History of Jews in Szydłowiec refers to the history of the Jewish religious community in Szydłowiec from the earliest mention of Jews in the town in the 16th century to 1946.
The Jews of Szydłowiec formed a close-knit community within their own religious and ethnic group, carefully isolating themselves from the town's Catholic and Protestant residents until the end of the 18th century. They began arriving in large numbers in the second half of the 17th century. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, they established a thriving civic community that had a significant influence on local government decisions and the political landscape of the Radom Land. Before World War II, Jewish residents made up 76% of the town's population. They mainly lived in the northern part of the town – , Skałka, and . The once harmonious coexistence of Poles and Jews in Szydłowiec was ultimately disrupted by the war and the wave of postwar antisemitism.
At the same time, Jews from Szydłowiec left a lasting impact on the local folk culture. This influence is reflected, among other things, in the pejorative ethnonym for the town's inhabitants: "Cebularze" (regional dialect: Cybulo(a)rze).
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (16th–18th century)
Settlement
Jews appeared in Szydłowiec in the 1580s. Sparse mentions, despite the survival of municipal archives, suggest that the Jewish community had little significance in the town until the mid-17th century. The first purchases of town property by Jews were recorded in 1589. The first documented Jewish residents of Szydłowiec were Przasnisz and Abram Sowa.
Two hypotheses exist regarding the mass influx of Jews into Szydłowiec. The first suggests that they came from Red Ruthenia and Volhynia, fleeing the Khmelnytsky Uprising. This remains speculative, as the author of this theory provides no supporting evidence. The second hypothesis posits that the Jewish population of Szydłowiec was affected by the privileges granted by King John II Casimir Vasa in 1663 and John III Sobieski in 1676. This is also incorrect, as these privileges pertain to Szydłów, not Szydłowiec. The records of the head tax from between 1672 and 1676 do not mention Jews in Szydłowiec. However, the mass influx of Jews into Szydłowiec should be linked to the 1696 decree issued by Dominik Mikołaj Radziwiłł, prompted by the depopulation of the town. The owner of the Szydłowiec estates assured that there were plenty of vacant houses and plots for building in the town, encouraging settlement and guaranteeing the safety of newly acquired property. This decree also confirmed old municipal rights and privileges and encouraged merchants to visit Szydłowiec's fairs and settle in the town.
By the early 18th century, the Jewish population in Szydłowiec must have been significant, as the town's owner, rather than the Jewish elders, sought permission from the Bishop of Kraków, Kazimierz Łubieński, to build a synagogue in 1711. This was eventually constructed in the same year, enabling the formation of a religious community. The number of Jews in the town grew so rapidly that the northern part of Szydłowiec was soon referred to as the "Jewish town". By 1716, there were 20 Jewish householders and 25 tenants in the town. According to , by this year there were 270 Jews living in Szydłowiec.
Relations between Jews and Christians From the mid-18th century, Jews in Szydłowiec began to play an increasingly significant role. One of the Jews, Gershon Salmonowicz, obtained the lease for municipal revenues between 1726 and 1727. The next co-leaseholder was Mosiek Dawidowicz.
With the growing Jewish population, conflicts began to arise between Catholics and the increasingly numerous Jewish inhabitants. These were primarily economic conflicts. The Jewish Community, feeling aggrieved, submitted a complaint to the town's owner, listing their grievances. After reading it, Prince concluded that the Szydłowiec synagogue, as well as the town itself, might come to ruin. Therefore, on 5 September 1741, he issued a decree regulating the disputed issues. Among other things, he stated that since the Jews did not go to the forest to gather wood but instead bought it in the town, they should not be subjected to forest-related fees. He further declared, "Only by my old universal decree, I pull them to this duty; thus, even though I annul oats and chickens, I order that the Catholic town should annually pay 100 Polish złoty without any delays".
The prince also sought to prevent anti-Jewish acts. These incidents usually occurred during the Maundy Thursday procession when participants engaged in acts of violence against Jewish property and the Jews themselves. As a result, the town owner ordered the council to deploy a guard during the procession to prevent any disturbances. The governor of the county was also obligated to deploy a castle garrison to capture the perpetrators of such crimes. Both Christians and Jews were bound by the decree. Violation of it was punishable by a fine of 200 grzywna, and failure to comply with this penalty could result in two weeks of imprisonment and an additional fine of 400 grzywna.
Congress Poland (1815–1914) Jewish Population of Szydłowiec between 1819 and 1913YearNumber% of total population18191,47762.2%18251,81663.6%18272,04964.8%18572,78073.2%18602,96974.4%18622,96173.6%18975,29871.3%1906Objęto również ludność zamieszkałą tymczasowo.6,24475.6%19138,56378.2%
Area of residence
Since the 16th century, Szydłowiec was divided into two districts: the Catholic Town and the Jewish Town. The latter included areas around Skałeczny Square. This division remained in place until 1862, with its legal origins dating back to 28 July 1788, when Prince issued a privilege for Szydłowiec. It stated that Jews should not settle or live in the area designated for Catholics under any circumstances.
At the beginning of the 19th century, this law was violated. Jews settled in several houses near the Great Market. This caused protests from the Catholic residents, who demanded the return to the previous state. The judge of the Peace Court, Filip Piegłowski, appointed by the city owner, referred to the 1788 privilege and ordered the removal of Jews from the Market. This took place on 19 July 1820. It was at this time that, at the initiative of Catholic townspeople, Szymon Badowski created a city plan, marking public utility buildings (including those belonging to the Jewish community) and also the boundary established by Mikołaj Radziwiłł's privilege.
In 1860, a population census was conducted in the town, revealing that Jews had already settled on a new street, Zgnila Street. At this time, only one Jew lived in the Catholic Market. This situation remained until 1862 when the privilege granted by the Radziwiłłs ceased to apply, as the tsar abolished the restrictions on Jewish mobility. This indicates that the residents of Szydłowiec, especially Catholics, adhered to this prohibition, which was not such a common occurrence in the Congress Poland at that time.
Religious community and life
During this period, the Szydłowiec Jewish community was one of the largest in the Radom Governorate. This was partly due to territorial mobility restrictions. Until 1861, the Szydłowiec community included the following towns: Bliżyn, Bodzentyn, Broniew, Chlewiska, Chustki, Długosz, Dąbrowa, Kamienna, Psary, Suchedniów, Śniadków, Tarczek, Wąchock, Wola Korzeniowska, Wygoda, Wymysłów, and Wzdół. In 1862, the area of the religious community was reduced due to the establishment of new communities in Bodzentyn, Kamienna, and Wąchock. Apart from the synagogue, the community also had a cheder, mikveh, school, and two cemeteries. This situation remained unchanged until the outbreak of World War I, indicating its independence.
During this period, the community employed a rabbi, assistant rabbi, cheder teacher, treasurer, synagogue caretaker, and bookkeeper. The latter three positions were likely filled by Poles, as was common in other communities in the governorate. This was due to the need for knowledge of the law, as well as the ability to speak Polish and Russian.
At this time, the only source of income for the community was the annual mandatory contributions. These funds were used not only to maintain the community's property and pay its employees but also for charitable activities. This included assistance for the poorest members of the community. The allowances during this period were never lower than 250 rubles per family.
In 1878, the community renovated the Bathhouse. In 1887, architect Ruszkowicz made plans to build a new cheder and a brick synagogue. The project envisioned buildings worth nearly 7,138 silver rubles. However, the plans for the new buildings were not realized, and a more modest synagogue was constructed instead. In 1904, the synagogue building burned down, and a new one was built on its site according to Ruszkowicz's plans. The last investment of the community before the outbreak of war (in 1911) was the installation of sanitary facilities near the synagogue.
In the 19th century, there were isolated instances of individuals leaving the community. Based on the inscriptions on tombstones, researchers infer the community's strong attachment to tradition. In Szydłowiec, there were three attempts to convert from Judaism to Catholicism. Two of these cases ended with the individuals abandoning their plans to be baptized. The third case was so complicated and difficult for the provincial authorities that it was classified as secret.
Beginnings of social activity among Jews The social activity of Jews in Szydłowiec, beyond religious matters, was largely confined to political and party activities. The Russian Revolution of 1905 in Congress Poland mobilized many social groups, both Poles and Jews, and Szydłowiec was no exception. Given the scale and nature of these events, they were significant in the city. According to the investigation files of the Radom Provincial Gendarmerie, there were cells of the Polish Socialist Party and the Bund, the latter consisting exclusively of Jews. The Bund faction maintained close ties with other socialist party cells in the region, particularly those in Radom.
The Bund supporters in Szydłowiec conducted agitation campaigns among the local population. Between 1905 and 1906, they organized a boycott of goods sold by local Jewish merchants, sometimes under the threat of force. As a result, the Szydłowiec Bund raised funds for its activities. The then-rabbi, Rubin Rabinowicz, intervened in an attempt to calm the tensions, especially among the Jewish community, but his appeals were unsuccessful. At that time, there were between 60 and 90 active members of the Bund in Szydłowiec, and it can be assumed that most of them participated in these actions. Between 1909 and 1910, a court trial was held in this matter, involving 24 individuals aged 16 to 25. The trial identified brothers Mordka and Szlame Tanenbaum as the main organizers of the entire venture. Some of the accused were sentenced to prison or exile to Siberia. The youngest were either released into parental custody or declared innocent.
Interwar period (1918–1939)
Economy, employment, and economic situation
Jewish craftsmen either set up their own small family workshops or worked for other Jews. This was due to the fact that the vast majority of uneducated Jews in Szydłowiec spoke only Yiddish fluently, a language understood by all Jews without major issues. Jewish craftsmen were particularly prominent in the leather, textile, and personal services industries. They mainly worked in hat-making, boot-making, tailoring, baking, butchering, and shoemaking. Over 60% of the craftsmen in the Koneckie County were tailors and shoemakers.