1st place — Dominika Częścik
Jewish Inhabitants of Skibniew
The Forgotten Shtetl
Before the war, about a dozen Jewish families lived in Skibniew, which is located between Sokołów Podlaski and Kosów Lacki, in the Sokołów Podlaski commune. Though Jews did not constitute a majority in the countryside, their presence was visible. The information regarding the local Jewish community comes from Skibniew inhabitants, mainly Irena Rogozińska and Eugenia Skorupka.
The elderly can still remember the names, occupations, and the places of residence of their old Jewish neighbours, most of whom lived in flats or houses rented from the locals. They worked in services or trade, or as artisans. What did that forgotten shtetl look like? What were the names of its inhabitants? Who were they? Here are some memories about the inhabitants of our village, so forgotten that they seem unreal.
