The Wandering Jew

Lodz

By Hershel Lieber

With the Mitelman family Pesi with Alex Hershkowitz at the cemetery in Lodz

Who did not hear of Lodz? I mean, who among European Jews did not know about the city with the second-largest Jewish community in the continent? Over a quarter of a million Jews populated Poland’s second largest city on the eve of World War II. Jews from every stripe and shape. From the completely assimilated to the Yiddishist, from the neo-Orthodox to the tens of thousands Gerrer and Aleksander Chassidim. The political spectrum was equally diverse, ranging from those identifying with the Polish national parties to the ultra-Orthodox Agudas Yisroel and every movement in between, including socialists, Communists, Bundists, and Zionists. Economically, Jews were either laborers or peddlers but there was a class of Jews that were multi-millionaire tycoons who brought manufacturing to Poland, especially in the textile trade. There is no way that I can even begin to tackle the complex and varied history of this city and its significant Jewish community. I urge my readers to research the wealth of reading material that is available on this subject. I visited Lodz the first time in 1979 and connected with the Mitelman family. The family was trying to leave Poland and apply for asylum in

the United States. Accompanied by Rabbi Chaskel Besser, z”l, I went to Washington to meet some congressmen who would advocate on their behalf. With assistance of Nat Lewin, we were able to get them Humanitarian Parole visas, which was a step below asylum but which would give the family a legal doorway to enter and stay in the States. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, they decided to stay on in Poland.

I visited Lodz a few more times in the ‘80s and ‘90s by myself on

We stood at the train station and peered into the empty cattle cars that carried away our people to their certain torture and death

different missions on behalf of Polish Jews. One journey, though, was sort of a business trip, when I was looking into importing merchandise from the Lodz factories to the Unites States. My quest was to explore what type of goods could turn a profit for me. Suffice it to say, I returned home empty-handed, and my business dreams ended forever.

In October of 2005, while in Warsaw, where I was the shaliach tzibbur for the Yomim Noroim, I made a day trip with Pesi to this important city. Simcha Keller, who was at the time the leader of the Jewish community and functioned as the rabbi of the synagogue, picked us at the train station and took us to the Kehilla complex. This beautiful campus consisted of a shul, a mikveh, a hotel and restaurant, and a café, all within a landscaped garden. This property belonged to the Jewish community before the war, and Simcha was instrumental in having it returned and renovated for the existing Jewish population.

While we were there, we met Yankel Mitelman, his daughter Anya, and her husband. Simcha also hooked us up with Alex Hershkowitz, whose grandfather Yankele was a famous Yiddish troubadour. Alex gave us a three-hour guided tour

After Havdalah in 2008 (to my right Simcha Keller, to my left Baruch Ciecelski)

The kever of Rav Eliyahu Chaim Meisel

covering Jewish Lodz. His detailed tour included the remnants of Jewish community’s buildings and shuls from the pre-war period, the textile mills of the famous magnate Izrael Poznanski, the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe, and the infamous ghetto.

Our visit to the bais olam was overwhelming. We stood at the foot of the gravestone of the legendary Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Meisel. Although his background was the Yeshiva of Volozhin, he was chosen to lead a city with countless chassidim as well as assimilated merchants. He helped organize and built many communal institutions that catered to impoverished Jews, such as hospitals and schools. He was influential with the city’s wealthy magnates to contribute to these projects. He was politically active as a spokesman on behalf of Jewish interests to the Tsarist authorities. At the same time, he was a scholar, and his opinions were highly valued. There are so many stories that I heard about him spanning the nearly forty years of his leadership. Being at his kever was truly an awesome occasion.

Alex was at his best when he walked us through the Ghetto area. Although the neighborhood has been basically gentrified, there remain many buildings that have not changed over the sixty-five years since the War started. We were able to imagine the squalor and hunger that prevailed at the time. We were

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“Manufaktura” the former textile mill of Izrael Poznanski in Lodz Poznanski Palace

able to understand the fear and panic that our brothers and sisters went through daily. We were able to comprehend the uncertainty that they faced at any given moment. We stood at the train station and peered into the empty cattle cars that carried away our people to their certain torture and death. We, fortunately, were able to walk away from this horror and go on with our lives. We also boarded a train in Lodz, but it took us back to our luxury suite at the Radisson Hotel in Warsaw.

The last time we visited Lodz was the Shabbos after Yom Kippur of 2008. Simcha Keller picked us up for the two-hour car ride from Warsaw. We arrived at his Jewish community campus and were served a delicious fleishig lunch. After immersing in the sparkling clear waters of the state-ofthe-art mikveh, I accompanied Pesi for hadlakas neiros and joined thirty guests for kabbalas Shabbos. There were eleven men there, and the rest were women and some children.

We welcomed the angels as we sang Shalom Aleichem in unison. Our seuda was accentuated by singing of zemiros, words of Torah, and great conversation. The entire Mitelman family joined us, as well as other people whom we knew from our years at the Lauder Summer Retreats. Baruch and Dorota Ciecelski, who organized and ran the Retreats, were also with us at the seuda.

After eating, we took a walk on the famed Ulica Piotrkowska, the longest avenue in Poland, which once accommodated the many Jewish shopkeepers that sold merchandise in the stores lining this street. Presently, the street is still a shopping venue, but on Friday nights, the streets spill over with young people eating at the many restaurants and entertaining themselves at the bars and clubs. We cut our walk short as the atmosphere was not conducive to Shabbos Kodesh.

On Shabbos morning, we had a nice minyan. Simcha davened Shachris and leined Parshas Haazinu, while I davened Mussaf. Our seuda was joyous, complemented by singing and divrei Torah. Instead of taking a nap after the meal, we took a walk. We passed another small former shul building and sat awhile in a park. Then we walked over to the giant complex, which was once the textile mill of Izrael Poznanski, the richest tycoon of Lodz. After standing empty for countless years, the whole compound became a shopping mall combined with an entertainment center called Manufaktura. Besides being a commercial success, it became a tourist destination. At the corner of this huge complex stands the Poznanski Palace, the restored mansion which serves as a museum to this industrialist and his era. We entered the building and then realized that there was a required entrance fee. I told the cashier that I was sorry but I did not have money with me because of my Shabbos tradition. She called the director who graciously welcomed us and gave us a complete tour of the Poznanski mansion and a lecture about the family’s history. It was noteworthy to view the family photos and see how Izrael’s ancestors carried Jewish names and wore traditional Jewish clothing while the succeeding generations assimilated with Polish names and modern dress. Later generations even intermarried.

The director told me an interesting anecdote about Poznanski. Izrael’s mills bought their cotton from Russia. The amount of cotton he used in his textile production created great profits for Czarist Empire. As a result, he became quite close to Czar Alexander II who was a reform-minded ruler. The Czar promoted industrialization, freed the serfs, and gave more privileges to Jews, although not equal rights. Although they were friends, there was a constant competition between Alexander and Izrael over who was wealthier. The story is told that Izrael embedded the entire hallway floor of his mansion with gold rubles that featured the image of Alexander II. This was done as both a sign of reverence to the Czar, as well as to show off his wealth. When the Czar was told of this, he accused Izrael of desecrating his image by having people walk on his face. Izrael immediately informed Alexander II that the coins were not put down flat, but rather on their side to protect the honor of the Ruler. At the same time, there was a subtle message informing the Czar how much more rubles he was able to use to decorate his corridor in this manner.

After returning to shul, I gave a lecture about the upcoming Sukkos holiday. We davened Mincha and ate Shalosh Seudos. Havdalah is very ceremonious in many communities where people are starting their journey to Yiddishkeit. Lodz was not an exception. Following a goodbye party where we wished each other gmar tov and chag sameach, we returned to Warsaw, where we would board a plane the next morning to return home. In addition to our luggage, we were taking back a treasure trove of memories of our Shabbos in Lodz.

Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.