Avigdor Green, The Plonsk City Council, Poland, 1914

GURION, GURIAN, GORREN

Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. The word Agur, used in the sense of "to assemble", was the name of the compiler of Proverbs (called "Agur, son of Jakeh") found in the book of Proverbs the pursuit of wisdom and was used as an epithet by King Solomon. Thus the name Agurian could have designated "one who aspires to wisdom". Phonetically similar names can be found in the Talmud and Midrash, for instance Gurion, Ben Gurion, Bar Gurian, Ben Guria, Bar Guria and Gurian. The Jewish family name Gorren is documented in Spanish records dating from the year 1463 with a man called Don Abraham Gorren.

Plonsk

A town in the Masovian Voivodeship, Poland.

21ST CENTURY

Plonsk is known for the traces and memorials to the Israeli statesman David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973), born David Grün, one of the founders of the State of Israel (1948) and its first prime minister until 1963. It is he who wished to “make the desert bloom”, realizing his Zionist dream to make the south of Israel, the Negev, well habitable.

On the market place of Plonsk is the house where the child David Grün lived. The house named the Bengurionówka building carries a plaque noting Ben-Gurion’s past residence. For many years the Bengurionówka built in 1780 was also the location of a Ben-Gurion museum and a restaurant which served local dishes. The museum closed in spite of attempts to reopen. Ben-Gurion, however, was born in a wooden house around the corner which no longer exists.

On site is a monument, three stones which stand for Jewish burial stones in memory of the sacrifices of the Jewish state. An iron Tree of Remembrance also stands in commemoration, with metal leaves attached in memory. 

Located where the Jewish cemetery once stood, is a memorial dedicated to the Jews of Plonsk who were killed during World War II. Plonsk’s Historical Documentation Center provides historical information about locals such as documents and photographs.

HISTORY

Jews lived in Plonsk beginning in 1446, with the encouragement of the Princes of Masovia who wanted the Jews to help develop the town's economy. Later, however, the Jews' economic activity would be restricted; in 1677 King John III Sobieski prohibited Jewish commerce on market days, with the exception of kosher meat. However, in spite of these restrictions the number of Jews living in Plonsk increased, as did their importance in the life of the town.

During the 15th century the Jewish community was affiliated with the Jewish community of Plock, which was then the leading community of Masovia. After the establishment of the Council of the Four Lands, the community of Plonsk came under the jurisdiction of the community of Ciechanow. Eventually, however, the community of Plonsk grew large enough that it ultimately became an independent community.

Economically, the Jews of Plonsk thrived. By 1887 Jews owned most of the houses and the shops. They worked as wholesale traders of cereals, owned brandy distilleries, beer breweries, and underwear factories among other economic enterprises. They also worked as tailors and furriers, and exported goods to the Russian interior. In the wake of World War I, when Plonsk was part of Independent Poland, Jewish trade was restricted to the Polish market. Most traded in inexpensive, ready-made clothing. However, the global depression that began in the late 1920s and the virulent Polish anti-Semitism of the 1930s, drastically limited the economic opportunities for Poland's Jews, including the Jews of Plonsk.

The Hasidic movement made a number of inroads in Plonsk during the 19th century, particularly the Gur sect, but the community was led by the misnagdim (those who were opposed to the Hasidic movement). Over the course of the 20th century the influence of the maskilim (those in favor of the Jewish Enlightenment) and the Zionist movement also increased. The Jews of Plonsk were also active in Polish politics and some participated in the Polish Uprising of 1863. Solomon Posner, one of the commanders of the Plonsk Company, was killed in battle.

Community institutions included a synagogue that was built at the beginning of the 17th century, as well as a number of schools and charity organizations. Hebrew and Yiddish public libraries were established and became centers for political and social gatherings. The Bund and Agudas Yisroel were among the active political and cultural organizations in the town during the interwar period.

Rabbis who served the community included Rabbi Abraham Jekuthiel Lichtenstein, who was the community's rabbi during the second half of the 18th century and the author of the Zera Avraham, and Rabbi Tzvi Ezekiel Michaelsohn. Rabbi Israel Halevi Bornstein was the community's rabbi just before the outbreak of World War II.

In 1808 the Jewish population of Plonsk was 2,801. By 1910 that number had grown to 7,665 (64% of the population). In 1939 there were 8,200 Jews living in Plonsk.

Notable figures from Plonsk include David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of the State of Israel. An active Zionist even from a young age, when he was 14 he was among the founders of the Ezra organization, which sought to teach the Hebrew language and Jewish history to poor children. He left for Palestine at the age of 20 which at the time in 1906 was under Ottoman rule.

THE HOLOCAUST

Plonsk was occupied by the German Army on September 5, 1939. Immediately after the town's occupation some Jewish men were sent to the forced labor camp in Nosarzewo while some Jewish women were sent to the forced labor camp in Sierpc. A ghetto was established in May 1941.

Between November 1 and December 15, 1942 approximately 12,000 Jews from Plonsk and the surrounding area were deported to Auschwitz, where most were killed.
 

POSTWAR

Jewish life was not revived in Plonsk after the war. The synagogue that had been built during the 17th century was destroyed by Polish authorities in 1956. A supermarket was later built on the site.

The Jewish cemetery (originally consecrated in 1670) was destroyed during World War II. In 1983 a ceremony was held to unveil a memorial where the cemetery was once located.

In 1996 the mayor of Plonsk determined to emphasize and educate the public about Plonsk's connection with Ben-Gurion. A Ben-Gurion competition was established in order to promote projects that focused on Polish-Jewish history, and the town became a sister city in Ramat Hanegev, where Ben-Gurion's kibbutz is located.