Development of the Jewish community in Skarżysko-Kamienna is connected to the establishment of the in 1885. A few years later, the community built its first synagogue and established a cemetery. By 1921, at the dawn of the Second Polish Republic, one in five residents of the settlement practiced Judaism, although only 11.6% of the population declared Jewish nationality.

Due to restrictions tied to military secrecy, Jewish residents were excluded from employment in the rapidly growing arms industry.In 1931, 3,071 residents of Skarżysko-Kamienna were employed in industry (making up 49.9% of the workforce), while in 1939, this number rose to 5,728 (an increase of 86.5%; 53.9% of all employed) (). Consequently, many established small businesses and dominated sectors like mercery and craft. Notable figures included Mendel Feldman, who leased iron foundries employing over 430 workers, and his successors, who owned the Praca Enamelware Factory, staffed by around 150 laborers.

After the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Jewish population of Skarżysko-Kamienna suffered under brutal occupation. Persecution included murders, assaults, and forced labor. Between 1941 and 1942, approximately 3,000 Jews were confined in a ghetto, which was eventually liquidated. Inhabitants were either shot on site or deported to the Treblinka extermination camp.

The forced labor camp at the HASAG factory became an emblem of Nazi atrocities. This camp housed not only local Jews but also those from other parts of the Radom District and concentration camps. Historians estimate that between 25,000 and 30,000 individuals passed through the camp, with 18,000 to 23,000 of them perishing.

Some Poles risked their lives to assist persecuted Jews. Those caught providing aid often paid the ultimate price, executed for their acts of humanity.

Up to 1918

The first Jews settled along the Kamienna river, in the area of present-day Skarżysko-Kamienna, in the 18th century. According to the 1787 population census of the Archdiocese of Kraków, there were 174 people living in the settlement of Kamienna, including 12 of Jewish origin (6.9%). , on the other hand, had 114 residents, six of whom were Jews (5.3%). The largest settlement in the analyzed area, , had the fewest Jewish residents, with only four (1.75%) in the final years of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (a total of 228 residents).Szmul (Szulim) Leo Gelblum (c. 1862–1926), son of Joska and Fajga-Łaja, became the first rabbi of Kamienna after the establishment of the synagogue district in the settlement in 1911. He was married to Chana Rachela, and they had a daughter, Rajzla (). A larger influx of Jews occurred only after 1885, when the Kamienna settlement became an important railway junction of the . In 1891, the first synagogue, mikveh, and cheder were built, and at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a cemetery was established. In 1911, a Jewish district was created in Kamienna, and its first rabbi was Szmul Leo Gelblum. Two years earlier, in 1909, the inactive Iron and Steel Works "Skarżysko" in Kamienna was leased by Mendel Feldman, who began production. In the first half of 1914, the production reached 90,000 poods (about 1,490 tons), and 200 workers were employed.

In 1915, the Jewish residents of the settlement built a brick and stone synagogue. Next to the large prayer hall, there was a vestibule with an attic. The religious services were overseen by Rabbi Szmul Leo Gelblum. During World War I, the difficult economic situation, caused by the Austrian occupation administration, led to the creation of a Relief Committee by the Poles, which focused primarily on collecting food. Mendel Feldman, a Jew, was part of the committee but was unable to pass any resolutions beneficial to the Jewish population. The local qahal was advised to establish its own committee.

Second Polish Republic (1918–1939)

Population During the period of the Second Polish Republic, the demographic situation in the city was specific. In urban centers of the Kielce Voivodeship, Jews often dominated.In the 1938 publication Obraz Polski dzisiejszej. Fakty, cyfry i tablice (The Image of Contemporary Poland: Facts, Figures, and Tables), a list of 35 small towns where Jews predominated was published. Eight of these towns (22.9%) were located in the Kielce Voivodeship. The Jewish community was the majority in Działoszyce, Szydłowiec, Chmielnik, Wodzisław, and Opatów (). However, the situation was different in Skarżysko-Kamienna, where according to the 1921 Polish census, Jewish followers accounted for 19.5% of the total population (1,590 out of 8,163 people), but only 946 people (11.6%) identified their nationality as Jewish. In 1937, there were 2.8 thousand Jewish residents, making up 14.2% of the population (the city's total population was 19.7 thousand).

In the 1930s, the idea of emigration to Palestine was promoted by the in Skarżysko. Supporters of Ze'ev Jabotinsky's ideology organized marches, lectures, and meetings, with a significant portion of the Jewish community participating. However, it is difficult to estimate how many Jews from Skarżysko emigrated to Palestine, though it mainly involved older individuals.

Industry, services, and trade Although many Jews hoped to find work in the rapidly developing armaments industry in the city, they were not readily hired by such enterprises due to military secrecy. Therefore, the courses in mechanics, milling, and machine tools, organized by the Jewish Society for Vocational Work, proved to be of little use. However, many small enterprises were founded by Jews. These included mills, sawmills, iron foundries, factories producing files, nails, whetstones, roofing tiles, and paints. The trade in small goods was entirely in the hands of Jewish merchants. Jews also dominated in various crafts, owning shoemaking, hosiery, and tailoring shops.

The Jews of Skarżysko ran the following businesses and were involved in the following branches of trade:

Barrel factory – N. Rosenbaum Sheet metal works – J. Foldberg and A. Herszenfus Sawmills – L. Berkowicz and the company Rojzner and Landau Manufacture of cloth – U. Eljasiewicz, Ch. Feldman, H. Feldman, Ch. Hapern, R. Lewin, L. Runinsztajn, S. Szarit, M. Tropre, J. Urbach Timber trade – A. Pfeffer, M. Tenenbaum, M. PLNoto, M. Zylberman Cattle trade – J. Bojmsztaj, Sz. Cukier, Ch. Rubinsztein, H. Szyfman Iron goods trade – M. Bitter, N. Kochen, F. Szafirsztajn

The state owned the iron foundries leased by Mendel Feldman: the Iron Casting Factory, which employed 242 workers, and the Iron Foundry and Enamel Works "Nowy Bzin" with 192 employees. In 1924, Feldman lost the lease, which led to the collapse of "Nowy Bzin". The entrepreneur's heirs started the Enamelware Factory "Praca" in 1935. Initially, about 150 people worked there, and Jankiel Bryks served as the factory director. Just before the outbreak of war, in May 1939, the factory was damaged by a flood. The water destroyed the furnaces and factory equipment, causing the employees to lose their jobs.

In 1930, the following trade unions were registered in Skarżysko-Kamienna: the Jewish Building Trade Union and the Jewish Leather Industry Trade Union. The latter was dissolved in 1938, partly due to the economic crisis. In the same year, a list of artisans was compiled, in which several of the 69 names indicated Jewish origins. Jewish names predominated in the list of grocery stores from 1930. The stores, mainly small ones, operated in a chain trade system, where several intermediaries earned a profit from a single product.

Jewish community Although the Jewish community in Skarżysko-Kamienna did not officially exist until 1934, elections were held in 1924, organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education, which resulted in the formation of a board. A year later, the community notified the Końskie County office about the completion of the renovation of the mikveh and the tidying up of the cemetery, which led to the allocation of 1,000 PLN to increase the rabbi's salary. In 1926, Rabbi Szmul Leo Gelblum passed away. In the elections scheduled for 8 August, in which 247 people (94.5%) participated, Moszek Morgensztern won. However, the legality of the election was quickly challenged, with claims of corruption. Although Mordka Dawid Perl filed a complaint with the Supreme Administrative Court, the new rabbi was supported by, among others, the Union of Rabbis of the Republic, and Morgensztern was ultimately approved.

In 1931, 153 families were required to pay the community fee. This was expected to provide 1,930 PLN, which constituted 7.2% of the community's income. However, most of the income came from the slaughter of cattle – 17,500 PLN (i.e., 65.1% of the budget, which amounted to 26,900 PLN). On the expenditure side, 1,000 PLN was planned for schools, and over 10,000 PLN for the purchase of land for the construction of a new synagogue. The community also supported poor children studying at the Talmud Torah with a sum of 300 PLN.Little is known about Jewish education in Skarżysko-Kamienna. In addition to the Talmud Torah, which provided free education for poor children, there was also Bejs Jakow – a school for girls under the patronage of the orthodox party Agudat Yisrael (). In 1933, the community's income was just under 27,000 PLN, although it was estimated to exceed 38,500 PLN. At that time, the fee applied to 245 families and ranged from 2 to 300 PLN. In that year, the head of the board was Chairman Ajzenberg, and in 1934, it was Chil Wajnberg. For the needs of the community, 1,200 cows, 1,560 calves, 2,400 geese, and 7,000 poultry were slaughtered annually.

In the 1930s, a decision was made to renovate the synagogue, which was in poor condition, and to build a new one on Fabryczna Street. The brick building was solemnly opened on 19 December 1935. The constantly renovated mikvah remained in ruins and was unusable. In 1934, a fence was erected around the Jewish cemetery, and a caretaker's house was built.

Political activity According to an assessment by the starosta of Końskie County from the early 1920s, the General Jewish Labour Bund influence predominated among Jewish workers. It is possible that a cell of this party existed in the settlement, as its activists were notably active during the 1922 parliamentary elections. In the 1930s, the city saw the presence of the Orthodox party Agudat Yisrael and Zionist parties such as Mizrachi and the Organization of Zionist Revisionists. Tadeusz Wojewoda suggests that the influence of the latter was particularly significant in the early 1930s. Although Jewish individuals were "disproportionately represented" in Skarżysko's communist organizations, the number of Jewish communists – about a dozen – constituted only a tiny fraction of the overall Jewish community in Skarżysko.

In the first municipal elections, Jewish votes (370) were roughly evenly split between Orthodox and Zionist lists. During the 1928 parliamentary elections, 367 Jewish votes were divided among four lists. The Bloc of National Minorities and the General Jewish National Electoral Bloc garnered limited, albeit real, support. Two years later, Jewish candidates appeared on four lists: the Bloc for the Defense of Jewish National Rights, Poale Zion, General Jewish Labour Bund, and the General Jewish National Economic Bloc. Of these, the last list received the most votes (224).

Polish-Jewish relations