The Community of Żarki

Żarki is a town located 30 kilometres south-east of Częstochowa. At the outbreak of World War II, it is estimated that Żarki's population stood at around 5,000, 60% of whom Jews. The Germans created the Żarki ghetto in February 1941, in which 3,200 Jews were confined. The liquidation of this ghetto began on 6th October 1942. Around 300 Jews were executed in the local cemetery, some were selected for work in the Radom ghetto and the remainder were transported to their deaths in the Treblinka extermination camp. The exact number of Żarki Jews, who survived the War, is unknown. In 1959, the Organisation of Żarki Jews in Israel published this Yizkor Book. The articles were written by Survivors, most of whom, at the time of the publication of this book, are no longer with us. It is for this reason that the World Society of Częstochowa Jews & Their Descendants decided to include it in its "Częstochowa Yizkor Book Project" - to have it translated into English, for the first time, accurately and in its entirety. Through this book, those Survivors can continue to speak to us and to future generations "from beyond the grave". The "Częstochowa Yizkor Book Project" is funded by the Wolf & Dora Rajcher Memorial Fund.