Fiszel Gerszon Nordenberg was born on November 1, 1895, in the family of a merchant Daniel Dawid Nordenberg and Hinda Michla Fliderblum, in a house at number 41 on the former Szeroka Street. Neil Bass recalls his grandfather: On August 5, 1917, in the wake […]
The online exhibition “Rachmonim bnei rachmonim. The charity and philanthropy of Płock Jews” is now available: https://jewishplock.eu/en/rachmonim-bnei-rachmonim-en/ Organizer of the exhibition: The partner of the exhibition is the State Archives in Płock. The exhibition is part of the program of this year’s European Days of […]
Bolesław Norski-Nożyca was a well-known pre-war cabaret actor, monologist, parodist, author of song lyrics and sketch comedies and singer, who was born in 1904 in Płock as Wolf Nożyca in the family of a merchant, Icek and Tauba Ruchla née Frydman. The Nożyca family lived at the Old Market Square, in a tenement house at number 21 (the last known pre-war address of Icek and Tauba Ruchla Nożyca was 15 Old Market Square). Wolf Nożyca completed his military service in the third battalion of the 32nd Infantry Regiment in Działdowo, during which, among others, he played in the drama circle of professional non-commissioned officers. On September 11, 1932, he married 21-year-old Tauba Cymerman from Chełm Lubelski, the daughter of Aron, a merchant, and Gitla née Achtmanow. Wolf Nożyca’s family was closely related to the Bomzon and Brygart families from Płock (his mother Tauba was the half-sister of Lejb Bomzon and Dwojra Ides Brygart née Bomzon).
Although in the archival documents he is listed as a “teacher” (it is possible that he was a graduate of the King Bolesław Krzywousty Men’s Teacher Training Seminar in Płock; for some time he also worked in a primary school, from which he was dismissed due to maintaining close contacts with female students). Wolf Nożyca was one of the most popular and liked comedy actors in Jewish-Polish revue theaters and cabarets. “An intelligent, subtle, unrivaled humorist-announcer, an incomparable master of the spoken word, a prodigy of humor” – as it was written about him in “Trubadur Warszawy” magazine. He performed, among others, in Lublin, Radom, Chełm, Łódź, Będzin and Piotrków Trybunalski. However, he never performed in his home town of Płock. The name of Bolesław Norski-Nożyca was also known abroad, thanks to the albums which he recorded for Syrena Record.
In 1937, Bolesław Norski-Nożyca was accused of plagiarism, as noted in “Robotnik” of October 2 of that year: “Emanuel Schlechter, revue and film author, looking through records in one of the music magazines, noticed in the album entitled “Million of professions” the following note: “Composer, author and publisher – Bolesław Norski-Nożyca”. This fact surprised Schlechter, who wrote the lyrics to the song, and the music was composed five years ago by the American composer, Olszanecki. “A Million Professions” was a Jewish song whose original title was “Lots of Work – Little Earnings”. Four years before Leo Fuks, a revue artist, came to Schlechter, who was in Lviv at that time, with a request to write the Polish text for the aforementioned song. “A Million Professions” translated by Schlechter, and interpreted by Leo Fuks was popular for a long time in the then revue theater “Qui-Pro-Quo” and “Ananas”. After Fuks left for America, Norski-Nożyca purchased the song from Leo Fuks and performed it as his own property on stage. Recently, Norski-Nożyca recorded it on “Syrena-Electro” records, changing the lyrics to some extent. In this situation, Schlechter demanded through ZAIKS from “Syrena-Electro” to withdraw the records of the song from sales…”.
During the Nazi occupation, Bolesław Norski-Nożyca performed in the Warsaw Ghetto, in theaters and cafes (including Café of Revue Artists “Bon Apetit” at 37 Nalewki Street in Warsaw). He was also often invited to philanthropic cultural events. He was most likely murdered in the Nazi concentration camp in Lublin.
The Nobiscum Foundation is happy to announce the premiere of the second edition of the guidebook “In the footsteps of Płock Jews” by Gabriela Nowak-Dąbrowska, which will be available from August 28 thanks to funding we received from the City of Płock. The first edition […]
August 2, 2022 marks the 79th anniversary of the outbreak of the uprising in Treblinka. Marian Płatkiewicz recalled: “People from Płock were a pillar of the uprising. Motek Perelgryc, citizen of Płock, a bicycle mechanic. He worked in Treblinka as a tinsmith and repaired bicycles. […]
In connection with this year’s European Days of Jewish Culture, the Nobiscum Foundation organizes an online exhibition entitled “Rachmonim bnei rachmonim. The charity and philanthropy of Płock Jews”. The exhibition, in Polish and English, will be available through the JewishPlock.eu website from 4 September 2022.
The charity of Płock’s community has a long tradition. An important part of its history is the activity of Płock Jews in this field, who contributed to the history of our city for over 700 years. The Jews living in our town carried out various charitable and philanthropic activities: they gave alms to the poor members of the community, founded brotherhoods dealing with charity work, education, visiting the sick and organizing funerals. On the initiative of people with great hearts and minds, institutions such as the Izaak Fogel Jewish Hospital, a shelter for the elderly and the disabled, an orphanage, cheap kitchens and loan offices were created. With the poorest children and orphans in mind, the representatives of the Płock Jewish community established and maintained the Talmud-Torah religious school. In 1902, the Jewish Charity Society began its activity, the aim of which was to provide funds for the improvement of material and moral well-being, to provide clothing, food, financial support, activities or services, supplying the poor with medical supplies, placing them in hospitals, shelters, setting up cheap kitchens, tea rooms, work houses,an infirmary, dormitories and shelters. Among the wealthy Jewish families in Płock, there were none that hesitated to help the members of the community in need. Doctors, merchants, bankers, teachers, rabbis, industrialists and lawyers – all were involved in activities, supported by many social activists who remain unknown by their names.
It should be emphasized that women were involved in charity and philanthropic activities as well, taking up various initiatives to improve the fate of the poor people of Płock. Although their activities remained overshadowed by the activity of men for a long time, they played an important role, among others, helping obstetricians, caring for the sick, collecting funds for interest-free loans and donations for the poorest, setting up cheap kitchens and nurseries.
The exhibition will include, among others, documents from the collection of the State Archives in Płock. The exhibition will present selected initiatives undertaken by Płock Jews from the second half of the 19th century, as well as Jewish benefactors, philanthropists, and extraordinary people, selflessly working for the good of their community. In 2022, which marks the 150th anniversary of establishment of one of the most important initiatives of Płock Jews – the Izaak Fogel Jewish Hospital, as well as the 120th anniversary of the establishment of the Jewish Charity Society, it is worth to commemorate Jewish activists whose activities can still inspire all those who are close to the ethos of social activism.
The partner of the exhibition is the State Archives in Płock.
The exhibition is part of the program of this year’s European Days of Jewish Culture:
https://jewisheritage.org/event/rachmonim-bnei-rachmonim-the-charity-and-philanthropy-of-plock-jews
The Renaissance-style tenement house at 9 Kolegialna Street was built in 1885-1886 by Anna Flatau née Heyman (1838-1898) and her husband Ludwik (1829-1890) – a grain merchant, industrialist and owner of a banker’s office. Both Anna and Ludwik were well-known philanthropists in Płock, founders of […]
Cyrla (Czesława) Graubart was born on March 29, 1894, as the daughter of Szoel Bruzda and Sura Maria née Fabjan. In 1911, she graduated from a 7-grade government middle school in Warsaw. In December of that year, after passing the exam, she received a certificate […]
On May 13, 1886, Natan Graubart was born in Płock – he was the chairman of the Talmud-Torah religious school committee, a merchant, owner of a seed store and the president of the Cooperative Loan Bank in Płock. Natan Graubart was also the treasurer of the local branch of the Society for the Promotion of Professional and Agricultural Work among Jews “ORT”, which was established in Płock in 1938. “ORT” organized tailoring courses for men and women, courses for shoe makers as well as knitting, underwear and corset manufacturing courses.
Natan Graubart was born in the family of Szyja and Sura Ryfka née Luszyński. His first wife was Chaja aka Helena née Landau (1891-1920), with whom he had two daughters: Jadwiga (born on September 23, 1918) and Zofia (born on December 16, 1919). In 1925 he married Cyrla aka Czesława Bruzda (born 1894). The couple had two sons – Saul Jehoszua (born January 14, 1927) and Aleksander (born March 24, 1930).
Chiel (Jechiel) Majer Bieżuński (born 1888 in Płock), teacher, son of Natan and Gitla nee Gombiner. He graduated from the provincial midle school in Płock, then continued private education in high school. He graduated from the Helena Kuczalska School of Swedish Gymnastics and Massage and […]
