RYPIN

According to „The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life before and during the Holocaust" first Jews showed up in Rypin in the 16th century while organized Jewish community was set up in the mid of the 17th century. Apart from a big synagogue there were also houses of prayer for numerous Hassid influenced by tzadiks from Aleksandrów and Góra Kalwaria. Hassids had also their own yeshivot. In 1799 Jews in Rypin got privileges among which were rights for free trade and purchasing properties. That resulted in economical development of the town along with growth of number of Jews. During the 19th century their number increased three times – from 517 people in 1827 up to 1076 in 1897. Census from 1921 noted 2791 inhabitants of Jewish descent.

After outbreak of the WW II many Jewish inhabitants of Rypin escaped eastwards. Some of Jews who stayed in the town were killed within its borders. Other were forced to leave town and move to ghettos in Płońsk, Mława, Ciechanów and other places. Most of them died. Emanuel Ringelblum who was chronicler of Warsaw ghetto described death of rabbi Natan Nutkiewicz from Rypin on Umschlagplatz in following words: “Rabbi Nutkiewicz from Rypin was Zionist activist before the war. He travelled to the USA on Hebrew education business. He was Man of crystal character, tolerant to people with different views. During the war rabbi Nutkiewicz was liked by masses of refugees for whom he gained a lot as representative of Rypin community and member of refugees headquarter. This modest and noble activist gathered considerable amount of money for Jewish help organization. He lived in hunger and cold and sacrificed his strength for the common good. He was caught on Umschlaplatz during resettlement. He knew very well what to expect in Treblinka and decided to oppose criminals. He jumped out of the car he had been pushed in. Ukrainian guard yelled at him to get back otherwise he would be shot. Rabbi answered firmly: >Shoot! I will not go in<. Ukrainian shot him. However it remains unknown what happened to body. Most likely was put in one of mass graves that were so common in those times”.

After liberation only few dozens out of 280 Jews who survived the war came back to Rypin. Most of them emigrated soon.

Jewish community in Rypin owned three necropolises. There is no record preserved on the oldest one. The second was set up in the 18th century close to so called old power station. Its establishment was most likely connected with privilege from 1799 that among others allowed Jews to have their own necropolis. There is no trace of that cemetery nowadays. The newest Jewish cemetery in Rypin was established probably in the 19th century in present Spokojna street opposite possession no 72. Cemeteries were destroyed by Nazis. In spring 1940 on command of district gardener Otto Schepulla matzevas were used to built pavement in the nearby garden. Only after many years they were taken out and preserved by local social worker Jan Smoliński. In 1989 Beniamin Stencel, former inhabitant of Rypin, came there with visit from Izrael and together with Jan Smoliński they did cataloguing and pre-restoration works. Thanks to initiative of Beniamin Stencel and other Jews from Rypin pieces of retrieved matzevas were used to erect lapidary in place of the old cemetery.

Press here to see Memory Book of Rypin in English and Hebrew

Text by K. Bielawski
Photos by Sylwia Podkowska
Translation by K. Nocek