Rzeszów, Poland

About the City of Rzeszów

• Location and Maps
  
   
• List of shtetlach (towns) near Rzeszow that are included in the Kolbuszowa Region Research Group.
  Some shtetlach have their own web pages: Click here
  
   
• A brief history of Rzeszow

• Visiting Rzeszow

  By Marian Rubin, Coordinator, the Rzeszow Research Group

  merubin@aol.com

  Last updated: June 2008

   

  There is no organized Jewish community today in Rzeszow. There may be

  a few Jews living there. There is a small Jewish community in Przemysl and a larger Jewish community in Krakow.

   

  Two Synagogues and the old cemetery

   

  The 2 large synagogues are still standing in Rzeszow. The Old Synagogue,

  pictured on our Rzeszow website, is now the Rzeszow branch of the Polish State

  Archives. Address: Ul. Boznica 4 .

   In 1997, some members of the Reyshe Landsmanschaft in Israel held a ceremony

  in Rzeszow to affix a memorial plaque to the Old Synagogue.

  The newer synagogue is separated from the old synagogue by 2 buildings, and is

  now an art gallery.

   There is a grassy park in front of the 2 buildings. But it is much more than grass--

  it was the Jewish cemetery, and it was the point at which the Jews were forced

  to assemble to walk to their deportation to the Staroniwa Railway Station.

   If you visit Rzeszow on a day when the Archive is open, ask someone if they will

  show you the upstairs where there may be something visible of the original synagogue.

  I don't know exactly what is there, whether there is a remnant of the women's section,

  or wall decorations. If you see it, I'd like a report.

   

  The New Cemetery (with thanks to Elisha Amidan for the directions)

   

  If you have a guide, ask him to take you to the other cemetery, the "newer"

  cemetery, where a few stones are still standing. You can see some of the photos

  on our Rzeszow website. Some stones photographed are legible, so you may

  see a family name. There may be more stones visible in the cemetery than those

  shown on our website.

  This cemetery is shown on a current map of Rzeszow as "Cmentarz Zydowski".

  It is located somewhat out of the town center, on the Eastern bank of the River Wislok.

  Drive eastward along Pilsudskiego Street to Lwowska St..

  Approximately 100 meters after crossing the river, turn right (south) to Al. T. Rejtana.

  Second turn to the left (east) is Dolowa Street (Ul. Dolowa) and the cemetery is

  immediately on the right side.

  Next to the Cemetery gate is a pink house. The man who lives there will let you

  in to the Cemetery. It is customary to give him a small monetary gift.

   

  The Old Town

  Ask someone to direct you to the "old town", where the Jews lived. Look for

  the Rynek (town square) where the market days took place. The name Rynek

  is in use today. A map shows the Rynek as part of "J.Matejki" street. Many

  Jewish homes were on the Rynek or nearby. I think that the buildings in the old

  town look much as they did before the War, but may have been re-built. Ask your

  guide what changes took place. If you know the names of the streets where your

  relatives lived, you may be able to find those streets. However, some street names

  have been changed.

  Mass Graves in the woods of Glogow

  Glogow Woods, about 6 miles north of  Rzeszow, is the site of mass graves for

  approximately 5,000 Jews from Rzeszow and nearby towns who were murdered there

  by the Germans. In 1995, the Rzeszow Landsmanschaft in Israel dedicated a beautiful

  memorial site in Glogow woods. It is a very isolated area, so it would be prudent

  to go with several other people. The ceremony was attended by Jews who were natives

  of Rzeszow living in Israel, Canada, France and the US,  and by several Jews living in

  Poland. Others who attended included officials and citizens of the city of Rzeszow

  and several priests. A Polish Army band played somber music.

  The late Mr. Natan Beck z”l, a native of Rzeszow  living in Israel, led the prayers. Mrs. Klara Ma'ayan, President of the Rzeszow

  Landsmanschaft in Israel spoke. The mayor of Rzeszow and a priest also spoke. The mayor and some other officials participated

  in the planning and building of the memorial site in Glogow