What ensued was a journey that took a number of years and involved travel to cities and towns in the United States, Europe and Israel to retrieve information and interview survivors who were still alive and members of their families. One of his great pleasures was showing the film to survivors who became excited when they could identify their younger selves or one of their parents or a sibling or a neighbor or a friend or town merchant. The film triggered memories of their childhood and relationships that they thought they had forgotten. At least one survivor said that the film gave him back his childhood.
Glenn Kurtz was able to put together many pieces of the puzzle by following up on leads provided by survivors, by searching in archives, and by interviewing historians, archivists, and Jewish scholars as well as survivors. It is fascinating to see how piecing together a constellation of clues often prompted major discoveries – a positive identification, a relationship, a photo found in an official file or in an album owned by a survivor or relative. The longer Kurtz worked on deciphering the puzzles presented by the film, the more expertise he acquired, which led him to rephrase his questions, which often led him back to information in a source he’d previously researched but whose details he now realized were significant.
Throughout, Kurtz provides a broader historical context for what happened in the town and to the members of the town. Through both personal stories and historical documentation he manages to give life to a community that on film is very much alive. They had little idea of what was to come.
This memoir includes photos, and notes listing many institutions and resources.
To read or listen to an interview with the author that had been broadcast on National Public Radio, to read an excerpt from the memoir, and to watch the three minutes in Poland film clip, click here.
To watch a video of the author talking about his project to identify people in his grandfather's home movie, click here.
Family
(Hermann) Hyman Kurtz – married Leah Diamond (Diamont)
David Kurtz – son of Hyman and Lea; married Lena (Liza) Saltzman
Jerry Kurtz – son of David and Lena
Shirley Kurtz – daughter of David and Lena; married Jack Mandel
Milton Kurtz – son of David and Lena; married Dede
Roger Kurtz – son of Milton and Dede; married to Cynthia
David Kurtz – son of Roger and Cynthia
Dana Kurtz – daughter of Milton and Dede; married to Rob
Glenn Kurtz – son of Milton and Dede; author
William Kurtz – son of Hyman and Leah
Harry Kurtz – son of Hyman and Leah
David Diamond – sister of Lea Diamond (see above) – married to Essie Malina
Fred Diamond – son of David and Essie
Ronnie Diamond – granddaughter of David and Essie (parents’ names not included)
Louis Malina – sister of Essie; married to Lillian “Rosie”
David Malina – grandson of Louis and Lillian (parents’ names not included)
Jane Malina Levinson – granddaughter of Louis and Lillian ( “ )
Eliahu Kubel and Frumet Haze Kubel; cousin of Louis and Essie Malina (exact relationship not clear)
Sura Kubel Goldsmith – daughter of Eliahu and Frumet; cousin of Louis and Essie Malina
Faith Ohlstein – daughter of Sura
Jerry Goldsmith – son of Sura; married to Nikki
Shandle Kubel – daughter of Eliahu and Frumet
Chaja Kubel – daughter of Eliahu and Frumet
Mindl Kubel – daughter of Eliahu and Frumet; married Josef Lederman
Avrum Kubel – son of Eliahu and Frumet
Rachel Kubel – daughter of Eliahu and Frumet
David Kubel – cousin; exact relationship unclear
Haskell Bab (Babszuk) – grandfather of Lena Saltzman (exact relationship unclear)
Chaim Saltzman - author's father's maternal grandfather
Lena Saltzman – daughter of Chaim; married Hermann Kurtz (see above)
Rose Saltzman – daughter of Chaim
Lee – daughter of Rose
Fannie Saltzman – daughter of Chaim; married Louis Karpf
Baruch Gershkowitz – married to Leah Kanat; distant cousin of Lena Saltzman Kurtz (see above)
George Gershkowitz – son of Baruch and Leah
Julius Gershkowitz – son of Baruch and Leah
Channah Gershkowitz – daughter of Baruch and Leah
Ruchel Gershkowitz – daughter of Baruch and Leah
Saul Gershkowitz – son of Baruch and Leah; married Irma
Bernice Schechter – cousin of author; exact relationship unclear
Friends and Acquaintances
Mordehai and Libo Ajzenberg
Cesia Ajzenberg (Susan Eisenberg) Weiss – daughter of Mordehai and Libo
Natanal (Sana) Milchberg – married Hendl Nordwind
Fajga (Faiga) Milchberg – daughter of Sana and Hendl; married to Szmuel (Samuel) Tyk (Tick)
Malca Tick – daughter of Faiga and Samuel; married David Reiss
Heather Tick – daughter of Faiga and Samuel
Yehiel Milchberg – son of Sana and Hendl
Pesa Milchberg – daughter of Sana and Hendl
Efraim Milchberg – son of Sana and Hendl
Ruchla Tyk- sister of Szmuel
Masha Nordwind – sister of Hendl
Boris Yehuda Skalka
Israel (Srul) Skalka – son of Boris Yehuda; married Dvora Friedman
Chawa Skalka – daughter of Srul and Dvora; married Jehouszua (Szaja) Tuchendler
Avrum Tuchendler – son of son of Szaja and Chawa
Moszek Tuchendler (Maurice Chandler) – son of Szaja and Chawa; married Dorris
Debra Chandler – daughter of Maurice and Dorris
Evelyn Chandler – daughter of Maurice and Dorris; married to Steve Rosen
Marcy Rosen – daughter of Evelyn and Steve; married David Eisenberg
Lev Eisenberg – son of Marcy and David
Jason Rosen – son of Evelyn and Steve - married to Esther Lee
Emily Rosen – daughter of Evelyn and Steve
Dawid Tuchendler – son of Szaja and Chawa
Jankiel Skalka – son of Srul and Dvora; married Malka
Brucha and Selig Skalka – children of Jankiel and Malka
Elia Applebaum – nephew of Chawa Skalka (mother was Chawa’s sister); married daughter of Rabbi Chaim Fine
Sarah-Achicam Fine – daughter of Rabbi Chaim Fine; sister of Elia Applebaum’s wife
Israel and Paja Kulas
Meir Kulas – son of Israel and Paja
Czarna Ida Kulas Zimmer – daughter of Israel and Paja
David Leib and Ester Szmerlak (Schmerlak) (Simon)
Yitzhak and Frida Piekarek
Jankiel Piekarek – son of Yitzhak and Frida
Gitta (Gloria) Piekarek Rubin – daughter of Yitzhak and Frida
Mendel and Riza Perelmuter
Fishl Perelmuter – son of Mendel and Riza
Rizla Perelmuter – daughter of Fishl
Sura Perelmuter – daughter of Mendel and Riza, married Avrum Landau
Felix Landau – son of Sura and Avrum
Josef Perelmuter – son of Mendel and Riza
Dina Perelmuter – daughter of Josef
Sophia Perelmuter Wolkowitz – daughter of Dina
Fishl Perelmuter – son of Josef
Chaim David Perelmuter – son of Mendel and Riza
Leibl and Faiga Owsianka
Arieh Czarko
Shimon Czarko – son of Arieh
Chaim Nusen Cwajghaft (Tsvaighaft)
Abram (Avraham Isser) Cwajghaft; son of Chaim Nusen
Unszer Swarcbert (Shmuel Usher Schwartzberg)
Laja Swarcberg (Leah Schwartzberg) – daughter of Unszer; married Louis (Lejba, Leibl) Silverstein (Zylbersztajn)
Idessa Swarcberg (Schwartzberg) – daughter of Unszer; married Shloma Rychermann (Solomon Richman)
Keva Richman – son of Idessa and Solomon; married to Beverly
Itzhak Koprak- nephew of Usnzer; married Channa Koprak
Morchechai (Mikhail) Koprak – son of Itzhak and Channa
Fajwel Lejbowicz – married Szeindla Waligura
Mordechai Rajczyk
Majer (Meir) Filar
Jankiel and Chana Glodek
Abraham Glodek – son of Jankiel and Chana
Leibl Glodek – son of Jankiel and Chana
Herszek Glodek – son of Jankiel and Chana
Szlamek Glodek – son of Jankiel and Chana
Gittla Glodek – daughter of Jankiel and Chana
Leslie (Lejzor) Glodek – married Celia
Jennifer Glodek – daughter of Leslie and Celia; married Jonathan Benn
Graham Glodek – son of Leslie and Celia; married Maria
Mottl Brzoza
Moshe (Mojsze) Cyrlak; married ? Srebro
Israel Cyrlak – son of Moshe
Abram Gutman – married Chaya Finkelstein
Grace Gutman Pahl – daughter of Chaya Finkelstein
Lonia Gutman – daughter of Abram and Chaya
Rivka Finkelstein – probably a relative of Chaya
Hersz Jagoda
Michael Jagoda – son of Hersz
Jankiel (Jacques) Jagoda – son of Hersz
Leib Jagoda
Israel Yagoda – uncle of Natan and Arie – exact relationship unclear
? and Elkie Yagoda
Natan Yagoda – son of ? and Elkie
Arie Yagoda – son of ? and Elkie; married to Shifra
Moszek (Moshe) Rotsztejn (Rotstein) (Mark Rothstein) – brother of Avruml and Simcha
Avruml (Rotsztejn) Rotstein – brother of Moshe and Simcha
Simcha (Rotsztejn) Rotstein – brother of Moshe and Avruml
Saul Reingewirtz (Raimi)
Chaim Huberman
Tuwia Blaszka
Mendel Bergazyn
Leib Jedwab
Abraml Jedwab
Shiye Brozoza
Shimon Kaminski
Idel and Czarna Skornik
Maryisia Skornik- daughter of Idel and Czarna
Moshe Skornik – distant relative of Idel
Peril Skornik – daughter of Moshe
Yiniv Goldberg – grandson of Peril
Leon (Ljzor) Finklestein (Finkielsztejn) – btother-in-law of Czarna Skornik (exact relationship unclear)
Icchok Buchman – brother of Fajwel
Fajwel Buchman – brother of Icchok
Ita Melman
Anat Aderet – granddaughter of Ita
Rachel Rosenthal – married Chaim Laks
Itzhak and Channa Koprak
Morchechai (Mikhail) Koprak – son of Itzhak and Channa
Neshka Rosenberg
Irving Novetsky
Morris Laboda
Boyes Sheinbaum (Szejnbaum)
Meilich (Moyshe) Hokhman
Jankiel (Jack) Weingarten
Moishe Borstein
Yitzhak Leib Lubieniecki
Hershel (Henry) Lubieniecki – son of Yitzhak
Andrzej (Avram Moshe) Lubieniecki – son of Yitzhak; married Manya (Maria) Wlosko
Shimon Lubieniecki – son of Yitzhak
Abrahm Itzhak Wlosko – father of Manya
Berl-Bernard Mark
Perla Tch
Zelda Beharier
Heike Goldwasser
Manya Goldwasser
Miriam Myrla – married Josef Skurnik; second husband - Sadik
Carla Sadik Blumenthal – daughter of Miriam and - Sadik
Czarna Myrla – sister of Miriam and Malka
Malka Myrla – sister of Miriam and Czarna
Abraham and Leah Vilchinski (Wilczynski)
Valek (Mordekhai) Vilchinski – son of Abraham and Lea
Tadek (Yitzkhak) Vilchinski – son of Abraham and Lea
Faigele Pludwinski (Pludwin)
Leiser Horowitz
Boruch Filar
Aron Filar
Leibl Filar
Places
Berezne, Poland
Nasielsk, Poland
Sarny, Poland
Mokvyn, Poland
Radzyn, Poland
Nowy Dwor, Poland
Jablonna, Poland
Warsaw, Poland
Bialystok, Poland
Warsaw ghetto
Piekielko labor camp
Flatbush, Brooklyn NY
Roslyn, NY
Palm Beach Gardens, NY
Boca Raton, Fla
Detroit, Michigan
Bloomfield, Michigan
Windso, Ontario, Canada
London, England
Nachlat Nashelsk, Kiryat Ono, Israel
Paris, France
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