Alternate names: Łask [Pol], Lask [Yid, Rus, Ger], Laski, Lusk. Russian: Ласк. לאסק- Yiddish. 51°35' N, 19°08' E, 18 miles SW of Łódź, 27 miles NW of Piotrków Trybunalski. 1900 Jewish population: 2,862.
Yizkors: Lask; sefer zikaron le-ir ve-em be-Yisrael, be-erets Polin, she-kehilatah va-alafim rabim mi-Yehudeha ... hushmedu ... al yadei ha-natzim ... bi-shenot 700-705 (Tel Aviv, 1968) and Zikaron Nezach Le'Kehila Kdosha Lask (Petach Tikva, 1967).
ShtetLink. Łask is a town in central Poland with 18,948 inhabitants in 2004 in Łódź Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Sieradz Voivodeship (1975-1998). Łask powiat is a unit of territorial administration and local government since January 1, 1999, with its administrative seat and only town in Łask. 2006 population is 50,874, with Łask population at 18,684. Jewish history. [June 2009]
ShtetLink: http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Lask [January 2001]
CEMETERIES:
LASK (I): US Commission No. POCE000686
Lask (I) is located in Sieradz at 51º3619º08, 36 km from Lodz. Cemetery location: Podlaszcze, access road to Widawa. Present town population is 5,000-25,000 with no Jews.
Town: Urzad Miasta i Gminy, 98-100 Lask, ul. Warszawska 14, tel. 34-01.
Regional: Wojewodzki Konserwator Zabytkow, ul Koscinszki 3, 98-200 Sieradz, tel. 849-3815. Urzad Wojewodzki w Sieradza, Plac Wojewodzki 3, 98-200 Sieradz, tel. 849-71666.
Interested: Lydowski Instytrit Historyczciy w Polsce, ul. Tlomackie 315, 00-090 Warszawa, tel. 27-92-21.
The earliest known Jewish community was late 16th or early 17th century. 1921 Jewish population was 2,623 (53.6%). The Orthodox, Conservative, and Progressive Jewish cemetery was established in mid-19th century with last burial in 1942. The isolated suburban flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all with no wall or gate. The size of the cemetery before WWII and now is 2.0 hectares. 20-100 gravestones, none in original location, date from 1840-20th century. The cemetery is divided into special sections for men and women. The limestone and sandstone rough stones or boulders, flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, or flat stones with carved relief decoration have Hebrew and Polish inscriptions. Some have traces of paint on their surfaces. No known mass graves. The municipality owns property used for animal grazing and recreation. Properties adjacent are recreational and residential. Organized Jewish group and individual tours, private visitors, and local residents occasionally visit. The cemetery was vandalized during WWII, but not in the last ten years. There is no maintenance or care. There are no structures. Security and erosion are moderate threats; vegetation and incompatible nearby development are serious threats. The cemetery location is forest so vegetation is a constant problem disturbing stones.
Adam Penkalla, deceased, visited site and completed survey Nov 1992.
LASK (II): US Commission No. POCE000687
See Lask (I) for town information. Cemetery location: Mickiewicza St. The Orthodox and Conservative Jewish cemetery was established late 16th or early 17th century with last burial in 1942. The isolated urban flat land has an inscription on the pre-burial house. Reached by turning directly off a private road and crossing public property, access is open to all with no fence or gate. The size of the cemetery property before WWII was 1.0 hectare. There are no gravestones or mass graves. The municipality owns property used for recreation (sport field). Properties adjacent are residential. Organized Jewish group and individual tours, private visitors, and local residents occasionally visit. The cemetery was vandalized during WWII, but not in the last ten years. There is no maintenance or care.
Adam Penkalla, deceased, completed survey Nov 1992. He visited, but no interviews. [NOTE: The survey says there are inscriptions on the pre-burial house, but later says no structures in the cemetery now a sports field.]