People

In September 1939, the big group of escapees from all over Poland arrived in Bialystok. Among them were many artists of Jewish roots who came mostly from Łodz and Warsaw: two brothers named Menasz and Efraim Seidenbeutlow, Natalia Landau, Stanisława Centnerszwerowa, Adolf Behrman, Tadeusz Bernsztejn, Fania Helman, Wolf Kapłański, Izaak Krzeczanowski, Natan Rozensztejn, Bencjon Rolnicki, Chaim Tyber, Abraham Hirsz Friedman (Frydman), Tobiasz Haber, Izaak Celnikier, Natan Gutman, Natan Rapaport, and Gina Halpern, the wife of the painter Abraham Hirsz Friedman who shortly after became a speaker at the Folk Art Centre (also known as the House of the Art) established by Soviet authorities. He was also the author of the docorations at the local Jewish theatre. Another artist, though probably not so much known, Genia Grosman was also living in the city, as well as Abraham Guterman, the scupltor Zajnwel(t) Messner and the painter Zygmunt Bobowski.