The Detroit Jewish News

0

supports

Heather Bondy

in her efforts for

Making Strides Against
Breast Cancer

A non-competitive walk
that raises money for breast cancer
research and local outreach programs.

aking Strides

Saturday, October 16th
Belle Isle Park

Against

Breast Cancer

/\/\\

Show your support! Call your
American Cancer Society
at (248) 557-5353
for details.

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were made, psalms and Kaddish recit-
morning took place at the Nozyk Shul,
ed and Mincha davened. A particular-
the only surviving synagogue in _
ly moving episode occurred when
Warsaw. The shul survived because the
Bernie Guyer, a former Detroiter from
Nazis used the building as a stable. It
Baltimore, located the remnant of the
was a surreal experience davening at a
matzeva of his brother, who died
shul in Poland that my uncle Ben
before Bernie was born.
Guyer told me he attended in 1939
A year and a half ago, when I first
when he was in the Polish army. Today,
heard
of a group raising money to
the congregation that davens in the
build a monument at a Jewish ceme-
beautifully restored synagogue consists
tery in Poland, I was less than enthu-
of the elderly who survived, tourists and
groups such as ours, and young
people who are, in many cases,
rediscovering their Jewishness in
the post-Communist era. It is
estimated that there are approxi-
mately 3,000 Jews living in
Warsaw today. This synagogue
manages to have a minyan every
morning.
At one morning minyan, an
old man came over and we spoke
in Yiddish while putting away
our tefillin. He explained that he
had lived in Warsaw since he was
a little boy. I asked if he had been
in a concentration camp; he
answered that he was in a work
camp in Russia, adding that at
least from there, many returned.
From Warsaw, the 50 of us
traveled as a group to Konin (a
German work camp near
Gombin) and to Chelmno, an
extermination camp to which
the last 2,000 Jews of Gombin
Martin Guyer reads a prayer in front of the
were taken. At Chelmno, a
matzevot monument in the Jewish cemetery in
monument was unveiled with
Gombin.
inscriptions in English, Yiddish,
Hebrew and Polish in memory
siastic. I thought of vandalism and
of those Gombiner Jews.
had serious doubts about putting
From there, we traveled to
money into the Polish economy.
Gombin, a small town where today
Today,
I feel that we have done some-
one cannot literally find a place to sit
thing
worthwhile.
Time will tell
down and have a cup of coffee. We
whether
vandalism
will be a problem.
were nicely received by the local offi
I
do
not
believe
this is the dawn-
cials, priest and residents.
ing of a new Jewish era in Poland;
An old man on the street walking
however, the 3,000 Jews of Warsaw
with two canes led us on our attempt to
deserve our attention. At one time,
find the house my father's family lived
Jews
comprised one half the 7,000
in. Unfortunately, the house is appar-
residents
of Gombin. By rededicat-
ently no longer there. But, while we
ing
their
cemetery,
we have honored
were there, three more matzevot were
the people and culture that once
recovered when people came forward
existed there.
and said they had them in their yards.
We have shown the Polish people,
The ceremony at the cemetery was
if only in this small corner of Poland,
conducted by Rabbi Yehoshuati Witt
that the Jewish people live. Sheila,
from Israel as well as a cantor from
my wife, and I are proud to have
Lodz. Leaders of our group addressed us
been part of this. E
along with the mayor of Gombin and
President Sigmund Nissenbaum of the
Martin Guyer of Farmington Hills is
Nissenbaum Foundation. He is a
affiliated with Shomrey Emunah, Young
Holocaust survivor who has actively
Israel of Oak Park and Bais Chabad.
helped to fund such projects.
He was born in Detroit.
The local populace turned out.
They stood and listened respectfully
for an hour and a half while speeches