Košice and its Holocaust Memorials

Zvonarska Street Synagogue

1 June 2019

Peter Absolon reported that the plaque that was affixed to the wall next to a door of the Zvonarska Street Synagogue was taken down for renovations.

"Before the renovations, there was a memorial plaque attached to the old synagogue, on the wall opposite the prayer hall. During the reconstruction it was placed in a deposit and now it will be attached back (after the repair).  It is all in Hebrew and I'd really appreciate if you can translate it. Of course I would also like to ask you to publish it on KehilaLinks site.

What is even more interesting is the rear side of the plaque. It looks like list of donors (for synagogue reconstruction?) incl. the contributed amount. So it seems that old plaque was re-used later and it was probably bigger before (see how the top line is only half visible and is not due to picture being cropped).

The surnames on the donor list are from Neolog community, I recognize them. And I'd say the [original] plaque is from end or 20's / beginning of 30's because Miksa KORACH died in 1934, [per burial in Kosice cemetery].

Photo of Plaque Mounted next to Door of Zvornaska Street Synagogue, taken by Jerry Isenberg, August 1996.	Enlargement of Hebrew Inscription dedicated in 1949	Inscription on the Back of the 1949 Plaque

Here is a copy of the names found on the back of the plaque and the donated amounts.
We were unable to determine the fullnames of some institutions as indicated by the question marks or ellipses. If anyone can correct them, please let us know.

...GELSINGER... ..., Bratislava Dr. and Mrs. Jeno ROSENBAUM, Kosice Jewish Girls Society?, Kosice 3,000 Kronen ...Poor?, Bratislava Beregszasz Brickworks 2,500 Kronen Miksa KORACH, Kosice Aladar MARKOVITS, Kosice Jeno WEINER, Kosice 2,000 Kronen Zoltan DICKER, Chicago Jeno FREIMANN, Kosice Armin GUTTMAN & D. GOTTLIEB, Kosice Secovce Jewish Community Presov Jewish ? Samu & Agnes née ENGLANDER LENGYEL, Humenne 1,500 Kronen EHRENBERG & Tsa, Strazke Jeno GARAI, Kosice ODON ROSENFELD, Kosice Mor ROTH, Kosice Jozsef SCHWARTZ, Kosice Ervin SPITZ, Kosice		A stone from the wall will cry out! For eternal memory and for the weeping of generations The skies were covered in gloom. The countries of Europe wore sackcloth. The burning snake, the fascistic Germans, Spilled its burning poison and bit me. The cursed Nazis and other oppressors Poured out the blood of Israel like water. Old, young, children and suckling babes Were exterminated by sword, famine, fire and water. Among them were members of our community, the holy and pure; Twelve thousand were burned as martyrs. This terrible destruction took place in the years 5701-5705 (1941-1945) May God avenge their blood! This memorial stone was set on the 6th of Tishrei, 5610, by the survivors, the members of our community, in mourning and great lamentation. (6th of Tishrei, 5610 = 29 Sep 1949)
List of Donors on Reverse Side of Plaque	Hebrew Inscription The first line is from the prophet Habakkuk 2:11	Translation (by M. Isenberg)

These photos are of Holocaust memorials on the exterior and interior walls of the synagogue on Pushkinova Street, as well as memorials in Kosice's Jewish Cemetery.

All photos below were taken by M. Isenberg, November 2013, with the exception of the Holocaust plaques taken by Peter Absolon, November/December 2015.

The Holocaust Memorial above, is located on the left side of the entrance to the Orthodox Synagogue on Pushkinova Street. The plaque on the right is located on a wall inside the synagogue's side entrance.  Translated from the Hebrew, it reads: "From this holy temple, in the spring of 1944, 12,000 members of this holy community were rounded up and deported to extermination camps.  From there they were slaughtered like holy sacrifices and died as martyrs.  Orphans and the bereft survivors, the few that survived, erected this memorial 30 years afterward, in mourning and bereavement, in 1975."

Holocaust Memorial for those who have no burial place.

The Magen David shown here once graced the Neological Temple. Dr. Tomas Tesser, a resident of Kosice and great supporter of its Jewish community, stands at the right.

In April 2002, young people aged 11-14, vandalized this cemetery damaging 135 tombstones. This memorial was erected by generous donations from the institutions and individuals listed. A quote from Proverbs 22:9 is written in Hebrew, English, and Slovak: "One with a good eye will be blessed for he has given of his bread for the poor."

Peter Absolon has undertaken to photograph tombstones in Kosice's cemeteries and to do additional research where possible or necessary.  The undersigned (Madeleine Isenberg) helps when possible especially with translations from the Hebrew.  As work progresses, the photographs and information can be found at the findagrave site for this cemetery. Near the entrance to Kosice's Jewish Cemetery is the memorial as pictured above.  Peter has recorded all 108 names found on the Holocaust memorial and they are included in the table below. Our thanks to Peter for his selfless efforts to remember those who have no real burial places. Note: As of June 2017, Peter Absolon can now offer additional help via his genealogy services. plaque_2 plaque_3 plaque_4 plaque_5 plaque_6 plaque_7 To view an enlarged image in a separate window, click on the image above. Family Name Given Name Maiden Name Hebrew Name Birth Date Death Date Comments On This Plaque       Chana Lea bat Tzvi Mordechai       plaque_3.jpg       Mordechai ben Esther       plaque_3.jpg AKOS Izso           plaque_4.jpg AKOS Otilia           plaque_4.jpg BARKANY Hugo     1893 1945   plaque_5.jpg BARKANY Edit SZANTO   1904 1944   plaque_5.jpg BEAR Majer         Auschwitz plaque_4.jpg BEAR Tereza         Auschwitz plaque_4.jpg BERGER Etelka           plaque_3.jpg BERNHARD Karoly           plaque_3.jpg BERNHARD Gizella SCHACHTER         plaque_3.jpg BERNHARD Pal           plaque_3.jpg BIRO Dezso         Auschwitz plaque_4.jpg BIRO Margit         Auschwitz plaque_4.jpg BIRO Gabriela         Auschwitz plaque_4.jpg BLAU Sandor       1944   plaque_3.jpg BLAU Erzsebet BERKOVITS     1944   plaque_3.jpg BLAU Edith       1944   plaque_3.jpg CZUKOR Istvan           plaque_4.jpg EDELMAN Jozef           plaque_6.jpg EDELMAN Terezia           plaque_6.jpg EIZIKOVITS Arnost           plaque_2.jpg EIZIKOVITS Efraim Israel         Birkenau plaque_6.jpg EIZIKOVITS Lea TESLER       Birkenau plaque_6.jpg ENGLÄNDER Heinrich           plaque_4.jpg ENGLÄNDER Anna           plaque_4.jpg ENGLÄNDER Imre           plaque_4.jpg FEINSILBER             plaque_4.jpg FISCHER           3 generations plaque_2.jpg FOSSNER Manci         Age 26, Auschwitz plaque_2.jpg FOSSNER Magda         Age 24, Auschwitz plaque_2.jpg FOSSNER Eugen         Age 22, Auschwitz plaque_2.jpg FRÄNKEL Adolf     1886 1944 Auschwitz plaque_3.jpg FRÄNKEL Tibi     1915 1943 Prac. Tabor FRÄNKELOVA Rozsi     1892 1944 Auschwitz plaque_3.jpg FREIBERGER David           plaque_3.jpg FRIED Jenö     1882 1944 Dedicated by Mara nee FRIED CLIFTON, of Kassa, but then Hull, Great Britain. plaque_5.jpg FRIED Gizella MARKO   1886 1944   plaque_5.jpg FRIED Karoly     1910 1945   plaque_5.jpg FRIEDMAN Iren           plaque_2.jpg FUCHS Jenö       1945 from Budapest; Mauthausen plaque_4.jpg GLÜCK Zoltan     1914 1944   plaque_3.jpg GOLDBERG Salamon       25-May-1944 Auschwitz (see also on -5) plaque_6.jpg GOLDBERG Sabina GOIZ     25-May-1944 Auschwitz (see also on -5) plaque_6.jpg GUTTMAN Jakub     04-Jul-1896 1944 Auschwitz plaque_5.jpg GUTTMAN Klara           plaque_5.jpg HERSKOVITS Jenö Jakab     1893 1944   plaque_4.jpg HERSKOVITS Jakabne     1902 1940   plaque_4.jpg HILSENRATH Moshe           plaque_4.jpg HILSENRATH Rachel           plaque_4.jpg HILSENRATH David           plaque_4.jpg HILSENRATH Bracha           plaque_4.jpg HILSENRATH Tzvi           plaque_4.jpg HILSENRATH Abraham           plaque_4.jpg JANOVITZ Andor     1914 1943   plaque_3.jpg KERSCHENBAUM B.           plaque_5.jpg KERSCHENBAUM Gizella ACKERMAN         plaque_5.jpg KERSCHENBAUM Bela           plaque_5.jpg KESZLER Ervin           plaque_4.jpg KESZLER Ida           plaque_4.jpg KESZLER Ferenc           plaque_4.jpg KLEIN Ilona     1882 1944   plaque_3.jpg KLEIN Albert           plaque_3.jpg KLEIN Erzsike BERGER         plaque_3.jpg KLEIN Eliza           plaque_3.jpg KLEIN Nina           plaque_3.jpg KOPPEL David           plaque_5.jpg KOPPEL Hanna STEINBERGER         plaque_5.jpg KORNFELD Samuel     07-Jan-1886 01-Jan-1945 from Maly Hores, Auschwitz plaque_5.jpg KRAUT Regina Rivka EIZIKOVITS         plaque_6.jpg KUFFLER Aranka     1915 1942   plaque_4.jpg LEBOVITS Sandor           plaque_7.jpg LEBOVITS Iren FRIEDMANN         plaque_7.jpg LISSAUER Dezso           plaque_4.jpg LISSAUER Szeren FLEISCHER         plaque_4.jpg MANN Izidor           plaque_4.jpg MANN Rozsi       1944   plaque_4.jpg MOLNAR Lajos     1910 1944   plaque_4.jpg NEUFELD Jenö           plaque_3.jpg NEUFELD Boriska           plaque_3.jpg RAUCHMAN Jozef           plaque_2.jpg RAUCHMAN Rosalia           plaque_2.jpg RAUCHMAN Edit           plaque_2.jpg REICH Herman           plaque_5.jpg REICH Hanna SCHWARCZ         plaque_5.jpg RUBIN Regina KOHN Rytzl bat David Yuda haKohen   1944   plaque_4.jpg SINGER Alexander           plaque_3.jpg SINGER Lina SPATZOVA         plaque_3.jpg SINGER Igor     1938 1944   plaque_6.jpg STERN Herman           plaque_4.jpg STERN Rozsika           plaque_4.jpg STERN Ernö           plaque_4.jpg SÜSSHOLZ Izidor       1944   plaque_3.jpg SÜSSHOLZOVA Irma       1944   plaque_3.jpg SZASZ Herman           plaque_5.jpg SZASZ Regina GOLDMAN         plaque_5.jpg SZASZ Marta           plaque_5.jpg SZASZ Klara           plaque_5.jpg SZASZ Ignac           plaque_5.jpg SZASZ Szeren ROTH         plaque_5.jpg TABAK Lazar       1944   plaque_4.jpg TEICH Sara       1942   plaque_6.jpg UHR Ignac           plaque_6.jpg VEGH Salamon     15-Mar-1894 31-Dec-1944 Auschwitz plaque_6.jpg VEGH Mikulas     17-Jul-1920 1945 SSSR plaque_6.jpg VEGHOVA Olga BRAUNSTEINOVA   09-Dec-1893 31-Dec-1944 Auschwitz plaque_6.jpg WAGNER Markus           plaque_3.jpg WAGNER Katalin MOSKOVITS         plaque_3.jpg ZIMMERMAN Blanka           plaque_6.jpg                 WYANT Judith ECKSTEIN   1928 1979 (Not known why she is memorialized here.) plaque_3.jpg  Compiled by Madeleine Isenberg  Originally created 10 September 2014 updated: 13 June 2019   Copyright © 2014-2019 Madeleine R. 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