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[Page 207]
by Batya Bone Prisand
Donated by Michael Kreindler
Edited by Moshe Kutten
Reb Shlomo Prisand (1875-1941), who was known in our town by the diminutive Reb Shloimele, excelled in scrupulously observing the Mitzvahs, ignoring his own well-being and most material values of this world for the work of the creator and life in Olam-Haba.
He was a distinguished scholar, a keen and proficient student of the Torah, Mishnah, Talmud, and Poskim. An educator admired by his pupils, some of whom were privileged to get to Israel and remember to this day their dedicated and humble teacher.
Reb Shlomo Prisand was born to a merchant family that was blessed with many children, a traditional Jewish family, all of whose sons continued in their father's footsteps as merchants. Only he, Reb Shloimele yearned to study the Torah. he embraced the Torah with his entire spiritual being and spread (it) among others. Initially, he ran a private “Cheder” at his home near the outskirts of town, and many pupils flocked to him from far away. He soon acquired a reputation as a highly dedicated teacher who could explain and instill the Torah with his kind-hearted and patient manner, and many sons from the town's most prominent families came to study at his house. For many hours every day, the students learned the Torah from him and meticulously recited the verses of the Mikra, Talmud, and “Tosafot” (Addenda). Those who excelled among them were invited on Sabbath to recite their chapters in public.
After many years of carrying on his holy work at this home, Reb Shloimele began to teach and educate at the Talmud-Torah Institute in town, seeing in his work a holy mission to enlighten, enrich the knowledge, and teach decorum to his young students. But he was not fully content working only with children. Since he was unyielding about observing all the Mitzvahs, he was also active among adults, prodding and encouraging them to observe the Mitzvahs, give tzedaka, give anonymously, give for Pesach staples, help with donations for new brides, and above all, observe the sanctity of the Sabbath.
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Reb Shlomo Prisand was a zealot when it came to observing the Sabbath, being strict not only with himself but also with others. Even before the arrival of the Sabbath, he would walk briskly in the commercial districts of town to remind store owners that Shabbat-Hamalka was waiting at their doorstep and they should hurry and finish their work. His scrawny figure was well known to the merchants who, upon seeing him would rush to close their business, some out of respect for him and others out of shame and fear of sinning. Only after completing this public mission, during which he was once photographed unbeknownst to him, would he go to his home and prepare himself for the Sabbath. He would often bring with him a guest from the synagogue, and if he was fortunate enough to host a Torah scholar, the Sabbath would pass in reading and discussing passages and issues from the scriptures. Except for discussions of the Torah, Reb Shlomo Prisand did not talk on the Sabbath. On the other hand, he would sing Zemirot with Hassidic enthusiasm together with his family between courses at the Sabbath dinner table Reb Shlomo was observing all Jewish holidays and all fasts, to the smallest detail. On the eve of Pesach, he would check every corner of the house to completely eradicate the Chometz. He would change all the dishes to a special Passover set that was maintained in the attic for the occasion. He even replaced the table-top (board) with a new one and covered it with a special tablecloth that was not used the rest of the year. The Matzos were of course Matzah Shmura.
[Page 208]
He would never dip the Matzo in the soup or any liquid, so that it would not form Chometz. On Yom Kippur Eve he would leave the house right after the meal and walk to the synagogue wearing his Keital and socks. He would not move from his place throughout the night and the following day of fasting, returning home only after the Neilah service, observing the scripture “It is a Sabbath of Solemn Rest to you and you shall afflict yourselves ...” [Leviticus 16]. On Hannukah, Reb Shlomo would present a totally different image, and it was almost impossible to recognize this ascetic Jew, who would spend the rest of the year with the Lord's Torah. During the eight days of Hannukah he would overflow with exuberance, played the dreidel and other games with his children, and told them about the heroism of the Maccabees, and Hanna who sacrificed her children in the name of God.
Usually, he liked to tell Hassidic tales and did it with much skill and delight. His stories about the miracles and marvels that were done by the Baal Shem Tov and his students were a cause for memorable enjoyment and excitement to his listeners. I often thought to myself, where does this drawn and humble Jew draw the strength to withstand the trials of life and the growing current of many Jews who were abandoning their traditions. Undoubtedly, it was only his unshaken faith in his creator that fortified him and guided him in the unwavering path of observing the Mitzvahs, from which he never deviated right or left.
It could be said about him that he conformed to the words in Joshua 1: “This book of Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night...” Reb Shlomo Prisand was notable for perfection in all his deeds, and he never did anything with even a trace of conceit. He was unpretentious in all his ways and he was totally devoted to studying the Torah, doing good deeds, observing the Mitzvahs, and enlightening the eager to learn. He would defer his will only to his maker, and for that, he was admired and respected. The horrible Holocaust that flooded Europe approached also Reb Shlomo's town, but he was fortunate to have succumbed to natural causes, a fate that was denied by the rest of his family: his dedicated wife - Hava, his daughter – Hanna, and his son in law Ezra Reichbach with his two granddaughters Rivkale and Zunia, were all lost in the Holocaust after his death. His youngest son Shimon died in the Buchenwald Camp, and his two older sons, Michael and Feivish fell at the front during the First World War.
Only I was left, since fate brought me to Israel, in the early thirties - to the holy land about which my father, Reb Shlomo, dreamed and prayed all his life.
May these words serve as a memorial candle to my father, a righteous and honorable man who imparted the Torah to so many of our town's people.
by Judith Kahn-Streisand
Donated by Michael Kreindler
Edited by Moshe Kutten
All who lived in our town knew that there were always people present in the Beit Midrash of Reb Yudel. Besides those who prayed there, many of the people of the city entered as they passed by the street to daven Mincha or Maariv. Some searched for a place to hide from the rain. Sometimes, the Beit Midrash provided a warm place, and a roof over one's head, on cold winter days, or a bench to sleep on if visiting from another town.
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Among the local inhabitants who prayed there, one who especially stood out was Reb Yosef Streisand, z”l, not only because of his tall stature, and long beard, which added to his height, but also because of his holy spirit in the Beit Midrash. Even though he was a successful blue-collar worker who employed other workers, the Beit Midrash was very important to him. He was concerned with the conditions of the poor who prayed there, and he worried about their lack of material things. Thanks to his charitable nature, he succeeded in helping a poor sick man who was in the hospital in our town. He was accustomed to going out on the streets, and to the local stores to gather money to give to the family of the sick man so that they would not suffer while he was hospitalized.
Many small merchants traveled once a week to a nearby town for a flea market. Reb Yosef used to help them by giving them a loan to buy merchandise. After they sold their goods, they graciously returned the money at once.
When a speaker came to the Beit Midrash, Reb Yosef worried that the worshipers would leave before the end of the speech, so he gathered contributions beforehand. A large number of worshipers in Reb Yudel's Beit Midrash were very poor. Local people and strangers would gather there on Shabbat and Saturday night, and at the end of prayers, Yosef would stand by the door of the Beit Midrash, and personally arrange as Beitt he could, a home for each parishioner to go to for a hot meal. Because of his devotion and kind heart, he was always the last to leave, and he always had a guest or two in his own home. On Shabbat, he was accustomed to arrange Minyanim to read the Torah in his home, which was attached to the Beit Midrash.
Simchas Torah was a great and joyful day for him. He had great spirit when he stood with all his honor and beauty on the Bimah, inviting with his strong clear voice all the men to the hakafot. This honor and position had been passed down to him from his father Meir Yehuda Streisand z”l. He held this position until he left for Israel in 1936. He knew the names of all the worshipers and the names of their fathers, and he never confused them. When he invited the worshipers to the hakafot, he did not discriminate against poor people from the rich. He called upon those who sat along the Eastern wall, those who sat elsewhere, and even those who stood at the door. This irritated the rich parishioners, but he was not deterred, because he was accustomed to treating everyone equally, because he felt “all Jews are friends”.
Simchat Torah was a day that was entirely happy. Many people were accustomed to gathering in their homes, drinking beer, and eating sweets. In his home, he served a keg of beer and served good food. His guests were happy, and they ate, drank, and danced Chassidic dances. Reb Yosef danced with great enthusiasm on top of the table. Happiness with the Torah made a Jew's heart the happiest.
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During WWI, the Russians attempted to burn the Beit Midrash. Here it is important to point out a heroic act done by Reb Yosef. He climbed on the roof of the burning building and began to break up the shingles to prevent the spread of the fire to the rest of the Beit Midrash. The enemy saw him and shot at him trying to kill him, but he hid until they left. He again went up on the roof, but this time his clothing caught fire so he quickly ran down to the river behind the building, and put out the fire. He again returned to the roof to extinguish the fire, and this time he was successful. However, when he climbed down, he was completely black with soot, and he had burns on his body, but he was extremely happy that he had saved the building. His wife was unable to speak for two weeks because she was so hoarse from shouting and begging him to come down from the roof. People all over spoke of this heroic act, and one of the inhabitants of the city who had emigrated to the United States sent a letter praising Reb Yosef for saving the Beit Midrash from burning.
Besides his interest in the Beit Midrash, he worked with the Chevra Kadisha. If someone died in the city, the family came immediately to call him, and he would devote what little time he had to this duty. He would travel close or far away in heat, rain, or snow to do the mitzvah of kindness to the dead. He would travel by wagon if the place was in some distant village. Sometimes the families would call him in the middle of the night, and he would go immediately to fulfill his obligation. He was never absent during the funeral, and he made sure that everything was done according to the Jewish Laws. One time a deceased person who had been in water for two weeks was brought to him from a neighboring community. Understandably, the appearance of the body was horrible, and the stench and deterioration were a dangerous health hazard. No one would come near the body but Yosef prepared the body according to the law. He believed that a person performing a mitzvah would not be affected. Once on a snowy day, Reb Yosef had to deliver a dead woman in a casket for burial but the street was extremely slippery, and the casket was very heavy, so he got down on his knees and pushed the casket. Others soon came to help him, and they gave the woman a proper Jewish burial.
He also worked as a member of Yad Charutzim, and Shomrei Shabbat (Keepers of the Sabbath), and he was one of the founders of Kupat G'Milat Chasadim which was a charitable organization that provided loans to the righteous. Many stories about him seem to be fantasy, but they all are true. This working man who had a heart of gold sanctified his whole life to the Creator of the World, and his creations, and lived with complete faith throughout his life.
It is worthwhile to point out another event in his life. During WWI, the Russians would seize Jewish men for work camps. One Saturday night the Russians came to take Reb Yosef just as he began the Havdalah Service. He invited the soldiers to stay, and he conducted the service according to his customs. The soldiers respectfully sat through the ritual in silence. When he finished the prayers, he gave the soldiers food and drink, and the soldiers shook his hand, and left his home. My father called this “the miracle of Havdala”.
In 1936, he moved to Israel. He was a Zionist. He always had a JNF box in his home, and he donated to Karen Hayesod. While in Israel, he worked with the Chevra Kadisha, and with the synagogue where he prayed. The people of Kfar Saba knew and loved him. When he died in 1955, the local rabbi in his eulogy compared him to Jonathan the Shoemaker who all his life earned his bread by the work of his hands with respect to the days of his death. May his memory be blessed!
From “Gazit”, Volume 21, Booklets 1 – 5
Translated by Moshe Kutten
Edited by Jane S. Gabin
Michael Kara was a typical bohemian figure – generous and a man of a broad culture, always immersed in his work, working from the morning until a late-night hour, and full of plans and ideas. He was an optimist in his character, filled with hope. He was always healthy (he was never sick). With all that, he was a sentimental person, very impulsive, loved the company of other artists, bubbly, and a lover of life. He wrote poems and songs. He died a week before his planned trip to the USA, where his artwork was to be presented in an exhibition.
He was born in Brzezany (Eastern Galicia). His father, Oscar Karon, was an officer in the Austro-Hungary military. In 1902, the family moved to Budapest, where the father worked at Mautner, a well-known company in the Austro-Hungary kingdom. Michael was one of six children, three of whom were artists: Professor Izhan Karon, an instructor at the National Art Academy in Budapest and the winner of the Kossuth prize[1]; Bartoledo Karon, a painter in Milan; and Michael Karon, who graduated from the regular high school in Brzezany. In 1903, he was accepted to the Art Academy in Budapest and studied sculpture and painting. Already in his first study year, he participated in an exhibition of the academy with the painting he called “Self Portrait,” despite the prohibition of doing so by the academy, and won the first prize for it. In Budapest, he worked at the atelier of the famous sculptor Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strubl. He won two scholarships from the Hungarian government to complement his studies in Italy (1910, 1911).
In 1912, he married Yehudit Shvartz, a theater student. In 1914, he and his brothers all enlisted in the Hungarian military. Michael graduated from an officer school with the rank of second lieutenant. In 1915, he received a temporary release from the army to erect a memorial for war-slain soldiers. He later fought on the Italian and Russian fronts. In 1916, he won the first prize in the competition to sculpt the statue for the Hungarian politician Kalman Tisa. In 1918, he returned to serve in the Hungarian military as a lieutenant, where he was involved in Bela Kun's [Communist] coup d'etat. In 1919, he participated in the defense effort to repel the Romanian invasion of Hungary. After the Hungarian military lost that war, he was taken as a war prisoner but was released as a result of his wife's lobbying effort. She appeared before the Romanian commander and convinced him that an artist like her husband should not be jailed at a war prisoner camp.
With the retreat of the Romanian military, the family was moved to Transylvania and was housed in the famous antique castle-fort at Oradea. While there, Michael established an art school where some well-known Hungarian artists studied. In the meantime, his name preceded him - he was invited in 1920 to the Romanian royal court. There, in 1921, he sculpted a statute of the full image of King Ferdinand I, riding on a horse. He worked as an artist of the Romanian royal until 1925, and there he created silver reliefs and busts of the family members. In 1927 he published a binder with ten lithographs of images and scenes. In 1928, the family moved to Yugoslavia. Among his famous works during his stay there, were reliefs at the train station and big wall paintings at the Workers House in Novi Sad (1934). In Yugoslavia, Kara became a fan of the Socialistic Zionism Movement under the influence of his son, who was a member of “HaShomer HaTzair.” He even gave a few lectures about the cultural and spiritual problems of the Jewish nation. In 1936, the family moved to Milan, where the brothers lived, because of the hatred of artists in Yugoslavia toward foreigners.
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[Page 212]
Since then, Michael has not stopped thinking about the problems associated with the spirituality of the Jewish nation. In Milan, he won the second-place prize in the Keren Kayemet LeIsrael [KKL-JNF] international competition for the cover of its sixth volume. In 1939, Michael escaped with his family to the Bargamo [Bergamo?] in [the Autonomous region of] South Tyrol. He returned to Milan about a year before the end of the war, lived there until 1947, and made a living by painting portraits. In 1947, his son, Khaim, who made Aliyah to Eretz Israel as a pioneer of “HaShomer HaTzair,” got him an immigration certificate. Upon his arrival in Eretz Israel, he quickly assimilated with the population and art circles. His first work in Israel was a poster for “Sherut Ha' am” [National Service]. In 1949, Michael won prizes for painting the Independence Day Stamp of 5710 [1950] and the “Mo'adim LeSimkha” [High Holidays] Stamp of 5712 [1951]. In 1949, he had his first solo exhibition in Israel at a private gallery in Tel Aviv. At the same time, Kara also won the Dizingoff Prize for a sculpture showing the head of a child. In 1952, he won the first prize for the memorial for the defenders of Tel Aviv and the conquerors of Jaffa (the monument was erected at the Conquerors Park). In the same year, Kara won the City of Holon prize for the memorial of the slain soldiers of the War of Independence. In 1953, he and his son, Khaim Kara, won the first prize for the memorial monument for the fighters who died in battles fought over the breakthrough road to Jerusalem[2]. In 1953, Kara won the prize with his son, Khaim Kara, for the memorial monuments for the slain soldiers of the Independence War in Nesher and Kirat Ata. In 1954, Kara had a solo exhibition of his works in the Tel Aviv Museum. Altogether, Michael Kara won 14 prizes in Israel.
Kara, who was educated based on the academic concept of the 19th century, in its unique expression of the Budapest University, which was very famous at the time, showed his artistic talent already at a young age, demonstrated by his work, “Self Portrait”, created by an eighteen-year-old youngster. He brought with him vast knowledge from the academic world and knew well how to use the foundation he acquired in his four years of studies. However, Kara did freeze in his tracks as he was blessed with a talent for sculpting and painting. He also possessed a personal creation fantasy in terms of space concepts and composing figures. He was an expert in several creative fields. He used his imagination, which released him from subjugating himself to a rigid academic formulation. Some of his paintings are done with a soaring fantasy, and others are made with strictness. The lithographs, drawings, and mainly the reliefs and the sculptures prove that he was a prominent artist who knew how to free himself from the academic molds and find his personal world. The influence of Cubism is apparent, particularly in forming the stylistic images built on highlighted shapes and fluid rhythms. His artistic work, in all of these diversified fields, shows that he was a spiritual person and someone who loved poetry, spiritual melody, and restrained pathetic expression. Much of his mental philosophy and his attitude toward problems of society is expressed in his artistic work since he himself wished to discover the nation's spirit, the heroism in its pure form, and the humans in their personal soul exposures. He worked diligently on every detail. Every sculptured creation was accompanied by a series of drawings and outlines. He was strict with himself and his work, which he considered holy.
[Page 213]
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Translator's footnotes:
by Moshe Bar-David
From an Israeli broadcast
Translated by Moshe Kutten
Edited by Jane S. Gabin
Hersh Tonis was born in Brzezany approximately in 1920 to a distinguished family. He was an actor in the Yiddish theater in Vienna. In addition to shows in the metropolitan area, he appeared on shows in the Vienna suburbs, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. During the Second World War, he escaped to the Soviet Union. He returned to Vienna after the war, where he died around 1962.
by Moshe Bar-David
Translated by Moshe Kutten
Edited by Jane S. Gabin
Leon Shpatzer was born in Brzezany. His father was a caretaker in a synagogue, and his mother had a stall at the market. Leon studied shoemaking, but thanks to his pleasant voice, he joined a troupe of wandering singers and traveled throughout Galitsia and Romania. Upon becoming an adult, he wrote poems and even authored a few light plays. His songs “Doctor Tausik” and “Khurban Kishinev” [“Kishinev Destruction”] were particularly famous. He died in Bucharest approximately in 1917.
Author's Note:
by Moshe Bar-David
Translated by Moshe Kutten
Edited by Jane S. Gabin
I remember my first Melameds favorably. I studied the Torah and Rashi with Getzaleh Halpern, a good-hearted and friendly Jew. When I was six years old, my father moved me to study Gemara with one of the best Melameds in the city, Yasha Fishlis. Initially, I had a hard time getting used to the new rabbi. R' Yasha was a tall and thin man with a black beard, long Pe'ahs [sidelocks], with gray hairs sticking out, here and there, from his beard. Even the students were different – older than me. I got quickly used to the new rabbi and the new atmosphere.
The House of the “Kheder” was located on Zygmuntowska Street, opposite the “Beit HaMidrash of the Khazan” [Cantor]. The house where the Kheder was situated stood in a big yard with only a single tree. The yard was surrounded by a tall wall.
The Kheder apartment contained two rooms. One room was used for a residence, and the other for a class and a kitchen. The students sat around the table with the Gemara books in front of them. The Melamed sat at the head of the table with agile eyes, watching the children. R' Yasha was amazingly dedicated to his role as a melamed. He cared that his pupils absorbed, understood, and knew the subjects he was teaching them. The Melamed was very strict about listening and quiet during the study. Woe to the pupil who did not listen and did other things during the lesson – the long arm of R' Yasha would reach him. The echo of the blow on the table, as a warning for that pupil, could be heard throughout the entire Kheder. During the breaks, the pupils were allowed to play in the yard or inside the Kheder. Studies took place mainly in the afternoon. Some students came to the Kheder directly from the state school and did not return home for lunch. Studies continue until the evening and, during the winter months, until the night. When the rabbi went to the synagogue for Minkha and Ma'ariv prayers, the students uploaded their energies with pranks.
R' Yasha treated his students with a hidden affection and taught without discriminating between the sons of wealthy people and the poor.
When he met one of his students many years later, he would show interest in the student's situation and family. At the end of the 1920s, R' Yasha abandoned teaching and settled with restive life and studying Torah. His children took care of him then.
Seven out of eight of his children perished in the Holocaust: Fishel, Tuvia, Ya'akov, Rakhel, Rivka, and Feiga [one additional name is missing in the original]. May their memory be blessed.
Only one son, Israel Shteinberg, married to the daughter of a Yeshiva head, Veveh Direnfeld, immigrated to Canada.
by Moshe Bar-David
Translated by Moshe Kutten
Edited by Jane S. Gabin
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Avraham was descended from the Hasidic Admor dynasty, known in Israel. Admor Rabbi Khaim of Sanz, the founder of the Hasidic dynasty, changed the family name from Halbershtat to Halbersham [should be Halbershtam or Halberstam]. The family of Avraham's grandfather changed their name, for some reason, from Halbersham [Halbershtam] to Halbertal.
All the family children studied Hebrew. The elder was a member of the committee of the Hebrew school “Safa Brura” [“Clear Language”]. Dr. Mitznakh z”l recalled Avraham in his memoirs. In 1907, he was invited to the home of Ya'akov Halbertal to teach Avraham and his sister Hebrew and to prepare Avraham for his Bar Mitzva. Already then, Avraham read the Haftara with the Sephardic pronunciation.
Avraham acquired his higher education in Vienna. First, he completed the higher school of trade. In 1915-1916 he served as an officer in the Austrian military. He then worked as an accountant for about thirteen years in large corporations on behalf of a prominent Viennese bank. At the same time, he studied and received his law doctorate. He continued to practice as a lawyer in various courts in Vienna. In 1937, he was sent to Bucharest to conduct a trial of a Viennese movie company. There he felt the influence of the Nazis. He returned to Vienna, hoping for a more accommodating political atmosphere for Jews. However, his hope proved to be an illusion.
In his journal, he wrote during those dark days, describing the fear of the Viennese Jews that their town, which used to be “a Mother City in Israel,” changed its face overnight and became a cruel and “oppressive stepmother.” Avraham described his experiences in his journal, written exhaustively. It was the testimony of an eyewitness who knew to observe events, understand them, and bring them skillfully into a written form.
During the years 1938-1939, he was incarcerated in Dachau Concentration Camp, where he suffered mental and physical tortures that left their mark on him for the rest of his life.
After many hardships, he finally arrived in Eretz Israel, on the Ship “Patria,” “naked and penniless.” In the beginning, he worked as an agricultural worker in Pardes Khana, and later on, thanks to his education and knowledge of English, he was accepted as an official at the offices of the British military. He worked there as a senior official in administrative and financial roles for about eight years. In 1948, he worked at the [supermarket corporation] “HaTzarkhan.” After that, he worked in the Jewish Agency in Tel Aviv in the settlement absorption department. In 1961, he finally was able to meet his sisters in England.
After retiring from the Jewish Agency, Avraham worked in the regional council of Menashe. He worked there until he reached 70. Heart disease, which had its roots in the days when he was imprisoned in Dachau, progressed and worsened during his last few years. He spent his time at home, reading and listening to music. He especially dedicated himself to his hobby – cultivation and nurturing cactus plants. He suffered from his pains quietly and was careful not to burden anybody. May his memory be blessed.
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