Life in Poland

Map of Poland Drawn by the Author click image to enlarge	Detail of Rozwadów, Poland Drawn by the Author click image to enlarge

click images to enlarge Polish Indians Rozwadów, 1931. Neighborhood kids, left: Bronek Zielonka, center: Joseph Taler, right: Staszek Kobylański Tartak (saw mill) the source of spears click image to enlarge Image of City Square in Rzeszów, circa 1930 Rzeszów Jews Memorial Book, Tel-Aviv 1967	Entering Highschool Author at age 11, in Nisko, Poland in 1934 Reunion with Chief Indian Warsaw, 1990 Tadek Kobylańsi and wife with the Talers Eugenia Wrzos and the Talers Rozwadów, 1990 Joseph Taler's Highschool Classmate, Eugenia Wrzos with Bronka Taler

Market Square Rozwadów, 1939 Market Square on Tuesdays. Peasants would bring their wares for sale every Tuesday and in turn they would shop in the stores at the square. Most of the stores were owned by Jews and they lived above or in back of the storefronts. Photo courtesy of Dr. Wrzos. The House in which the Author and his family lived Rozwadów	Nazi Army Entering Rozwadów, 1939 Photograph taken from the second floor of the elementary school. The red arrow points to the side window of the Taler's residence. Second Floor Apartment of Talers
Map of Rozwadów, 1939 click image to enlarge This drawing by the author is from his book "In Search of Heros"

Captain Abraham Thaler Abraham Thaler (1897-1955) Lawyer, Officer of the Polish Army, Defender of Stolowa Wola and honored by the Regional Museum of Stolowa Wola (Charcoal drawing on right by Art Smookler, November 22, 2009) Doctor Abraham Thaler, a lawyer in private practice was recalled to active duty on August 20, 1939 - prior to the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939. He was a combat officer in command of an infantry platoon - assisted by antiaircraft units in the defense of a military-industrial complex in Stalowa Wola. For further details, see orders of the 6th Polish infantry in the letter below.	Captain Abraham Thaler click image to enlarge
click image to enlarge Polish Military Archive Photocopy of Original Writen in script on the document is a note by Colonel Misiag. This document was sent to the author courtesy of Mr. Marek Wiatrowicz of the Division of Education and Publications at the Regional Muzeum in Stalowa Wola, Poland. Map of the River San Drawn by the author Dr. Joseph Taler	click image to enlarge Translation: September 12, 1939 0:30 hour The 6th division of (The Polish) infantry assumes as of today new assignment. The group of Colonel Trzebunia remains unchanged and remains in Zarzecze. As of 6am Captain Thaler along with the anti-aircraft company will defend the bridge (across the river San) at Ulanow. Captain Bragiel and his company will defend the bridge (across the river San) in Krzeszow. The order is to defend the bridges, but in case of an overwhelming power of the enemy (Germany), the bridges should be blown up and the entire group under the command of Colonel Trzebunia is to proceed through forests toward the region of Janow (Lubelski). On the 12th and the 13th of September the military units will rely on provisions requisited form local sources. Thereafter the food will be supplied from Janow. Commandant of the section of the 6th Infantry Division Colonel Misiag
Regional Biographic Compendium In July 2009 I recieved a letter from Marek Wiatrowicz, member of the Department of Education and Publishing of the Regional Muzeum in Stalowa Wola, about including my father in the first volume of a book honoring individuals, who performed exemplary services for Poland and particularly for the region where I was born and where we lived until 1948. The book, written in Polish features men and women going back to the 17th century. The entire content of the story of my father is enclosed in Polish. It stresses particularly my father's upbringing, education, leadership in the Jewish community and military service. It stresses his service in Polish-Russo war against bolsheviks in 1919-1920 and as a combat defender of Stolowa Wola in 1939. My mother and I are also included. click image to enlarge Zofia Taler's birthday certificate click image to enlarge Acceptance of Abraham by lawyers bar in Kraków Oct. 15, 1945. click image to enlarge Abhraham's pro-bono work as an attorney in Kraków. click image to enlarge Translation of Bronisława Frenkiel (future Mrs. Joseph Taler) birth certificate. click image to enlarge Jordania, Zeirei-Zion Student Society in 1912 Rzeszów Jews Memorial Book, Tel-Aviv 1967 Abraham Thaler appears on the bottom left corner. Enlarge image to see a detail of him. click image to enlarge Bronek, Milek, Joseph in Rozwadów, 1927 click image to enlarge Tadek Kobylański (imitating an actor) Rozwadów, 1938 photo taken by Joseph click image to enlarge Sala, Abraham's older sister, her husband Janek Birman and their son Manek Birman with photo of their son Julek Birman. Sala, Janek, and Manek were killed by Nazis. Julek survived the war in Siberia. click image to enlarge click image to enlarge Matejki #10 in Rzeszów Joseph Taler's drawing based on his memory and especially on Nathan Birman's information click image to enlarge Reverse side to the "Men in Hats" photograph	Cadet of the Austrian Infantry, taken 1914 when Abraham Thaler was 17 years old. Photo given to Jospeh by his father's first cousin George Salton, who is also Joseph's dear friend. click image to enlarge Chapter on Abraham Thaler from Regional Biographic Compendium click image to enlarge False birthday certificate given to Abraham by Polish underground in 1942 identifying him as Stanisław Wójcicki. click image to enlarge Document designating Abraham temporary name of Dr. Abraham Thaler-Wójcicki. click image to enlarge Assignment of aptartment for Abraham and Zofia in Kraków May 18, 1946. click image to enlarge City Hospital of Munich certificate for Joseph in the department of Surgery and Anesthesiology for very good performance. click image to enlarge Authorization by Polish Government for formation of Jewish community organization by Dr. Abhraham Thaler and Mgr. Moses Reich, Attorneys in Rzeszów on September 9, 1944. click image to enlarge Family and friends photo in Rozwadów, 1932 Standing second from left is the author's mother Zosia Thaler; the fifth from left is the author's father Abraham Thaler; sitting on lap of Dr. Landau is Mimi on the left; Eva is seated on the lap of Dr. Trautstein on the right. Eva was the first love of Joseph. Sitting in the front, embrasing each other is the author and Bronek. More detail can be found in the book In Search of Heroes by Joseph Taler, M.D. click image to enlarge Dr. Joseph Taler visiting Rabbi David Kahane in Tel Aviv at Rabbi Kahane's residence. Joseph's father Dr. Abraham Thaler gave Rabbi Kahane false identity papers to help the Rabbi observe and write about events in Lvov in 1942. Rabbi Kahane emigrated from Poland to Israel and was Chief Rabbi of the Israeli Air Force. click image to enlarge Julek Birman, Joseph's first cousin. In 1939 Julek escaped from Nazis to eastern Poland. He was arrested by Soviets in 1940 and survived the war in Siberia. click image to enlarge Szaja and Ester Thaler of Głoglów, the author's great-grandparents. Circa 1920. Courtesy of Mania Chaikof and her son, Leo Chaikof, M.D., both of Toronto, Canada click image to enlarge "Men in Hats" "These men were married to Thaler women, daughters of Szaja Thaler, my great-grandfather and sisters of my grandfather Joseph Thaler. Mania Chaikof of Toronto, Canada was my father's first cousin when my parents emigrated from Paris, France to Canada. They lived for a while at the home of my father's aunt and Mania's who was married to Harry Chaikof. Over the years I met them, all three Chaikof children and some of their descendants both in Canada and in the United States. I was particularly close to Mania, with whom I also corresponded and she gave me these and other photographs." click image to enlarge

Reunited Mr. Spira, holocaust survivor, was the author's next door neighbor in Rozwadów. The two reconnected 66 years later in 2005 in Brooklyn, New York. Letter from Aaron M. Orlander, LMSW click image to enlarge	Mr. Spira and the Author