Zyrardow Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Poland
Region
Masovian Voivodeship
District
Żyrardów
Settlement
Żyrardów
Site address
3, Józefa Mireckiego Street.
GPS coordinates
52.060994, 20.4560494
Perimeter length
412 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
The cemetery is fenced with a wire mesh fence (2m high), attached to iron posts.
Preservation condition
Fenced and protected Jewish cemetery
General site condition
The Jewish cemetery of Żyrardów is situated in an urban area in the eastern part of the town. The cemetery area is surrounded by private residential properties. It is covered with wild grasses and partly – with trees. Tombstones have been preserved. Our field team was unable to gain access to the cemetery, because the key holder was not available. The cemetery is locked due to vandalism.
Number of existing gravestones
150
Date of oldest tombstone
1883
Date of newest tombstone
1938
Urgency of erecting a fence
Fence is not needed
Land ownership
Property of local community
Preserved construction on site
Beit-Tahara.
Drone surveys
Yes

Historical overview

The first records of Jews in Mszczonów date to the 17th century, though the organized Jewish community was only established in the second half of the following century. There was a local Hasidic dynasty in the town (Amshinov Hasidim). Hirsz Dawid Nomberg, a writer, journalist, and Member of Parliament, also came from Mszczonów. 5,106 Jews lived in the town in 1910 (63.8% of the entire population), and 2,188 in 1921 (43.6%), most of whom were deported to the Warsaw Ghetto in 1941 and murdered a year later in Treblinka. The cemetery is located approximately 700 metres north of Nowy Rynek, on Poniatowskiego Street and the E67 route. It was established in 1763 on a square plot measuring “70 x 70 ells.” In 1927, it measured 103 x 111 x 128 x 133 metres (m). The entrance was on Poniatowskiego Street, in the south-eastern corner and there was a funeral house at the gate with base dimensions of 17 x 5 m.

The cemetery has suffered significant damage and was closed for burials in 1964. In the 1980’s, there was an illegal playground in the cemetery. Geodetic plot no. 40/4 was separated from the area of the cemetery and partially built over. Currently, there are only about a hundred tombstones that have survived within the cemetery, the oldest of which date to 1772, 1778, 1784, 1788, and 1791. At the beginning of the 21st century, the cemetery (except for plot no. 40/4) was fenced and cleaned up. The ohel over the graves of Rebbe Jakow Dawid, son of Izrael Icchak from Warka, (who died on November 10, 1877) and Aharon ha-Kohen, son of Mosze—a dayan (judge) from Nadarzyn and son-in-law of Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Warka, (who died on August 25, 1873)—was rebuilt. The work was commissioned by Renata Singer, Rabbi Joseph Singer, the Boim family, and the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage. The owner of the cemetery is the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage. The cemetery is listed in the Register of Immovable Monuments of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship (No. 877 A, March 20, 1992). A list containing information about 77 preserved tombstones is available at https://cemetery.jewish.org.pl/list/c_15/ile_0.