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"Those who are poor and humble, said a rabbi from Parisov The first Jews settled in Parysow in the 18th century. Tzadik Jehoshua Asher Rabinovitz from Żelechow, the son of "Saint Jew from Przysucha" arrived here in the mid of the 19th century. A number of Chasidic Jews followed him. His teachings were continued by his sons Jacob Tzvi and Meir Shalom. This is how the successor of Jehoshua Asher was described by Stefania Ulanowska in the "Czas Krakowski" magazine in 1885: "In Parisow there is a rabbi who considers himself a saint. He suffers fits of epilepsy, thus it is believed he sees God. That is an enormous power! His word, his call is like a command followed not only by Orthodox Jews from the vicinity but even from Warsaw. They seek advice and help as the very access to such a saint person is to ensure joy, well-being and God's blessing. Shrouded in mystery, he never leaves his dwelling. In the fall, in the time of Yom Kippur and Sukkoth, crowds flock to him in the number unseen at our church fairs. The highlight of the celebrations is the day when the rabbi appears in his window and his worshippers throw money at him from all directions. In return he writes prayers on slips of paper entrusting their lives to his deceased father. They collect the slips of papers and head to the cemetery to throw them through a tiny window of the late rabbi's tomb. The late rabbi prays on their behalf and pleads with God to absolve them from sins." In 1897 Parysow was inhabited by 2,014 Jews (64% of the town's total population). The local Jews contributed to the town's prosperity. Alec Ward, the son of glazier Schmul Mosche Warsaw, who lived in Parysow before the WW II, recalls his childhood in the town in the book entitled "The Boys: The Untold Story of 732 Young Concentration Camp Survivors": "The synagogue in Parysow was very beautiful, with the dome and the stone floor. It was filled with a voice of a cantor. The image of the synagogue is still vivid in my memory. On Friday afternoon, the synagogue janitor (shamash) announced the coming of Shabbat and called to come and pray. On Sunday afternoon, it seemed that the entire Jewish community was strolling the streets. During Purim people used to visit each other and hand gifts such as fresh baked cookies. On Yom Kippur, one could hear an overwhelming cry in the women's gallery". The Nazi troops invaded Parisov on the 17th September 1939. Already in October they established a Judenrat aimed at delegating the Jews to compulsory work. A Parysow ghetto was set up in November 1941 and functioned till the 27th September 1942. Nearly 3,500 Jews, among them displaced Jews from other towns, were forced to the ghetto. The majority of them perished in the death camp in Treblinka. It is important to note that in 1986 Irena Landau-Jankiewicz from Parisow was awarded the title Righteous Among the Nations. Her father was hired before the WW II by Isaac Goldman, the owner of a large farm in Parisow. Isaac Goldman and his family were confined to the Parisow ghetto. Risking her life, Irena Landau-Jankiewicz supplied them with food. After the ghetto was closed down she arranged a shelter for fifteen runaway Jews, among them Aharanov Landau, the son-in-law of Isaac Goldman. She found for them a safe hideout in the forest and provided them with food. They all survived the war. Afterwards, she married Aharon Landau and both left for Israel. The exact date of establishing the Parysow Jewish cemetery is unknown. What is known is that it was set up before tzadik Rabinovitz died in 1862. The cemetery is located in the forest near a railway crossing. Only one gravestone has survived until today. The ohel, the building protecting the tzadik's grave, doesn't exist anymore. Here is an excerpt from a letter sent to the Jewish Historical Institute a few years ago by one of Parysow inhabitants: "At present, there are no traces of the Jewish presence in Parysow. The cemetery survived the longest. It was gradually demolished. Gravestones were used for redeveloping the burnt village. The former cemetery area is now covered by pine trees". Here is another excerpt from an e-mail sent to us by a former Parysow inhabitant: "People used to come to the cemetery in search of treasures. They believed that the Jews took all their valuables to their graves. So, the people would keep on digging... for years ". The land is an illegal landfill. As a result of the sand being collected, one can find now and then the bones of people buried here. In the fall in 2006 a representative of the Jewish Community of Warsaw cleaned scattered bones and filed with the municipal office a reminder to clear up the cemetery area. The building of the 19th century synagogue at Borowska Street has survived. Now, it houses the culture centre. Click here for the Book of Parysov (in Hebrew) Text: K. Bielawski |