History
Jewish community before 1989 – Polska / małopolskie
History of the Jewish community The first references concerning the Jewish population of the town of Ryglice are connected with one of the legends about the beginning of the town. According to the legend, the name Ryglice derives from the town’s wealthiest Jew, Rygel. Yet the legend does not seem to be probable, because in the period when Ryglice was mentioned for the first time, there are no references to the Jewish population. The version which seems to be more reliable is the one according to which the name derived from “ryglowanie drogi” (“barricading the road”) .[1.1][[urle:|http://www.ryglice.pl/gmina/historia/artykuly/zydzi/.]] The Jews settled down in the town in the first or the second half of the 14th century. It is believed that the Jews had been living here since the time king Kazimierz Wielki (Casimir III the Great) granted town privileges to Ryglice. It was he who had to issue proper privileges allowing for the Jewish settlement, however, there are no documents that could confirm this information . The visitation records of the Ryglice parish mentioned Jews in 1699. On Sundays and during holidays, a Jew of unknown name used to build a booth where vodka and beer were also sold. Consequently, the parson was ordered to get rid of the Jew from the bell tower, so as not to profane it. The Jew had to be on very good terms with the then parson, Sebastian Pawlikowicz, if he was allowed to trade and to sell alcohol in the church bell tower. Unfortunately, the documents give us no insight into how the history ended. It is known, however, that a new parson of Ryglice, Walentyn Dymalski, was appointed the same year . A new wave of Jews from Germany came to Ryglice Municipality toward the end of the 18th century; in 1830, there were 375 Jews in Ryglice. The peasant uprising took place in 1846. Rumors about planned murders of the peasants and the Jews were spread in the region. The inhabitants of Ryglice were frightened. Two Jewish bakers, Mendel Fenchel and Mojżesz Klappholz, as well as Izrael Salamon informed the cyrkuł (in the past, a territorial unit) about the situation. As a result, on February 10, a few people were arrested in Ryglice, and the presbytery of the parson Józef Orłowicz was searched. For the denunciation, the starost (county governor) Breinl offered a reward to the three Jews . The report of the hearing of the Chevau-légers Wachtmeister from Ryglice, Antoni Kopecki, dates from the same period. He made a mention of Świrgulski, a butcher from Ryglice. Antoni Kopecki was Czech and was implicated in the conspiracy against Austria, for which he was arrested. The report lists Jewish names: Haba, Mendel, Mośko, Moise Luzer and Świrgulski. In the report, Kopecki mentioned a conversation between the Jews that he overheard. Świrgulski said some words referring to politics. He was talking others into getting rid of the money which was useless anyway in the face of the incoming war. The Jew in question and Karol Semetkowski, the then mandatory, had been arrested earlier, before Antoni Kopecki’s testimony. In this case, we also do not know what happened to these men later on. But what we know is that the Israelites had already taken an active part in the political life of our region . In Ryglice, there was a Jewish register district, the Jewish community Dąbrowa and Żabno, and since 1891, the Jewish community of Ryglice. The following villages belonged to the kehilla: Bistuszowa, Burzyn, Joniny, Kielanowice (Kielanowice Dolne), Kowalowy (in 1876 Kowalowy Dolny and Kowalowy Górny), Ryglice with Bobówka, Lipie, Wichrówka, Uniszczawa, Zalasowa. In 1892, Abe Tencer was the kehilla rabbi, Feiwel Roth, Gutmann Landau were assistant judges . A few years later, in 1900, two cheders were reported to be operating in the town . The outbreak of World War changed the lives of many Jewish families. The Jews were enlisted in the Austrian army, where they constituted about 3% of all soldiers. Undoubtedly, the units fighting in Galicia had a greater percent of Jews that an average for the entire monarchy. In Galicia, in such villages as Biecz, Bochnia, Bobowa, Brzesko, Gorlice, Grybów, Jasło, Krosno, Kraków-Podgórze, Niepołomice, Myślenice, Ołpiny, Tarnów, Tuchów, Zakliczyn, there have been war cemeteries where Jewish soldiers are buried. Of all the nine Jewish war cemeteries, four do not exist anymore, because they were totally destroyed along with all the Jewish cemeteries (Biecz, Myślenice, Ołpiny, Tuchów) . In the war cemetery in Ryglice, there is a grave of one of the Jews. We can read an inscription on it: (“Sch. Hierschmann Alb. EM. K.K. Sch. R.10, died 19.12.1914, a Jew from the Austrian army”) . After the hostilities, the number of the Jews in Ryglice decreased, but despite this fact, the kehilla had a beautiful synagogue, a mikvah and a cemetery. The Jews were most influential in trade, and only four houses belonged to the Polish craftsmen. In the 20-year period between the wars, the population, including Jews, migrated to the USA, France and Germany. Those who stayed made their living by trading and practicing craft. In the interwar period, the Jews of Ryglice bought two trade certificates from the Kraków Chamber of Commerce and Industry . In 1939, Dawid Fränkel was the representative of the trade association in Ryglice . In 1910, as much as 21% of the kehilla members lived outside of Ryglice, and in 1921, the percent decreased to 17% . There is also information about the ratio between the number of the Jews and the rest of the inhabitants living in Ryglice. In 1910, the Jews constituted 16% (282 people), and in 1921, 11% (441) of the entire population . The information about the elections in Ryglice, which took place on July 13, 1924, can be found in the list containing the results of the elections to the Jewish communities in the years 1919-1926. Fifty-five people had the right to vote. The Orthodox party obtained 18 mandates. Other parties: the Zionists, non-partisan candidates and the Progressive did not manage to receive any seats. During the elections, Jakub Fenichel and Dawid Fränkel sat on the kehilla commission . According to the results of the elections to the kehillot in the years 1919-1925, 100% of mandates were in the hands of the Orthodox party . Mieczysław Jasturn, born as Mojsze Agatstein, a famous Jewish poet and essayist, grew up in Ryglice. Together with his parents, they lived in the town hall building by the market square. The poet’s father, Józef Agatstein was a doctor and had his own consulting room. For some time, Jasturn even attended the Elementary School in Ryglice. In a short time, the whole Agatstein family left Ryglice. Wincenty Witos mentions a Jew named Srul Glosner and the following is a fragment of the description: To this day, a Jew from Ryglice, the innkeeper Srul Glosner lives in Tarnów. Nobody would give a penny for him, but for many years, he ruled Ryglice, Tuchów and the entire county and had such an influence on every election that the starosts (county governors) had to seek help with him in order to introduce the government candidates to the parliament, sejm or a county council. There was a time when even the anti-Semitic Stronnictwo Katolicko-Ludowe (Catholic People’s Party) wanted to have his support and not in vain. Not only did he help it, but he also was very proud of the fact for some time. He moved around the starostwo (county governor’s office) and other offices as if he were in his own garden. It had never happened that the officials reproved him when at the same time the peasants stood behind the door, shifting from one foot to the other, not seen even by the caretaker, or were unceremoniously showed the door. Because he hanged not only around the offices, but also wanted to control political parties, the peasants commonly called him “the ambassador”. Glosner played a major role in financial operations such as the purchase of the Brzezinki grange, the estate in Żurowa or the forests belonging to Mr. Budzyn. He owned the inn run by Hirschman. However, Glosner stayed in Ryglice only at the early stage of his “career”, because later on he lived in Tarnów . Szymon Blumenfeld who came from Ryglice fought in the battle of Lenino in the Polish army. After the war, he left the town and took up residence in Israel. He made a list of the Jewish families living shortly before World War II. The west wall of the market square, from down to top: Eizen Mendel (alias “Ajzym”, at the corner of the kehilla building he had a textile store; in the 1920s, the Agatsteins lived there for some time). Further up was Frenkiel (a shoe shop; he employed shoemakers). Next, Hirschman Feiwe (the monopoly on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages, ice-cream was sold here, Hirschman in Brzezinki had barns and stables on the edge of the market square; the priest Jakub Wyrwa used to drive off drinking peasants). Then, there was again Eizen Mendel (the first in a row of shops was his textile shop and a hardware store was the last; he lived in the attic). The south wall from east to west: Hepner Weig (his family lives in Israel), Penichel Stechler (owned a textile store where his daughter Stechlerówna was a sales clerk; people called her “Wtulonka”; the store offered clothes, quilt covers and fabrics), then Blumenfeld, Rosenberg (…a hardware store, the family lives in Israel), at the very end lived Stein Jakub, called “Sija” (he was said to perform the duties of a rabbi). Market Square, west wall, there were historic houses there. From the south to the north: Rein (a tailor), Blum Szymon (illegally sold saccharine which he used to keep in the fireplace), Geweilber Gold, Lewi Rhaim, Schilkraut Heim, Haber Mendel (lived beyond the synagogue). The Germans burned down the frontage in August 1944. Market Square, north wall toward the Church: Lederer Goldstein (a bakery), Pegenborn Leibisz, Beila, Lewi Chaim (the bakery was near the synagogue), Reich (it probably refers to the Jew nicknamed “Rywek”, he owned a store selling shoe leather), Kail Chaim (a textile shop with clothes), Icchak Baldinger lived beyond the church (he survived the war and moved to Israel). On the other hand, using the names popular among the inhabitants, at the same market square wall, again moving from the intersection to the church, there were: "Palarka" (a Jewess who ran a bakery), a Jew nicknamed "Lipa" owned a shop and sold old clothes, “Szklarz” and the “Bergalska” bakery owned by the Jew Dawid, then “Bandytka” (offered confectionery), Rywek and Kail, who were mentioned above. Heading toward the market square from Galia Góra and Żurowa (from south to north): Gold, Leder Halman, Roth Symcha, Gitman; Steinhorn lived in Galia. The Gold family (except those in Bukowina) and the Jew “Usier” lived not far away from today’s kindergarten. From the market square toward Tuchów: Tencer Meir (on the left), Prokosz Aizik (on the right, owned a clothing shop with fabrics), Epstein (a bathhouse and a poultry butcher), Eizen Icchak (he rented out the other side of the house for a dairy and butter production), Prokosz, Jesep Besler (the family lives in the USA). Also on the same street (on the site of today’s Bank Spółdzielczy/Cooperative Bank), the Jewess “Siapsza” owned a shop (people used to say that they were going to “Siapsza’s”; the inhabitants also used the nickname “Siapsza” describing a man, and maybe it referred to her husband…) From the market square toward Tarnów: Haim, Roth Mech (rabbi, lived in the house once occupied by the Austrian gendarmerie station; today, the building of the Fire Station). Apart from that, there were as well Jewish families scattered across the entire town. For example, the Gold family lived in Bukowina where they had a farm. “Berek” lived in Pożory and his land was called Berklówka. The Mendel family lived in Pożory as well. A Jew by the name Mech lived near Brzezinki. Jakub Strum (Dobka Kantor’s family) lived in Uniszowa, on the border with Ryglice (Dobka Kantor’s family) . Many incidents directed against the Jews happened in the interwar period, one of them being an attempt to do away with the Jewish trade and handicraft monopoly. Individual shops run by Christians were opened in the municipality. Much was done toward decreasing the number of Jewish shops and plants. One of the fighting persons was Michał Witalis, a member of parliament from Bistuszowa, who purchased land from the Jews and handed the land over to their grandchildren . On September 7, 1939, German troops entered Ryglice. In the first weeks of the war, the Jews were registered, a ban was imposed on radio listening, radio sets, skis, and ski boots were confiscated. Just like in every other place in Poland, also here the Jews were forbidden to change their place of residence and to move around using the means of public transportation. The Jews could not be members of political, cultural or educational associations. In the course of time, there were more and more restrictions. The Jews had to shave their beards and sidelocks and could not wear their traditional clothes. They were supposed to wear patches with a blue Star of David, which was to accentuate their Jewish origin and to make them easily recognizable. The synagogue, the place where the Jews gathered to pray, was destroyed in Ryglice toward the end of 1939. The Jews were forced to build the front, roads etc. Some Jews were murdered during the first years of the occupation. From 1939 to July 22, 1942, the Germans shot to death about 30 people without giving any reason for the crime. The Jewess Kailówna, who was soon supposed to marry Frenkiel, was killed on the road to Joniny, beyond Tracznia Góra. Both of them shared the same fate. They died on the same day, but in different places . All the Jews who died in the first months of the war, were buried where they were shot. Their bodies could not be taken to the Jewish cemetery. Only soon before their displacement from Ryglice, the Germans ordered to dig out all the victims shot in different occasional places and take their bodies to the Jewish cemetery . Ultimately, the Jews of Ryglice were transported to the Tuchów ghetto on July 22, 1942, from where they were sent to the Bełżec death camp. We know the names of the rabbis of Ryglice from the 18th century to the breakout of World War II. The first rabbi was Tovia Gutman who attended a yeshiva in Lublin (Chozeh Lublin). His son-in-law, Nachum-Tzvi Horowitz Tencer, took over his duties. Then he handed over the post to his son Abraham Abba, who also handed over the function to his son Jakub Icak Horowiz, who ultimately decided to be a rabbi in Limanowa and he paid visits to Ryglice only on some more important holidays. Yekutiel Tzvi Zalman Gutwirt, rabbi Nachum Tzvi Horowitz Tencer’s grandson, was the rabbi of the community in 1904. Yisrael Yosef (Yosele), rabbi Alter Eliezer Horowitz’s son, was appointed rabbi of Ryglice in 1922. After a few years, he left Tarnów, and in 1932 he moved to the USA. Yosef Shmuel Shmelke Ehrlich was the last rabbi, who, in practice, was the rabbi of Bardejów. He died during World War II .
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[1.1] Adam Szczęch, Dzieje Żydów na terenie gminy,
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