52°01' N 21°56' E, 42.7 miles ESE of Warszawa. The village in Poland located in Mazowieckie voivodship in the powiat siedleckim, in Gmina Wodynie at the junction of provincial road No 802 Minsk Mazowiecki-Seroczyn and 803 Siedlce-Stoczek Łukowski with the river Borer, in 2005 had about 770 inhabitants. Normal 0 Jews probably settled here in the sixteenth century. In 1701, the Zbigniew Oborski brothers drew up a contract with the Jews Ajzykowiczem Mark and his father Ajzykiem Wolfowiczem for the sum of 1,400 PLN to provide the Ajzykowiczom and his heirs the town and villages of Seroczyn Borek, Lomnica, Kołodzież, Jedlanka and a mill on the pond in Great Seroczyn. The contract prohibited, except arendas, drinks sold in the villages, but they had the right to manufacture and brew beer, vodka as publican. In 1778 58 Jewish "heads of household", paid tax of 174 €. Despite cultural and religious differences, the Jews integrated with the other residents. Poles and Jews fought together during the national emergencies, such as the blacksmith Abram, who created iron scythes and horses armor for insurgents. Seroczyn Jewish kahal built the single story, shingled synagogue at current ul. Siedlecka. The synagogue was destroyed even before WWII. The rabbi lived in a home on ul Koszarowej belonging to the kahal. In the interwar period, the Jewish community in Seroczyn of about 600 Jews also served Jews from the villages of Wodynie, Rudnika, and Żebraczki. In 1921, the Jewish population had dropped to 179. The Jewish community became subject to Siedlecki kahal in 1928 due to dwindling population as a result of immigration and moving to large cities. The Jewish population lived in the center of the village. In the interwar period, Jewish children attended the local school. The Nazis killed a number of Jews here with the rest deported to Stoczek Łukowskiego and from there to the ghetto in Parysów. Most perished in Treblinka. [June 2009]
CEMETERY: Located in the woods near the school, the cemetery also was used by the surrounding towns. Before the war, the cemetery was surrounded with a wooden fence with a covered gate. During WWII, the Jews were forced by the Nazis to break up stone gravestones for later use in roadwork. Some old moss-covered matzevot were thrown down the well within the limit of the cemetery. Photos. [June 2009]
US Commission No. POCE000578
Alternate Yiddish name: Serotchin. Seroczyn is located in Siedlechie province at 52º0121º56. The cemetery is located on the road to Siedlce by the school, 150 meters W and behind the pond. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Town: Urzad Gminy, Wodynie.
- Interested: Marian Kluczyk, Seroczyn and Wojwodzki Konserwator Zabytkow Siedlce, ul. Zbrojna 3, tel. No. 394-58.
1921 Jewish population was 179. The last known burial was before WWII. The isolated rural/agricultural hillside has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. Wooden poles and no gate surround the cemetery. The size today and before WWII was 0.6 hectare. 1-20 stones are visible with none in original position and fewer than 25% toppled or broken. The oldest known gravestone is probably early 20th century. The granite tombstones and memorial markers finely smoothed and inscribed have Yiddish inscriptions. No known mass graves. Municipality owns property used for Jewish cemetery. Adjacent properties are agricultural and residential. The cemetery was vandalized during WWII. Private citizens rarely visit. No structures. Local/municipal authorities cleared vegetation, and fixed wall and gate in 1987-9. Authorities occasionally clear or clean. Rarely, private visitors stop. Weather erosion and vegetation are moderate threats. Vegetation overgrowth is a seasonal problem, preventing access.
Cezary Ostas, Siedlce, ul. Pomorska 1/68, tel. 290-95 visited site and completed survey on 24 Aug 1992.