Home

Shtetl Life

Holocaust Landsmanshaftn

History

Photos
Maps Trips Surnames Researchers Links Guest Book

Contact

 
 

Guestbook Entries, Part 6

 
             
 

Tuesday 10/30/2007 10:59:53pm

Name:

Elan Caspi

E-Mail:

elanc@yahoo.com

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

El Cerrito, CA

Comments:

Dear Jose,
You have done a wonderful job with your web sites and your continuing research. You have brought to life our ancestral towns. I am also very grateful for your assistance in my own research.

 

Saturday 10/13/2007 1:54:42pm

Name:

Adam Jankowski

E-Mail:

adamjankowski@onet.eu

Homepage Title:

The Jankowski Family

Homepage URL:

www.jankowscyrodzina.republika.pl

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Grajewo/Warszawa

Comments:

"Kto nie pamięta historii, skazany jest na jej ponowne przeżycie" George Santayana. Takie słowa widnieją na jednej ze ścian w obozie Auschwitz i te słowa przychodzą mi na myśl, gdy czytam książkę Anny Bikont "My z Jedwabnego" i przeglądam stronę radzilow.com. Żyję w tej społeczności i ogarnia mnie smutek, gdy widzę jak ciężko jest rozmawiać o prawdzie . Jeszcze przed sprawą Jedwabnego interesowałem się przeszłością Grajewa i okolic. Słyszałem o zrzucanych z okien grajewskiej synagogi Żydach. Oczywiście jedni twierdzili, że to Niemcy, drudzy że Polacy i wymieniali nawet nazwiska morderców. Znałem relacje o płynącej ulicami Wąsosza rzece krwi. Dziadek kolegi zakopywał żydowskie ofiary w Wąsoszu. Dlaczego tak boimy się prawdy? Władysław Bartoszewski, wielki orędownik porozumienia polsko-żydowskiego mówi, że jest patriotą, dlatego "bierze odpowiedzialność za przeszłość swojego narodu w dobrym i w złym". Patriotyzm jest dla niego "postawą wolną od demagogicznych podniet, od paranoicznego węszenia za wrogiem. Postawą na rzecz czegoś, a nie przeciw komuś. Na rzecz godności, która wiąże się nieodmiennie z szacunkiem dla ludzi innego pochodzenia, innej wiary. Bo uznanie różnorodności kulturowej, różnorodności pamięci pokoleń, rozmaitość tradycji wzbogaca wspólnotę państwową”.

Translation:

"The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again" -- George Santayana. These words are inscribed on one of the walls in Auschwitz and they come to me when I read the book "We are from Jedwabne" by Anna Bikont and when I look at the website Radzilow.com. I live in this community and I feel sad when I see how difficult it is to talk about the truth. Before the issue of Jedwabne came to fore I was interested in the history of Grajewo and the surrounding localities. I heard about Jews thrown out the windows of the Grajewo synagogue. Naturally, some blamed the Germans, others the Poles and even named the murderers. I heard stories about the river of blood flowing through the streets of Wasosz. The grandfather of my friend buried the Jewish victims in Wasosz. Why are we so afraid of the truth? Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, a great proponent of the Polish-Jewish reconciliation says that he is a patriot and therefore he "takes the responsibility for the past of his nation for the good and the bad." To him patriotism is a "position free of demagoguery and paranoid search for the enemy. It is a position in favor of something, not against somebody. For dignity, which is inadvertently linked with the respect for people of different origin, of another faith. Because the acknowledgement of cultural diversity, varied generational memories, and a variety of traditions enriches the state commonwealth."

Sunday 9/30/2007 10:09:52am

Name:

Herbert E

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

4th generation South African, now Aussie

Comments:

CONGRATULATIONS on a masterpiece of research and hours of dedication in presenting this website. My ancestors, for various reasons left Eastern Europe circa 1895 for South Africa. But a lot of the family remained, none survived WWII having been murdered by "village neighbours [henchmen]" and the Germans.
Let us Never Forget (- or forgive)

 

Tuesday 9/25/2007 6:48:48am

Name:

Monika Kuś

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Poland, Poznan

Comments:

Zaczelam czytac ksiazke Anny Bikont i tak oto dowiedziaalam sie o Radzilowie...
Jest mi niewypowiedzianie przykro z powodu tamtych wydarzen. Ta ziemia nosi w sobie duzo cierpienia, oby ten zaklety krag w koncu sie skonczyl.

Translation:

I began reading Anna Bikont's book and that's how I found out about Radzilów...
I am deeply sorry about what happened there. This land carries a lot of sorrow, I wish this witching circle finally ended.

Saturday 8/18/2007 4:48:05pm

Name:

Patricia (Pat) Mellon

E-Mail:

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Comments:

Dear Jose,

It is difficult for me to tell you how very deeply grateful I am to you for putting me in touch with Michael Fields and his sister. He has helped to ensure that my family's history has not been lost to me, and I thank you for making that possible.

I watched Beatrice Fields' video on your website. Her recollections are so touching. It was very moving for me to see pictures of my great grandfather, who in temperament must have been very much like my own grandfather, his son, Isaac Meyers. My words fail to do justice to how much that picture and the interview mean to me.

Most gratefully,
Patricia (Pat) Mellon


Saturday 7/21/2007 9:11:01am

Name:

Bruce Reisch

E-Mail:

bruce@reisch-family.net

Homepage Title:

The Reisch Famiy

Homepage URL:

http://reisch-family.net

Referred By:

E-Mail

Location:

Geneva, New York USA

Comments:

Though I have no connection to Radzilow, I visited your site to learn how to improve my own. It's so good, that I stayed a bit and was very moved to read the story of the Finkelstein family reunion with a survivor still living in Radzilow. You do an amazing job with your site; keep up the great work.

 

Thursday 6/14/2007 10:42:46pm

Name:

R. Kaiman

E-Mail:

psycho-sis@hotmail.com

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Ontario Canada

Comments:

Hello
I recently learned that my family roots can be traced to Radzilow. Kaiman was a very common surname in that region. I appreciate all the research and documentation available to me on your site.
Fondly
Rachel

Saturday 3/24/2007 4:54:54pm

Name:

Michael Sadeh

E-Mail:

Referred By:

Just Surfed In

Location:

Kibbutz Hazorea Israel

Comments:

A wonderful site! There's a lot about my family and you did a beautiful job.

Saturday 2/17/2007 9:48:20am

Name:

Adas

E-Mail:

adamuberalles@gazeta.pl

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Poland/Krakow

Comments:

I have already read "My z Jedwabnego" by Anna Bikont. The book is a gift from my girlfriend on my birthday. I really am sorry about what happened to the Jews during World War II. I would like to add that there are days when I would like to say "I'm sorry" to all the people who suffered from intolerance and genocide due to being Jews because in Poland nobody cried for them...

 

Saturday 10/07/2006 6:17:11am

Name:

Krzysztof

E-Mail:

 

Homepage Title:

Jewish cemeteries in Poland

Homepage URL:

http://www.kirkuty.xip.pl

Referred By:

Friend

Location:

Warsaw

Comments:

Very well done work! If someone looks for photos from other Jewish cemeteries in Poland, I invite you to visit http://www.kirkuty.xip.pl - a website about Jewish cemeteries, created by non-Jewish persons

 

Thursday 9/14/2006 10:18:34am

Name:

Aurelia Parzybut

E-Mail:

Florencja2@op.pl

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Warsaw

Comments:

Dear José,
Like many other guests I found your webpage in Anna Bikont's book which I took having read J.T.Gross's one. I am astounded at the effort you have made to gather all the information. I had visited Jedwabne in 2002 and read some articles about the Jedwabne and Radzilow pogroms. The more I read about it the more ashamed I am of us, Poles. The cruelty towards Jewish people described in both Gross's and Bikont's books, whether physical or mental is beyond the comprehension. I wish I could do something to allow Polish people to expiate... Could I be of any help please let me know.
Regards
Aurelia Parzybut

 

Monday 6/05/2006 7:42:55pm

Name:

Maria Gros

E-Mail:

minoda@wp.pl

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Wilkanów, Polska

Comments:

Przeczytałam książek Jana Tomasza Grossa pt. "Sąsiedzi", a teraz jestem w trakcie lektury "My z Jedwabnego" Anny Bikont. Moja mama czyta tę piwrwszą, a skończyła już tę drugą. Obie jesteśmy wstrząśnięte. Nie pochodzimy z tamtych okolic, ani nawet nie znamy żadnego wyznawcy Religii Żydowskiej. Nie zmienia to faktu, że opis wydarzeń z lata 1941 roku odcisnął piętno na naszych duszach. Nie jesteśmy w stanie pojąć, co kierowało ludźmi, którzy dokonali tej strasznej zbrodni. Jak sąsiad może zabić sasiada, z którym żyje w zgodzie? W imię czego? Wierzymy w tego samego Boga, uczymy z tych samych pism. Nie rozumiemy motywów kierujących mordercami, ale współczujemy i współcierpimy z Wami, którzy straciliście bliskich w tej tragedii.
Marysia (w imieniu swoim i Mamy Zdzisławy)

Translation:

I read the book "Neighbors" by Tomasz Gross and now I am reading "We from Jedwabne" by Anna Bikont. My mother is reading the first one and is done with the latter. We are both devastated. We are not from that region and don't even know any Jews. And yet the descriptions of events in 1941 have scarred our souls. We cannot fathom what possessed the people, who committed that awful murder. How can a neighbor kill a neighbor with whom he has no conflict? In the name of what? We believe in the same God, learn from the same Scripture. We cannot understand the motives of the killers, but we empathize and suffer with you, who lost your loved ones in this tragedy.
Marysia (also on behalf of my mother, Zdzislawa)

 

Sunday 4/09/2006 9:58:50am

Name:

Rumeeta Ghose

E-Mail:

rumeeta@yahoo.com

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Mumbai, India

Comments:

Extremely interesting reading. We thought that we were the only ones who had lived through the horrors of the Partition, but that seems less horrific in comparison.


 

Thursday 4/06/2006 2:53:43pm

Name:

fozzy

E-Mail:

fozzy77@o2.pl

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

 

Comments:

Strona bardzo treściwa, a co najważniejsze wnosi bardzo dużo w relacjach polsko-żydowskich.Pozdrawiam twórców tej strony, wyrazu podziwu dla twórców.:)

Translations:

A very informative site and, most importantly, contributes significantly to Polish-Jewish relations. My regards to authors of this site, I an in awe of them.

 

Wednesday 3/29/2006 3:59:35pm

Name:

Blazej Kopera

E-Mail:

Nemesis40@wp.pl

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Aleksandrów Łódzki / Poland

Comments:

I found the link to the site in Anna Bikont book. Although I am not connected with Jews anyway, I am a bit interested with this culture and religion. Thank You for a wonderful site and a doze of history lesson. I feel ashamed for some people of my country, who still don't understand the problem, or just even don't want to try to understand it, I feel ashamed for those who did that what happened and for those who try to cover it with fiction. Wish You best luck in Your whole life.

 

Wednesday 1/25/2006 12:28:24am

Name:

Syntia

E-Mail:

sini_k@op.pl

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Poland. Rybnik

Comments:

Takim ludziom jak Panu,panie Gutstein,naleza sie slowa glebokiego uznania i podziwu, za stworzenie tej strony.Za to ile Pan pracy w nia wlozyl i serca.Pewnie sam sobie pan nie zdaje sparwy z tego,jak wielu ludziom pan pomogl.Chyle czola przed panem.
Nie jestem w stanie pojac i zrozumiec tragedii jaka miala miejsce w Radzilowie oraz Jedwabnym,może przyjdzie to z czasem.
Adres zaczerpnelam z ksiazki pani Anny Bikont, która rowniez otwarla mi oczy na wciaz obenca kwestie antysemityzmu w Polsce.
Zyczę Panu zdrowia,z calego serca.
Przepraszam,ze nie piszę po angielsku,ale obwiam sie,ze wtedy moj wpis bylby kompletnie pozbawiony sensu.

Translation:

Mr. Gutstein, people like you deserve deep respect and praise for creating this page. For the amount of work and heart you put into it. You probably have no idea how many people you helped. I bow to you. I cannot fathom and digest the tragedies that occurred in Radzilow and Jedwabne. Perhaps, this will come with time. I found your address in the book by Anna Bikont, who also opened my eyes on the still present issue of anti-Semitism in Poland. I wish you a lot of health from the bottom of my heart. I apologize for not writing in English, but I am afraid that in that language my comment would not have made any sense to you.

 

Sunday 1/22/2006 8:15:26am

Name:

Michael

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Australia / USA

Comments:

My family came from Radzilova and, as I later learned from you, their family name was originally spelled Szeraszew. My grandfather and his siblings were fortunate to have emigrated, but the family that remained behind was murdered during the Holocaust. The site you have created is amazing in its breadth and scope, and I will be sending you more old photos and information. Again, many thanks.

 

Thursday 1/19/2006 4:47:16am

Name:

pmamds

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

 

Comments:

I have no familial connection that I know of to the towns mentioned on your site. I came across the site quite by accident this evening. I have, now, at 4:33 a.m., read all that I can bear to read. Thank you for your great good work on it. May the history that you have brought to life and similar events in other parts of the world before and since remind us that there is always much work to be done to safeguard humanity. We are in your debt.

 

Monday 1/02/2006 9:31:16am

Name:

Jacek Rutkowski

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Warszawa/Radzilow

Comments:

Pochodze z miejscowosci Glinki - malej wioski 10 km od Radzilowa. W trakcie mojego dorastanie zabraklo kogos, kto nauczylby mnie bolesnej historii Radzilowa i Jedwabnego, dlatego teraz ucze sie jej sam. Strony takie jak ta bardzo mi to ulatwiaja. Gratuluje i dziekuje Panu za wysilek, ktory Pan wlozyl w jej powstanie.

Translation:

I am from Glinki, a little village, which is 10 kilometers from Radzilow. When I was growing up there was nobody to teach me about the painful history of Radzilow and Jedwabne, so now I do it myself. Sites like yours make it much easier for me. I wish to congratulate you and express my gratitude for your efforts to create it.

 

Wednesday 11/02/2005 3:09:48am

Name:

Zosia Sosnowska

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Koszalin/Poland

Comments:

Dzieki tej stronie poznalam przeszosc Radzilowa (dotad mi nieznana). Do tej pory wiedzialam tylko tyle, ile opowiadzieli mi dziadkowie, ktorzy nadal mieszkaja w Radzilowie. Serdecznie pozdrawiam i dziekuje za te strone.

Translation:

This page showed me the Radzilow's past I did not know about. I only knew what my grandma and grandpa -- who still live in Radzilow -- told me. Heartfelt regards and thank you for this page.

 

Monday 6/13/2005 5:28:58pm

Name:

Robert Andrzejewski

E-Mail:

robertwszczecinie@yahoo.com

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Poland

Comments:

Thank you for great history lesson and in a name of my nationals sorry for what my people did and/or failed to do.

 

Monday 3/28/2005 7:57:52am

Name:

Francisco Sánchez Rivera

E-Mail:

golzot@yahoo.es

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Málaga (Spain)

Comments:

It's about 3 days I finished the reading of "Neighbours" from Jan Gross, about the horrible killing of judes at Jedwabne. I'm impressed, and I want to tell to the the Jude Nation that I'm thinking about them and what they suffered through the Shoa.

 

Wednesday 2/23/2005 8:51:09am

Name:

Rebekah Gronowski

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Scotland UK

Comments:

Shalom Jose!

What a masterpiece and labour of love you have created. I was delighted to find your website. I am researching my ancestors who came from Russian-occupied Poland. Their names were Jozef, Szymon and Maszja. They may have resided in Radzilow and left in ca.1850. They came to UK and settled in Manchester, England.

Many thanks again!

Rebekah

 

Tuesday 1/18/2005 5:16:23am

Name:

Hely Alhainen

E-Mail:

hely@alhainen.net

Referred By:

Just Surfed In

Location:

 

Comments:

Thanks to pagemaker, these sites are very well done. The theme, holocaust, is important to all of us. We don't forget it. I am student (history and finnish language) and since my childhood I have read and interested in jewish history in Europe and Russia.

 

Saturday 1/15/2005 3:01:37pm

Name:

Virginia Szeszko

E-Mail:

virginiafromct@webtv.net

Referred By:

Friend

Location:

 

Comments:

I am happy to be a part of any research in Poland that I can pass on to your wonderful web pages. Please contact me if you have any connection to Szeszko from any town in the region, including Chojnowo.

 

Wednesday 12/29/2004 11:13:07am

Name:

Marta Domagalska

E-Mail:

jammer-land@wp.pl

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Katowice, Poland

Comments:

Piekna strona, gdy ja odwiedzam zawsze zaluje,ze to jedna z nielicznych, ktora w tak profesjonalny sposob oddaja atmosfere Przeszlosci.Moja rodzina pochodzi z Kromolowa i czesto z nostalgia wspomina Zydow, ktorzy go zamieszkiwali.Ostatnio ku naszej radosci jestesmy w kontakcie z rodzina zydowska dzielaca te same wspomnienia. Nie do opisania jest niezwyklosc takiego spotkania. Jesli czyis przodkowie pochodzili z Kromolowa, prosze o kontakt.

Translation:

A beautiful page. When I visit it, I always bemoan the fact that it is one of a very few pages which in a professional manner present the atmosphere of the past. My family comes from Kromolow and they often nostalgically remember Jews, who lived there. Recently to our great joy we established a contact with a Jewish family which shares our memories. It is impossible to describe how special was our meeting. If anybody has relatives, who come from Kromolow, please contact me.

 

Tuesday 12/28/2004 5:09:22pm

Name:

David Lerner

E-Mail:

d.lerner@ntlworld.com

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

 

Comments:

Hey Jose,
This page on Radzilow is brilliant. And a poignant piece of research. Many of my family left Lomza, 19 miles up the road. in the 1890's. Others were far less fortunate.
We had e-mail correspondence some 3 or 4 years ago when I was looking for families with the following names from Lomza and district, namely Ciesielski, Furmanowicz and Dolowicz. You name was brought to my attention more recently by a possible cousin called Miriam Munzer, with whom you have been in recent e-mail correspondence.
Thanks for all you do.
Best Wishes,
David Lerner

 

Sunday 12/26/2004 12:21:44am

Name:

Esther Caplin

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Just Surfed In

Location:

Gush Etzion, Israel

Comments:

I am the great grand daughter of Avram Szwarcberg from Szczuczyn and Radzilow.
I was thrilled to see the picture of our family on the Radzilow web page!!!
I have just discovered these amazing sites which are helping me build a clearer picture of my relatives, their lives and their tragic deaths.
Thank you so much Jose!!!

 

Sunday 11/14/2004 8:16:49am

Name:

Krystyna Skjelfoss

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Friend

Location:

Sweden

Comments:

Jestem pod wrazeniem pracy Anny Bikont "My z Jedwabnego". Tam tez znalazlam adres tej strony. Moi przodkowie pochodza zupelnie z innych okolic, ale los ich tez nie oszczedzil. Tyle,ze nie zgineli z rak sasiadow. Slaba to pociecha. Chcialabym wyrazic uznanie i podziw dla tworcow tej strony. Bede tu czesto wracac.

Translation:

"We from Jedwabne" by Anna Bikont made quite an impression on me. It is there where I found the address of this page. My ancestors come from another area, but they did not fare better, except they did not die from the hands of their neighbors. A small consolation. I am in awe of this page and I would like to express my appreciation for its creators. I will be coming back frequently.

 

Monday 10/25/2004 8:26:08am

Name:

Rachel Kaiman-Mechanic

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Just Surfed In

Location:

Windsor, Ontario CANADA

Comments:

I am researching my family tree and this is the first time I have found my family name correctly spelled on any website or Holocaust victim's lists. I am shocked but relieved to have finally found a link to the possibility of family that may once have existed.
Thank you.

 

Saturday 9/11/2004 9:59:23pm

Name:

Elaine Markowski McKee

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

E-Mail

Location:

Toronto Canada

Comments:

An excellent site. Well done.

 

Friday 8/27/2004 11:24:54am

Name:

Amikam Salant

E-Mail:

 

Referred By:

Just Surfed In

Location:

Israel

Comments:

Thank you. Very interesting.

 

Thursday 8/26/2004 5:45:49am

Name:

W. Malinowski

E-Mail:

geber3@wp.pl

Referred By:

Search Engine

Location:

Polska - Mazury

Comments:

Dzieki tej stronie nie tylko odzyly ale i ponownie zaistnialy cienie tych co tam mieszkali i ktorym zgotowano taki straszny i tragiczny koniec. Jedyna nadzieja w tym, ze pozostanie pamiec o nich wszystkich i prawda o ich losie. Czesto jezdze po tych wszystkich miasteczkach i widze duchy ich wszystkich. Nie ma zadnych slow usprawiedliwienia ani wytlumaczenia. Dla nikogo. Ale najbardziej dla tych, ktorzy jeszcze dzisiaj chca wbrew najoczywistszym faktom i prawdzie w jakikolwiek sposob zaklamac rzeczywistosc. A tym bardziej usprawiedliwic. Brak ich. Wszystkich. Ani ich, ani ich dzieci, ani wnukow.Jakie to straszne. Jak to boli.
Wielkie dzieki autorowi tej strony i takim ludziom jak Pani Ania Bikont, ze znowu pozwolili odzyc duchom tych, ktorych spotkal tak straszny i potworny los.

Translation:

Thanks to this page, the shadows of those who lived there (in Radzilow) and met a horrible and tragic end not only came back to life, but also started the existence of their own. There is hope that the memory about them and the truth about their fate will be known. I frequently travel to those small towns and see the ghosts of the people who perished. No argument can be used to justify or rationalize their tragic fate. And by no one. The fabrications and justifications given by those who disregard the evidence and try to manipulate the truth have no merit. These people, who met this tragic end are gone. They left no children and no grandchildren. This is so horrible. This hurts really badly. Many thanks to the creator of this website and to such people like Anna Bikont that they brought back to life the shadows of the people, who met a horrible and tragic end.