This presentation is dedicated to the memory of my beloved grandmother, Hannah Gurvich-Drukier, nee Cymet, and my dear mother Fruma Derzavich, and in memory of all mothers and grandmothers of our town, whose legacy we carry in our hearts and forward with longing, pride and honor.

There are no more Jewish shtetls like Hrubieszow, Kraczew Futile is your search for burning candles in windows, And no more tunes will be heard from synagogues. They left for another planet, scared by the somber, bitter silence. Where is the town where a shoemaker was a poet, The watchmaker a hilosopher, a troubadour, the barber. Vanished are the shtetls, like a disappearing shadow, The shadow that will stay among the verses of the poem. They will reach out their hands, like one brother to another, The two nations that have shared the sufferings. Mourning the Jewish shtetls by Anthony Slonimsky

ENGELSBERG EDELSTEIN EPSTEIN BRENNER BLEIDER GLUZBERG GREENBLAT GOLDBERG GURVITCH DIMANTSTEIN DOBRISH DEUTSCH DIKLER LINDBAUM MARDER MINTZ Miller ESSIG FUTZER POLYSZUK PACHTER FIRSHT REUTER REICHMAN Ruff RATT KREIZER KOPEL KLUGER COOPER KIRSCHNER KRASNER GINSBERG GERTEL DRUKIER HOFFMAN HALBERSTEIN HOBEL HORNSTEIN WEINTRAUB WIENER KATZ SPIELER STEIN SCHUCHMAN LEHRER FRIDMAN FINKELSTEIN CYMET RABINOWITZ SCHAPIRA FEIER SCHWARTZ

Hrubieszow is a district town in southeast Poland, in the region of Lublin. In the past it was also known as Hrubieszow, and among the Jews as Rubayshow.

The town is located on the banks of the river Huczwa that flows into the river Bug, in an area of fertile agricultural land, surrounded by many villages.

Hrubiesow is a town on the border between Poland and the Ukraine. Throughout history it has changed many hands: Poles, Ukrainians, Austrians and Germans; each of these ethnic groups left their mark on the place. Between WWI and WWII the local population consisted mainly of Pravoslav Ukrainians, Catholic Poles and Jews. Before WWII the Jewish community made nearly half of the entire local population. Today there are no Jews in Hrubieszow; there are about 20,000 inhabitants, mainly of Polish origin.

Jews first settled in Hrubieszow around the 15 th century. Royal privilege decrees enabled them to establish a community with all traditional functions. In the 16 th century the town is mentioned as one of the "Four Lands Council" (Va'ad Arba Aratsot). It was an autonomous Jewish institution that operated in Poland from mid 16 th century to the mid 18 th century. It included four regions – Great Poland, Little Poland, White Russia and Lithuania. Lithuania left in 1629 and established a separate council. Prior to the establishment of the Four Lands Council, the Rabbis of Poland convened once a year in Lublin to discuss inter-communal issues

Rabbi D. Meshulam Feibish Ginzburg Ashkenzai, the Rabbi of Hrubieszow, attended the Council's Convention in The council was active until 1764, when it was disbanded by order of the Sejm (The Polish Parliament).

The Community continued to grow and prosper until 1648, when the riots of Bogdan Chmielnicki broke out.

The Cossacks, under command of Chmielnicki, set fire to the synagogue, plundered Jewish homes and stores, and annihilated most of the community. After some time the community recovers, grows and thrives. In 1715 a new synagogue is dedicated, and when it is destroyed by a fire, the community builds a new great synagogue that is inaugurated in 1784.

Herubieszow is annexed to the Duchy of Warsaw – Congress Poland – Dedication of the Great Synagogue. The 19 th Century – The Era of Enlightment (Haskala) reaches Hrubieszow Famous personalities: The physician Dr. Kalmanson, mathematician & inventor Abraham Stern, Simha Pinsker, Dr. Goldschmidt & his sons, Josef & Jakob the advocates. Along the traditional social Jewish institutions, there were a Jewish printing press, a Jewish hospital, initiated by the town’s rabbi, Rav Josef Katznelbogen & Jewish schools. At that time there are 5,350 Jews; the total population was 10,636. At the beginning of the 20th century the Jewish population is mostly religious, consisting of Hasidim & Mitnagdim, leading an orthodox life style. New winds are blowing - Zionism & Socialism attract the Jewish youth & instigate intense cultural & social activities. Between the World Wars many of Hrubieszow Jews emigrate – to Eretz Israel & to America, the New World – hoping to find a better life. In 1939 there are 7,500 Jews in Hrubieszow