The Organization of the Descendants of David-Horodok and the Surrounding Areas
Meeting of David-Horodokers in Beit-Israel Hall, Tel Aviv, July 28, 1953.
The Organization of David-Horodok descendants in Israel was established immediately after the end of the Second World War, after they had already known the terrible news regarding the events in David-Horodok and the bitter fate of its Jews.
The founders of the organization, R. Mishalov and Kolozny, convened a meeting and the head of the first committee was elected, A. Dushnik. The committee initiated many actions, gathered the names and addresses of the town’s descendants and provided moral and financial support to the needy in Israel and the town’s refugees who were still in Russia.
The Organization of the Descendants of David-Horodok is a registered nonprofit organization managed to this day by an elected committee that works for the existence of two main goals: perpetuating the memory of the town’s dead and maintaining the social connection between the next generations.
Many commemorative actions – even very many – have been carried out by the organization’s committees during the years of its existence, actions that were carried out thanks to the supporting back – in spirit and in material – of the town’s descendants, the organization’s members.
Among the commemorative actions carried out: the production of books, films, presentations, plaques and memorials, and commemorative events in Israel and in David-Horodok. A major accomplishment was the publication of the Sefer Zikaron David-Horodok or The Memorial Book of David-Horodok in 1957.
Also, the organization’s committees work to maintain the relationship between the members by holding social gatherings, including an annual dinner and show, that have been a tradition for many years.
The highlight of the activities of the organizations’ committee in recent years was the renovation of the mass grave in David-Horodok and its inauguration with the greatest respect for the murdered, attended by a delegation of over 100 men and women who came from Israel and abroad.
Another recent activity was erecting a monument inside the town of David-Horodok to commemorate the Jewish community that lived and prospered there over 500 years.
The organization currently has about 250 members who are registered and known as descendants of David-Horodok for generations.
The Organization of the Descendants of David-Horodok in Israel operates according to the rules of the Registrar of Associations and its financial statements are approved by the members of the association and submitted to the Registrar every year.
The organization is not supported by public or state bodies and all of its activities are financed by its members in Israel and abroad.
The organization does not pay a salary to the committee members and their work is done entirely voluntarily. Thanks to the volunteers and to the enthusiastic members of the organization, the Organization of the Descendants of David-Horodok and the Surrounding Areas continues to thrive.
For more information, please contact Sinai Zilber at sinai_zilber@hotmail.com.