Szczebrzeszyn Jewish Cemetery Project

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

Nov 14, 2007

New co-ordinator of the project

I would like to inform you, that the Szczebrzeszyn Cemetery Project is now under supervision of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Jewish Heritage in Poland (Fundacja Ochrony Dziedzictwa Zydowskiego) in Warsaw.

Please contact the Foundation regarding the Szczebrzeszyn Jewish Cemetery Project at: http://fodz.pl/?d=1&l=en

Oct 7, 2007

First donation

I am happy to inform you, that the first donation has been made. Thank you very much!

I hope this will encourage other good-hearted people to help bring back dignity to this over 500 years old Jewish cemetery of Szczebrzeszyn.

Aug 9, 2007

How to donate

Mr. Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland, was so generous to grant me permission to use his New York fund to ease the process of fund raising. The donors can simply mail their personal check and receive a tax-deduction and the authority of the Chief Rabbi of Poland guarantees proper usage of their donation.

To help in this endeavor please mail your check or Money Order to:

FJC - Jewish Community of Poland Fund

520 Eight Avenue, 20th Floor

New York, NY 10018

All the donors are kindly asked to add a note that the donation is for Shebreshin project. Donors should also email information that donation was made, from whom and the amount to shebreshin@yahoo.com

Thank you.

Leaflet

We were supposed to start the project in May 2007. Due to unforeseen circumstances we were not able to make it at this time. Fortunately this gives us more time for preparation and fund-rising for the 2008 edition. Here is a recruitment leaflet - outdated already, but it gives you an idea about the project:

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.