Bedkow Jewish Cemetery

Będków was founded as a town before 1453. In 1870, its foundation status was downgraded to a settlement. The first Jews appeared in Będków in the 18th century, where they rented at the local inn. However, after some time, (likely at the end of their lease,) they left the town, only returning to Będków in the 19th century. In 1827, the Jewish community of Będków numbered 67 people, constituting 9% of the total population. There were 248 Jews in 1857 (41% of the total population), and 228 Jews in 1921 (33% of the total population). The Jewish community of Będków was poor, working mainly in the field of small trade and crafts. The Jews of Będków were subordinate to the Jewish community in Ujazd. Between April and May 1942, a ghetto was established in Będków, where about 300 people, including people from Będków, Rzgow, and Tuszyn, were forced to gather. The Będków Ghetto functioned until September 1942, after which the remaining Jews were transported from the Skrzynki station to the extermination camp in Treblinka.

The cemetery’s exact establishment date is unknown, though it was likely established in the 19th century. The cemetery’s existence was mentioned in the press in 1876 in relation to the trial of three inhabitants of Będków. It is located in a forest about 1 km southeast of the village centre. Today, the area covers about 0.15 hectares. The cemetery was almost entirely destroyed, and no tombstones have survived. The local population used matzevot to build foundations for houses, farm buildings, and footbridges in drainage ditches. The remains of the foundation of the stone fence have been preserved.