Mielec Yidn History and Life of Jews in Mielec Poland

Welcome

The Mielec Synagogue circa 1902 — photo courtesy Muzeum Historii Fotografii “Jadernowka”

Mielec Yidn (“Jews of Mielec”) is for all those interested in the history and life of the Jewish people who resided in, and in the environs of, what is now known as Mielec, Poland. There are many resources on the internet on this topic; we do not expect that this site will be the exclusive resource on this topic. But we hope that you find information here useful, insightful, or at least thought-provoking.

This site is managed by a group of volunteer genealogists who have ancestral ties to Jews who lived in Mielec from at least as early as 1850. Most of our families left Mielec prior to the Shoah (otherwise known as the Holocaust – the extermination of over 6 million Jews and other ethnic minorities by the German Nazi Army during World War II, 1939-1945). Except for a rare few who survived by hiding (often with the courageous assistance of righteous Poles), all those who remained were murdered.

If you are able, we encourage you to visit the town of Mielec someday. Although there are no Jews who currently live in the town, there are Polish residents who volunteer their time to aid foreign Jewish visitors over and over again. They too embrace our quest to learn more about Jewish life and history in this small town in “the old country.” If you are there, make sure you visit the Mielec Jadernówka Photography Museum (Muzeum Historii Fotografii “Jadernówka”) as it has a superb exhibit and books for sale.

Credit and Appreciation

This site is the result of years of work and research by many people including:

Stanisław Wanatowicz giving a walking tour of Jewish life in Mielec to local Polish citizens

Krzysztof Bielawski, organizer of cmentarze-zydowskie.pl
Janusz Halisz and Beata Ślemp-Kwoka of the Muzeum Historii Fotografii “Jadernowka”
Andrzej Krempa, author and researcher
Izabela Sekulska, administrator of the Mayn Shtetele Mielec Facebook Group and organizer of the Tragutta Cemetery Group

and most importantly,

Stanisław Wanatowicz – author, researcher, and univerally recognized expert of Jewish history in the Mielec powiat. Pan Wanatowicz has spent his entire life preserving and teaching others about the Jewish history of Mielec.

and of course,

hundreds of Jewish families who shared their information and stories from around the world about their parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents who once considered Mielec their home.

Thank you.