[Page 409]

The Zionist Movement

[Page 410]

[Page 411]

On the Saturday night of the weekly Torah portion “Lech Lecha”^[2], the leaders of the Chovevei-Tzion^[3] movement assembled in the prayer house of the philanthropist Mr. Yisrael Papierno, to consider all the work that was done for the benefit of the association, in the past year - the first year of its existence. In his address, the speaker Abromovitsh, spoke about the negative situation of the Jewish people among the nations, and he called upon the audience to participate in the grand plan of settlement in the Land of Israel. After that, two musicians from the school of music (Affere) who were present, went on to the stage and sang the prayer “El malei rachamim”^[4] to the soul of the righteous minister Moshe Montefiore, and to the souls of the accomplished writers who cherished the holy plan – Peretz Smolenskin and Dovid Gordon.

Mr. Ashpiz, a representative of the association, presented an account of its income and expenditure for the whole year, to all those gathered, and after him, Mr. Fried read out the protocols of the organization, and the last letter from the Rabbi, the Gaon^[5], Mr. Shmuel Mohiluber. In total, 403 Rubel was collected during the year, of which 200 Rubel had already been sent to Dr. Pinsker in Odessa, 150 Rubel was currently in the hands of the representative, and the rest covered increased costs and other expenses.

The leaders of the organization were of the view that their activities were still limited because most of the members were minors and young men. They suggested that if they were joined by people who were eminent and those of means, then the income would increase sevenfold. They decided to bestow honor and show respect to the elderly, for that is surely what was done when the position of chairman was given to the elderly wealthy man, Mr. Yisrael Papierno. The leaders of the association were people of integrity and there was no need to doubt their devotion to providing for the needs of the organization.

Now it is appropriate to welcome everyone who wants to be counted as a member of “Chovevei Tzion”; and may the wealthy among us, follow the example of the honored elderly man, participate, and be in the forefront of the activities of the organization so that the old and the young will always be with us, and increase and expand the deeds and activities of the group.

Eliezer Liezerowitsh
(“Ha'melitz” 1886, edition 150)^[6]

The 18^th December – this serves to inform the readers of “Ha'melitz” so that they will recognize and know, the shame and disgrace that Chovevei-Tzion endured in our town from the ignorant, self-righteous, and more than that, the pseudo-educated sectors; I will relate what happened last night. The preacher Mr. Abramovitsh acceded to the request of the leaders of the organization to speak in the large synagogue, on the subject of settlement in the Land of Israel, because we knew from his sermon on the 5^th day of Mar-Cheshvan^[7] that he would express himself in a knowledgeable and pleasing manner, that his words would be informative, and will achieve its objective. The news spread quickly throughout the town because of the notices that were attached to the walls of the prayer houses. Men and women came to hear the words of the impressive speaker. However – unfortunately for us – our good intentions did not materialize. Two leaders of the synagogue B. H. – M. G. and together with them, also one of the educated members of the community, who said that he has great knowledge on matters of income and economy, expressed their anger because we did not consult them, and they rebelled against us. They did not allow us to put our thoughts into action and poured shame and disgrace on this sacred plan in general, and those involved with the plan, in particular; and the people scattered, everyone returned home bitterly disappointed. Oh! The shame of it!

After I began to expose the villainy of these people to the readers, I will also relate, that after the meeting of the “Chovevei-Tzion” association on the 5^th day of Menachem-Av^[8], that was held in the synagogue of the Gaon Yisrael Papierno (chairman of the association), a memorial service was held for the accomplished writers Moshe Smolenskin and Dovid Gordon, may their memory be blessed. The people gathered in groups in all the synagogues, and each person expressed his opinion, because this time, before the Messiah comes, there will be those who will have greater audacity to take the Torah scrolls in memory of notable atheists, about whom we can say, they lessen and do not enhance ….

(Ha'melitz” 1887, edition 28)

Translator's Footnotes:

1. Chibat-Tzion – the name of the organization means “Love of Zion”. Return
2. Lech Lecha - is the name of the third Torah portion in the book of Genesis. Return
3. Chovevei Tzion – means Lovers of Zion - a movement to build the Land of Israel that preceded Zionism. Return
4. El malei rachamim – are the first words of the prayer for the dead. They mean ‘God, full of compassion’. Return
5. Gaon – a genius, a learned man. Return
6. Ha'melitz – the first Hebrew newspaper to appear in Russia – founded in 1860. Return
7. Mar-Cheshvan – the 8^th month on the Hebrew calendar, also called Cheshvan. Return
8. Menachem-Av – the title of the month of Av, the 11^th month in the Hebrew calendar. Return

[Page 412]

In Bobruisk, two organizations were established to buy property in the Holy Land. One was founded by the lawyer Mr. A. Sh., who with his pleasant manner of speaking, was able to awaken this idea. Twenty wealthy men signed the document that required every member of the organization to contribute 300 Rubel to its treasury. Half was to be paid when their delegate returned from the Holy Land with precise information about the plot of land that he was designated to purchase. The second half – to be paid two years from the day of purchase. The second organization was founded by the rest of the residents of the town that numbered up to one hundred; each one of its members was required to contribute 300 Rubel: 200 after the purchase of the land, and the rest of the money was to be paid at specific times. A deposit of 31 Rubel was also paid on the day that the donor signed the papers.

(“Ha'tzfirah” 1891, edition 101)

The printed/translated letter follows here below 22. 4 1891 In honor of Mr. L. M. Barchin Mohilev. Twenty wealthy residents of our town want to purchase property in our Holy Land, and we are already prepared to sign and send a suitable person to Jaffa to find a place and set it aside for us. After that, we will need to organize the mode of leadership of our group and arrange correct governance. For this purpose, I request, my friend, that you send me your regulations from Mohilev so that we can follow your example. I thank you in advance, I, your friend, and admirer, Y. A. Esterin.

A few weeks passed from the day that I submitted my “supreme request” (that was what was accepted in those days), a request to join military work as a volunteer until the day that I actually commenced work. I had countless free time to pass, because I knew that soon, I would not have any free time at all, so I hastened to approach the youth of the town of Bobruisk and connect with them in a friendly manner. Of course, initially I approached the leaders of “Chibat-Tzion” in the town. Indeed, the power of connection is wonderful when one affiliates with people with a common goal, but particularly, the connection between the youth. From the first moment I felt at home in their company, as if I had landed among people who had always been my friends. Members from within the movement, the association of “Chibat-Tzion”, received me warmly, like an old friend.

There were three leaders of the movement in the town: Leon

[Page 413]

Luzinsky, Shlomo Fried, and Eliezer Leizerovitsh. The Luzinsky family was one of the most special and affluent families in Bobruisk. Indeed, when Leon Luzinsky's father and mother died, they did not have assets, but his relatives provided him with considerable support, and he was again able to earn a living with dignity. Leon was the first born in his family, and his two brothers and three sisters saw him as head of the family and its dependable leader. He completed high school, but because of his failing health, he was forced to leave his studies in the prayer house of higher learning. He was popular as one of the most enlightened young people in Bobruisk, but more than that, he endeared himself with his good qualities – his purity of heart and depth of spirit. He was a young man with a great mind, a sharp wit, but sometimes, also with cruel taunts and ridicule.

Shlomo Fried was an educated person, with a brilliant knowledge of the Hebrew language, but he did not rise to greatness, only to the point of writing letters to Hebrew newspapers, about country towns.

Leizerovitsh was a Hebrew teacher who was very successful, because of the level of mediocrity of his colleagues in the teaching profession. He came to Bobruisk from Borisov where people complained about him, that he was involved in many misdeeds, issues that clung to him, but no one knew what these issues were.

These three people were enthusiastic Chovevei Tzion. Leizerovitsh, the most difficult and stubborn of them, wanted a Jewish state in any shape or form, Fried clung to fine rhetoric, but was inclined to compromise, only if he succeeded in expressing his rhetoric. The most profound approach to the Jewish question, emanated from Luzinsky. He was an expert in Russian literature, as well as world literature, as long as the latter was translated into Russian. He did not find his way to Zionism in the usual way, through Hebrew education, rather through a process of general education. There was a dignity about him, in his person, and in his relationships with others, something that stood him in good stead – without bowing to others or lowering himself in their presence. His censure of assimilation was witty, and as sharp as a blade. He did not give his opinion regarding the practical difficulties of assimilation at all, but discussed his theories, in which he saw disgrace and servitude. In his view, assimilation was a kind of self-admission by the Jewish people that they were of an inferior level, that arose from a tendency and a desire to imitate. He felt that there was no injury more serious than this, to the feeling of pride that was in his heart, in all his being.

I do not know if it was his dignified disposition that induced his nationalistic view, or on the contrary, if his patriotism influenced this dignity. Be that as it may: the quality of his character made a deep impression on me that could not be erased. For me, he was the first Jew, self-conscious, a proud Jew, who saw his patriotism from a general human aspect that spoke in favor of Israel, not for all its glorious past and many enterprises. “Let's say” – Luzinsky would say – “that we are like all other people; let's say that the big wide world did not inherit a legacy from us, not great assets, nothing; does that mean therefore, that our right to life has expired? That we are by law, not entitled to acquire the primary, simple, right to life at the cost of exceptional deeds and enterprises?”

This way of proving our rights was new to me. Until now, I was used to demonstrating our right to exist referring to the greatness of our ancestors, and our historical deeds in the past; when I heard from this man, his proof and logic regarding our rights, I felt that I had been enriched with great wealth. Again, I am not obliged to pay for what happened in our past, the past is a precious asset of mine, a kind of iron-clad reserve fund that was not for daily use.

My new friends heard from the group in Minsk that they could use me as an outstanding speaker for publicity. Leo Luzinsky took me to the house of his uncle Yehoshua Luzinsky, whose daughter was engaged to Luzinsky. About fifty young people came to the house – for a secret gathering, of course. Luzinsky spoke first and I had to speak after him. I was very impressed with the way Luzinsky spoke about the issues regarding Israel, but I was unable to suddenly change in a way that was acceptable to me. In the meantime, I was still attached to my old pattern of presentation – to speak with pride about our past and our enterprises, and to convert in the spirit of the time, to the concept of ancient Israel and of the national choice of the Land of Israel. In such a speech, it was easy to include a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement and I used this opportunity to do so. In the first moments, I already felt that there was a relationship between me and the audience. A feeling of calm enveloped my being, and I felt confident in myself and my speech. These thoughts sustained me, my spoken language and reached my audience. I spoke for approximately one hour, and when I finished, I sat down at my place, and I felt the way a hero surely feels, that has just won a great victory in a campaign.

(From “Memories of my Life”, Book 2.)

[Page 414]

Since the second Zionist congress, the Zionists in the town were busy gathering signatures for subscriptions to the bank. During all that time, they managed to sell only six or seven hundred subscriptions, mostly, to approximately 50 people. When this came to the attention of the preacher Aharon Meir Drogitshin, he completed it, and brought the number of subscriptions to 1000. And the 300 subscriptions that he added were greatly appreciated and were divided among 300 people, one subscription for each person. These signatories were people who enjoyed the fruit of their labors and ‘by the sweat of their brow they ate their dry bread’^[1]. And the money of the few wealthy who live in the town, lay idle.

(“Ha'melitz” 1899, edition 104)

Translator's Footnote:

1. A quotation from Genesis chapter 3, verse 19, signifying the importance of labor to provide for one's needs. Return

Chaim Moshe, the son of Naftali Hertz Luzinsky, was born on the 14^th Tishrei 5634 (1873). In his early childhood he was orphaned by the death of his father and was educated under the influence of his mother who was very religious. His traditional Jewish education left him with traces that could not be erased. Until the end of his life, he remained faithful to his religious beliefs. Initially, he educated himself in the Gimnasia in Bobruisk, and after that in Slutzk.

Chaim Moshe Luzinsky

Due to his fervent love for the Jewish people and his dream of revival in the Land of Israel, Chaim Moshe Luzinsky immediately occupied a prominent place in the Political Zionist movement, as a tireless worker with boundless devotion to the Zionist ideals. He participated in all the congresses. With the establishment of a bank for funding the building of Jewish settlements, he travelled to London and through his efforts, he garnered great benefits for the bank. In Kiev, Dr. M. Mandelshtam alerted him to a complex and responsible issue – the management of the financial center of the Zionist organization in Russia. In the town of Minsk, (in the absence of M. Mandelshtam), Luzinsky appeared as a lecturer on behalf of the financial center. In a general way, he merged his intense belief in the success of the idea that was so close to his heart, with his gentle and emotional character – great strength and love of toil. Despite the demands of his Zionist activities, he found the time to study subjects that were of interest to him. He had an incredible knowledge of philosophy, modern literature, both general and Hebrew literature.

“More than that the deceased was a calm enthusiastic Zionist” – writes Bakal – “he was a true Jew, concerned about religion, observant, comfortably fastidious, and serious. He also excelled and should be marveled at, for his good heart and his pleasant disposition. In short, in the soul of the deceased we chanced upon one who hosted: high education and complete faith, observance, and every good and true virtue.”

Luzinsky was devoted with all his heart to the Zionist movement – he rejoiced in its success and was disheartened by difficult inter-personal relationships. When an upsetting clash occurred between Achad Ha'am and Max Nordau, Luzinsky was so depressed

[Page 415]

by this incident that he became ill. It is difficult to describe how disturbed his Jewish heart was because of these terrible events of the past summer.

The terrible tragedy (disturbances in Kishinov) that was so severely inflicted on his people, caused him indescribable mental anguish. Perhaps this mental turmoil was reflected in the state of his health and aided the progression of his illness that prematurely ended Luzinsky's young life.

Luzinsky died on 25^th Kislev 5664 (1903) aged 34, after a short and difficult illness. For a long time, the town had not seen such a huge attendance at a funeral. Thousands accompanied this man who fought for the eternal ideals for Israel, to his last resting place.

The mother of the deceased donated 10,000 Rubel to charity in memory of her son; 1000 Ruble to the National Library in Jerusalem. The local Zionists proposed to eternalize the name of the deceased by establishing a special wing in the National Library in Jerusalem in the name of Ch. M. Luzinsky.

(“Yivriskaya Z'izn” 1904, edition 1, pages 223-225,
And “the Mizrachi” edition 5, pages 383-384)

My brother Shimon-Mordechai, or as everyone called him – Simeon Luzinsky, was the oldest son in our family and was very talented. He studied at a high school in Kiev. On completion of his studies, he was awarded a gold medal and entered the faculty of medicine at Saint Vladimir University in Kiev. During the first Russian rebellion (1904 – 1906), he was active in Bobruisk in the “Po'alei Tzion” party. He was a brilliant speaker. I was then a boy of 19 when I listened to some of his speeches, and they made a great impression on me. He delivered many speeches in the synagogues, and it was he, who organized the self-defense unit of “Po'alei Tzion” in Bobruisk. The town was divided into four sectors, each sector had its own centre and our house was one of those. I remember the evenings when the members of the “Self-Defense” unit would gather in our house. Scores of young boys and girls sat in the large hall, armed with revolvers, knives, and batons. I would creep into the hall, sit in a corner, and listen to the conversations. Sometimes the adults would entertain me and offer me food and drink. Once in a while, I would fall asleep at a meeting and would be awakened by my mother when she led me to bed. During the years of the Second World War (when I was serving in the military), our house burned down. Sometime later, I was told that during the fire, many explosions could be heard from the interior of the house. The police began to investigate, and my father was forced to pay them a bribe to suppress the matter. My brother's friends reported that together with him, and under his instructions, arms and ammunition were hidden in our attic during the self-defense meetings.

After Shimon completed his education at Kiev university, he continued his studies in Berlin with a famous professor of eye diseases. When he qualified, he returned to Bobruisk and began to work as an ophthalmologist. He soon acquired a good reputation and extensive experience. He was about to marry but became ill. At first, the doctors thought that his illness was Tuberculosis. At that time, I had completed high school and was preparing to emigrate to the Land of Israel. I acceded to my parents' request and travelled with Shimon to Switzerland, left him in a small mountain town, and commenced a tertiary education in Karlsrova. I visited Shimon frequently. He spent about three quarters of a year in Switzerland, and one morning, I received a telegram from Berne, informing me that my brother had passed away, and I hurried to Berne. It turned out, that he was sent from the convalescent facility, to Berne for tests. He managed to steal himself into the laboratory to see the results of his tests – he had a terminal illness. He went to his hotel immediately and committed suicide by shooting himself. My parents came and we buried him in Berne. The family mourned him for many years.

[Page 416]

Yitzchak Izik Esterin was born in Bobruisk in 1865. His father was Reb Yisrael Esterin of Vitebsk, the last of a long dynasty of 13 generations of Rabbis.

Yitzchak Izik Esterin

Yitzchak married Miriam Vishniak from Moscow. Her father was Ze'ev-Volf Vishniak, a banker, and a scholar. Among his sons and grandsons there were many who excelled as scientists and teachers, some of whom are currently professors in the United States.

The close relationship between these two families was renewed with the marriage of Yitzchak Esterin's son Eliezer, to the grand-daughter of Ze'ev-Volf – Helen Vishniak.

Yitzchak Esterin received a traditional Torah education and had a wonderful command of the Hebrew language that he used profusely in his letters of correspondence.

He was an affluent forest-merchant and would float logs on the Berezina and Dnieper Rivers, to the south of Russia. His only brother Ya'akov was his partner in business.

However, his field of interest was not limited to his private business. Throughout his life, he was devoted to two causes – the Zionist movement and matters of charity relating to the Jewish community in his town.

In his youth, together with his close friend Shmaryahu Levin, he founded the organization “Chovevei Tzion.”^[2] After that, he was head of the Zionist organization in Bobruisk. He attended a few of the Zionist congresses and served as a delegate to the seventh congress in The Hague. His house in Bobruisk was one of the centres of Zionist activity in the town, where one would hear the words of Zionist leaders and lecturers who came to the town. Yitzchak Esterin's position in the life of the Jewish community was appreciated, not only because of his generous financial contributions to charitable institutions, but mainly because of his personal participation in these institutions, and in issues that arose in defense of Jews before the local government. In the first years of this century, when pogroms were frequent in Russia, Esterin stabilized the tensions between the local Minister of Police, and the office of the Minister of Public Affairs in Minsk and used all his powers of persuasion to prevent trouble in his town.

A number of meetings of the “Self- Defense” unit , were held in his house. The fact that there were no pogroms in Bobruisk in that period, must in no small way, be attributed to his efforts.

He also participated in the general Liberation Movement in Russia when he was a member of the “Kadetit”^[3] party and was selected twice as a “candidate” to the Russian Parliament.

Many charitable institutions were established at his initiative, and he served as chairperson for most of them. He devoted much time and great effort to them. One of the charitable institutions that was most dear to him, was the vocational school for boys. He was its founder, its chairperson, and its leader, for many years. He was one of the founders of the Co-operative Association that dealt with savings and loans.

Whenever there was a need to organize help on a large scale, Yitzchak Esterin was the first to become active. He organized assistance for the victims of fires that frequently befell the town. During the First World War, he organized and led the local committee in assisting Jewish refugees and deportees who arrived from the battle front. In this task, he was greatly assisted by his eldest son Aleksander.

In 1917, after the February rebellion, Esterin was appointed by the provisional government as head of the central committee, to care for the forests in the entire district. At that time, democratic leadership was organized in Bobruisk, as well as in the rest of the communities in Russia. Yitzchak Esterin was appointed as president of the community in Bobruisk, and in this role, he negotiated with Communist authorities after the outbreak of the Bolshevik revolution.

[Page 417]

In 1920, during the temporary occupation of the town by the Polish Army, Yitzchak Esterin served as President of the community, protecting Jews in a heroic struggle against the constant oppression of the military authorities. He would lobby for prisoners, prevent deportations, and try to provide food for the hungry. When the Bolsheviks returned to the town, it is possible, that as a sign of recognition of his services and activities, they allowed him to leave for Poland with his wife and his youngest son. His property was confiscated, and in August of 1921, he left the Soviet Union.

He settled in Vilna, where he took an active part in leading the community and in the Zionist movement. He was chairperson of the committee of the “Keren Kayemet”^[4] and “Tarbut”^[5].

Yitzchak Izik Esterin died in Vilna in 1935.

Of his four sons and daughters, Aleksander the oldest, died in Petrograd^[6] at the age of 31, his daughter Ida, lives in New York and is engaged in the translation of literature, his son Leizer (Eliezer), who arrived in the United States in 1916, was a banker and vice-president of the “Irving-Bank Company”, one of the few Jews who reached such a high position in one of the banks on Wall Street. He serves as advisor to the “Bank Leumi in Israel”. His youngest son Moshe, an architect, immigrated to Israel in 1933, and died in 1939. His mother, who lived with him after she was widowed, died in 1942. Moshe's son, Aleksander Yitzchak Esterin, graduated as an engineer in New York, and now serves as an administrative officer in the American Peace Corps in Brazil.

Translator's Footnotes:

1. The article was written according to information given to the editorial staff by his son Leizer Esterin of New York. Return
2. Chovevei Tzion – “Lovers of Zion”. Return
3. The Kadet Party – The Constitutional Democratic Party formed in Russia in 1905. Its members were unwaveringly committed to full citizen ship for all Russian minorities and supported Jewish emancipation. Return
4. Keren Kayemet – the Jewish National Fund. Return
5. Tarbut – Culture. Return
6. Petrograd – now called St. Petersburg. Return

The house of my father – Yosef Dubkin, of blessed memory – was the centre of the Zionist movement in Bobruisk.

Our family was one of the founders of the town. My grandfather, Reb Yeshayahu David Dubkin, acquired a fortune through trade, contracts, and banking. He retired from his business when he was 50, and after leaving himself enough to live on, he divided the rest of his assets among his 12 sons and sons-in-law, and sat in his house, hardly ever leaving, studying Torah during the day, and mainly at night. He acquired a great reputation as a Torah scholar, and Rabbis from many towns would come and consult him on matters of Halachah^[1].

Those of his sons who remained in Bobruisk, lived around the large courtyard at the corner of Tatyanovskaya and Skovilibskaya Streets, and each one of them had their own house. His eldest son Lippa, followed in his footsteps, sat in his house and studied Torah while his wife ran his business. The rest of his sons were engaged in trade, particularly in forestry, where they operated on a large scale.

In that same courtyard, close to the street, my father built a special synagogue, intended for those who had served in the army of Tsar Nikolai. These were simple Jews, ordinary people who were religiously observant, and proud that they had kept their faith during all the long years of service in the army of the Tsar. Our whole family prayed in this synagogue and filled the whole western wall. It was known as the “Nikolaiyivska synagogue”. During the last days of his life, “the blind preacher” lived there.

The members of my family, my grandfather, and my uncles, were all “mitnagdim”, [opponents of Chassidism] but very observant of their religious practices, both lenient and demanding. They regarded my father's Zionist affiliations as something extraordinary but not of a serious nature because he never allowed it to compromise his religious way of life.

My Father and Izik Esterin, alternated as heads of the Zionist organization in Bobruisk. Our house served as a sort of

[Page 418]

home for the committee of the Zionists in the town. The members of the Zionist committee held regular meetings around the large table in our dining room, I remember some of them – besides my father and Esterin, there were Leib Mazze,^[2] Levin the photographer, Gurlik the teacher, Chaim Tuvia Kaplan, Zvigalsky the watchmaker, Dr. A. Pruzshinin, Yosef Luria, and Meir'ke Arlozorov. There were also a few young girls on the committee, among them Rivka Solovei, whose husband Emmanuel Solovei was a delegate to the first Zionist congress. En-route back home from the congress, he was badly beaten by a Russian military officer who became very angry because he did not want to vacate his seat for him in the train carriage.

Zionism in Bobruisk was caught between the hammer and the anvil. On the one hand, there were the groups of Charedim, Mitnagdim, and Chassidim who together, were expressing doubts about Zionism, its pros and its cons, or they questioned its purpose. On the other hand, there were the “Bundists” who were very powerful in the town, and whose influence among the proletariat and the poor was persuasive, and they fought fiercely against it. The Zionists came mostly from among the middle classes, from the intelligentsia, the teachers in the modern cheders, and also from among officials in trade and banking.

The Zionist organization supported the modern cheder movement. Its members distributed funds, shares in the Colonial Bank, Jewish National Fund stamps, Zionist literature in all the languages, and Hebrew newspapers. A kind of cultural venue was established in the premises of the soup kitchen where the Zionists congregated and their meetings took place, particularly on festivals and other appointed times when Zionists from all the synagogues in the town would come to pray together. My father allowed himself to leave the synagogue of his father to pray in this prayer group. He concealed the fact that he actually established a kind of Zionist club, in the synagogue where Zionists used to gather in the evenings, drink a cup of tea and talk about current affairs. Meetings took place there for elections to the congresses.

From time to time, Zionist banquets were held in the hall of Maccabi-Esh. At that same venue plays were presented on national and Zionist topics, readings from the poetry of Frug and Bialik (mostly in Russian translation of Jabotinsky), and speeches on current affairs. Among the speakers, I recall My father, Levin, and Mazze.

My father was active in the Zionist movement from the days of Chibat Tzion. He would tell that he was among the first to introduce a collection plate in the synagogues, on the eve of Yom Kippur, for donations to aid settlement in the Land of Israel, and even wrote about it in “Ha'melitz”^[3]. He was also a member of “Bnei Moshe”^[4] and their representative in Bobruisk; but with the appearance of Herzl, he immediately joined the political Zionists and was their representative at two congresses. One of these was the fifth congress, where he was one of the very few Zionists from Russia who voted out of allegiance and admiration for Herzl to send a delegation to Uganda.

Immediately after Ussishkin declared his famous slogan “Hebrew or Russian”, my father introduced spoken Hebrew into our home, in theory and in practice, and made an effort to speak Hebrew with his sons and daughters, but with my mother – he spoke Russian. My mother – Malka Dubkin – was head of the “Bnot-Tzion”^[5] organization that was affiliated to the Zionist organization. Most of her work was arranging national functions, that I have mentioned above.

Twice a year – on Simchat-Torah and Channukah – about 100 Zionists in the town gathered in the large hall in our house. These gatherings were arranged in our house, to ensure, more or less, that we were safe from the eyes of the police. We welcomed the heads of Zionist Russia who gave lectures, and writers who came to Bobruisk. In our house, I remember seeing Sh. Frug, Shalom Aleichem, D. Pasmanik, Tzvi Bruk, and Y. Brutzkus.

The real connection with Israel was weak. From time to time, people who had visited the Land of Israel, lectured on what was happening there. In 1913, my father visited the Land of Israel with the aim of preparing his immigration. On his return, I remember him lecturing at the Zionist club, where he began his lecture with these words: “Geherte Sobronye,”^[6] I want to share with you my experiences of my visit to the Land of Israel”. A few wealthy families sent their sons to study at the “Herzlia” Gymnasia in Tel-Aviv (among them Abba Heisinovitz-Achimeir and Yehoshua Goldberg).

True immigration, with a view to settling in the land, was of interest to only a few. Among them, it is appropriate to remember Berel Katzenelson, Dovid Shimonovitz, and Sarah Shmukler.

Lipman-Levinson left on the eve of the war. A group of young Zionists arranged a kind of farewell party in his honor, in the suburb of Dumanuvah, close to Bobruisk.

This was the situation of Zionist activity in the town, until the “Zionist-Youth” movement began to evolve in the midst of the days of the war.

Translator's Footnotes:

1. Halachah – Jewish law. Return
2. Mazze – in the Hebrew text, the name Mazze appears as an acronym. It is spelt MZA'H. It stands for “mi'zera Aharon HaKohen” – a descendant of Aharon the Priest. Return
3. Ha'melitz – the first Hebrew newspaper to appear in Russia, founded in 1860. Return
4. Bnei Moshe – a Zionist organization that sought to modernize Hebrew education. It established the first Hebrew publishing house in Warsaw. Return
5. Bnot-Tzion – Daughters of Zion - women's Zionist organization. Return
6. Geherte Sobronye – meaning: esteemed associates. Return

[Page 419]

For close to 20 years, 1897-1916, Arye Mazze lived in Bobruisk during its years of prosperity, headed Zionist activity in the town, and was one of its leading communal workers.

Aryeh Mazze was born on a property Gavyah, on the Niemen River, close to the town of Lida (in the Vilna district). In the summer of 1875, in the first year of his life he was orphaned by the death of his father who had travelled to study Torah in the Rabbinical Seminary in Breslau. Aryeh-Leib and his mother then moved to Stolbtzi (Shtoibtz), and lived with his grandfather, his mother's father, Reb Naftali Hertz Gershonowitz, one of the wealthy residents of the small town, and a prominent merchant. At first, Aryeh-Leib was educated in a “cheder” in Shtoibtz, and afterwards in Hommel, where his mother moved after she married a second time to Reb Dov Bar Korobotshkin, one of the leaders of this community. From Hommel, Arye Mazze went to live with his uncle in Libau, on the shores of the Baltic Sea, where he studied in the Reali Private School of the community Rabbi, Dr. Hillel Klein. After Libau, Mazze studied at the yeshivah in Volozshin. There for the first time, his affinity for community matters became apparent. He financially assisted needy students at the yeshivah, and when an epidemic broke out in the town, he devotedly took care of the many sick people. His stay in Volozshin influenced his character and his feelings.

From Volozshin, Mazze migrated to Kobbel in Vohalin, to take up the position of bookkeeper in a branch of a large trading company belonging to “Shlomo Fineberg and his heirs”. He joined a group of educated people who established a school for children from poor families called “MA”D” (Maskil el Dal)^[1].

In 1897, Mazze moved to Bobruisk and married Risha, the daughter of Yoel Rabinovitz. The appearance of Herzl and the convening of the First Zionist Congress in Basel in the summer of 1897 made a decisive impression on him. “This enormous event” – he wrote in his memoirs –“changed me into a new human being from the first moment. It was as if I was very little, newly born, and the tens of years that I have lived until now, vanished, and after a few days, I grew new wings”. After the congress, Zionism came to Bobruisk, and Aryeh Mazze was chosen to be secretary of this Zionist movement, after establishing close co-operative connections with the delegate of the Mohilev district Dr. Tzvi Bruk, and with the delegate of the Minsk district, Shimshon Rozenboim. Mazze was chosen as one of the representatives of Bobruisk to the second Zionist conference in Minsk (1902)^[2] and participated in the secretarial work of the conference. He also participated as a delegate representing Bobruisk, at the fifth World Zionist congress (1901), the sixth (1903), and the seventh (1905), and as a delegate on behalf of the Zionists of Rugotchov, at the 11th congress (1911). Those members who established the “Po'alei-Tzion” organization in Bobruisk, found a venue in Mazze's home and he served as their guide in their first stages. Among the members in this group was the young Berel Katzenelson, aged 15. (See “Letters of B. Katzenelson”, page 19).

In addition to his Zionist activities, Arye Mazze was also active in local community work. He was a (honourary) administrator for the loans and savings bank for artisans and small grocers who would pledge their goods and products and receive loans at low interest rates. The Yiddish Co-operative Organization provided funds. For a small salary, he was also the treasurer for the Co-operative Credit Bank. During the great fire in 1902, Mazze was active in the organization of emergency aid for the poorer classes that were affected. He also active in organizing assistance for victims of pogroms in Kishinev and participated in assisting cultural institutions in the town.

With the outbreak of the First World War, Mazze was among the activists to procure work for the unemployed, and those with insufficient income. For this purpose, he engaged with the organisers of military provisions. He was also active on the committee that assisted refugees of the war who passed through Bobruisk, some of whom settled in the town.

[Page 420]

His devotion to the needs of the community were so great, that he neglected his own needs and remained without an income. At the same time, his wife died while giving birth to his only daughter Nechama. Mazze was forced to leave Bobruisk and settled in Kiev where he found work as the manager of a trading firm, and after that, with a shipping company on the Danube.

In Kiev he continued his community and Zionist work. He was elected to the Zionist committee in the town, and after the revolution, he was head of the council of the Kiev community, and the Zionist coordinator in Ukraine. With the establishment of the Soviet regime in Ukraine, Mazze continued his work clandestinely. He was jailed six times and was finally granted permission to leave Russia. He emigrated to the Land of Israel in the month of Sivan 5685 (1925). He continued his communal work in the land until his death on Sukkot 5715 (12. 10. 54).

Translator's Footnotes:

1. Maskil el dal – education for the poor. Return
2. Zionist congresses – These took place every year until 1901 and then every alternate year. The gathering in Minsk was a conference, not a congress. Return

If I was asked to describe the character of the esteemed Mazze in one word, I would say: he was a Zionist with all the virtues embodied in this ideology. This is the Zionism that has brought us to this point and thanks to it, we will continue and advance as he wished. Mazze was one of the role models of Zionism.

His path in life was strewn with hardship. He was orphaned in infancy, wandered from place to place in his childhood – that seemed to shape his fate, even into adulthood. His personal tragedies aroused no bitterness in him, on the contrary, it was as if it enhanced his success. In his wandering among the villages in the province of Minsk, he was educated by his family. He studied in Libau, a town in Latvia, in a school that provided him with a general education as well as Hebrew studies, and in the yeshivah in Volozhin; after that, he settled in Bobruisk, the town where his wife's family lived. She died when she was still young and the circumstances of his life, led him towards true, popular Zionism.

When reading the few simple lines about Volozshin in Mazze's memoirs, I understood how great the spiritual value was of the Zionist movement, not only in Jewish life, but also in Zionism itself. This yeshivah in Volozshin not only shaped Mazze's character as a s learned Jewish person and an outstanding communal worker, who recognized the needs of his people, but there he also absorbed western cultural traditions. And when Herzl appeared – “it was as if I was born anew,” he says about himself. In my position in Bobruisk, I represented popular Zionism that required an awareness of the general and individual needs of the community. There were many, whose Zionism did not impose any personal obligations, but Mazze was a man of the people, and lived amongst them. In addition, he built the important Zionist centre and travelled to the Zionist congress, as a true representative of the Zionists of Bobruisk – he took care of those who were affected by the great fire in our town and assisted the refugees that came there during the First World War. When the Jewish YKO [Yiddish Co-operative organization], was established, he was one of its active members.

He continued on this path after his emigration [to the Land of Israel]. His work there was not the usual pattern of gatherings and speeches; it was in essence, a concern for the individual, for the disadvantaged, and for those in need of relief. In the same way, he worked in “The First Alliance” of veteran Zionists, and in the “The Association of the Jews of Russia,” of which he was one of the founders. On their behalf, he expressed regret for his offence of forsaking the Prisoners of Zion^[1] and the emigres to the Land of Israel because he thought that they had been forgotten here.

At his memorial service, 30 days after his death, one of his veteran friends said: there is a saying in the Talmud – “All those who shed tears for a sincere man – the Holy One, blessed be He, will count the tears and place them in a secret leather water pouch.” We will not say righteous, we will not say holy, rather, an honest man - to teach us that this is the greatest virtue. This was the deceased, Aryeh Mazze.

(“Davar,” 2. 10. 1955).

Translator's Footnote:

1. Prisoners of Zion were Jews who were imprisoned or deported for Zionist activity in countries where such activity was prohibited. (Wikipedia) Return

[Page 421]

After the period of the pogroms in Kishinov, there was a world commercial crisis, and my work as a bookkeeper in the forestry industry ceased during this time. I returned to Bobruisk and devoted myself to working in the “Bnei-Tzion” organization, or as it was called when the controversy arose in Uganda, the “Tzionei-Tzion”^[2]. Members of the organization were the youth from among the intelligentsia and the proletariat, who were more enlightened. This group included “Bnot Yehudah” [Daughters of Judah] and “Achayot Tzion ”[Sister of Zion], The latter were daughters of the masses, and the former were girls from aristocratic families; but we all had one aim.

Shmuel David Rabinovitz

Hebrew was spoken among the active members in the organization. I remember that a young girl once came to the library and asked me in Hebrew: “have the books already been tied?” instead of “have they already been bound?” Once, the representative of the district, the attorney Shimshon Rozenboim from Minsk, came to Bobruisk. The secretary opened the meeting, speaking in Hebrew, and the representative said to him:

“Excuse me, but it is difficult for me to speak Hebrew”.

“Is it possible that a Zionist representative is unable to speak Hebrew?” answered the secretary.

“In that case, speak” was Rozenboim's response.

I devoted much time, strength and energy to another important activity that I administered - baking matzah for the poor, for the Passover festival. There were many poor people in Bobruisk – home-owners who had become impoverished, and those who simply needed support. All these had to be provided with matzah for Passover. Since every political party tried to do things that would win the hearts of the masses, the committee of the organization, had already two months prior to Passover in 5664 (1904), imposed upon me the task of providing matzah to the needy in the town. Members of the committee, and other friends, went from house to house to assess how much help and support was needed for the poor. I learned a lot then, about the poverty that existed in the town, and about people who suffered from hunger without turning to others for help.

In one house, I found a shoemaker whose wife and two children had died in one month. He sat in front of his work-table and did his work. I asked him about his situation, and if he needed our help. He started to cry, and said, that perhaps God would still help him, and he would not need our support.

We organized the bakery. A large part of the work would be done by rostered volunteers, young women, who were members of the Zionist organization. We hired workers just to come in the early morning – to heat the oven, to pour the water, and to put the flour into receptacles etc.

The mood was depressed. The government authorities observed the Social Democrats organization with suspicion. This organization and members of the “Bund” found a way of spreading their propaganda in our bakery. They came, as if they wanted to help us with our work, but their help only hindered us. They sang songs of the Revolution, and in doing so, were likely to draw the attention of the police, to the place, so the young women wanted them removed. Many times, I was compelled to stop work before the appointed time, in order to extinguish the fire in the oven, and to leave the bakery in a hurry so as not to draw the attention of the spies from the police, who observed the movements of the youth in the town.

After the “Bund” realized that they did not have the power to influence us, it found a new way – a cease-work strike against the “Kulak”^[3] (the rich) who worked as back-up in the bakery – that means – against me. The workers who earned a salary – the baker, the drawers of water, and the women who worked at rolling the dough for the matzot in the morning – demanded additional salary. I emphasized that we do not have money, that all our money comes from donations that we collect,

[Page 422]

and extras that are given by the committee of the community, a sum of 25 small coins for every pood^[4] of matzah that we baked. We also receive small amounts that were paid by a few poor people for the matzah that they received, so how were we able to increase the salary?

Nothing helped. They declared a strike and announced that they would not allow the volunteers to continue working. They had the upper hand. In the end, I was able to reach a compromise but the hatred for me increased because of my opposition to their demand.

Translator's Footnotes:

1. Sh. D. Rabinovitz (1883 – 1937) was the grandson of Rabbi Rubin and was educated by his grandfather. This section from his memoirs was given to us by his son Yirmiyahu Rabina. Return
2. Tzionei-Tzion – those who were opposed to a homeland in Uganda and wanted Zionism to be established in the Land of Israel. Return
3. Kulak – the prosperous landed Russian peasant. Return
4. Pood – a unit of weight in tsarist Russia, equal to 16.38 kg. Return

Yechiel Davidson was the son of a family of Rabbis of illustrious descent, a noble soul, with a pleasant demeanor, learned, and with a broad knowledge – both Jewish and general. He was born in Bobruisk at the end of the 70's of the 19^th century.

Yechiel Davidson

In subsequent years, Davidson was one of the leading organizers and central personalities of the branch of “Po'alei Tzion” in the town. He devoted himself to educating Jewish workers from among the poor in the community and assisting students and outsiders that followed him, by providing time for Torah study. He taught them Tanach, history and socialism; and provided those who were slow to learn with the ability to read and write. He brought together youth groups for conversations and discussions with the Bundist intelligentsia. (These gatherings were held away from the authorities, and instead of taking place in the residence of a wealthy family, far from the town centre – they were held in the home of the father of Dr. A. Prozshinin). One member of his youth group was the young Berel Katzenelson. Whatever he did – he did modestly and humbly.

Yechiel Davidson left for the United States in 1904 (see a photograph of his farewell from his friends, page 487). After he completed his studies, he served as professor of agronomy in the government faculty of agriculture. In his profession, he did research work, and a number of the results were published. He lived in Washington and there he established a Hebrew speaking group called “Yachdav” and in it, he continued to work for Zion. He visited the Land of Israel in1928, with the hope, that did not come about, of settling there. He died alone in Washington, in 1948.

(According to Y. Sharret in the documents of B. Katzenelson page 23, Tel-Aviv 1961)

Translator's Footnote:

1. This is an expression used when mentioning a living person, immediately after mentioning the dead. Return

  Bobruisk, Belarus     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc. Updated 25 Nov 2024 by JH