While I was writing about Sri Lanka a few interesting things happened: a couple of thematic walks in Warsaw, one day trip to my favorite village somewhere in the middle of Poland, and one short trip to a small town near Warsaw, where I could visit the Jewish cemetery again closed for everyone. So let me show you some photos from the last mentioned trip first.
With a group of people interested in Jewish culture I went to Góra Kalwaria, a small town located ca. 30 km southeast of Warsaw. The town was called Góra at the beginning, which means “mountain” in English. Then the name was changes into New Jerusalem, because the urban design was based on medieval maps of Jerusalem, but Jewish weren’t allowed to settle there that time. At the beginning of 19th century the ban on Jewish settlement was lifted, and Jews shortly became the predominant group in the town.
Jews began to erect their own religious buildings. The first synagogue was wooden, built in 1849, and then replaced by brick one in 1901-1902. It was the synagogue of the tzaddiks from the Alter dynasty. The first noble person, who arrived from Warsaw and settle in Góra Kalwaria, was Icchak Mejer Alter (Gerer Rebe). Grandson Arie Lejb (Swas-Emes) and then his son Abram Mordechaj Walter became successors of Icchak Mejer Alter. Authority and charisma of them attracted thousands of Hassidic Jews from all of Poland and elsewhere in East-Central Europe. There were the narrow gauge rail line from Warsaw to Góra Kalwaria, called “Rebes kolejka” (in English: rebbe train), which facilitated the pilgrimages.
With a group of people interested in Jewish culture I went to Góra Kalwaria, a small town located ca. 30 km southeast of Warsaw. The town was called Góra at the beginning, which means “mountain” in English. Then the name was changes into New Jerusalem, because the urban design was based on medieval maps of Jerusalem, but Jewish weren’t allowed to settle there that time. At the beginning of 19th century the ban on Jewish settlement was lifted, and Jews shortly became the predominant group in the town.
Jews began to erect their own religious buildings. The first synagogue was wooden, built in 1849, and then replaced by brick one in 1901-1902. It was the synagogue of the tzaddiks from the Alter dynasty. The first noble person, who arrived from Warsaw and settle in Góra Kalwaria, was Icchak Mejer Alter (Gerer Rebe). Grandson Arie Lejb (Swas-Emes) and then his son Abram Mordechaj Walter became successors of Icchak Mejer Alter. Authority and charisma of them attracted thousands of Hassidic Jews from all of Poland and elsewhere in East-Central Europe. There were the narrow gauge rail line from Warsaw to Góra Kalwaria, called “Rebes kolejka” (in English: rebbe train), which facilitated the pilgrimages.
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| The synagogue |
There was the major house of Alter dynasty just opposite the synagogue. Both buildings still exist, but there are only few signs of past owners and their culture. More you can read here: the history of Jewish community in Góra Kalwaria, about the synagogue and major house.
The cemetery was established in 1829, but this date is not confirmed. During World War II it was devastated. The tombstones were removed and used in construction works. After the war only ca. 60 stellas were left. In communism times there were plans to change the area of cemetery to industrial settlements, but fortunately those plans were never realized.
Nowadays the cemetery is closed and it is quite difficult to get keys to open a big gate. A person who has been taking care for years is Mr. Feliks Karpman, who we met and could listen to his moving history. He is a native resident of Góra Kalwaria, was a participant of the Uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto and a prisoner of Treblinka. He transported old fragments of plundered matzevot to the cemetery and even managed to reconstruct the ohel of the tzaddiks. Now he is 87 and worried what will happen after he is gone. Click if you want to read an interview with Mr. Karpmann.
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| Inside of the ohel, where everyone can leave his wishes/prayers, written on a piece of paper |
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| A historic gate |
One of the most worthwhile things to see is just behind the main entrance to the Jewish cemetery. In place of the original, pre-war gate, there is a historic gate (in the photo above), which was transported from the estate of the Alter family by Mr. Feliks Karpman. The holes in its lower part are bullet marks. They appeared during the executions performed by the Nazis in the yard of the house of the tzaddik.
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