The City of Częstochowa Honours Sigmund Rolat z”l
Source: Geoffrey Rolat
“I feel that I’m at home!”, said Geoffrey Rolat, following the unveiling of a plaque in the Częstochowa Town Hall, honouring his late father, Sigmund Rolat z”l, a Holocaust survivor, prominent businessman, philanthropist and supporter of culture and education,
The unveiling, in the presence of the Mayor of Częstochowa, Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk, was also attended by Sigmund’s daughter Samantha Asulin and his grandson Henry Asulin.
The ceremony, witnessed by a large audience of the city’s citizens and American guests, featured remarks by the Mayor and by Geoffrey Rolat. This was followed by a rendition of Sigmund’s favorite song, “Jerusalem of Gold,” performed by renowned cellist Adam Klocek.
The Town Hall ceremony was followed by a festive concert at the Bronisław Huberman Częstochowa Philharmonic.
The concert, produced and conducted by Adam Klocek, featured a violin concerto by Mieczysław Weinberg, a Polish-Jewish composer, followed by Antonin Dvořák‘s Symphony No. 9 in E-minor, “From the New World.”
In his remarks before the concert, Geoffrey Rolat pointed out that the concert hall is located on the site of Częstochowa’s New Synagogue, which was destroyed by the Nazis. He said that his father had loved his family, loved Częstochowa, and that he loved great music.
Sigmund Rolat z”l was born in Częstochowa in 1930. After his parents had perished during the Holocaust, at the age of fifteen, he emigrated, eventually settling in the United States.
However, from 1967, he returned to his native city many times.. During that entire period, until his passing, he supported the city’s cultural and educational institutions, especially the city’s Jewish cultural and historical heritage. The creation of the Częstochowa Jewish Museum will always remain as a tribute to his dedication to the preservation of the history of the city’s thriving pre-war Jewish community.