White cotton tallit katan used by a Polish Jewish elder

Klara Schiller was born on February 1, 1926, in Warez, Poland (Varyazh, Ukraine), to Henia Kaner, born in 1894 in Uwnow, and Shlomo Schiller, born in 1889 in Warez. She had a twin sister, Pola, and an older sister, Ania, born on May 15, 1921. Shlomo was a water well builder, as was his father. They were an affluent, observant Jewish family and spoke Yiddish at home. Klara and her sisters attended public school, where the majority of the students were Jewish and the teachers were Polish. Ania became engaged in 1939 to Michael Kindler. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Schiller family, including Michael, fled to the east. After reaching the Bug River, Shlomo realized that he had forgotten to bring his tools from home. He returned to Warez, and the Polish military delayed the destruction of the bridge over the river. He reunited with his family, and they traveled to nearby Sokal, on the banks of the Bug River in Soviet occupied Poland. A month later, they reached Kherson in the Ukraine. The city had a large Polish Jewish refugee population as there were many job opportunities. Ania and Michael married in 1940. Shlomo and Michael worked at a metal factory. The family lived together in factory housing. Klara and Pola attended school. Ania and Michael’s daughter, Sara, was born on June 6, 1941. On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Shortly after, the family was evacuated to Chelyabinsk in the Ural Mountains. Six weeks later, Michael was mobilized into the Soviet Army. Shlomo worked at a factory for a short time, then as a bookkeeper. Klara and Pola worked at an ammunition factory producing Katyusha rocket launchers. Klara had to stand on a wooden box to reach the lathing machine. Six months later, Chelyabinsk expelled refugees as untrustworthy residents, and the family moved to Kopeysk. Food was scarce, and Shlomo lost his eyesight due to starvation. He spent nine months in a hospital in Chelyabinsk. The family brought him bread as a gift. Klara and Pola both worked twelve hour shifts at different factories. Klara worked as a metal worker at an ammunition factory, Kalushchenko. She was an excellent worker and received extra rations as a reward. Henia sold the family’s clothing at the market to purchase additional food. She also gathered oats left behind on the ground. In Kopeysk, Klara met and married Ephraim Fima Gorysznik, born on August 5, 1914, in Miaskiwce, Ukraine. He was an engineer who had been sent to the factory where she worked. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered to the Western Allies, and on May 9 to the Soviets, ending the war in Europe. In May 1946, Klara, Ephraim, and her family repatriated to Poland and settled in Szczecin. The family found out that Ania’s husband, Michael, presumably was killed in action during the war. Klara’s parents and sisters emigrated to Israel in the 1950s. After Ephraim’s death in 1960, Klara moved to Israel in 1963 with her three daughters. Shlomo died on November 10, 1964, at the age of 75, in Israel. Klara remarried Abraham (Shimon) Meszel and settled in Bat Yam, Israel.

Shlomo Schiller was born in 1889 in Warez, Poland (Varyazh, Ukraine). He married Henia Kaner, who was born in 1894 in Uwnow. They had a daughter, Ania, born on May 15, 1921, and twin daughters, Klara and Pola, born on February 1, 1926. Shlomo was a water well builder, as was his father. They were an affluent, observant Jewish family and spoke Yiddish at home. Klara and her sisters attended public school, where the majority of the students were Jewish and the teachers were Polish. Ania became engaged in 1939 to Michael Kindler. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Schiller family, including Michael, fled to the east. After reaching the Bug River, Shlomo realized that he had forgotten to bring his tools from home. He returned to Warez, and the Polish military delayed the destruction of the bridge over the river. He reunited with his family, and they traveled to nearby Sokal, on the banks of the Bug River in Soviet occupied Poland. A month later, they reached Kherson in the Ukraine. The city had a large Polish Jewish refugee population as there were many job opportunities. Ania and Michael married in 1940. Shlomo and Michael worked at a metal factory. The family lived together in factory housing. Klara and Pola attended school. Ania and Michael’s daughter, Sara, was born on June 6, 1941. On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Shortly after, the family was evacuated to Chelyabinsk in the Ural Mountains. Six weeks later, Michael was mobilized into the Soviet Army. Shlomo worked at a factory for a short time, then as a bookkeeper. Klara and Pola worked at an ammunition factory producing Katyusha rocket launchers. Klara had to stand on a wooden box to reach the lathing machine. Six months later, Chelyabinsk expelled refugees as untrustworthy residents, and the family moved to Kopeysk. Food was scarce, and Shlomo lost his eyesight due to starvation. He spent nine months in a hospital in Chelyabinsk. The family brought him bread as a gift. Klara and Pola both worked twelve hour shifts at different factories. Klara worked as a metal worker at an ammunition factory, Kalushchenko. She was an excellent worker and received extra rations as a reward. Henia sold the family’s clothing at the market to purchase additional food. She also gathered oats left behind on the ground. In Kopeysk, Klara met and married Ephraim Fima Gorysznik, born on August 5, 1914, in Miaskiwce, Ukraine. He was an engineer who had been sent to the factory where she worked. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered to the Western Allies, and on May 9 to the Soviets, ending the war in Europe. In May 1946, Shlomo and his family, including Ephraim, repatriated to Poland and settled in Szczecin. The family found out that Ania’s husband, Michael, presumably was killed in action during the war. Shlomo and Henia as well as Ania and Pola with their families emigrated to Israel in the 1950s. After Ephraim’s death in 1960, Klara moved to Israel in 1963 with her three daughters. Shlomo died on November 10, 1964, at the age of 75, in Israel.

The tallit katan was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2004 by Klara Gorysznik-Meszel, the daughter of Shlomo Schiller.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Klara Gorysznik-Meszel

Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.