Association of Descendants of Jewish Central Poland (ADJCP) website was formed to interest all descendants from the seventeen shtetls of Jewish Central Poland (JCP)
Due to various factors, our ancestral families were attracted to the JCP area and proceeded to establish thriving shtetl communities as early as the 1580’s. Jewish families typically grew dramatically in size after 1820 often with ten to fourteen children for at least two generations up to about 1880. A few towns recorded Jewish populations almost half the total population on census lists.
Jewish families of JCP were severely decimated in the 20th century as a result of pogroms, the desire to emigrate to Israel and finally the Holocaust from 1939. Between 1939 and 1942 Jewish families from the seventeen shtetls on our list were almost entirely wiped out at Chelmno nad Nerem death camps. Increasing emigration throughout the 20th century enabled the Jewish population to survive and flourish in the Diaspora—all wishing to seek a better future abroad.
Continuously in the 21st century, living descendants are returning to their roots in JCP to rediscover their ancestral links, to remember and commemorate family members and the stories that followed them, and to help preserve their memory and Jewish heritage in Poland.
Post COVID, the ADJCP is supporting these activities by working in a collaborative strategy with people and organizations within Poland beginning with the 2023 Commemorative tour. In addition, the group is taking a leadership role in helping to preserve Jewish Culture in the area, maintaining databases and providing research assistance for those seeking information on the seventeen shtetls of JCP.
*Additional shtetls may be added under the umbrella of ADJCP following the 2023 MEMORIAL Tour.