house, with many rooms. 
Let me introduce you to a wonderful woman. Her name is Chanale
Kraut Kislowicz. She is pictured here at 92 in (where else?)
Miami Beach, with her friend of many years, Lillian Scheiner
Kramer. Chanale was born in 1902 in New York City. Her mother,
Tessie Seidman, had married but was not happy here; so in 1910
Tessie packed up her 3 children and returned to her parents in
Strzyzow, where her father, Alter Ezra Seidman, was Dayan
(Judge, Assistant Rabbi), and her mother, the daughter of Reb
Avrohom Itzhok, ran the family's Bar and Grill. They lived in a
large solid house, with many rooms.
Tessie's father was Alter Ezra "Yicheal" Seidman. Whoever was alive knew him. In the Strzyzow Yizkor Book it is noted that Assistant Rabbi Alter Ezra Seidman "was acute and clever...he chanted the prayers during the High Holidays". Life was easier, more familiar in Strzyzow.
Chanale told us the story of her wedding to Itcher Kislowicz: "all of Strzyzow's Jewish population came. We had a Chuppa near the shul, in the open air. Then everyone returned to the house for a party. The in-laws came and stayed for a week to celebrate the wedding. Music played a whole week, Klezmer music". The newly weds moved to Rzeszow, (pronounced "Rayshe" in Yiddish). It wasn't until 1932, when, at the age of 30, she returned to ensure her citizenship, as Itcher was not a US citizen.
Chanale's daughter, Sally, grew up in Rzeszow; and she
remembers 3 synagogues. Sally attended public school in
Strzyzow; she told us ... "I was a little girl; extremely
sensitive; I was from a special family but I wasn't treated that
way. I hated the Poles with a passion. We learned to read and
write Polish, but I always felt anti-Semitism from the teacher.
During the prayer, at the start of the school day, the teacher
would look to see who bowed and who did not. Even today that is
probably why I am so against in-school prayer. The teachers
cautioned girls not to go to Hebrew School, that they would fail
in public school. But I went anyway and even starred in a Purim
play. My teacher found out and everyone went to look at my
report card to see if I would fail, but I received A's".
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The Census of 1900 showed Strzyzow with a total population of 2008, composed of 992 Jews (Israelisch), 7 Griech. Katholisch and 1007 Rom. Katholisch. Neighboring towns with a large Jewish population included Czudec with a total population of 1214 (410 Jews), Niebylec 687 (343 Jews).
There are few Galician Jewish records still available for Strzyzow....
Has anyone ever gotton anything relating to vital records from Poland ???
The following list of current Galician records was taken from "Jewish Roots in Poland: the wonderful guidebook which includes "Past and Archival Inventories" by Miriam Weiner:
And lastly, if you are searching for Galician Records, don't neglect the wonderful resources of the Jewish Records In Poland! JRIP on JewishGen. The Rzeszow index records are available online already, and someday the smaller towns in the area may be added. Click here to link to the database
Thanks to Stephen Morse's wonderful Ellis Island Front End, where one can query the Hebrew immigrants by town, It is easy to assemble a list of Hebrew immigrants to Strzyzow. Please remember that there were thousands of other Hebrew immigrants from Strzyzow, at different times, and to different ports of entry; and many names may not appear if the passenger list did not contain "Strzyzow" and "Hebrew" recognizable to the interpreter.
It is fascinating to observe the different spellings of the town and the surnames.
Just as a reminder, Strzyzow was part of the Austrian
Empire (imperial crownland of Galicia) from 1776 to 1919;
then it became part of Poland where it remains today. This
might explain some of the different 
nationalities we find below. (I
wouldn't take the ages at their listed value either. Keep in
mind that there were different tariffs for children).
Each entry has SURNAME, first name, Town of last residence, age, year of birth, year of immigration (and some have the added port and steamship)
It is relatively easy to query Ellis Island passengers from other towns or by surname, but I suggest you use the Steve Morse’s query at www.jewishgen.org/databases/EIDB . Here are the steps:
The 1891 Galician Business Directory contains only a few listings for Strzyzow. They are:
1880 and settled in her shtetl,
Strzyzow.
---- Frieda Kandel, b. Nov, 1860 Strzyzow, Galicia, d. Oct
15, 1931 NY, NY
---- +Josef Scheiner, b. 1858 Dubiecko, Galicia, m. 1880
Strzyzow, Galicia, d. Jul 02, 1930 224 E 4th St; NYC. The
Scheiners settled in NYC where Josef indeed became a schochet.
They raised 3 children, Abe, Sam and Sarah. 
The story of the Glatt family began with Eliezer
(Leiser-Lejzor) Glatt, who was born in Ulanow,
Poland in 
1869.
Eliezer moved to Strzyzow to marry Sara Fuerst,
daughter of Mendel and Devojre Fuerst, bakers in Strzyzow.
The couple were married on April 18, 1894. From this union
evolved six children, all born in Strzyzow. They were Max;
Lotte; Fanny; Bertha; Sally; Sophie; and Moritz Glatt.
The whole family moved to Cologne, Germany after the end of
World War I. All the children, married or unmarried at the
time, eventually moved to Palestine, England or the United
States due to the Nazi persecution of the Jews in Germany
during the Hitler period.
As an aside, Eliezer Glatt died in Germany in 1932 and was buried in the Jewish Cemetery of Cologne, Germany. His wife, Sara died in Hadera, Israel in 1948. On or about 1956, their son Moritz had Eliezer's body transferred from Germany to Israel, where it was re-interred next to his wife Sara. They are now together in Kfar Haroe, Israel.
Last last year I received an email from Shimon Nitzan. Shimon said that his mother, Shoshana Shefler was born in Strzyzow in 1912 and emigrated to Israel in 1932. Shimon recognized her in two photographs on our web page which were taken from the Sefer Strzizhuv. Shimon began his genealogical research recently, but was fortunate enough so many relatives that he was able to hold a reunion for most of the Sheflers who live in Israel. Most of his family came from Strzizhuv, but others came from Jedlicze, Jaslo, Dukla etc. He wrote that Sheflers are found all over the world today: Israel-160; Brazil-30 and Canada, Swiss, Sweden, and Austrian.
Shimon said "during my research I met Simcha Langsam and I
talked with his brother Harry Langsam about my family. I
created a booklet for the March 2001 "reunion"in Kibutz Sdot
Yam.
For additional information, please email Shimon Nitzan
The photograph is of the Uiberall Family. It was taken in
Rzeszow, Galicia. My great-great-grandparents Leib and Sarah
Uiberall, along with their 4 children and spouses on the
wedding day of Armin and Henryka in 1891, as I recall: 
Left to Right; Henryka Rosenbaum
nee Uiberall (sitting) - born Rzeszow 1869; Armin Rosenbaum,
originally from Ladomir (Ladomirova); Edward (Elias) Uiberall
from Rzeszow; Sarah Uiberall (sitting), originally from
Jaroslaw - born 1834; Regina Cohn nee Uiberall (standing
centre) born Rzeszow 1857; Leib Uiberall (sitting) from
Rzeszow - a leading local businessman/figure, the
"paterfamilias", my great-great-grandfather; Hugo Cohn born
1847 Schoffschuetz, Kreis Rosenberg, near Breslau (Wroclaw) -
another successful businessman (egg import-export) - my
great-grandfather; Dr Jakob Uiberall (Advokat) - lawyer, born
1859 in Rzeszow.
Jakob Uiberall lived in Strzyzow with his family from September 1915. He was a lawyer ("Advokat"). I just realised today why he felt safe in moving his family from the security of Vienna out to Galicia in the middle of the First World War. The Austrian and German Armies had beaten the Russians at the Battle of Gorlice 4 months earlier and forced them 300km eastwards.
For more information, email Ashwin A. Maini, London, England
Now here is a wonderful story...in 2008 i received the following email:
Dear Phyllis Kramer,my name is Susan Jakubowski, born 1954 in Katowice, Poland. My grandparents were Nechama Diamont and Joseph Groskopf; they are listed on the residents list in the Strzyzow Yiskor.
Leah (Laja in PSA Birth list of Zloczow) Josef's sister is also listed. Yahalomi Shlomo Diamant from Tel Aviv probably Shlomo Diamant, son of Jakob Diamant? Jakob was the brother of Nechama,my grandmother.
My father had been born as Mordechai Gros(s)kopf, the only
child, son of Josef and Nechama (Natalia) Diamant.He adopted
the name Jan Jakubowski to survive the holocaust. We lived in
Poland till 1957 immigrated then to Israel. Since 1961 we live
in Germany, Stuttgart. My father, blessed his memory,
passed away this february. Decades ago he tried to find his
paternal family members, the Gros(s)kopfs. The only thing he
knew about his father, that he had been born in Zloczow,
Galicia. Because the early divorce of his parents he had no
contact at all to his father's family. His uncle Jakob
Diamant had the only existing photo of Josef and Nechama
(below). 
He also knew that there must be a
close cousin of Josef Gros(s)kopf in Strzyzow, but after the
holocaust no traces of them in that area. I assume, I
searched, that a cousin of Josef (Joseph) immigrated with
his family to France. Naturalization documents from 1947:
Hersch Grosskopf, born 1903 and his wife, maiden name
Brauner, born 1903, both born in Strzyzow, son Mordchai
(Max???) born 1930 in Przemysl and Sophie, born 1940
in Dinan (France). I am very much interested in the Yizkor
book, where the family Diamant (Diamond) is mentioned and
later on.I hope to find some more informations about my
grandparents. In the Yizkor Harry Langsam mentioned Mendele
Gros(s)kopf from Strzyzow and his very last day. Please
contact me and let me know, if I am on the right thread.
With best regards Susan
Jakubowski
And two months later, the most amazing news from Germany:
Dear Phyllis,incredible but true! Josef Grosskopf, my
grandfather married a second time after the divorce of 
my
grandmother Nechama. He married Khaya Saftles, got two sons,
Monya 1927 and Shimon 1932. Shimon survived as child in the
forests of Zloczow. I got in contact with Shimon and his son
last week. He now lives in Israel! We are overwhelmed. He
even got a photo of his father, I attach it here. Compare
yourself! It is the same person, only ca. 15 years older
than in the photo you installed on your homepage. Shimon did
not know of the first marriage. He was a child when he lost
his family. Amazing!
With best regards Susan
Jakubowski
(Just click on Susan's name to email her)
My great-grandparents Gisella Gitel (early photo on right),
nee GUZIK and Josef LANDESMAN/TUCHMANN lived in Strzyzów
until ca. 1915. 
Their mothers Fanni and Sarah Landesmann
(daughters of Mendel Menachem Guzik) were sisters. My
great-great-grandfather Mendel Guzik (1870-1942) was the son
of Chaim Guzik and Jachet FINKEL. Mendel Guzik and Fanni
Landesmann had 6 children, and my great-grandmother Gisella
was their 2nd child. Mendel Guzik married once more after
the death of his first wife.
My great-grandparents Gisella and Josef Landesmann left
their home country during WWII. 
Josef is the son of Leib
Tuchmann and Sara Rifke Landesmann. They married in Vienna
in April 1919. The witness to this marriage was Heinrich
Chaim STEINMETZ (1882 Kielnarowa -1942 Lódz Ghetto, son of
Samuel Steinmetz and Golda Landsman). Heinrich was Chairman
of a reseller company (clothing) and lived in Vienna. Josef
was an accountant but could not find a job in Vienna, so he
went to his brother Markus Landesmann in Germany and visited
his wife in Vienna about every 2nd month.
Gisella’s and Josef’s only daughter Fanni was born in Vienna in September 1920. Fanni managed to escape to England by means of a Domestic Workers' Permit. She first worked as a servant and later as dressmaker. She was able to get her mother Gisela to follow as a cook to England in August 1939. Fanni and Gisella tried hard to find a job as a butler for Josef, but no one wanted to take him. Josef Landesmann/Tuchmann was deported in 1938 and murdered at the Buchenwald concentration camp in 1940.
My grandmother Fanni Landesmann met Ludwig
GROSSMANN in London at Young Austria (Exil-Youth
Organisation, 1300 members). They married in 1941, and their
daughter Ruth was born in Manchester in 1942. My
grandparents Fanni and Ludwig were active in Young Austria
in Great Britain, the organisation that took part in the
fight against Hitler during WWII and fought for freedom for
Austria. The Austrian Centre and Young Austria worked
together. Also, my great-grandmother Gisella Landesmann
helped these organisations in England, but she did not want
to return to Vienna like my grandparents did. Because Gisela
had lost her husband and so many other relatives in the
Shoa, she did not want to return to Vienna in the first
place. She left England for the USA to live with Guzik
family members in New York (Brooklyn) from 1949 - 1950.
Gisella missed her only grandchild Ruth Grossmann. Finally
she returned - as the only survivor of her family's
generation - to Vienna where she passed away in October 1967
when I was 4 1/2 years old.
Some information about my family members Landesmann, Steinmetz and Grossmann is published in my Young Austria books (Vienna 2014 and 2015). In my next book I want to tell much more of the stories of family members from Strzyzów, about cousins of my grandmother as well as of other Austrian women in France, Belgium and England who took part in the fight against fascism during WWII. Hopefully it will be published in 2019 - in the year of the 40th anniversary of my grand-aunt Selma Steinmetz' death and the 10th anniversary of my grandmother's death.
With best regards,
With best regards Sonja
Frank
(Just click on Sonja's name to email her) ps: My friend
Janusz Kasperowicz took some photos in Strzyzow Cemetery
this summer. Here are a few: 
This is the Shul which is now a library. 
In 2013 I spoke with Mark Federman, the grandson of the founder of Russ and Daughters, the appetizing store in New York City. What is really amazing is that it still exists and that great granddaughter Nikki is running it!
Mark has written an interesting book about the family and their immigration from Strzyzow.Joel Russ was the founder of the store. He immigrated to New York in 1909 and married Bella Speyer.
By Ronel Elul, March 2023
We recently returned from a trip to Poland. Both my wife and I are “Strzyzowers” (our maternal grandmothers were born there) and we were fortunate to be able to spend a few hours visiting Strzyżów.
We were in touch with Marzena Łącka, who has a post elsewhere (under her previous family name). Marzena is actually a descendant of Dr. Patryn, who was a mayor before the War and is mentioned several times in Sefer Strzyzow. She has taken an interest in the history of the former Jewish residents, and in particular emphasized how they were an important part of town life, helping found the gymnasium and sports association, among other things.
She very graciously took our group around and pointed out various sites of Jewish interest. The main Synagogue has already been discussed, and some photos of the outside appear. Below I post some additional photos. The ceiling has been restored and retains the beautiful painting of the Leviathan (perhaps inspired by Psalm 103). Unfortunately the walls have been painted over, as the town could not afford the cost of restoring them. The library also features a small exhibit commemorating the Jewish population.
Outside of the former town Synagogue.
Ceiling of the Synagogue.
These two photos are from the exhibit inside the Library.
Marzena also showed us a few other buildings of note. The following building, which is in the town square, was apparently a “Bais Yaakov” school for girls.
This building used to be a Bais Yaakov school.
In addition, were interested in the “Kloiz”, which a private study house that was started by Rav Moshe Leib Shapiro (son of the Munkatcher Rebbe). It is currently a fire station and the outside can be seen below. There is a vivid description of the disputes between the two sides in Sefer Strzyzow, which endured many generations, and there are also apparently some documents in the National Library in Jerusalem which may add further color.
This was the Kloiz, now a fire station.
A short walk led us to this yellow building, where the Mikva was located.
The Mikva was here.
We also looked at several houses which might have been the possible residence of my wife’s great-great-grandfather, Reb Baruch Diller.
On our way out of town we also stopped at the “new” graveyard, which is as described by Shimon Nitzan in a previous post.
Plaques at the entrance to the cemetery.
The grave of Rabbi Alter Zev Horowitz.
Some of the gravestones that have been returned to the
cemetery.
It was very moving to see the places that were mentioned in Sefer Strzyzow. But also very sad, as there is nothing left of the vibrant community that once was. We would be very happy to hear from anyone interested in Strzyżów, particularly those who have had success in finding more information about relatives who lived there. There are also a number of potential projects that might further help commemorate the Jewish heritage; please get in touch if you would be interested in participating in this.
The best way to reach me is via email: “ronel dot elul at gmail dot com”
Do you have roots in Strzyzow? Would you like to connect with others researching the same community? Go to the JewishGen Family Finder database. There are hundreds of thousands of names and towns being researched. You'll need to register first, but it's free, and it's wonderful...so please try it!
. Note down this address: https://www.jewishgen.org/JGFF or click here for the JewishGen Family Finder Return to Table of Contents