Memorial (Yizkor) Book for the Jewish Community of Ciechanow - Translation of Yisker-Bukh Fun Der Tshekhanover Yidisher Kehile

Jews were living in Ciechanow by the year 1569. In 1656 during the Polish-Swedish war most of the Jews were killed by the troops of Stephan Czarniecki. In 1765, 1,670 Jews were living in the town; in 1856 Jews comprised 2,226 of the 3300 residents; in 1897 4,223 Jews of 10,000 residents; in 1921 4,403 out of 11,977, and about 5,500 Jews in 1925. During this period a rich Jewish culture developed. Before the outbreak of World War II, the Jewish population had decreased to 1,500 to 2,000.

It all came to an end when he Nazis entered the town on Sept. 3 and 4, 1939. Deportations began on December 1941 and ended in November 1942, when 1,800 Jews were sent to other ghettos and Auschwitz.

About 200 Jews from the town survived the war, including 120 who had sought refuge in the U.S.S.R. The Jewish community seized to exist after World War II.

This book was written by Shoah survivors from Ciechanow and by residents who had emigrated before the war, thereby preserving the history and memory of the Jewish community of Ciechanow with their first-hand accounts. The book is of high value to researchers and descendants of Ciechanow, who want to know about the town of their ancestors.

The town is known as Ciechanow [Polish], Tshekhanov [Yiddish], Tsekhanuv [Russian], and Chechinov, Chekhanov, Chekhanove, Zichenau [German, 1939-45].

Ciechanow, Poland is located at 52°53' North Latitude and 20°37' East Longitude, and is 47 miles NNW of Warsaw.