Częstochowa Annual Memorial Meeting in Israel

November 10, 2022

Words and photographs: Alon Goldman

Around seventy first, second and third generations attended the Annual Memorial Meeting of the Association of Częstochowa Jews in Israel, held on 10th November 2022 in Tel Aviv. The emotional meeting marked the 80th anniversary of the Częstochowa ghetto.

The Kaddish memorial prayer was recited by Stephen Glazer, a third generation descendant of the Potasiewicz Częstochowa family, many of whom perished in the Holocaust. This was followed by an interesting lecture by committee member and Poland tour guide, Modi Givon. His topic was “Treblinka and Auschwitz and What is In-Between”.

Association Chairman Alon Goldman then presented an overview of the organisation’s activities, over the past year,
aimed at preserving the Jewish heritage of Częstochowa.

Holocaust survivor, Gabi Horowitz, who was six-years-old at the outbreak of the war, spoke about his Yom Kippur on 21st September 21 1942, of what happened to him and his family. Those present were treated to the singing of Ofri Ben-Shitrit, of the third generation and the granddaughter of the Holocaust survivor Giza Segal (nee Kleiman). The evening was moderated by Modi Givon.

Finally, the Israeli premiere of Krzysztof Kasprzak’s 2019 film “Czestochowa in the Second World War, in the Years 1939-1945” was screened.

At the end of the event, elections were conducted for members of the committee of the Association of Częstochowa Jews in Israel. The results were:

Chairman: Alon Goldman
Treasurer: Tamar Hanoch
Committee: Pnina Paritsky, Galit Perlmutter, Chen Fischhoff
Audit Committee: Michael Chen, Stephen Glaser