Izrael Goldberg (Dębica, 1990)
Izrael Goldberg (1909-1991). Last Jew from Dębica. Son of Mendel and Chava nee Wulweg. He survived the war by hiding with his mother and brother in the forests around Dębica. After the war he did not emigrate to the US with his family, but stayed in Dębica. Between 1952 and 1981 he was employed by the local chapter of Enterprise for Forest Processing “Las” from Rzeszów as quality control inspector and then until 1990 he worked in a similar position controlling the quality of game meat at the Canned Goods Production Department of CZSS “Społem” Processing Plant in Dębica. I first met him at Dębica’s Jewish cemetery in 1980. As time went on, I gained his trust. We worked together to notify authorities about the condition of the cemetery and the need for its maintenance and enclosure with a fence. In the final years of his life, I would visit Mr.Goldberg in his one-room apartment at Strażacka Street. I would bring him records with Jewish music and he would tell me about Dębica’s prewar Jewish life. Too bad I never took his photograph. Luckily, I recorded the sound of his voice.
