(I found out on September 24, 2018, that there are actually two Boleslawiec. The village my grandmother came from is different from the one the pottery comes from in Poland. But since they are intertwined in my mind, the blog still is accurate.)
Lately I have been seeing the name of the city, Boleslawiec, quite a bit because of the beautiful Polish ceramic pottery that is created there and sold throughout the world. As I walked through the historic section of St. Charles, Missouri, I saw a store dedicated to this pottery. My sister-in-law and I walked through and admired all the lovely blue-toned, designed pottery.
Later that month, I was in Tuesday Morning, a discount store, that had a selection of this pottery as well. Here, I actually purchased a piece of the pottery in the shape of a heart as a memory of my grandmother who grew up in Boleslawiec. But my remembrance of my Grandmother is not her love of her home town, but rather to remember how much my grandmother hated Boleslawiec. How excited she was when she was 16 to get her exit visa to the USA. Leaving Boleslawiec was the best thing that happened to my Grandma. It really was not a friendly spot for Jewish inhabitants.
In 1925 there were 103 Jewish people in Boleslaweic. In 1933 the town of Boleslawiec had over 19,500 people, but only just over 100 Jewish residents. By 1938 there were just 64 remained. My family was among those who lived there. And after World War 2, there were no Jews left in the city.
The special visa for 1931 visit to Boleslawiec.
My Grandma left Boleslawiec in 1922 to escape to the United States. In 1931 she returned to Boleslawiec with my mother and uncle. They stayed for several months. We even have a special visa in the passport used by my Mom and Uncle that gives them permission to be in Boleslawiec.
It was during this visit that Grandma became aware of how bad it was for Jews in Europe. Upon her return to the USA, she immediately began to work to get family members out. She was able to rescue her father and her sister, who she brought to the United States. She could not rescue her two brothers and their spouses, but they did survive. Her mother, my great grandmother, Sara Manes Szenk, died in 1919 as did a younger sister. (See blogs below.)
She was right to worry. On Krystalnacht, November 9-10, 1938, Jewish business and the synagogue were set on fire. They were destroyed. Now just an empty lot is left. The cemetery was also destroyed. The few tombstones or matzevot left are at The Museum of Ceramics. So my Great Grandma Sara’s grave — Sara, who I am also named for — is now unmarked, as are the other relatives who died before the Shoah. An empty field marks the spot of the Jewish cemetery. Luckily my great grandfather and aunt were already in the USA by then. And my great uncles had fled.
Members of Grandma’s family were murdered in the war. (See Blog about Speaking Yiddish below.). I have not been able to find everyone. But since the names Manes and Szenk were the surnames of her parents, I will claim all the Jewish people who lived in Boleslawiec who perished and had those surnames or maiden names. I cannot claim for sure that they are related to me. But in a town with just 100 Jewish members, I feel a strong level of confidence that they are my family.
Moshe Schenk(Szenk) and his wife, Yenta Fridel Schenk(Szenk), from Boleslawiec died in the Chelmo Death Camp in Poland in 1942. Moshe’ siblings died as well: Hana Leah and Bluma, also Bluma’s daughter Sara. Two people wrote testimony for Moshe Schenk/Mosze Szenk: an uncle and a cousin. That cousin also left testimony for Hana Leah, while the daughter/sister of Bluma and Sara, left testimony of their murders.
Many people who died in Chelmo were transferred there from the Lodz Ghetto in 1942. So I will assume that these relatives were taken from Boleslawiec, to the Lodz Ghetto before their murders at Chelmo. The Lodz Ghetto was the second largest ghetto in Poland. Later, when the ghetto was destroyed in August 1944, many were taken to Auschwitz as well. Of the 68,000 Jews who were imprisoned there, 877 Jews remained hidden and were liberated by the Russians. When the war was over, only 10,000 Jews of Lodz Province remained alive. (Wikipedia).
Besides my Szenk/Schenk family who were murdered, there were at least four members of the Manes family killed: Franka Manes and three of her adult children: Sara, Eli and Reize. Their sister entered the testimony in Yad VaShem.
I know that others perished as well because I met some of the survivors of Boleslawiec. I still cannot find their names, and that truly disturbs me. But the Manes family was from another small town nearby. I have not yet completed my research about what happened in that village, but it was also in Lodz. So I would assume the same route, Lodz Ghetto then Chelmo or Auschwitz.
When people think of the Polish city of Boleslawiec, they think of the beautiful pottery. And only that. I wish I could think that way as well. Blue is my favorite color, and the pottery truly is lovey. I know people who collect it.
I look at the lovely ceramic heart on my kitchen counter, and I think that it is amazing how a piece of lovely pottery that brings joy to so many people, brings me a feeling of despondency. It is a symbol to me that people can create beautiful objects, but carry biased hatred in their hearts. Even allowing that hatred to contribute to the deaths of others. Unfortunately, I see that hatred rising again and happening today. So I look at the heart and I hope that kindness overcomes hatred.
Three websites, besides Wikipedia, have helped me in the search about my Grandmother’s family who lived in Boleslawiec, Poland, located in the Province of Lodz. Thank you to Jewish Gen; Vtrual Shtel; and my obsession, the Yad VaShem Database.
Update, There are actually two Boleslawiec cities in Poland. The larger one is where the pottery is made; my grandmother probably lived in the smaller one. But the pottery still brings the same response in my heart.
https://zicharonot.com/2014/04/28/speaking-yiddish-always-brings-me-holocaust-memories/
https://zicharonot.com/2017/12/04/the-us-passport-a-matter-of-life/
https://zicharonot.com/2016/10/01/the-rosh-hashannah-card-has-a-story/
zicharonot 
I know that pottery—but just knew it was from Poland. And even if I’d seen the name of the town, it would not have meant anything to me until I read this. Now I will always make this sad association. You’ve honored your family members well.
Thank you. I really do have to stop for a while. It is beautiful pottery. But the association is too strong for me.