In the beginning of May 2019 Głuch family found a piece of matzeva in Brzesko, on the bank of Uszwica river – it was completely covered with mud, probably lying there for many decades. Luckily they’ve understood what it was and contacted Mrs Zuzanna Peters-Musiał, and she contacted me. Soon this matzeva will return to where it belongs, the Jewish cemetery in Brzesko. Most likely we will never know, when and under what circumstances it was brought to Uszwica. Although only a piece of the original tombstone survived, the inscription is very clear. Noa Shashar, descendant of Brzesko Schiff family, helped to read it, and due to that we now know the name of the person, on whose grave it used to stand: Israel Zieger. So far I haven’t been able to find his death record, but I’ve already learnt that there had been only one Zieger family in Brzesko. There are birth records of 4 children of Israel Zieger in Brzesko vital records books: Dwojre (1869); Abraham (1874); Pinkas Hirsch (1878); Salamon Gecel (1883). Mindel nee Grun was the mother of the first 3 children. She died in February 1882 aged 35, and her husband Israel remarried. Israel’s second wife, Ester nee Lies, daughter of Moses and Marjem, was the mother of the last child, Salamon Gecel.
A piece of matzeva found in the dirt by Uszwica helped to unveil the history of the entire family. We won’t be able to find the grave of Israel Zieger, but his tombstone will return to the cemetery. And I trust, that his soul will find some peace, May his memory be an eternal blessing.
