Yosef Ber Sztycberg

Josel Ber Sztycberg, b. January 27, 1890 Piszczac

SZTYCBERG Josel Ber 1890 B 4

[https://photos.szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl/420e9abd4daf6a60733c40dfce2e...]

Piszczac PSA B1826-28,40-58,60-63,76-1903 M1826-28,40-54,58,60-63,76-78,81,83-86,89-1903 D1826-28,40-55,58,60-63,76-77,79-1903 Siedlce Gubernia / Lublin Province (records in Fond 1766 in Lublin Archive) Located at 51°58’ 23°23’ Last updated June 2010

Ostrow Mazowiecka entries in Polish Business Directories (1926-1930)

Ref. No Zawód / Biznes Occupation / Business Occupation (French) Surname First Name (Init.) Title Street Notes 1926-1927 1928 1929 1930

117 Bławaty/Tkaniny fabrics tíssus Sztycberg J. Rynek x x x

[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:b69m1szEBrgJ:w...] Institutions and Enterprises

The Kehilla Council

By Arija (Leib) Margolis, Tel-Aviv

Translated by Judie Ostroff Goldstein

Before the First World War and during the German occupation 1915-1918, the Jews, especially religious Jews were under the control of the dozors. The dozors had the right to decide the amount of the yearly tax paid by the Jewish population. The money was given to the municipal government and it paid the salaries of the religious personnel.

Only a small part of the population voted. Four names would be crossed off, from a list written on pieces of paper. The paper was put into a box controlled by an official of the municipal government. The election would take place in the synagogue and people voted as per the instructions of friends or relatives of the old dozors. There were no political parties in those days.

Votes were cast, counted and the four candidates with the most votes were elected. Usually those elected were not sympathetic to the population, only influential. The procedure changed in 1924 by a special government decree for public, proportional, direct and secret elections for the Jewish Community Council, (known as the kehilla) which replaced the Community Committee.

The communities became self-governing and had the right to a council with special and specific Jewish religious concerns and were directly responsible to the existing régime. The kehilla had the right to hire rabbis, shoykhtim, administer the cemetery and other religious institutions, such as schools and synagogues; collect taxes from the population in order to support all the organizations; work out and implement a budget for the government to approve.

The government had worked out “rules” for the election of the kehilla and Town Council. The main initiator of the plan was Eidelberg, Director of Jewish Affairs at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Religion. He had also worked out the rights of the kehilla and the legal power to go about their business.

In Ostrów Mazowiecka the election for the kehilla, consisting of twelve councilmen, took place in the summer of 1924. To that end, the Governor created a special civil office to run the election.

At that time various Jewish political parties and organized economic organizations already existed and they competed against each other to be elected to the kehilla.

The General Zionists and Mizrahi went with a united list; also competing were Agudas Yisroel and the Artisans' Union. The artisans were really the underdog and had no idea how to run a campaign and their simplicity soon became a question of prestige, as well as economic. The only job the kehilla really had was to concern itself with religious affairs. The Jews went to vote, passionately exercising their rights. The voters had taken the Artisans' Union to heart and elected the following comrades: Hirsz Chaim Desel, Mendel Kozuchowicz and Rubin Wengerka.

The real battle was between the Zionists and Mizrahi on one side and Agudas Yisroel – on the other. All sides targeted the unaffiliated, ordinary Jews. There were a lot of Hasidic shtiblakh in Ostrowa and it was normal that the religious element would be influenced by the fanatics, as Zionism was a danger to Judaism as far as they were concerned. Mizrahi elected two representatives: Michel Tejtel and Icchok Jakob Podbielewicz. Agudas Yisroel elected seven members: Dawid Lichtensztejn, Meier Leszcz, Abraham Jakob Frydman, Mosze Pokrzywa, Jakob Szwarc, Josef Welwel Rekant and Mosze Meier Gabinet. At the first kehilla meeting, Dawid Lichtensztejn was elected Chairman. At the second kehilla meeting, on the instructions of the government representative, the following were elected to the kehilla committee: General Zionist – Lejb Margolis; Mizrahi – Mordchai Kohn and from the Orthodox – Reb Aron Jasiński, Mosze Jozef Surawicz, Eli Lach, Boruch Zylbersztejn, Icchok Elboim and Jechiel Emert. The committee chairman was Aron Jasiński.

The kehilla began putting things in order, such as: creating a fixed salary for the rabbi and rabbinical judges. They also made new arrangements for the shoykhtim who were doing as they pleased as they thought they were the bosses. The shoykhtim were receiving their salaries directly from the butchers, which was not right. Now they would have to report the number of slaughtered animals to the kehilla, where they would receive a coupon. The same went for fowl. Consequently this from Rabbi gaon Reb Meier Dan Plocki zz”l: “If the new kehilla was created only for the purpose of separating the slaughterer from the butcher – so that the shoykhet will not be paid by the butcher – it is “dayainu” [%E2%80%9Cit is enough”]. It was not easy for the shoykhtim to live with this; they fought bitterly and even called strikes. There were often lawsuits filed against them in the rabbinical court. I remember one strike when the arbitration of the Łomżer Rabbi, Rabbi Szacki zz”l, was needed. In the end they had to give in to the new order of things.

During the first kehilla's term of office they had to name a new rabbi, after the departure of Rabbi gaon, one of the great men of the era, Reb Meier Dan Plocki zz”l. (After returning from his second journey to America and after he was also named to a post in Warszawa, he became ill with an incurable disease and he never came back to Ostrowa. He died Nisan 5688 [March 1928]). His son-in-law, Rabbi Zylberberg, rabbi in Krasnosielsk, claimed the position, but the town already had an old tradition of naming well-known, great rabbis. It was decided that the son-in-law of the deceased was too young to take the place of his great father-in-law. It was necessary to call on the rabbinical court to decide the matter. The court consisted of three rabbis: the Szmulewisner Rabbi in Warszawa – for the town; the Najszteter rabbi – for Rabbi Zylberberg. Both had to agree on the Rożaner rabbi as the third.

The court proceedings took two weeks and the result was that the town could not be forced to hire Rabbi Zylberberg as the majority wanted a more experienced rabbi. As compensation to the family the town named the son of the deceased rabbi, Rabbi Natan, as second judge in Ostrowa. The town began to search for a candidate for rabbi and the central Agudas suggested Rabbi Reb Zelman Serocki, the Rzeteler rabbi, a small shtetl on the Kres. He was known in Orthodox circles and in Augudas Yisroel political circles.

Serocki was a good speaker and could speak Polish, but he lived far from the capitol Warszawa. The proposed match soon became a political matter. He was a Lithuanian Jew, which was not acceptable to the Hasidim in Ostrowa. Shortly after his arrival in Ostrowa, he left to take over as rabbi in Łuck, which was a larger town. Today old Rabbi Serocki lives in Jerusalem and he heads the “Moetzeh Gdoli HaTorah” of the international orthodox party, Agudas Yisroel. (He arrived in Israel in 1941via Russia, with a certificate.)

The position of Rabbi was open again. There were several candidates. One of them was the Goworower Rabbi – an Amszynower Hasid. Fejwel Zynger was also one of the candidates being considered. Although he was not a rabbi[1], he was the son-in-law of the Amszynower Rabbi, Jozef Kalisz, who had once been our rabbi and a son of the brother-in-law of the Aleksander Rabbi.

After a lot of negotiating and disputes, the kehilla and committee voted on khamishoser bishvat 5690 - 1930 and by a small majority decided on Szraga Fejwel Zynger as special rabbi for our town.

Rabbi Zynger was our rabbi for ten years until the outbreak of the large and cruel Second World War. He stood up to the German murderers numerous times during the short period that he remained in town and later with many thousands of Jews in Slonim, where they lived until 1942 and were murdered there together.

In June 1929, elections were due for the kehilla. The following people were elected: Aron Jasiński, Abraham Pecyner, Abraham Jakob Frydman, Fiszel Blumenkranc, Mordchai Kohn, Menachem Drozdowski, Mosze Meier Gabinet, Mosze Pokrzywa, Meier Korolcik, Hirsz Chaim Desel, Mendel Kozuchowicz and Leibl Wejlach. Chairman of the kehilla was Aron Jasiński.

The kehilla elected the following to the committee: Anszel Knorpel, Jakob Bernholc, Lejbl Margolis, Mosze Raf, Jozef Ber Sztycberg, Jozef Icchok Zajdenberg, Mosze Rozencwajg and Icze Elboim. The chairman of the committee was Anszel Knorpel.

The kehilla was also involved in other Jewish concerns such as preparing for the election to the Town Council in 1927. Later when the municipal councilmen could not agree on a candidate for Vice-Mayor, the kehilla made the decision. It should also be mentioned that for Passover 1926 the kehilla organized a seder for all the soldiers in Komorowo attending the Non-commissioned Officer's school, as well as kosher meals during Passover for over seven hundred men. The military had given us the per diem for each soldier and the kehilla laid out a large sum, as well as the time and effort of the community members. Heading this drive was the writer of this article and the kehilla secretary, Tuwia Makower.

The then rabbi, Reb Meier Plocki, visited the soldier's kitchen and expressed his joy and thanks. Several army officers visited, accompanying a General. They were happy with the organization and cleanliness. They thanked the community for the good deed. It never happened again because the government would not give up the per diem and we could not manage without it.

In later years Passover kitchens were organized in several places. Once, in Tzarist times, the soldiers who were serving in nearby Komorowo, the majority came from Russia, would go to the homes of wealthy men from the botei medrashim and Hasidic shtiblakh. This would also happen on other holidays. Later, after Polish independence, the soldiers did not want to eat in private homes and collective meals were organized for them.

The kehilla also subsidized the Agudas schools “Yesod HaTorah” and “Bes Jakob”, as well as several social institutions such as Linat Hazedek and Khakhnasas Orhim. Aside from religious concerns the kehilla was also the unofficial mediator between the Jewish population and the municipal government. The kehilla was also invited to official government functions, receiving high government officials. Once, the kehilla took part in the opening of the new gymnasia by President Mościcki.

In 1936, a year after I left for Israel, there was another kehilla election. I do not know who the new members were, but I know that the chairman of the kehilla was Izrael Zlotkes and the committee chairman was Anszel Knorpel.

Former members who are now in Israel are Lejb Margolis, Jozef Ber Sztycberg, Benjamin Rubinsztejn and the former kehilla secretary Reb Tuwia Makower.

[Page 240]

[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:lP-4asYnD7wJ:w...] Parties and Funds

“Agudas Yisroel”

By Tuwia Makower, Bnei Brak

Translated by Judie Ostroff Goldstein

During the German occupation of the First World War, two famous orthodox rabbis, Dr. Pinchus Kohn and Dr. Emanuel Karlebach - students of Rabbi, gaon Dr. Szymszon Rafael Hirsz z”l, were assigned to the German Government Administration.

After meeting with orthodox Jews from all areas of Poland, they decided to organize Agudas Yisroel.

The purpose of Agudas Yisroel was to strengthen the supervision of Torah education for youngsters, support Torah institutions, supervise koshering practices and represent orthodox Jewry in general.

Founding meetings were called in all the towns and committees were elected to carry out the Agudas Yisroel program. In Ostrowa a founder meeting was held during Khol Hamoed Pesach 5676 [1916] and was attended by a large number of people from all classes of the Jewish population.

Several speakers made presentations about the purpose of Agudas Yisroel and Ostrowa voted to found an association.

A committee of prominent men was soon chosen: Reb Mendel Goldwaser, Reb Jozef Wolf Rekant z”l, Reb Abraham Jakob Frydman, Reb Eliahu Lach, Reb Abraham Pecyner, Reb Naftali Palgon, Reb Dawid Mincberg, Reb Mosze Rozencwejg hy”d, Reb Jozef Ber Sztycberg n”y, etc.

The association carried out its activities energetically in all areas. Soon after the association came into existence the German occupation government planned various reforms in Jewish education that threatened the hederim and the entire religious educational system. Agudas Yisroel immediately undertook strong counter-measures and after many petitions, the government did not implement the changes.

During that same period, the private hederim for various reasons were not able to continue and religious education would have been abandoned. The association re-organized the Talmud Torah and Yeshiva on ulica Batorego and established a communal heder called “Yesodi HaTorah”.

The “Yesodi HaTorah” was staffed by the best melamdim. Reb Abraham Icchok Perkel, Reb Szmuel Lejb Kagan z”l, Reb Chaim Jakob Lawatanowicz, Reb Lejbisz Kolniak, the Sokolker melamed, the ¦niadower melamed, Reb Jozef Srebrnik, Reb Lejbl Palgon, Reb Zundl Brisk hy”d and the directors Reb Aba Ruszniak and Reb Szolem Darembus hy”d.

There were also a large number of secular students under the supervision of the well-known educator Mosze Holcman, a”h.

In fact, virtually all the orthodox parents sent their children to “Yesodi HaTorah”. The tuition was minimal, and in some cases free.

Later, when the economic situation improved, the private hederim re-opened and the question of religious education in Ostrowa was solved.

The Agudas Yisroel also founded a “Bes Jakob” school for girls. The director of the “Bes Jakob” School was the scholar and maskil Reb Rabbi Dawid Mincberg z”l, a son-in-law of Reb Eli Lach. Thanks to his authority and personality the “Bes Jakob” School maintained a high standard.

Under the auspices of Agudas Yisroel the organizations Bnot Agudas Yisroel [Daughters of Agudas Yisroel] and Noshi [women] Agudas Yisroel were also founded. The members of the organization were made up of young women too old for school. Arrangements were made for them to attend various lectures concerning religion and Talmudic scholarly themes given by orthodox personalities under the supervision of Mincberg.

This was a generation of proud religious Jewish daughters. They could also hold their own with students from other schools in secular knowledge.

Also for the Noshi Agudas Yisroel there were lectures on religion. They were also very involved in various charitable organizations in town.

A large number of their members took an interest in the large Navaredoker Yeshiva in Ostrowa. They created a women's committee (“Lma'an HaYeshiva”), [%E2%80%9CTo Benefit the Yeshiva”] of the most eminent women in town, headed by the well-known, religious, philanthropist Rywka Rekant. They also took care of the kitchen and from time to time collected money, linens and clothes for the Yeshiva.

In the realm of social activities the association held an eminent place.

Until 1924 when the Piłsudski law was issued regarding democratic elections for the Jewish community, the kehilla was made up of four people – all of them association members: Reb Abraham Jakob Frydman, Reb Eli Lach, Reb Mendl Goldwaser and Reb Jozef Zew Rekant.

When the Ostrower Rabbi Reb Jozef Kalisz zz”l (later Amszynower rabbi) left the Ostrower rabbinate in 1917 to take his father's place in Amszynów, the association chose the famous gaon Reb Meir Dan Plocki zz”l, a member of the Universal Central Association as head Ostrower rabbi in 1919.

After the Piłsudski decree was issued concerning democratic elections, the association took part in the process and received a majority both in the Kehilla and committee. Of the twelve members on the council, the association had seven. Of the eight members on the committee – six were with the association.

The members of the kehilla were: committee head Reb Dawid Lichtensztejn, Reb Abraham Jakob Frydman, Reb Mosze Pokrzywa, Reb Mejer Leszcz, Reb Jozef Zew Rekant, Reb Jakob Szwarc and Reb Mosze Mejer Gabinet.

The members of the committee: committee head Reb Aron Jasiński, Reb Icze Ajze Elboim, Reb Boruch Zylbersztejn, Reb Eli Lach, Reb Jechiel Mejer Emert and Reb Mosze Jozef Surowiec.

Also, during the second and third kehilla elections the association received a majority. With the help of the chairman from the other parties, a lot was accomplished in reorganizing the community responsibilities in town, such as: the question of rabbis, taking over the shehita, sweeping renovations of the mikveh that cost a large sum. Subsidies were given to various associations in town, for example: Talmud Torah, Linat Hazedek, Gmiles HaYesod and the eruv. Just before the Second World War the Khakhnasas Orhim on ulica Koża changed all the furniture, bedding, linens and a separate room was created for honoured guests.

For every Jewish holiday the kehilla arranged a special kosher kitchen for the Jewish military serving in the Polish army in Komorowo. The famous association community leader, Sejm Deputy Eli Kirszbrojn was a great help in establishing this program. He enforced, at the Ministry of War, that associations or communities that wanted to organize kosher meals for the soldiers, would be paid a set amount of money by the regiment, according to the number of soldiers who wanted to participate in the program. Every holiday large sums were elicited from the military and the kehilla also subsidized the kosher meal program.

Agudas Yisroel was active in all charitable institutions in Ostrowa. The association was important and was represented in all political and economic institutions: banks, Linat Hazedek, Gmiles HaYesod, Merchants and Artisans Unions, etc.

Also, in various political areas: Town Council, Sejm and Senate elections. The organization was very active and lead with its list of candidates. Once the association participated in a joint list with other parties.

With the destruction of Ostrower Jewry, the organizations that were so active and so much a part of life, such as Agudas Yisroel were destroyed.

[Page 272]

Józef Sztycberg. Prior to WWII he lived in Poland. During the war he was in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (USSR).

This information is based on a List of persecuted persons, found in List of Jewish refugees from Poland in Tashkent who received a financial grant from the Polish Legation in February 1942.
Last Name Sztycberg
First Name Józef
Gender Male
Permanent Place of Residence Poland
Place during the War Tashkent,Tashkent City,Tashkent,Uzbekistan (USSR)
Status according to Source refugee
Source List of Jewish refugees from Poland in Tashkent who received a financial grant from the Polish Legation in February 1942
Type of material List of persecuted persons
Item ID 13778710 [https://yvng.yadvashem.org/nameDetails.html?language=en&itemId=1377...]

Josek Sztycberg. He was a rabbi. Prior to WWII he lived in Poland. During the war he was in Sredne Chirchikskiy, Uzbekistan (USSR).

This information is based on a List of persecuted persons, found in List of refugee rabbis from Poland who received an exit visa from the Soviet Union to Iran, compiled in 1942.
Last Name Sztycberg
First Name Josek
Gender Male
Permanent Place of Residence Poland
Profession Rabbi
Place during the War Sredne Chirchikskiy,Tashkent,Uzbekistan (USSR)
Wartime Address Tajla Urta Saraj, Kolchos Sdanow
Status according to Source refugee
Source List of refugee rabbis from Poland who received an exit visa from the Soviet Union to Iran, compiled in 1942
Type of material List of persecuted persons
Item ID 13720707 [https://yvng.yadvashem.org/nameDetails.html?language=en&itemId=1372...]

משפחתו של יוסף באר עלו לארץ לייבל גר בבני ברק, ובתו רבקה הגרה לארה"ב

            זליג היה גר בירושלים ובתו נשואה למשפחת רוטשטיין.

הדוד יוסף באר נשא וגר בלודז. נדד במלחמה לרוסיה, והתאלמן בדרך. לאחר המלחמה הוא הגיע לארץ

והתיישב בירושלים, ופתח חנות גדולה לספרי קודש במאה-שערים. בנו הגדול, זליג, הגיע

לארץ עוד בתחילת המלחמה בעליית בני ישיבות ,והמשיך בלימודיו בארץ . בנו השני לייבל

(אריה) גר בבני-ברק, ובתו רבקה, נשואה וגרה בארה"ב .

הדוד יוסף באר ומשפחתו בעלותם לארץ בשנת 1946,עברו בפריס. ליבל חפש בספר

הטלפונים ומצא את מקום מגוריו של הדוד יהושע, והנה עומד יוסף באר ודופק בדלת של

יהושע, אחיו ,והאח יוצא ומחפש כמה פרוטות בכיסו לתת לידיו בחושבו שהוא עני המחפש

נדבה. יוסף באר הציג את עצמו ונתן לו מנה. הוא אמר לו שדרכיו נלוזות בעיניו, והזכיר לו

שהוא עדיין חייב ,בכיבוד אביו ואמו. הוא סיפר לו שאביו נפטר לפני המלחמה ,ושאמו

עלתה ארצה, ומתגוררת בבית אחותו, דינה, בקרית מוצקין . הוא הכריח אותו לכתוב בו

במקום מכתב לאמו בו הוא מספר לה שהוא חי, ויבוא לבקר אותה ואת כל המשפחה בקרוב.

הדוד קיים את הבטחתו ובא לביקור בארץ.