The Book of Dembitz (Dębica, Poland) - Translation of Sefer Dembitz
This comprehensive Yizkor memorial book documents the complete history of the Jewish community in Dębica, Poland, from its earliest settlement in 1673 through the Holocaust. The translation of Sefer Dembitz preserves the memory of a vibrant Jewish community that comprised 55% of the town's population at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Historical Documentation of Dębica's Jewish Community
Jews were living in Dębica as early as 1673 after being banished from the nearby town of Pilzno. This volume documents the unique structure of Dębica's Jewish community, which was distinguished by two independent Jewish communities with separate rabbinates and communal institutions for Old Dębica and New Dębica. By the late 1930s, approximately 3,300 Jews lived in Dębica, working as lawyers, doctors, teachers, bakers, butchers, and tailors.
Holocaust Survivor Testimonies
When Nazi forces occupied Dębica from 1939 through 1944, the Jewish population was imprisoned in the local ghetto, forced to perform labor in Pustkóv, and ultimately sent to the Bełżec death camp. Approximately 13,000 Jews from Dębica county were murdered in the Holocaust, including about 3,000 from the city itself. This book contains firsthand accounts from the 50-100 survivors who escaped, survived the camps, or were hidden by Poles. Read the details in the survivors' own words as they remember and bring to life the once vibrant Jewish community of Dębica.
Essential Resource for Genealogy Research
This memorial book serves as an invaluable resource for descendants and researchers of Dębica. The volume provides detailed information about families, community institutions, and daily life in pre-war Dębica. Dembitz is located at 50°03' North Latitude and 21°25' East Longitude. Alternate names include Dębica (Polish), Dembitz (Yiddish, German), Debitsa, Dembica, Dembits, Dembitsa, and Dembiza. Nearby Jewish communities included Pilzno (8 miles SW), Ropczyce (9 miles E), Przecław (11 miles NNE), Wielopole Skrzyńskie (11 miles SE), Brzostek (12 miles S), and Radomyśl Wielki (12 miles NNW).
