01.04.2020 | Redaktor

Matzeva of Breindel, daughter of Zvi Hirsch, 1854

There are many photos of matzevot from the new Jewish cemetery in Brzesko at the website shtetl.org.pl. Among them one can find a picture of a beautiful matzeva with a very clear inscription made in 2005.

Picture from 2005, https://sztetl.org.pl/pl/media/2216-macewa?ref=gallery&article=8523

Noa Shashar, descendant of Brzesko Schiff family, provided its translation:

“Here lies the modest honest, righteous God worshipping woman, who helped the poor, woman of valor, good and dear ms. Breindel daughter of Zvi Hirsch Hacohen, died 19 Cheshvan 5615 [November 10, 1854], May her soul be bound in the bundle of life”

After almost 15 years this matzeva already looked very different:

Picture made in May 2019 by the Foundation for Documentation of Jewish Cemeteries; this matzeva is listed under # 28 in row p1 In the database of the Foundation (https://cemetery.jewish.org.pl/list/c_100 )

Inscription is still kind of readable, but  it is not as clear as it used to be and matzeva surface is corroded.

It’s painful to think that dozens of other matzevot at the cemetery have no traces of inscription left and we will never be able to learn who are buried there.