Prewar Zborow

Zborow in the 1930s and 1940s filmed by Nathan Okon. Mr. Okon had a wholesale fur business and would visit relatives in his hometown (Zborow) and his wife’s hometown (Suchostaw) during business trips to Europe in the 1930s.These are the only known films of these Jewish communities, which were almost entirely destroyed during the Holocaust, and the Landsmanshaften. (3:32) Still photo of committee for the Soup Kitchen: seated left to right: Amalia Nissenbaum (great-grandmother of Eric Silberman), Yenta Kronisch, Helena Lechowicz, Benjamin Reiss, Shmuel Schwebel, Nita Halpern, Mendel Sigal. Standing right to left: Fishel Zimmer, Manes Schwab, Sonio Jager, Sylvia Kronisch, Benjamin Plishzer, an unidentified woman, Mrs. Zwieg, Rabbi’s daughter Rojzale. (4:35) Exterior of Great Synagogue with members of Soup Kitchen committee. Benjamin Pliszner and Benjamin Reis. (4:54) The interior of the Soup Kitchen. Serving food (4:58) Benjamin Reis, left, Benjamin Pliszner, right (5:08) Ladling soup is Helena Lechowicz; Benjamin Pliszner picks up the bowls (6:06 Benjamin Reis (6:11) Benjamin Pliszner (6:23) Sign: M. Dimand's meat shop (6:32) Genentshe Dimand probably with one of her sons (6:47) Possibly Moshe Szechter (6:53) Dora (Dvora) Pliszner nee Silberman, left, with sister Fancia Alczer nee Silberman (7:40) Possibly Salo Silberman with nephew, Karolche Auerbach (7:54) Moshe Chaim Silberman with grandson, Karolche (8:13) Jozef (Dzojlyk) and Cyla Auerbach with their son, Karolche (8:30) Moshe Chaim Silberman with son, Salo, and son-in-law, Jozef Auerbach, in front of Silberman printer and stationary shop at Sobieskiego 16. The sign was painted by Levi Ramer, a youth group leader, who in 1943 helped lead the efforts to organize an uprising in the Zborow forced labor camp (8:45) Probably the residential area in southeast part of town. (8:58) Polish public school is visible in the distance. (10:56 Street sign: "Ulica Cicha" (11:24) The southern half of the Rynek, main town square, behind the city hall. Visible are shop signs of Max Rapp, (11:26) Byk, who owned a grocery store, Visible in the distance is the Catholic Church (11:34) The Great Synagogue (12:00) Interior of the Great Synagogue (12:48) The Polish public school (12:54) Probably the residential area in the northeast part of the town, the area that later became the Ghetto (13:14) The Polish public school, seen from the main street (13:41) The main street, Sobieskiego, looking east (13:54) Fishel Zimmer (14:03) Possibly Manes Schwab (14:30) Shops near the Rynek. Visible are a restaurant and tavern, signs for a meat shop and a leather shop. In the background is the steeple of the Ukrainian Church