The statute of the Jewish Charity Society was approved by the governor of Płock on November 26, 1901. The founders of the society were: Rabbi Chaskiel Lipszyc, Jakub Neumark, Mojżesz Altberg, Beniamin Golde, Izydor Waserman, Samuel Askanas, Izrael Kunkel, Moszek Ber Firstenberg, Moszek Szlama Sarna, Moszek Aron Mundsztuk, Izydor Wolfsohn, Maurycy Sachs, Mieczysław Majde, Jakub Szenwic, Salomon Bromberger and Rudolf Oberfeld.
On March 17, 1902, 129 representatives of the Jewish community of Płock gathered in the building of the Jewish school on Szeroka Street, expressing their desire to participate as actual members of the Płock Jewish Charity Society. It was the first general gathering of this benevolent society. At that time, 12 members of the board were elected, including Rabbi Chaskiel Lipszyc, Jakub Neumark, Mojżesz Altberg, Lejb Płońskier, Mendel Kon, Izydor Wasserman, Salomon Bromberger, Ber Taub, Natan Lipszyc, Mojżesz Hersz Kempner, Abraham Jakub Paperna and Jakub Szenwic. Adolf Rogozik, Mieczysław Majde and Maurycy Sachs joined the audit committee. It was decided to take over the management of the Talmud Torah religious school and the home for the elderly and the disabled, as well as to open a shelter for girls under the age of 13, and to allocate 70 rubles a year for the maintenance of each shelter’s resident.
Ludwika Dąbrowska (1844-1899) – daughter of Rozalia aka Ruchla née Jelonek and Zachariasz Londyński. The first husband of Ludwika was the merchant Rudolf Szenwic, the second – a doctor and general Adam Dąbrowski. Ludwika Dąbrowska was an educated woman who was passionate about music. She was famous for her outstanding musical talents, she ran the last open salon in Płock. During the meetings, she often gave concerts, allocating the proceeds from them to charity. Pursuant to the will of June 17, 1895, she bequeathed almost all of her property for public purposes, namely 6000 rubles for the Adam Dąbrowski Scholarships for three students of the local middle school (one Catholic, one Evangelical and one Jewish), the property at 8 Old Market Square., consisting of a two-story front house, a two-story house by Piekarska Street and an outbuilding, as well as 6,000 rubles for the Charity Society, provided that a craft school for the children of the poor Roman Catholic and Evangelical residents of Płock would be created there, a property at Piekarska Street (mortgage number 476), consisting of squares with a granary and a house on the Vistula bank, and 5,000 rubles for the Jewish community of Płock, 6,000 rubles for the St. Trinity hospital in Płock, with the condition that a percentage of this amount will be used to help the poor, sick women leaving the hospital, 3000 rubles for the volunteer fire brigade in Płock, 1000 rubles for the parish church in Płock, for the maintenance of organs in that church and for celebrating mass for the soul of Adam Dąbrowski, 1000 rubles as an endowment fund, the percentage of which was to be paid annually to one maid who worked for her for over 10 years, 2000 rubles for the Animal Care Society, provided that a percentage of this amount was paid for maintenance of two parrots and a dog left by the testator, for the rest of their lives. Ludwika Dąbrowska also gave donations to private individuals and family members, including an amount of 20,000 rubles to her aunt living in Philadelphia – Ludwika Lewin.
Chaskiel Lipszyc (1857-1932) – rabbi, Talmudist, writer and social activist, one of the co-founders of the Jewish Charity Society, was born in the family of Hilel Arie and Chaja in Tridnik in the Kaunas governorate. From 1887 he was a rabbi in Jurburg, then in Bauska. In the years 1894-1906 he was a rabbi in Płock. From 1906 he was a rabbi in Kalisz, where he dealt with, among others, social activity helping the poorest members of the Jewish community, organized housing and hygienic conditions, and educated orphaned children. In 1918 he was elected to the Kalisz City Council. He was a member of the presidium of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, established in 1929. As president of the Rabbinical Association in Poland, in 1926 he participated in the conference of Orthodox rabbis in the United States, during which he called on American rabbis to support the campaign of the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. He was a member of many charity organizations, including “Moszaw Zkejnim” (“House of the Elders”) and president of “Linas Hacedek” (“Jewish Nursing Society”). Chaskiel Lipszyc died on March 21, 1932. He was buried at the new Jewish cemetery in Kalisz.
The Jewish Charity Society officially began its activity on July 22, 1902. The goal of the Jewish Charity Society was to provide funds to improve the material and moral well-being, clothing, food, financial support, activities or services, providing the poor with medical supplies, placing them in hospitals, shelters, setting up cheap kitchens, tea houses, workhouses, outpatient clinics, accommodation and shelters. The area of the Society’s activity was the town of Płock and its suburbs.
In 1905, the Jewish Charity Society in Płock had 562 members. 321 families benefited from the support of the Society, of which 157 families received constant support of 3,152 rubles and 60 kopecks. 31 families benefited from the allowance for renting a flat, and were donated 476 rubles and 40 kopecks, 98 families received 572 rubles and 14 kopecks as a one-off benefit, and 35 families of reservists received 1,214 rubles and 65 kopecks of support. For the Passover holidays, 544 rubles and 30 kopecks were distributed. The support for Jews from outside Płock was 286 rubles and 40 kopecks. 175 rubles and 88 kopecks were also spent on clothes and shoes for the poorest children attending the Talmud Torah religious school and for bathing. The Society’s maternity section established an institution called “Drop of Milk”, where 3,805 quarts of nutritious drink were distributed. In 1905, 41 mothers giving birth were provided with support in cash, products and underwear. The income of the Society amounted to 8,336 rubles and 28 kopecks, expenses 7,671 rubles and 51 kopecks. The income of the maternity section was 977 rubles and 34 kopecks, with expenses of 632 rubles and 60 kopecks. The assets of the Society consisted of real estate with a value of 5,000 rubles, supplementary capital of 258 rubles and 89 kopecks in total, and capital from subscriptions in the amount of 6,350 rubles.
In 1911, the Society had 161 actual members and 158 donors. The board of the Society consisted of 12 members. The duties of the president were performed by Jakub Neumark, the vice-president was Izrael Kunkel, cashier Natan Lipszyc, secretary Mojżesz Altberg. The total income of the Society amounted to 8266 rubles and 36 kopecks, with expenses of 7,564 rubles and 83 kopecks. In addition to the maintenance of nurseries, schools, shelters, summer camps, maternity and medical treatment sections, the Society provided permanent support to 127 families for the amount of 2,566 rubles and 25 kopecks, and over 1,300 rubles of one-time allowances. The credit union operating at the Society granted loans for 2,914 rubles.
From the very beginning, the Jewish Charity Society was financially supported by many members of the Płock Jewish community. Donations for the benefit of the Society were made, among others, by Alfred Blay, Mieczysław Majde, dr Izaak Feinberg, dr Józef Kunig, Jakub Szenwic, Herman Szenwic, Jonas Szenwic, Markus Frenkiel Wolfsohn, Izydor Wolfsohn, Adolf Prusak, Julian Kwiatek, Józef Rappaport, Jakub Szmulowicz, Natan Neufeld, Adam Goldbaum, Roman Lewenstein, Natan Lejbsohn, Salomon Bromberger, Jakub Themerson, Samuel Brylant, Teofila Kempner, Jakub Szpiro and Joel Landau.
During World War I, the Jewish Charity Society ceased its activity because its property was taken to Russia. However, the hard times of war did not break the Płock society – an important role in this process was played by social self-help organizations, such as the Civic Committee of the Town of Płock or the Poznań Subcommittee. The Citizens’ Committee included, among others, representatives of the Płock Jewish community – Izydor Sarna and Mojżesz Altberg.
In the fall of 1914, the Committee for Bringing Aid to Jews who had suffered as a result of the war was established in Płock. Jonasz Markus Złotnik (1858-1922) – rabbi of Płock in the years 1908-1922 became the chairman of the Committee. Złotnik was known in the town as a social activist, one of the founders of the Mizrachi party and a co-founder of the Jewish Coeducational Middle School of Humanities in Płock. The committee maintained a shelter for the elderly and the disabled, a shelter for children, a maternity section and the “Drop of Milk”. The activities of the Committee were divided into the information and distribution section, financial section, food and fuel section, and clothing distribution section. A shop was also established.
The Jewish community in Płock, with the help of the Association of German Jews in Berlin, launched the Jewish People’s Kitchen in Płock and a daytime shelter for 80 children. The charity campaign was also carried out by the Municipal Jewish Support Department in Płock, operating by the Town Hall, managed by Alfred Blay. They were distributing, among others, potatoes, flour, groats, salt, bread, sugar, soap, wood and coal. In May 1916, 3,348 dinners were issued. People in need were supported with cash.
The population of the town of Płock, including the Jews of Płock, suffered a lot as a result of the Bolshevik invasion. Many people were robbed, and the Bolsheviks seized an exceptionally rich loot in the shop of the Jewish Committee, where Jewish charity institutions kept their products. The number of people in need of support has increased significantly. Before the Bolshevik invasion, the Jewish People’s Kitchen in Płock served about 200 dinners a day, after the invasion their number was about 600-700 a day.
On September 18, 1921, the Ministry of the Interior legalized the statute of the Jewish Charity Society in Płock. In the following years, he was involved in, among others, Alfred Blay, Henryk Bromberger, Natan Graubart, Szymon Nichtberger, Ignacy Feinberg, Henoch Szylit, Edward Tyński, Zelig Kesselman, Lejb Zejterman, Jakub Zeligman, Mojżesz Sochaczewer, Wolf Szperling, Rubin Kanarek and Lewek Kilbert.
Alfred Blay (1876-1958) – son of Nathan and Estera née Landau. He was a merchant and social activist known in Płock: a co-founder of the University for All, a member of the Płock department of the Polish Culture Society, the Committee for Bringing Help to Jews, the Jewish Merchants’ Union and the Jewish Charity Society. In 1916 he was elected to the board of the Jewish community in Płock. He also performed the duties of a juror in the Town Hall. In the interwar period, he ran a fabric shop at Grodzka Street. During the German occupation, he was arrested by the Gestapo, and after being released from prison, he was hiding in Warsaw. In 1946 he became chairman of the Jewish Committee in Płock.
