My interest in the subject matter of the former Jewish community almost certainly came about as the direct result of a telephone call received some time ago at our society’s office. In fact it was a call made to me in person asking for help with the renovation and fencing of the Bodzentyn Kirkut. I cannot recall the name of the person who made the call but in any case it was somebody who was phoning on behalf of a person living in Sweden who was very much interested in the existence and condition of the Jewish cemetery in Bodzentyn. Undeniably the Kirkut is one of the most substantial traces of the former Jewish community in Bodzentyn. At the time it seemed there was little I could do to help and that it was more of a matter for the district authorities, A few months latter during a conversation with the town mayor of Bodzentyn about some of the challenges facing our organisation I brought up the issue of the Kirkut and mentioned that we could possibly do something about the cemetery through the Programme for Tolerance run by the Batory Foundation.  Here  the mayor intimated  he was at a loss as to what exactly he could do in this matter but did ask me if I knew about the history of Dawid Rubinowicz. I had to admit I didn’t and as it happened I did have a copy of the Dawid Rubinowicz diary at home. I read it and realised that this was something what I had been looking for. I work with children and this diary was written by a boy nearly the same age as my daughter. And since she had also taken to the idea of wanting to pursue Dawid’s footsteps through the diary I had no option but take on the project.

We started in 2007 with a mini project entitled “Diary”. The outcome was a beautiful exhibition of pinhole photography illustrating fragments of the Dawid Rubinowicz diary chosen by children. Of course we kept to the main theme of the project and located the site of the cemetery which to us all was a real discover. There and then it became  immediately apparent for us and the children that something had to bee done about the state and upkeep of the cemetery.  Furthermore I was particularly  astonished  by the interest and responses  shown by  pupils of the gymnasium school when they  were shown the effects of  the project and also when  Stefan Rachtan presented them with  a brief history of the Bodzentyn Jews. After the presentations at the school it was clear that this was just the beginning and the topic and issue had to continue.

Just a year on we had the first Dawid Rubinowicz Days, followed by the setting up of the Dawid Rubinowicz Society.  On 26 August we will have the solemn rededication of the Jewish cemetery in Bodzentyn with guests attending from around the world. 

And so this is how my association began with Dawid Rubinowicz which continues to this day  I tossed “a pebble” into the cosmos which  drew in “an avalanche” of  interested people and  events now continuing  to take  place independent on me.

Krystyna Nowakowska

Chairperson   of the ‘Odnowica” Society for Rural Regeneration

Zaczęliśmy w 2007 roku malutkim projektem „Pamiętnik” w efekcie którego powstała piękna wystawa fotografii otworkowej ilustrująca wybrane przez dzieci fragmenty Pamiętnika Dawida Rubinowicza. Oczywiście w ramach projektu odszukaliśmy cmentarz żydowski i to było odkrycie dla nas wszystkich. Wtedy było jasne, dla dzieci również, że koniecznie trzeba ten cmentarz uporządkować i zadbać o niego. Zaskakująca dla mnie była także reakcja młodzieży gimnazjalnej, której przedstawiliśmy efekty naszego projektu, a historię Dawida Rubinowicza i bodzentyńskich Żydów przypomniał Pan Stefan Rachtan. Młodzież słuchała z wielkim zainteresowaniem i fascynacją. Po spotkaniu w Gimnazjum wiedziałam, że  to dopiero początek i ze trzeba ten temat kontynuować.

Rok później były już I Dni Dawida Rubinowicza, potem powstało Towarzystwo Dawida Rubinowicza a 26 sierpnia będzie  rededykacja cmentarza żydowskiego w Bodzentynie na którą przyjadą goście z całego świata.

I tak się zaczęła moja przygoda z Dawidem Rubinowiczem, która trwa do dzisiaj. Rzuciłam mały „kamyczek” w kosmos, który pociągnął za sobą „lawinę” osób i zdarzeń dziejących się już niezależnie ode mnie 

Krystyna Nowakowska

Prezes Stowarzyszenia na Rzecz Odnowy Wsi „Odnowica”