Wall of Commemoration

Still Remembering Mlynov-Mervits

On October 8 or 9th, 1942 (the 27th or 28th of Tishrei, 5703), the population of the Mlynov ghetto was liquidated in a ravine near the road between Mlynov and Mervits.

In 1953-1955, Mlynov and Mervits born individuals and their children in the US raised money to support the creation of a memorial plaque in Tel Aviv. Records kept in the Fishman family in Baltimore record the names of the donors in America who supported the plaque's creation. Most were either born in Mlynov or Mervits, or were first generation children of immigrants from those towns. As captured in two photos, some of the Mlynov and Mervits-born individuals and survivors from the US and Israel gathered in Tel Aviv in the fall of 1955 at a commemoration ceremony where the plaque was installed. The story of the commemortion plaque, photos and records of the donors can be downloaded here.

1955 Commemoration in Tel Aviv. (front row, left to right:) Shmuel Mandelkern, Moshe Fishman, unidentified, Nahum Teitelman

1955 Commemoration in Tel Aviv. (front row, left to right:) Mollie (Demb) Roskes, Rose (Hurwitz) Finkelstein, Gulza (Hurwitz) Mazer, Minnie (Hurwitz) Fox

Memorial plaque in synagogue on Rothchild Street in Tel Aviv.

Ben Fishman presenting a check with other donors for the memorial plaque

Descendants Celebrate New Memorial Book Translation 80 Years After Ghetto Liquidation

80 years since the liquidation (in 2022), descendants of families that once lived in Mlynov and Mervits celebrate a new translation of the Mlynov-Mervits Memorial Book. Published originally in Israel in 1970, the original Yiddish and Hebrew essays tell the story of Mlynov and Mervits through the memories of individuals who were born and/or once lived there. The essays recall both the horror of what happened as well as what was wonderful about the place before all was destroyed.

The 1970 black and white photo below shows Sylvia (Barditch) Goldberg, a contributor to the original Memorial book, giving the original to her niece Edith Geller (née Spector) and the rest of her Goldberg relatives. The next photo shows the same Edith Geller holding the newly translated memorial book 52 years later at the age of 99.

Sylvia Barditch Goldberg handing original book to niece Edith Geller (née Spector)

Edith Geller, son Eric, granddaughter Jamie Goldberg/Gelberg and Schuchman Descendants

Mlynov Survivor Gerry Steinberg with son David and two grandsons Derek and Jed.

Mlynov Survivor Helen Fixler (Nudler Family) David Sokolsky (left) Howard Schwartz (right)

Audrey Goldseker Polt and son Richard Polt, Goldseker and Fishman Descendants

Howard I. Schwartz and daughter Penina, Demb/Gruber, Schwartz, Shulman Descendants

Charles Hanina Epstein, son of survivors, descendant of Upstein, Steinberg, and Lerner families

Harold Goldberg descendant of Goldberg/Gelberg and Schuchman families

Dr. Nancie Rand, descendant of Goldberg/Gelberg and Schuchman families

Barry Lerner, grandson of Itzik (Isadore) Lerner, descendant of Lerner, Herman and Kipperstein families

Lynne Herman Sandler with daughter Miriam Berkowitz, Demb/Gruber, and Herman Descendant

Andrea Kerker Zanzuri, Granddaughter of Sylvia (Barditch) and George Goldberg from the Gelberg family.

Rachel Ann Norton and daughter Miriam Great-granddaughter of Sara (Goldberg) Spector

Audrey Goldseker Polt and Sheldon Goldseker Children of David Samuel Goldseker

Larry Steinberg, descendant of the Steinberg family from Mlynov and the Shulman families.

Yossi and Josh Klavan, descendants of the Schuchman family and the Klepatch family .

David Sokolsky and son Micah. David wrote a book about the courgeous survival story of his step-grandmother Liba Tesler .

Scott Crespy, Descendant of Soorkeh (Sura) Wurtzel and Isaac Fleischer from Mervits.

Sharna Goldseker, Granddaughter of David Samuel Goldseker, also descendant of Fishman line

Susie Warshaw with son Jonathan, daughter of survivors Mendel and Sheindel Steinberg

Dani Tracz (née Issachar Mohel), son of Yehuda Mohel who came to Mlynov in the 1920s

Morris Schechman, son of survivor Shlomo Schechman text text text text text text

Jill Glenn, great-granddaughter of Ben Zion Berger and Zelda (Hirsch)text text text

Sofia, Sima, Arkadi and Elizabeth Romansky descendants of Mervits-born Raisa Levin (née Arbitman)

The Polashuk Family Descendants of Pesach Ellis Polashuk from Mlynov. text text text text text text

Andrea Carter, descendant of Efraim Hirsch family line from Mlynov text text text text text text

Eleanore C. Speert, great-granddaughter of Israel Schwartz and Sarah (Fishman)

Jay Ryan Meren and JoAnn Barnstein with mom and their sons Descendants of Boruch Meren )

Survivor Ezra Sherman, wife Sara (Lamdan), daughter Vivi Sadel. Golisuk, Lerner and Sherman Families

Adam Marcus and parents, Great-great-grandson of Ephraim Hirsch

Sylvia Barditch Goldberg handing original book to niece Edith Geller (née Spector)

Mark Gelberg Descendant of Mlynov mill-owner Yossel (Joseph) Gelberg

Louise Marine, descendant of Simha Gruber (née Demb) with children and grandchild

Arlene Polangin and son Brian, descendants of Gruber and Demb families

Karen Passero with daughter Carmella. Descendants of Fishman, Demb, Gruber and Shulman families

Tamara Kirson and Penina Eilberg-Schwartz, cousins, descendants of Gruber/Demb families

Paul Siegel with wife Carolina Goldseker and Fishman Descendant

Ira Deming. Descendant of Gruber and Demb families

Miriam Litz daughter of survivor Genya Kozak ( aka Jean Litz) from the Kozak family.

***

Compiled by Howard I. Schwartz
Updated: July 2024
Copyright © 2021 Howard I. Schwartz, PhD
Webpage Design by Howard I. Schwartz
Want to search for more information: JewishGen Home Page
Want to look at other Town pages: KehilaLinks Home Page

This page is hosted at no cost to the public by JewishGen, Inc., a non-profit corporation. If it has been useful to you, or if you are moved by the effort to preserve the memory of our lost communities, your JewishGen-erosity would be deeply appreciated.