The exhibition about the Szenwic family will present the fate of one of the Jewish families associated with Płock.
The Szenwic family was associated with Płock from the beginning of the 19th century, when the spice merchant Jakub Lewin Szenwic settled here. His sense of doing business made him join the group of wealthy Jewish merchants of the city of Płock in a short time. An important area of his activity was charity and involvement in the life of the Jewish community of Płock. He was elected a member of the synagogue supervisory board several times, and in 1834 he became a member of the Committee of the Jewish Hospital of the Płock Province, whose task was to establish a hospital for Jewish patients in Płock. The hospital was established in 1836, and Jakub Lewin Szenwic was one of the people who financially supported this project. His descendants also made a permanent mark in the history of the city, especially Markus Szenwic, who was said to be “known for his readiness to sacrifice” and was actively involved in charity: together with his brothers – Natan and Chaskiel, he donated nearly 2,500 rubles and this amount was allocated for the construction of a new hospital for members of the Jewish community of Płock. The hospital, named after Izaak Fogel, was opened in December 1872 and functioned until 1941.
There were also many interesting and inspiring women in the Szenwic family, such as Fryda Szenwic, who was a well-known painter in pre-war Płock, who participated in the exhibition “The Art of Płock” organized in 1932 at the Angielski Hotel at 9 Tumska Street and Regina Ryfka Szenwic – dentist, who during World War II, together with her daughter, took part in the Warsaw Uprising.
The board exhibition will consist of family photographs and documents, including materials from the State Archives in Płock, which is a partner of the project.
The online version of the exhibition (bilingual – Polish and English) will be available at JewishPlock.eu.
It is worth emphasizing that the exhibition is created thanks to the cooperation and involvement of family members.
The exhibition will be produced thanks to a grant from the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland.