - we spotted a group of youngsters sitting on the gravestones having a conversation. We could hardly see the matzevot because of the overgrown vegetation. At the center of the cemetery we saw a signs of regular hang-outs of locals: broken bottles, juice cartons, cigarette buts and other garbage.

I wrote an email to the Mayor of the town copying the Office of the Chief Rabbi of Poland, CEO of the Fundation for the Preservation of the Jewish Heritage in Poland and other institutions. The Office of Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland contacted me recently with information, that the Mayor has called up the sanitation services as well as the police. They informed me also, that the Chancellary of the President of Poland intervened as well.

Let's see if the interventions will do any good.

And remember: if you feel like helping in bringing back dignity to the Szczebrzeszyn's cemetery please contact me at shebreshin@yahoo.com

Apr 18, 2009

2009 Update

As far as I know, nothing has been done lately to protect and renovate the ancient Jewish cemetery of Szczebrzeszyn.

Among friend and acquaintances the idea has sprouted to form an association solely for the purpose of renovation and historical study of the monument instead of waiting for the authorities and legal owners to do the job.

The works on the legal status have started and we should come up with registration documents shortly.

If you would like to join or simply have ideas that might help please contact us at shebreshin@yahoo.com

The Jewish Cemetery in Szczebrzeszyn

Monumental Jewish cemetery from the beginning of 16th century, one of the oldest remaining Jewish cemeteries in Poland.
The first information about the cemetery dates from 1593, when Jan Czarnowski, squire of Szczebrzeszyn stated a place for the cemetery. Never the less there is evidence of earlier existence of Jewish burial place here: Jews of Szczebrzeszyn are mentioned for the first time in 1507, and it is hard to believe, that the community didn't need a cemetery for ninety years (until statement of Jan Czarnowski).
And the tombstones themselves prove this argumentation: the oldest tombstone discovered by professor Andrzej Trzcinski is dated from 26 nissan 5305 (1545).

Located on a beautiful hill at Cmentarna Street. There are about 400 tombstones visible. Many of them broken, collapsed and toppled into the ground, covered with grass. Three times more of the tombstones are still to be excavated according to specialists. The oldest known gravestone dates from 16th century. The 18th, 19th and 20th century sandstone markers are either finely smoothed and inscribed, or flat shaped with carved relief decoration and incriptions in Hebrew.
For the last three years a group of German students from the Society of Christian-Jewish Cooperation in Dresden has been conducting clean-up works at the Jewish cemetery in Szczebrzeszyn. It is a part of the Signs of Penitence Project – Service for Peace.

There is a monument commemorating Jews of Szczebrzeszyn founded by Society of Jews of Szczebrzeszyn in Israel and the Diaspora.

This unique European monument is waiting for the renovation - its condition is alarming and demands immediate action.

About Me

My name is Tomasz Panczyk. For the last 9 years I have been managing my website about the town of Szczebrzeszyn: www.szczebrzeszyn.net
During those years I have managed to assist in English translation of the Szczebrzeszyn Book of Memory by dr Jackob Salomon Berger.
While living in San Francisco Bay Area I made friends with Szczebrzeszyn born writer and artist - Philip Bibel, who published his "Tales of the Shtetl" in 2005.
My dear friend Philip died in 2006 at the age of 96.
You can read more about Philip and his works at www.designsquares.com/biography.html

Last year I was contacted through my website with the question if I could assist in preparation for the renovation of the Jewish cemetery in Szczebrzeszyn by dr Michael Lozman and rabbi Abie Ingber.
We were working hard on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, but we didn't manage to secure all the necessary permits in order to bring a group of 20 students and the TV crew to Szczebrzeszyn.
This gave us more time for better planning, preparation and fund-raising.

If you are reading this and like the project, please support it by donating even the smallest amount of money. It all counts and it is all for the good cause.

Szczebrzeszyn Jewish Cemetery Project