Memorial Book to the Holocaust Victims of the City of Pshaytsh

<p>Przedecz located in central Poland had a vibrant Jewish community</p><p>for some 600 years starting at the end of the 14th century. In</p><p>Yiddish the city was known as Pshaytsh; in Hebrew Pshedetz.</p><p>Most Jews worked as tradesmen artisans merchants and small traders.</p><p>The community supported a synagogue a bet midrash a mikva Jewish</p><p>schools a Yeshiva a bikkur cholim society caring for the sick and a benevolent</p><p>fund which granted interest-free loans. The town had a Jewish library</p><p>where people could meet to read books attend dances hear lectures and</p><p>see theatrical performances.</p><p>Nazis occupied the town in October 1939. Changing the town's name to</p><p>Moosburg they burned the Synagogue and began the persecution and</p><p>killing of Jews. Nearly half were sent to forced</p><p>labor camps where most of them died of hunger</p><p>and disease. In Przedecz Jews were forced</p><p>to live in a ghetto under horrific conditions.</p><p>In early 1942 they were packed into the local</p><p>church and left for three days without food or</p><p>water. On April 24 1942 the remaining Jews</p><p>were sent to the Chełmno death camp.</p><p>As the Editors wrote: This book is meant as</p><p>a memorial and yahrzeit candle... revealing</p><p>events and deeds in the lives of our dear ones up to the years of the Holocaust</p>