An inconspicuous one-story house at the exit of Sienkiewicza Street, at number 64. Every day it falls into more and more decay. At first glance, it does not stand out as anything special, although its history and the history of its residents is unique. These […]
Beniamin Lejb Sztucki – the last Jew who lived in Płock until the end. Beniamin Lejb Sztucki was born on January 13, 1903, in the family of a merchant, Moszek and Gitla née Niedźwiedz. Due to a hearing impairment, he did not work professionally and […]
🇬🇧 2023 marks the 80th anniversary of the uprising of the prisoners of the German Nazi death camp Treblinka II. In connection with this anniversary and thanks to the financial support of the City of Płock, the Nobiscum Foundation will produce a film project entitled “The last path of their lives. People of Płock in the Uprising in Treblinka”.
The aim of our production will be to present the Jewish people from Płock who participated in the uprising: Marian Platkiewicz, Motel Perelgryc, Rudek Lubraniecki and Chaskiel Rozenberg. ✡️
The guests of our film will be, among others, representatives of the Memory of Treblinka Foundation, which collects and promotes knowledge about the camp, gathers accounts of witnesses and survivors, and publishes the names and surnames of people who were murdered in Treblinka. During a recent meeting with us, Ewa Teleżyńska-Sawicka and Paweł Sawicki said:
“According to Jewish tradition, a man dies three times: the first time – when he dies physically, the second time – at the funeral. The third death occurs when no one from the living speaks his name anymore…”
In the photo, one of the heroes of our project – Motel Perelgryc, Płock, 1930s (photo from the private collection of Guy Shapiro)
Monika Niedźwiecka and her students from the Complex of Economics and Merchant Schools in Płock take part in the Daffodils Campaign every year. Also today, on the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, they created a magazine dedicated to women – […]
🇬🇧 This summer, thanks to the financial support of the City of Płock, the Nobiscum Foundation will organize a project addressed to Płock’s senior residents entitled “Achavah. A series of workshops and meetings with the history and culture of Jews from Płock”. ✡️ As part […]
22 March marks the 125th birth anniversary of Beniamin Perelmuter (1898-1952)
Beniamin (Beniamin Lejb) Perelmuter was born on March 22, 1898 as the son of Majer, a merchant from Łuck (Volyn province) and Liwcia nee Kon. He was born in the house of the heirs of Hersz Domb at 31 Warszawska Street. Currently, in this place there is a open field which belongs to the Centre for Culture and Arts in Płock (former sports field). Beniamin Perelmuter was a graduate of the Polish Middle School and the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology. In 1931, he received a diploma in architectural engineering. He took part in the September Campaign. He spent the occupation as a lieutenant of the Polish Army in the oflag in Dobiegniew. His wife and son were murdered in the Treblinka extermination camp. After the war, he worked on the reconstruction of houses on Wiejska Street in Warsaw and the “Dom Słowa Polskiego” graphic studio on Miedziana Street. He died in Warsaw on February 6, 1952. He was buried in the Jewish cemetery at Okopowa Street.
Beniamin Perelmuter was the author of the Monument to the Memory of the Jews of Płock at the cemetery at Mickiewicza Street, on the grave of the first 25 victims of Nazi barbarism, murdered in Imielnica. The initiator of the erection of the monumental tomb, which in terms of architecture was to commemorate the martyrdom and tragic fate of all Jews from Płock, was the District Jewish Committee in Płock and the Civic Committee for the Construction of the Monument operating at it. The patronage over the construction, which began in 1948, was taken by the secretary general of the Joint, Józef Gitler-Barski, whose wife, Celina Gitler-Barska née Klinkowsztejn, came from Płock. The ceremonial unveiling of the monument took place on October 23, 1949.
JewishPlock.eu enters its fifth year! Family albums, biographies, information on places related to the Jewish community of the city of Płock – we develop and supplement these materials on constant basis, and the content published on the website is often accompanied by extensive historical research. […]
In 1998, the municipality of Płock purchased the building of the former synagogue at 7 Józefa Kwiatka Street from the Jewish Religious Community in Warsaw. The municipality planned to place a small museum dedicated to the Jews of Płock in the building, but also to […]
At the beginning of August 2022, we wrote a letter to the Chairman of the City Council of Płock, Mr. Artur Jaroszewski, regarding the commemoration of three residents of Płock of Jewish origin – Symcha Guterman, Edward Flatau and Nachum Sokolow, by naming the newly created streets of the city of Płock. Content of our letter (translation of the Polish original):
Dear Mr. Chairman,
in our city, only two streets commemorate the members of the Płock Jewish community – Józef Kwiatek and Franciszka and Stefan Themerson. Considering the centuries-old presence of Jews in Płock, the fact that they co-created its history for over 700 years, but above all the personal merit of the proposed patrons of the streets, I would like to ask for an interpellation regarding the consideration of the names of streets commemorating three residents of Płock of Jewish origin – Symcha Guterman, Edward Flatau and Nahum Sokolow.
Symcha Guterman (1903-1944) was a soldier of the Home Army, he also took part in the Warsaw Uprising (he died in the fights for Pawiak in the first days of August 1944). He wrote a valuable diary, which describes the fate of Jews from Płock during the occupation. It is an extraordinary and shocking record of a witness and participant of one of the darkest pages of our city’s history. “Leaves from Fire”, published in Polish by the Płock Scientific Society almost 20 years ago, has been translated into several languages, including French and German and remains not only an interesting book and a great contribution to knowledge about the history of Płock’s (and not only) Jews during the occupation, but also a testimony to the great determination and values of their author.
Edward Flatau (1868-1932) is one of the most outstanding Polish scientists and one of the most important figures in the history of not only Polish, but also world neurology (a significant part of his achievements is still important in practice and theory of medical science). A graduate of the middle school in Płock and the University of Moscow, he was distinguished by great and comprehensive knowledge in the field of anatomy, pathology and the clinical study of the nervous system. He was, among others member of the Polish Academy of Learning, corresponding member of the Neurological Society in Paris and the Society of Psychiatry and Neurology in Vienna, honorary member of the Neurological Society in Moscow and the Medical Society in Vilnius. He wrote over 100 publications in Polish, German, French and Russian.
Nahum Sokolow (1859-1936) – is one of the most outstanding leaders of Zionism, considered one of the fathers of this political movement. Although he was born in Wyszogród, he spent his childhood and youth in Płock (he called himself “A man from Płock”), where he received traditional Jewish education (he attended one of the cheders in Płock) and then studied at Dancygier’s school on Synagogalna Street. From 1876, he published articles in Ha-Cefira, of which he was co-editor from 1886, and editor-in-chief from 1892. He collaborated with the magazines “Ha-Maggid”, “Archives Israelites”, “Hamelic”, he was also the editor of the weekly “Izraelita”. In the years 1905-1909 he was the secretary general of the World Zionist Organization. In 1911, during the 10th Zionist Congress, he was elected a member of the Executive Committee, and in 1921 its chairman. In 1925, Sokolow visited his hometown of Płock – his arrival was met with great enthusiasm by the residents of the city of all religions. In the years 1931-1935, Sokolov served as the fifth president of the World Zionist Organization, and after 1935 he was the honorary president of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency.
The toponymy of the city is not only a part of the process of creation of its space, but also reflects its character. Also, the naming of the streets of the city of Płock should reflect its rich history, of which the Jews of Płock were an important part. Among them, there are many recognized, world-class figures.
In response to our letter, the Street Naming Committee at the City Hall of Płock informed us in a letter of January 17 this year that there are currently no new streets and objects to be named, but the submitted proposals will be placed in the Bank of Street Names for possible use in the future. Therefore, we hope for this to happen, and soon we will present our next suggestions for female and male patrons of the streets of Płock.
On March 1, 2020, the Nobiscum Foundation, courtesy of Susan Keller Mouckley, Sandra Brygart Rodriguez and Arieh Bomzon, presented a film recorded in the summer of 1937 in Płock by Herman and Norton Keller. The premiere of the film took place during a commemorative event […]
