Story Summary:
The 1st Piusker Benevolent Association was founded in New York by immigrants from Piaski Luterskie (Piask), Poland. The society was originally known as the "Ershte-Piasker Kranken Unter-shtitsungs Ferayn", and provided sick and death benefits to its members. The Society uses Washington cemetery in Deans, New Jersey and Mount Hebron Cemetery in Queens, New York. Initial Jewish presence in Piask dates to the 17th century. The Jewish population of Piask engaged in commerce and trade professions. Communally speaking, the community was well established, having a synagogue, a cemetery, and becoming industrialized through the influx of factories. During the interwar period, the population suffered heavily from anti-semitic attacks and a worsening economy. German and Soviet forces entered the town in September of 1939. Piasks' Jewish community, as well as some from Germany perished during the Holocaust. By the end of the war, only about 35 had survived. Their memories continue to live on. ~Blog by Olivia Scanlon
1st Piusker Benevolent Association Blog
The 1st Piusker Benevolent Association was founded in New York by immigrants from Piaski Luterskie (Piask), Poland. The society was originally known as the “Ershte-Piasker Kranken Unter-shtitsungs Ferayn”, and provided sick and death benefits to its members. The Society uses Washington cemetery in Deans, New Jersey and Mount Hebron Cemetery in Queens, New York.
Initial Jewish presence in Piask dates to the 17th century. Most of the Jewish population made their living in the commerce and trade professions. During the 18th century, the community faced hardships surrounding levied taxes, straining their economic livelihoods. Despite this, the community continued to grow and flourish, becoming industrialized through new leather workshops, oil refineries, and factories. During the second half of the 18th century, a synagogue was established, and at a later date, a Jewish cemetery. Some of the community rabbis were Rabbi Zvi Hirsh, Rabbi Daniel, Rabbi Yehoda Licht, followed by his son, Rabbi Shlomo Licht. The Jewish population of Piask had a steady increase, with there being just over 200 Jews in the 1760s to over 2000 Jews by the 1880s, and over 4000 Jews by the late 1930s.
During the interwar period, the Jewish community suffered from anti-semitic attacks and a worsening economy. In 1930 and 1931, the town had to recover from two devastating fires. During the late 1930s, there was a population influx, resulting in more land needing to be used for residential purposes. The Jewish cemetery property was subsequently used to meet these demands, despite the local protests. The Jewish community of Piask, specifically the youth population, participated greatly in its Zionist organizations. The “Union of Israel” and “Bond” political parties were active as well.
The 1930s marked a period of mass migrations to Israel. In September of 1939, Soviet and German forces invaded Poland. In the Spring of 1940, the first ghetto was established. This ghetto was used mostly for forced labor. In June of the following year, a second ghetto was established. In March of 1942, the first wave of deportations took place, with about 3500 Jews sent to the Belzec death camp. Later that month, just over 5000 Jews from Germany were sent to Piask, raising the ghetto population to over 6000. The first ghetto was liquidated in the early Fall of 1942, with some being deported to the Belzec concentration camp and others transferred to Trawniki concentration camp and then to the Sobibor extermination camp. In October, about 3000 Jews from the Leczna ghetto were sent to Piasks’ second ghetto. This ghetto was liquidated in November of the same year. By the end of the war, about 35 of Piasks’ Jews had survived. Today, a monument stands remembering Piasks’ Jewish community.
http://yivoarchives.org/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=34084
https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_poland/pol7_00384.html
https://www.holocausthistoricalsociety.org.uk/contents/ghettosj-r/piaski.html
https://iajgscemetery.org/eastern-europe/poland/piaski-6804761
~Blog by Olivia Scanlon
