Remember Jewish Świerze
Pronunciation: Sveer-zja
Świerże is a village in southeast Poland on the Bug River with a current population of around 1,000.
The first Jews settled in Swierze between 1537 and 1550. In 1565, the town population was 210, including 14 Jewish families. The shops and inns in the town were mostly owned and operated by the Jewish residents. In 1769 there were 120 Jews. In 1900 there were 480 people and 315 Jews.
In the 19th century, Swierze’s small industry consisted of water mills, brickyards, windmills, wood tar distilleries, and alcohol distilleries. In 1822 it lost its city charter. In 1852, a cholera epidemic stroke the town. In the 1850s, there were nine grocery shops, five meat shops, five textile shops, four shops with household equipment, a butcher shop, a drug store, and three catering facilities all in Swierze.
World War I had a severe impact on the town as well, with many of its buildings destroyed during that war. In the period preceding World War II, Swierze was the second richest municipality in Chelm county, following Wojslawice. Jews dominated the local trade. From 1910 to 1918, Josef Mordko Arbuz was the town rabbi. In 1918, Swierze was inhabited by 2,180 people, including 290 Jews (13%).
In Spring of 1940, the Nazis established a Jewish ghetto in Swierze. In December of 1940, about 80 Jews from Krakow were brought there. The total number of people in the ghetto was around 1,000 Jews. In October, 1942, the Jews from Swierze were forced to walk to the Sobibor Death Camp. The distance was 40 km. The Jews of Swierze were all murdered.
The synagogue in Swierze was located in the southern part of the marketplace, on Lwowska Street. It was destroyed by the Nazis during the Holocaust. No material evidence of the synagogue was preserved. The Jewish cemetery in Swierze was set up in the 19th century, in the park near the palace, at the corner of Piaskowska and Mlynska Street. The Nazis desecrated the cemetery during the Holocaust. A few gravestones were preserved, with visible Hebrew inscription on the matzevot. The cemetery is not fenced and there no memorial to the victims of the Holocaust in the town. The Jewish community had a steam bath near the slaughterhouse in the town.
The neighboring town of Dorohusk had 1,075 inhabitants at the start of WWII, including 430 Jews. During the interwar period, in 1929, the following people ran grocery stores in Dorohusk: Mr. E. Rosenberg, M. Rosenberg, M. Wajngarten, C. Werber and L. Zygielman. Moreover, B. Alter and Sz. Zylbersztein owned general stores. In addition, Abram Alter and Ch. Hercman had teashops. At Zwyciestwa Street there was a butcher house also owned by Abram Alter. During the German occupation, all Jewish inhabitants of this village were murdered.
Another nearby shtetl, Wola Uhruska, had a house of prayer run by Srul Djament. It was founded in 1902 and had approximately 15 attendees in 1922. It was only open on Saturdays and holidays.
List of Jews in Swierze receiving American gifts, 1940
1. Ajzyk Diamant
2. Matys Sztern
3. Alter Rachman
4. Rywka Satkowier
5. Mnicha Oksenfeld
6. Rywka Szlajfer
7. Sura Bayer or Bajcz
8. Tauba Kreplase?
9. Mordko Chasenwald
10. Jankiel Berger
11. Lehman Lipszyc
12. Aron Winograd
13. Mala Terner
14. Hemia? Lajder
15. Moszko Krydman?
16. Jankiel Lederman
17. Chawa Blumenblat
18. Jankiel Kam?
19. Mojsen Perelsztajn
20. Szymon Waserman
21. Lejb Waserman
22. Szyja Sztatman
23. Estela Lasman?
24. Bunis? Segal
25. Szola Fridland
26. Hejnach Kae?
27. Rywam? Symkiel?
28. Hersh Lederman
29. Symcha Winograd
30. Hersh Bajcz
31. Srul Zynger
32. Abram Milekman
33. Etla Orensztajn
34. Srul Czesner
35. Abram Cymring
36. Gerszon? Kornblit
37. Icok Laser
38. Hejnoch Goldsztajn
39. Fejga Blum
40. Pines Orensztajn
source: JDC Archives
List of Poor Jews from Wola Uhruska, 1940-1941
1. Beniamin Porcelan
2. Szmuel Libhaber
3. Icek Alt
4. Abram Czesny
5. Icek Game (sp?)
6. Motel Gil
7. David Dzieciol
8. Motel Biterman
9. Matys Mer
10. Borys Gierszkowicz
11. Icek Teper
12. Tauba Mer (or Alter?)
13. Srul Kareman
14. Froim Rajf
15. Herszko Zysblat
16. Icek Baum
17. Josek Baum
18. Berek Dzieciol
19. Estera Besser
20. Jankiel Diament
21. Litman Gutmacher
22. Moshe Dzieciol
23. Jankiel Dzieciol
24. Szmuel Tepper
25. Markus Wenecki
26. Ryfka Fuks
27. P. Diament
28. Jankiel
29. Lejba Koziol
30. Doba Diament
31. Zlata Goldstajn
32. Szandla Knudel (Nudel)
Source: Yad Vashem
Please review the site content below. Zachor - We Remember.
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[Wikipedia - Swierze]
[Resources for Finding Your Jewish Family in the Lublin District]
[List of Needy Jews in Swierze from 4/12/1940 - JDC]
[List of Jews in Need of Flour in Swierze from 12/6/1940 - JDC]
[List of Needy Jews Receiving American Gifts in Swierze from 7/8/1940 - JDC]
[Yizkor Book for Neighboring Town, Dorohusk]
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Join the Swierze group on Facebook!
Swierze LINKS:
- Article: Expelled Radom and Cracow Jews Resettled in Provinces (1941)
Families of Swierze:
- Fuks family
- Sztatman family
Rabbis of Swierze:
- Josef Mordko Arbuz, early 20th century
Holocaust Survivors of Swierze:
- Rachel Katz Zeitlin
- Moniek Listhaus
- Chana Leah Orenstein
Notable People of Swierze:
- Max Leon, American broadcaster
Genealogy:
- Sobibor Labor Camp (with photos)
- Sobibor Area Labor Camps
- Jewish Records Indexing Poland - Świerże
- Jewish Vital Records in the Polish State Archives
Remember Your Family:
- Central Judaica Database - Museum of History of Polish Jews
- Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors on Facebook
- Guide to the YIVO Archives
- Holocaust News/Events from Generations of the Shoah Int'l
- Holocaust Survivors and Victims Database
- JewishGen Family Finder
- JewishGen Holocaust Database
- JRI-Poland: Search for Your Family
- Museum of History of Polish Jews Introduction
- Yad Vashem: Search for Your Family
- Yad Vashem: Submit Names of Your Family Members
- Yad Vashem Requests Photos of Shoah Survivors and Families
CONTACTS
U.S.: LublinJewish@gmail.com
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