"Kol Lublin" ("Voice of Lublin") is the annual magazine of Jews with Lublin roots in Israel and of the diaspora. It is the main forum for communication amongst our community. Fifty years have passed since the first annual was published. We believe that the variety of subjects, the abundance of data, and the richness of expression in "Kol Lublin" form a complement to the “Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora: Lublin”, the pre-eminent publication containing information about the Jewish community in Lublin.
Text by: Neta Żytomirska-Avidar
The first issue of "Kol Lublin"
The first issue of "Kol Lublin" was published in 1962, in memory of the Jewish community of Lublin which had perished twenty years earlier. Its pages were flooded with the deep sorrow and grief of the immigrants from Lublin. We can only imagine that their sense of accomplishment must have been overshadowed by their pain. This is expressed on the first pages where Jacob Glatstein, a great Lubliner poet and writer, presents an elegy "The Dead Don't Praise God":
We accepted the Torah on Sinai,
And in Lublin we gave it back.
The Dead don't praise God –
The Torah was given for life.
And just as we stood together
\At the giving of the Torah,
So indeed did we all die in Lublin.
History
The underlying purpose of "Kol Lublin" has remained true over the last 50 years. It places high value on the rich world of culture, language, and traditions that were the essence of the Jewish community of Lublin. There were synagogues, yeshivas, schools, youth movements, politics, works of art, music, newspapers, and theater. An entire vibrant culture went up in flames during the Shoah, and unless we search, collect and keep its memory, it will be lost for good.
The articles in "Kol Lublin" describe the destruction of the Jewish community. Not only are there survivor testimonies, but "Kol Lublin" contains numerous articles written by renowned historians who were and are familiar with Lublin. These include: Nachman Blumental, Nachman Korn, Alexander Bronowski, David Zilberklang, Robert Kuwalek.
"Kol Lublin" continues to be a space for the members of the Lublin Jewish Organization in Israel to share their knowledge and interests regarding Lublin. This has been expressed in a wide spectrum of poems and literature presented throughout the issues. "Kol Lublin" also continues its mission of honour by annually remembering those who have passed away. "Kol Lublin" also reflects the activities of the Lubliner organization in Israel that have been carried out during the year. A new aspect is the recent interest shown by Israelis who conduct tours in Poland. It appears that the stories and information contained in "Kol Lublin" are used to enhance the on-site experience of the participants.
David Sztokfisz (Shtokfish), a Lubliner, was a typographer by trade and the editor of "Kol Lublin" for 40 years. He contributed significant articles and edited numerous Yizkor Books. First editorial members included Ovadia Feld; the journalist, Dr. Elhanan Horwitz, and Ephraim Einstein. In 2003, with the publication of the 39th issue, second generation member Neta Zytomirski Avidar became the editor.
Interestingly, the first issue of "Kol Lublin" had no number. It makes us wonder if the editors thought that there would only be one issue. The next issue was published two years later and the number two appeared in the title, thus beginning 50 years of continuous annual publication. One of the most valuable aspects of "Kol Lublin" is the fact that it is written in the language of the people of the time. Yiddish, the language of our parents and grandparents was prevalent in the early issues, while Hebrew became dominant as it became the mother tongue of the next generation of writers. Today, in an attempt to make "Kol Lublin" accessible to more Lubliners, articles are translated from one language to another by the members, as well as being written in English.
"Kol Lublin" has evolved over the years, changing from a few pages of newspaper style, to a booklet, with increasing use of photographs, to today's 115-page magazine-like format. The first issue was titled “Lubliner Shtime” with the Hebrew title, “Kol Lublin” appearing as a subtitle. Today, this is reversed. A simple line drawing depicting the roofs of Lublin houses and the dome of the synagogue (located between the Krakow Gate and the castle) adorned the title. The current title drawing was created by Lubliner architect, Alexander Shrift, and is based on “The Jewish Quarter Around the Castle” by Richard Henker, which appears in Meir Balaban’s book “The Jewish City in Lublin".
In the year 2012, we memorialize the 70th anniversary of the extermination of the Lublin Jews and the 50th anniversary of the publication of the first issue of "Kol Lublin". The Lubliner organization expresses its sincere gratitude to the NN Theatre for its efforts in keeping the memory of Lublin Jews alive, and its help in achieving this goal by making the entire "Kol Lublin" collection available on-line on its website.
"Kol Lublin" - 50 Years of Publication
1962 – 2012
By Neta Zytomirski Avidar
Translated by Shmulik Avidar
Edited by Esther Mandelay, Jarosław Kobyłko
The issues of "Kol Lublin"
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| nr 1/1962 |
nr 2/1964 |
nr 3/1969 |
nr 4/1970 |
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| nr 5/1971 |
nr 6/1972 |
nr 7/1973 |
nr 8/1973 |
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| nr 9/1974 |
nr 10/1975 |
nr 11/1976 |
nr 12/1978 |
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| nr 13/1978 |
nr 14/1979 |
nr 15/1980 |
nr 16/1981 |
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| nr 17/1982 |
nr 18/1983 |
nr 19/1984 |
nr 20/1985 |
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| nr 21/1986 |
nr 22/1987 |
nr 23/1988 |
nr 24/1988 |
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| nr 25/1989 |
nr 26/1990 |
nr 27/1991 |
nr 28/1992 |
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| nr 29/1993 |
nr 30/1994 |
nr 31/1995 |
nr 32/1996 |
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| nr 33/1997 |
nr 34/1998 |
nr 35/1999 |
nr 36/2000 |
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| nr 37/2001 |
nr 38/2002 |
nr 39/2003 |
nr 40/2004 |
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| nr 41/2005 |
nr 42/2006 |
nr 43/2007 |
nr 44/2008 |
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| nr 45/2009 |
nr 46/2010 |
nr 47/2011 |
nr 48/2012 |
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| nr 49/2013 |
nr 50/2014 |
nr 51/2015 |
nr 52/2016 |
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| nr 53/2017 |
nr 54/2018 |
nr 55/2019 |
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- Copy editing: Joanna Zętar
