Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Korczak´s editorial plans in his Ghetto Diary - A two-volume novel. It takes place in Palestine. The first night of a newly-married Halutz couple at the foot of Mount Gilboa, in a spot where a spring bubbles up; a reference to that mountain and that spring is made in the Book of Moses.

Janusz Korczak visited Erec Israel twice – in 1934 and 1936, staying with friends in Kibbutz Ein Harod. The photo shows Korczak (in the white cap) at Ein Harod kibbitz. Lilian Bashewicz wrote after Korczak returned to Poland: Now the teachers at Ein Harod look differently at raising the children so Korczak's education will make them better teachers.

Ein Harod, Gilboa mountains in the background.


The truth is that after lengthy deliberations, Korczak decided in 1939, not to stay in Poland but with the support of the Jewish Agency (Sochnut) and using an invitation from kibbutz Ein Harod that guaranteed him to work as a teacher in that kibbutz, go to Erec Israel in October 1939. His plans, however, crashed as WWII started on September 1st, 1939. To support children at Dom Sierot he moved from his flat at 8 Zlota Street and settled again at 92 Krochmalna Street - the Orphanage Dom Sierot.

Before that, Janusz Korczak visited Erec Israel twice—in 1934 and 1936—staying with friends in Kibbutz Ein-Harod. The photo at the top shows Korczak at Ein Harod kibbutz. Lilian Bashewicz wrote after Korczak returned to Poland (in 1936 ?): Now the teachers at Ein Harod look differently at raising the children, so Korczak's education will make them better teachers.


In May 1942, Korczak wrote about Kibbutz Ein-Harod and the Gilboa mountains surrounding it in his "Ghetto Diary."

I plan to write: 

1. A thick volume about the night in an orphanage and about sleeping children in general. 

2. A two-volume novel. It takes place in Palestine. The first night of a newly-married Halutz couple at the foot of Mount Gilboa, in a spot where a spring bubbles up; a reference to that mountain and that spring is made in the Book of Moses. (That well of mine will be a deep one if I have the time.) 

3. 4, 5, 6. Some years ago I wrote a piece for children on the life of Pasteur. And now a continuation of that series: Pestalozzi, da Vinci, Kropotkin, Pilsudski, and a few dozen more, including Fabre, Multatuli, Ruskin and Gregor Mendel, Nalkowski, Szczepanowski, Dygasinski, Dawid.

He wrote the note above just after he described the surroundings of his bed that night:
I am in bed. The bed is in the middle of the room. My subtenants are: Monius, the younger (we have four of them), then Albert and Jerzyk. On the other side, against the wall, Felunia, Gienia, and Haneczka. The door to the boys’ dormitory is open. There are sixty of them. A bit farther east are sixty girls, peacefully asleep. The rest are on the top floor. It is May, and although it has been cold the older boys can, in a pinch, sleep in the top-floor hall. It is night. I have my notes about the night and about the sleeping children. Thirty-four small pads filled with notes. That is why it took me so long to make up my mind to write
my memoirs.
Janusz Korczak visited Erec Israel twice – in 1934 and 1936, staying with friends in Kibbutz Ein Harod. The photo shows Korczak at Ein Harod kibbitz. Lilian Bashewicz wrote after Korczak returned to Poland: Now the teachers at Ein Harod look differently at raising the children so Korczak's education will make them better teachers.

Kibbutz Ein Harod 2022. The same area as in the photo above. Palm trees are higher but houses and Gilboa Mountain in the background are just the same.




Kibbutz Ein Harod 2022.  The same area as in the photo above. Palm trees are higher but houses and Gilboa Mountain in the background are just the same.


Korczak´s wartime writings, the diary, and spectacles were saved by my father Pan Misza (Michal Wasserman Wroblewski).


Lista dzieci z Domu Sierot Korczaka - Wiosna 1939 roku.

Lista dzieci w Domu Sierot Korczaka z 1939 roku pisana z pamięci przez Helenkę Lewi w Argentynie. Helenka, dziecko z Domu Sierot, wyjechała z Polski wiosną 1949 roku. Korespondowała z dziećmi Domu Sierot również po przeniesieniu do Getta.
 
Pod koniec października (początek listopada) 1940 roku Dom Sierot został przeniesiony z ulicy Krochmalnej 92 na Chłodną 33, do getta. Dokładne nazwiska dzieci które wówczas były w Domu Sierot i przeprowadziły się do Getta Warszawskiego nie są mnie znane.

Istnieje lista dzieci z 1939 roku pisana z pamięci przez Helenkę Lewi w Argentynie. Helenka, dziecko z Domu Sierot, wyjechała z Polski wiosną 1949 roku. Korespondowała z dziećmi Domu Sierot również po przeniesieniu do Getta.

Dotknięcie listów i zdjęć Helenki w archiwum Kibucu Bohaterów Getta było dla mnie mocne przeżycie. To taki jakiś rodzaj bezpośredniego kontaktu. Najmocniejszym dokumentem to okazała się spisana z pamięci lista dzieci z ich osobistymi numerami i listy miłosne od Irki W. do Helenki.



Szukam dokumentów potwierdzających te numery i imiona do których mam nadzieję dołączyć wkrótce również i nazwiska. Oczywiście znany jest problem z dziećmi o tym samym imieniu. W Getcie w maju 1942 roku w Domu Sierot w budynku an ulicy Siennej 16 było 4 chłopców o imieniu Moniuś.


Pod koniec października 1940 roku Dom Sierot został przeniesiony z ulicy Krochmalnej 92 na Chłodną 33, do getta. Dokładne nazwiska dzieci które wówczas były w Domu Sierot i przeprowadziły się do Getta Warszawskiego nie są mnie znane. Zdjęcie z kwietnia 1940 roku, Sala Rekreacyjna, Krochmalna 92.

Ślady wykrzywianej tożsamości Korczaka i Pani Stefy w Izraelu.

Nowe bzdury odzwierciedlają nowy trend “gender” a w nim promowanie Stefy Wilczyńskiej na koszt Korczaka. Jest ta nuta nawet w Muzeum Polin.


Trochę specjalny temat albowiem podczas mojej ostatniej wizyty w Izraelu usłyszałem zupełnie nowe bzdury o Korczaku i Pani Stefie (Wilczyńskiej). Trochę zastraszające bo te nowe bzdury odzwierciedlają nowy trend “gender” a w nim promowanie Stefy Wilczyńskiej.

Te promowanie doszło do absurdu albowiem dowiedziałem sie że to Wilczyńska założyła Dom Sierot i Korczak został u niej dyrektorem i propagatorem jej idei och prowadzeniu Domu Sierot.

Poprzednie bzdury to informacje ze Korczak, Polak (chrześcijanin) poszedł z żydowskimi dziećmi dobrowolnie do Getta i komór gazowych Treblinki.


Nowe bzdury odzwierciedlają nowy trend “gender” a w nim promowanie Stefy Wilczyńskiej na koszt Korczaka. Jest ta nuta nawet w Muzeum Polin.




Thursday, November 10, 2022

The Ghetto Fighters House Archives / Korczak related documents and photos.

                  


Most interesting photos and documents concerning Korczak and his orphanage survived outside Poland.

Some of them were brought before WWII started and numerous after WWII ended. The origin of the documents was most often former pupils from Dom Sierot orphanage. 

I found it important to investigate and correct the writing on the back of the photos, now of copies at the Photography Archives at Ghetto Fighters Archives in Israel. Annotations are most often in Polish and in Hebrew. Above photo has the following  annotation in Hebrew. Korczak w towarzystwie swoich dzieci w siedzibie letniej Gocławek.  Gocławek is actually crossed out. Below the crossed our word there is written another information. Korczak among children at the yard of Dom Sierot orphanage.

Of course it is Korczak summer camp at Goclawek and not Dom Sierot in Warszawa.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Förintelsens offer och den Judiska församlingen i Stockholm - Skamligt beteende när det gäller skötseln av deras gravar.


Tidigare var det Föreningen Förintelsens Minne - FFM som tog initiativet och grävde upp, ja, verkligen grävde upp från underjorden gravstenarna som har samtliga sjunkit under gräsmattan. Här är gravstenen av Vera Kremer det första offret som dog i Stockholm bara några dagar efter ankomsten från Tyskland. Platsen tillhör en av de tiotal Förintelsens Minnesplatser jag skrev om tidigare.

Inte dagar, inte månader men år. Det handlar kronisk (mis) skötsel som den judiska församlingen i Stockholm utövar eller snarare inte utövar när det gäller att sköta Förintelsens offers gravar.

Tidigare var det Föreningen Förintelsens Minne - FFM som tog initiativet och grävde upp, ja, verkligen grävde upp från underjorden gravstenarna som har samtliga sjunkit under gräsmattan. Så såg fältet ut sedan i alla fall 90-tio talet.

Församlingen kopierade för ett par år sedan FFMs ansökan och fick från Riksantikvarieämbetet medel för att restaurera gravstenar och gravplatsen. Stora delar av det arbete som församlingen sökte medel för har FFM har redan gjort. Pengarna från Riksantikvarieämbetet som skulle gå till den fortsatta upprustningen  gick istället till en vän till församlingens ordförande som var en arbetslös akademiker.

Då pengarna har försvunnit så rapporterade den Judiska församlingen "en avvikelse" och sökte och fick nya medel för samma arbete.

Bra, tänkte vi inom Föreningen Förintelsens Minne styrelse när vi såg att i början av året en del gravstenar togs till bearbetning. Egentligen skall judiska gravstenar inte avlägsnas från begravningsplatsen men Församlingen och Chevra Kaddisha vet bättre (när det passar dem naturligtvis).

Snart är det ett år som Förintelsens offer har blivit åter nummer. Inga namn finns på gravarna bara ett nummer och en vit frigolitskiva.

Med tanke att det har varit alldeles för många av de rapporterade och orapporterade avvikelser så bad vi officiellt Riksantikvarieämbetet att övervaka Judiska församlingens arbete när det gälle Förintelsens offers gravar vid Norra judiska begravningsplatsen.

Monday, October 24, 2022

9 grudnia 1930 roku - Janusz Korczak w Wilnie - Zadanie wychowawcy.



 

How Cesia from Korczaks Orphanage survive the Holocaust? - How the photographs of Korczak survived WWII - Is Korczak repairing the socks? These questions will be answered during my stay in Israel!


I am almost on my way to Israel, with 3 days left to start work there for two weeks. There will be visits to numerous archives and also meetings with Swedish Maapilim and interviews for my book. Numerous questions need to be answered during my stay in Israel!
  • How did Cesia Grinbaum from Korczaks Orphanage who left the Warsaw Ghetto just before Gross Action in 1942 survive the Holocaust?
  • How did the photographs of Korczak survive WWII?
  • Is Korczak in the photo above from 1942 repairing the socks?
I will therefore visit the Ghetto Fighters House Archives as the Photo archives there are the primary source of the Cesia Grinbaum (Chana Mendel) photos. Before my Israel trip, I discussed the case "Cesia" with Marta Ciesielska - chief curator at the Korczakianum studio of the Museum of Warsaw

Marta Ciesielska was for years, sorry decades, involved in the documentation of Korczak's life and works. She met most of Korczak's children and co-workers. One of them was Cesia (Cela) Grynbaum (Grinbaum) in Israel in March 2005. According to Marta, Cesia and her mother (Regina?) survived the Gross action in the Warsaw Ghetto (1942) and left the Ghetto afterward. They split. After WWII ended Cesia succeeded in reaching one of the DP camps in Germany. In Germany, she met her future husband with the surname Mendel (Mandel). It is unknown when she married him, in Germany, in Cyprus, or in Israel. Cesia mentioned to Marta Ciesielska that she was imprisoned in the British camp in Cyprus before she arrived in Eretz Israel. That means that Cesia tried to reach Israel on an emigrant ship, illegally. She was Maapilim!

One of my Israeli friends did a brief search for Cesia. Amir wrote: Hana Mendel' formerly Cesia Grynbaum of Korczak orphanage, was born to Abraham and Regina in 1926 and arrived in Israel in 1948. She lived in Kiryat Bialik... I have not located any family or her relatives for info. The photos of the album have short descriptions in Hebrew by Lochamei Hagetaot Museum - need translation? Another friend, Eli found one of the sons of Cesia and I got some articles about her in Hebrew.

Janusz Korczak with several of his young charges, in summer camp Goclawek. It is most likely that it is Cesia (enlarged on the left photo) that stands close to Korczak.


Cesia or someone from the Ghetto Fighters House Archives wrote the date, actually just the year, 1939 on this particular photo of Janusz Korczak. Some of the "Korczak-knowers" present this photo as Korczak in the Warsaw Ghetto. Personally, I call this picture - Korczak repairing the socks.


Why am I interested in the fate of Cesia? Cesia actually donated several of the most interesting photos of Korczak and from summer camp in Goclawek to the Ghetto Fighters House Archives, see below.

Collecting more information about Cesia during the Holocaust might give us an answer about the origin of these photographs and help us to make a proper annotation, place, and year.

One of my Israeli friends did a brief search. Amir wrote:
Hana Mendel' formerly Cesia Grynbaum of Korczak orphanage, was born to Abraham and Regina in 1926 and arrived in Israel in 1948. She lived in Kiryat Bialik... I have not located any family or her relatives for info.  The photos of the album have short descriptions in Hebrew by Lochamei Hagetaot Museum - need translation?

I got these Israeli newspaper clippings. This is a confirmation of what Cesia said when meeting Marta Ciesielska from Korczakianum. In the Israeli newspaper, she is described herself as a girl in the photo to the right of Korczak.

Otherwise, there are several other children from Korczak's Orphanage living in Israel described in newspaper articles, a.o. by Belfer. Belfer's descriptions of him being the only survivor are somewhat special. Especially, when Szlomo Nadel, Skalka, and Cesia were still alive. Belfer's particular behavior was likely to increase his own value and also the value of his paintings...

I wonder what "EAR" will find in her husband's book. We will definitely find out where it is located. I will certainly visit again the Ghetto Fighters House Archives.
Cesia or someone from the Ghetto Fighters House Archives wrote the date, actually just the year, 1939 on this particular photo of Janusz Korczak. Some of the "Korczak-knowers" present this photo as Korczak in the Warsaw Ghetto. Personally, I call this picture - Korczak repairing the socks. Here on the page from the Polish Korczak Association, there is another date and a reference to the Warsaw Ghetto.



Janusz Korczak with several of his young charges, in the yard of the orphanage in Warsaw (Should be Goclawek). In the photo: Mira Kaspi (to Korczak's right) and Cesia Grinbaum. Photographed in August 1938.
Note: Cesia Grinbaum's name today - Chana Mandel. According to Cesia, she is the girl standing close to Korczak.



Mendel Chana - Grinbaum Cesia - Cesia or someone from the Ghetto Fighters House Archives wrote the date on each photo, actually just the year. Some of the "Korczak-knowers" present photos dated 1939 of Korczak in the Warsaw Ghetto. Personally, I call this picture - Korczak repairing the socks and Korczak Reading the newspaper.

The Jewish population of Poland on the eve of the Second World War numbered about three and a half million - 3 500 000, including one million children up to the age of fourteen, 1 000 000. Of over 3 000 000 Polish Jews deported to Nazi concentration camps, only about 30 000 survived. The total number of Polish Jewish survivors, including Russian territory in all likelihood never exceeded 350 000.

So, in reality, how many Jewish children survived the Holocaust on Polish soil? How many of 1 000 000 Not 1%, not 0,01% but below 0.01%. 1% of 1 000 000 is 10 000.
0.1% is 1 000.

As mentioned, the majority of surviving Jewish children returned to Poland with Jews repatriated from the USSR in 1946. The number of child survivors in homes reached its peak in the summer of 1946 when about 3,300 children resided in fifty Zionist Children Orphanages called kibbutz located throughout the country. Many Zionist Children's Orphanages left Poland after the Kielce pogrom in 1946. The first goal was to reach DP camps and thereafter to try to reach Eretz Israel, legally or illegally.










Cesia. Probably after the liberation of Bialystok in June 1944.