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Introduction These pages are an introduction to the town of Łask; specifically concentrating on its pre Second World War and the social, cultural and historic life of its former Jewish community. In 1939, there were 3,864 Jews out of a total population of 6,000 people living in the town. Today Łask has 18,948 inhabitants (2004) and there are no known Jewish inhabitants. Łask is the county town of Łask County, and is situated in Łódz Voivodeship (since 1999), previously it was part of the Sieradz Voivodeship (1975-1998). The landscape is dominated by a large flood plain which is divided into two parts by the River Grabia. There are many sand dunes of glacial origin and there are significant pine forests to the south of the town. The entire district consists of 30 parishes. The town owed its origin to its location on the crossroads of the most important trade routes. The Jewish Community of “Lask” To its Jewish community the town was known as Lask. The Jewish settlement of the town began to develop at the close of the 1500’s. For about two centuries, (to the early 1800’s) the owners of the town were supportive of the Jewish population and protected it. This enabled the community to flourish and to maintain a Jewish community council (Kahal) which administered for the town and surrounding villages and towns including Pabjanice and Zdunska Wola. According to the census of 1765, there were 891 Jews in Łask and a further 276 in the 54 small surrounding settlements subordinate to the community. By 1897 there were 2,862 Jews in Łask (68% of the population). In 1921 there were 2,623 Jews in Łask. The size of the Jewish community remained at this level until the outbreak of the Second World War and the destruction of the community and its rich religious, cultural and social way of life.  

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Bais Yakov (Jewish girls school) - Łask

Lask Municipal Coat of Arms Coordinates for Łask 51°35'N 19°8'E Alternate names: Łask [Pol],  Lask [Yiddish, Russian and  German], qsal [Yiddish],   Łask [pronounced Wask] is a  town in central Poland with  18,948 inhabitants (2004). It's  the capital of Lask County, and  is situated in Lódz Voivodeship  (since 1999), previously in  Sieradz Voivodeship (1975-  1998). 32nd Air Base of the  Polish Air Force is located  nearby. 

The Jerusalem Memorial

We Shall Remember We shall remember and not forget  our town of birth, the holy  community of Lask, that was  destroyed.  We shall remember with trembling hearts and eyes full with tears,  our parents, our brothers, our  sisters and all the Jews of our  town, pure and innocent men and  women, old people and babies;  the blood of whom was shed by  the murderers like water. We shall remember all those that  were chased, scattered and  banished into camps of forced  labour and in other places of  suffering; hungry depressed and  without compassion. May their souls be bound up in  the bond of everlasting life.  From Page 702 of the Lask Yizkor  Book