WHY ?

Why David Rubinowicz?

Why the Jewish cemetery in Bodzentyn?

Why hold David Rubinowicz Days?

Why the book written by Goldie Szachter the daughter of the  wealthiest  Jewish family in pre-war Bodzentyn.

In brief - why Jews?

As Chairman of the David Rubinowicz Society which is the main organiser of the David Rubinowicz Days I know I ought to be prepared and willing to respond to any such questions put forward by inquisitive minds. Therefore I will take this opportunity to reply to the above list  of questions by mapping out my involvement and engagement in the process of rekindling the memory of the former Jewish community in Bodzentyn.

Why Dawid Rubinowicz in particular? Because this adolescent Jewish boy left us a startling account of wartime horror in the form of his personal diary. This boy spent the last month of his life in Bodzentyn. He was born on 27^th July 1927 and in all probability was  murdered in Treblinka in the latter days of September 1942. At the age of fifteen a boy from Bodzentyn perished.

Why the Jewish cemetery? Because the bodies of more than 300 Polish citizens of Jewish descent had been laid to rest there.  Up to recently the cemetery was in an appalling state, ignored and uncared for. In spite of everything, an irrevocable fact, they all at one time lived and resided in either Bodzentyn or the surrounding area and formed an inseparable part of the local community of pre-war Bodzentyn. With this in mind we commissioned and installed a gate leading to the cemetery serving as a befitting guardian of remembrance and memoriam to all  who have been  laid to rest there – “Passer-by respect the memory of our dead”. 

Why the Dawid Rubinowicz Society?  Because  fate and goodwill have  brought together  a group of  selfless individuals  ready and  willing  to offer their time and energy  for a worthy cause,  striving above all,  to remind  the Bodzentyn community and the world about young David Rubinowicz and the once thriving  Jewish community of Bodzentyn.  Whether we like it or not   the David Rubinowicz Diary and the Jewish Cemetery are a permanent part and feature of the cultural heritage of Bodzentyn.

Why the Dawid Rubinowicz Days? Because our aim is mutual understanding. With this in mind we invited a group of Jewish people, whose families or relatives originally came from Bodzentyn, to be our special guests during the five day event. After all, to get to   know and understand each other, if only a little, we have to make the effort to meet.

Why the book written by Goldie Szachter, the daughter of a well-to-do Jewish family in Bodzentyn? Why did the David Rubinowicz Society decide to publish the book  by  Goldie Szachter Kalib, ‘From Bodzentyn to Auschwitz and Bergen – Belsen’. Why?  Firstly, because it provides an invaluable source of information about pre-war Bodzentyn. Secondly, it is an account of the destruction of a particular world and  the extermination of Bodzentyn Jews.

Artemiusz Wołczyk  in his book about the  history of Jews in Bodzentyn succinctly  describes it  as a world  totally obliterated of which only the Kirkut has remained.  But even then  the Kirkut itself  was left abandon and neglected for many years. As a point of fact the  second world left a  complete void about the former Jewish community of Bodzentyn.  At least that’s the way it was until quite recently.

In brief - why Jews?       

Because up to a short time ago little had been said  or mentioned about the former Jewish community in Bodzentyn. That’s why we  the  members of the Dawid Rubinowicz society have pledged to honour the memory of both Poles and Jews alike. We believe it  is our moral duty to respect and remember the memory of ordinary citizens of  pre-war Bodzentyn who were killed or murdered during the second world war, regardless of their faith or descent.

Jan Pałysiewicz

Chairman of the Dawid Rubinowicz  Society