Jehuda Lejb Margolies (1787-1811) – son of Asher Zelig, was a rabbi who at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries managed the spiritual life of the Jewish community in Płock. Before 1793 he was a rabbi in Szczebrzeszyn, Włocławek and Bodzanów. He was […]
Maurycy Markusfeld (1849-1900) – sworn lawyer in Płock in 1889-1900. He was the son of a respected doctor of medicine and the first doctor of the St. Valentine hospital in Kutno in the years 1844-1850, Samuel Stanisław Markusfeld (1810-1880) and Emilia née Lewensztajn. Maurycy Markusfeld […]
Beniamin Koryto (born 1802, Sochaczew) and Tyla nee Sierota (born 1804, Służewo) were the first of the Koryto family to settle down in Płock (more about the Koryto family – link). Israel (born 1847), one of their sons, married Gitla Tauba nee Szmiga (born 1854). Ruchla, their daughter, married Chiel/Yechiel-Majer Bieżuński (born 1888, Płock), son of Nathan and Gitla née Gombiner, in 1914.
Chiel graduated from the Governorate Junior High School in Płock. He continued his private education in high school classes. He was a graduate of the Warsaw School of Swedish Gymnastics and Massage by Helena Kuczalska. He also graduated from the Majewski swimming school in Warsaw’s Praga district. For some time he ran gymnastics courses at a municipal school in Warsaw. In 1920, during the Bolshevik invasion, Chiel volunteered to join the Polish army. From 1921, he was a gymnastics teacher at a 7-class public school for Jewish children in Płock and later in a public school in Wyszogród. In July 1925 he completed a course in physics and mathematics in Aleksandrów Kujawski, in 1932 a scout course, followed by summer physical education courses. He retired in 1938.
At first the Bieżuński family lived in Wyszogród at 28 Rębowska St, then in Płock at 3 Kolegialna St. Chiel and Ruchla had five children: Syma (born 1915, Warsaw), Israel (born 1917, Płock), Nauma/Neomi (born 1921, Płock), Chaja Sura/Hela (born 1922, Płock) and Aron/Arthur (born 1926, Wyszogród). Their daughters attended the Regina Żółkiewska State Secondary School and Junior High School in Płock, where Nauma/Neomi excelled.
Chiel convinced Syma to immigrate to Israel and she did so in 1934. Her sister Nauma/Neomi followed her few years later. Chiel, Ruchla, Israel, Hela and Arthur, who remained in Płock, were killed in the Holocaust.
In Israel, Syma graduated the Hebrew University and became a biology teacher. Nauma/Neomi became a nurse and later graduated the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew university and became a doctor. In 1943 Syma married Chaim Brod (born 1911, Radomyśl Wielki). He was killed in 1945 while serving in the Jewish Brigade in World War II. They had a son, Amir. Nauma/Neomi died in 1997 and Syma in 2005.
Amir Brod, Israel.
Maksymilian Eljowicz (1890-1942) – painter, born in Raciąż as the son of the craftsman Chaim Pinkas. At the beginning of the 20th century, his family moved to Płock. Here Maximilian started studying, then working in a watchmaker’s workshop. Since an early age he showed outstanding […]
Dr Roman (Rywen) Pakuła was the son of Mojżesz Aron and Enta, his family lived at 4 Grodzka Street in Płock. Below we publish two texts devoted to this extraordinary citizen of Płock and a valued scientist. Doctor Roman Pakuła – a biographical sketch prepared […]
Jakub Zysman (1861-1926) – a doctor and social worker, called “doctor Judym from Klimontów” (a reference to the character from the novel “Homeless People” by Stefan Żeromski), was born in Zakroczym as the son of Hersz Ber Zysman and Łaja nee Przysucher. In the 1870s, his family moved to Płock. Jakub had nine siblings: brothers Chaim (born in 1862), Majer (born in 1865), Szmul (born in 1866), Lewin (born in 1873) and Abram (born in 1877) and sisters Idel (born in 1868), Etta (born in 1873), Maria (born in 1875) and Rozalia (born in 1877). He lost his mother early and his father remarried to Chawa Przysucher. The Zysman family lived at Królewiecka Street in the property of Władysław and Zofia Lubowidzki. Ambitious and talented Jakub attended the governorate gymnasium in Płock. In 1887 he graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the Imperial University of Warsaw. Two years later he changed his religion to Evangelical-Augsburg. He practiced in Wisznice, then in Warsaw, from 1891 in Klimontów. In 1894 he married Eufemia Maria née Modzelewski, with whom he had three children: Jerzy, Irena and Wiktor (also known as Bruno Jasieński). By the people of Klimontów, Jakub Zysman was not only remembered as a generous doctor (he treated poor residents of the town and the surrounding area for free), but also a great social activist: initiator of the creation of the Klimontów Loan and Savings Society, activist of the Orphan Shelter Society and co-organizer of the Polish Educational Society. Thanks to Jakub Zysman, a fire station was built in Klimontów, paving of streets and squares began, a telegraph connection between Klimontów and Opatów was carried out. During World War I, Jakub Zysman and his family stayed in Moscow, where he served as a military doctor. After the war, he returned to Klimontów, where he lived and worked until his death in 1926. A great citizen of Klimontów, the religion of whom was to take care of every person who needed help, was accompanied in his final journey by nearly 10,000 people.
Bibliography:
Jaworski K., Dandys. Słowo o Brunonie Jasieńskim, Warszawa 2009
Zarębski M., Jakub Zysman – lekarz społecznik, animator licznych inicjatyw obywatelskich w Klimontowie,
http://www.oil.org.pl/jsp/bip/drukuj.jsp?classId=/oil/oil56/gazeta/numery/n2011/n201110/n20111010
[accessed on: 14.05.2020]
Symcha Guterman (Symcha’s biogram can be found here – link) was born on September 1, 1903 in Warsaw, as the son of the talmudist Menachem Mendel (born ca. 1870) and Bajla Gitla née Fiszman (born ca. 1872). His mother came from a wealthy family from […]
Zofia Pakuła née Graubart was the daughter of Abram Nusen aka Natan (born in 1886) and Chaja (born in 1891). She had an older sister Jadwiga (born in 1918). The Graubard family lived at 8 Sienkiewicza St. Natan Graubard was a grain merchant, owner of […]
Icek Nierób was born on January 1, 1925 in Płock, as the son of Abraham and Ryfka (Regina) née Pencherek. Abraham and Ryfka were also the parents of Bela (born 1918), Miriam (born 1920), Leon (born 1922), Terca (twin sister of Icek, who died in 1926), Roma (born 1927), Mejer (Marek) (born 1929) and Ida (born 1929). Icek was named after his uncle who died during the Russian-Japanese war. The Nierób family lived at Kwiatka Street (formerly Szeroka Street) at number 26. Abraham Nierób supported his family by working as a tailor. Icek attended a public school for Jewish children. He loved sport, especially football. In 1937, his mother died, and the following year Abraham married Estera née Luszyńska, who came from Gąbin.
After the outbreak of World War II, Icek’s family escaped to his stepmother’s hometown. After a month they returned to Płock. On March 1, 1941, they were deported to Działdowo, then to Bodzentyn. In the summer of 1941 Icek was transported to the forced labor camp in Skarżysko-Kamienna. After the camp liquidation in the summer of 1944, Icek was sent to the labor camp in Sulejów. At the end of December 1944 he was transferred to Częstochowa. On January 17, 1945, together with a group of prisoners, he was sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp. After the liberation of the camp, Icek went to Weimar, then to Frankfurt. His whole family died in Treblinka.
In the spring of 1949, Icek Nierób emigrated to the United States. In the early 1950s he settled in Los Angeles. Here he met Henrietta (Kate) Hirshfield, whom he married in 1954. Kate was a widow and had a daughter Doris, born in 1950, whom Icek adopted. In 1956 their daughter Renee was born, and a year later their son Alan. In 1959, Icek (then Jack) opened his own company, Jack Nierob Plumbing. He was the author of memories that were published under the title “A Lucky Man”.
Icek Nierób died on March 8, 2020.
April 19, 2020 marks the 77th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. In connection with the anniversary, we present two people from the Płock region, whose activities were related to the Warsaw ghetto. Bronek (Boruch) Szpigel from Wyszogród (1919–2013, pictured on the […]
