European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 12, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Remnants of polish jewry grimly hang on to life Leja Sim let in her 90s, lives alone in a one room apartment in the Village orb Antocha Whan the is the Only jew. That Prioto waa taken the Day after a member of the Warsaw jewish Community National geographic nce there was a thriving vibrant Community Hal was a Center at jewish culture tilled with Laving Homes Lively schools Busy synagogues 3.4 million polish jews who made up the world s second largest Diaspora Corr onily in 1939. Then came the holocaust. Today there Are perhaps 5,000, nearly All of them old lonely ill. The remnants. Polish writer Malgorzata Niezabitowsk and her to strand photographer Tomasz Tomaszewski. Spent five years seeking out those last fragments overcoming the suspicions of survivors who had Learned to expect hostility anti semitism and worse from non jewish poles. Tha firs iwo years we spent Josl being with them Tomaszewski says. I did t take a picture Malgorzata did t make a the result of their efforts is a Book just published remnants tote last jews of Poland. An excerpt with 11 of Tomaszewski s stunning photographs appeared in the september National geographic. Most members of the jewish Community in Poland Hal Jonil Ca graphic mate Uii Koa in 1965 became the first polish boy in three decade to celebrate hit tar it Tovah the ritual in which a 13-Yasr-old boy take nos place a a Man in the eyes of jewish Law. In hit family apart Naul beforehand he studies hebrew passages he it to read aloud in Warsaw synagogue during the ceremony. Today Aro 70 or older. There Are few children or Young people and there is virtually no Middle generation. Whatever to late of those who survived the holocaust and then remained after episodes of official anti semitism such As the one in 1968 that inspired another 30.00 polish jews to leave. A share the consciousness that something is irrevocably coming to an end. We Are definitely the last they said repeatedly. The National geographic excerpt focuses on the couple s work in the area of Lublin once a jewish famed Lor talmudic and cabalistic Jami in and an important Center of hebrew printing. One of the first yeshivas the equivalent of a jewish University was established there Early in Tho 16th Century. In 1939, some 40.000 jews lived in Lublin. More than four decades later the writer photographer team had to make strenuous Ellerts to find ten. A Minyan the number of males aged 13 and above required by jewish Law to form a quorum for prayer. Only one synagogue remains in Lublin and it is used Only on the most important holidays. Malys Zoberman Sexton and Leader of the Lublin jewish Community showed it to the visitors an old coat rack benches falling apart a Small pulpit covered with faded material a Long table with shelves full of books behind it some with richly imprinted bindings but disordered jumbled and Dusty. To terms lives in Lubar Tow 15 Miles from Lublin. Before the War it was a jewish town now Zoberman is its Only jew. Its last jew. During Nam of i Lour Zoberman was pleasant to the writer and photographer but when they asked for the names of those who belonged to his Minyan. He stiffened and looked at Ham in silence for a moment. Then he said harshly i won t Tell you. Vou can find them on your own eventually they did Tut in Mast cases there was a similar reluctance a similar hesitation to cooperate with inquisitive non jewish poles. An umbrella maker reacted angrily when he Learned the purpose of his visitors. Nothing 3 going to come of Ihil i won t go Lor it he shouted. And the fact that i say no. A completely decisive no. Ought to be enough for you miss. I m no Monkey to be put on Page 1fl the stars and stripes sunday october 12,1906
