[Page 362]

When the Polish government took control of Rovno in 1920, it nominated a City Council that included representatives from the different national groups in the city. The Council, called Magistrate, was to be headed by ethnic Poles. This bias was in–line with the Government policy for the ‘border area’ (the Russian and Ukrainian areas that were transferred to Poland after the war). The Council managed the city for five years and had several Jewish members who were nominated by the Government. They represented Jewish interests and participated in the different committees but had only a limited ability to influence the Council. Furthermore, the Polish Government did not appreciate the Jewish representation in the Magistrate although Jews did make up the majority of the population in Rovno.

The Government became more supportive towards the Jewish population as the elections for City Council approached. However, each member of the Magistrate maintained his own ethnic loyalties which did not translate into more support for the government.

Democratic elections took place in 1927, the first time that local citizens were able to freely vote for City Council. The resulting Council had 28 members: 19 Jews, 6 Poles, 2 Ukrainians and 1 Russian – two–thirds of the Council was Jewish!

The Government policy for the ‘border area’ prevented ethnic minorities from holding the Mayoral position. As a result, Boyarsky (an elected Pole) replaced Dr. Belinsky (the previously nominated Pole) while the Jews “received” the position of Deputy Mayor. Avraham Knibich, an engineer, became the Deputy Mayor while another group, composed of six members, held more Jewish ethnic nationalistic views. The rest of the Jews supported the BUND or the Communist party and followed different interests.

The Council represented the ethnic distribution of the population in the city but the Government in Warsaw was not satisfied that an important city like Rovno had a non–Polish majority and, on top of that, Jews! It started restricting the Council with the ultimate goal of abolishing it. Most of the Council members resigned over time until only the Mayor and his Polish Deputy stayed.

Using this situation as an excuse, the Government abolished the Council after only three years.

[Page 363]

All the elected members of the Council (except for those who resigned, were ill or had been deported by the Government for being “revolutionaries”) attended the final assembly. The meeting was documented in a photograph that shows the members of the Magistrate and many of the city workers.

The Jewish members in the Magistrate were Shlomo Kolikovicher, Isaac Brick, Baruch Kagan, Leon Kagan, Avraham Knibich, Ben–Zion Eisenberg (members of the nationalist group), Yaakov Steinwurzel, Dr. Leon Bacher, Zusia Barker, Simcha Platt, Avraham Danenberg, Zvi Katz, Borris Naches, Shmuel Gorin, Mittia Schneider and Ze'ev Zibes who represented the Volya district. A few other Jews represented different factions which backed either the interests of the merchants, the artisans, the Charedim (ultra–orthodox), the “Left” or other groups.

Elected Members of the Magistrate and City Workers

The 1932 elections resulted in a Council which consisted of 12 Poles, 12 Jews as well as 8 Ukrainians and Russians. The four Jews who were elected from the Sanacja Party supported the Ukrainian group, two members from the Artisans Folk–Party supported the Poles and the other six Jews operated as a more national ethnic group. Thus – the Jews lost their influence in the Council. A new Law prevented Jews from having the position of Deputy Mayor and as a result, the Council elected an Executive Committee composed of the Mayor, his Deputy (both Poles), two Jews and two others. Although the Council was elected for a four–year term, it was disbanded early and a new election was called for 1936.

[Page 364]

Again, twelve Jewish members were elected. Dr. Issachar Rice, Yochanan Levin, Chaim–Ber Charamoy and Sternthal were the new members. Eisenberg left when he immigrated to Eretz Israel. Volk (a Pole) served as the Chairman until 1938 (he was removed under judicial investigation) and was succeeded by his deputy Ludovic Zashowsky. Levin and Sternthal served on the Executive Committee.

The Magistrate operated under Warsaw's policy of preferring Polish representatives. Regardless, it did try to run things with a somewhat balanced approach. Financial support was allocated to Jewish organizations and many Jewish workers were hired.

The fourth and last Council was elected in early 1939 and had 40 members. Twelve of whom were Jews: Baruch Kagan, Leon Kagan, Dr. Leon Bacher, Dr. Issachar Rice, Isaac Gilerman, Yochanan Levin, Dr. Bergman, Dr. Fleshner, Lawyer Apollo, Moshe Zakon, Shlomo Zizek and Chaim–Ber Charamoy. The Executive Committee of five included two Jews (Reis and Charamoy), two Poles and a Ukrainian.

This Committee did not serve for long and witnessed the Russian takeover.

All the Jewish settlements in Russia, i.e. shtetels, villages and cities, had their own Charities and Aid Societies. These were managed by beadles and volunteers, men of faith and affluent women and each was normally headed by the community Rabbi. The Government considered these Institutions as representative of the Jewish communities and had limited contact with individuals. This arrangement had functioned for many generations until, in the spring of 1918, the Russian Democratic Government of Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky ordered all communities to conduct democratic elections for all their Institutions. Men and women voted for hastily formed Parties and a new and inexperienced Rovno Jewish Committee was put in charge of all public Institutions. The Committee quickly realized that its first priority was to set up a taxation base in order to fund its operations.

The Orthodox groups were very unhappy about the drastic change (they were used to having problems solved by their leaders with no outside involvement) but were, nevertheless, forced to accept the situation.

[Page 365]

They considered this new “democracy” a reduction of their communal influence and were very vocal about it.

A short time later Rovno became part of an independent Ukraine. The new Ukrainian government recognized the rights of different ethnic groups and financially supported the local community. This was the post–World War–I era and the economy was in ruins. The Jewish Council received much needed financial help from American Jewry through the JDC – “The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee” (The Joint). This aid was crucial in adding credibility to the Jewish Council and most of the other Charities accepted its leadership position. Some charities kept their independent management, but they too asked for and received financial aid from the Jewish Council.

The Zionists and their supporters were the Jewish community's most powerful sector. They were followed by the religious sector and then the merchant sector. The “Left”, called the Yiddishists, were the smallest faction. Each sector received financial support, which they managed on their own. However, all factions followed similar paths in their placing the health, education and welfare of children as their highest priority.

Some groups were not satisfied and even complained to the Joint. However, most of these complaints lacked any substance and were politically motivated.

The leadership of the Jewish Council included Dr. Yoseph Shvidky, Rabbi Kalman Gam, Dr. Yaakov Berman (Yardeni), Leib Eisenberg, Isaac Brick, David Tobin, all of whom were Zionists.

The following is the description of the early Assemblies of the Democratic Council of Rovno.

The first Assembly, a festive one, took place on May 26, 1918 and was chaired by Isaac Brick. The Chair made an opening statement that was followed by the Principal of the Talmud Torah School, Kanievsky, who spoke in Hebrew. Kanievsky read a poem about the community, but he was interrupted by the Socialists who opposed the use of the Hebrew language. However, he continued his reading until the end and the crowd then gave him a standing ovation.

The various parties then made opening statements. The BUND opposed the Council's position on languages (allowing Hebrew). The Zionists made their statement in both Yiddish and Hebrew, emphasizing Jewish solidarity across party lines and the promotion of their ethnic aspirations.

They agreed to elect a “Presidency” – a managing committee. Dr. Yoseph Shvidky, a Zionist, was elected President with two secretaries – one of them from the Left.

[Page 366]

The second Assembly took place eight days later. The BUND members stated they would work with the Council only if their conditions were accepted. The conditions were that the Council would declare itself secular and with the exclusive use of the Yiddish language. The Zionists rejected this position. They stated that the Council had to reflect the pluralistic nature of the community and that Hebrew education was a cornerstone of a significant part of the community.

The BUND left the Assembly which then went on to elect Kalman Gam as Chairman and the Zionists members, Dr. Yaakov Berman and Eisenberg, as Deputies.

The third and fourth Assemblies discussed the transfer of all the charitable organizations to be henceforth under the umbrella of the Council.

Difficult times arrived during the 1919–20 pogroms in Volhynia. The community tried to identify the leaders of the gangs and what would be “the price” or payoff for peace.

This changed in 1920 when Rovno came under Polish government rule. The Polish government rejected the democratically elected Council that had been established under the revolutionary Russian government and Ukraine.

[Page 367]

The Polish government considered the Jewish Community a religious Institution as it had been under the Russian Tsar in the past. They promised to enact a new Polish Constitution. The democratic community lost its power and each charity had to raise money for its operations independently. The Joint, too, was ordered to stop transferring money. The Council of 1922 included Rabbi Bezalel Moravchik, Ze'ev Zibes, Zvi Heller along with Asher Shtill as the Secretary. Under these conditions the political parties of the past lost interest in the Council.

In 1926, the community was recognized as “Gmina Zydowska” (the Jewish Community). It was authorized to tax residents to cover operating expenses, including salaries for Rabbis. Zvi Heller headed the Council for four years and Rabbi Levi Yidsis followed him for another two years. David Stock was the leader for the next seven years and Shimon Katz was elected in 1938. Chaim–Ber Charamoy replaced him and served until the Soviet invasion of September 17, 1939.

A newspaper article concerning the elections from January 17, 1939 reported that the voters' list included 6,332 people, 3,751 (over 60%) of whom voted. The article lists the parties, number of votes and number of seats. The Revisionist Party was the best–organized party and elected six members to the Council.

These were the last elections in Rovno. The Council operated until the Nazis dispersed it and imposed the Judenrat.

[Page 368]

Rovno, for many generations, had several Charities and Aid Organizations that answered a wide variety of needs. Generous people devoted time, energy and money into developing these organizations and operating them. They also motivated the community to invest their time and money as well. This resulted in resources that healed the sick, fed the hungry, educated the children and, in general helped the poor.

Some of these organizations are described below:

M.Weisman

Around 1840 Mrs. Ceitel, the daughter of Rabbi Shimon of Novi–Stav and widow of Rabbi Moshe–Leib of Rozhishche, donated a plot of land to the Jewish community. The land was registered to Esther Rosenstein who allocated part of it for building the Turiysk Kloiz and the rest was used for building the “Hospitality Hostel” and the “Linat HaTzedek”. The community leaders recognized the need for housing poor people in town as well as a need for a rest–stop for people traveling between Russia and Poland.

Hospitality Hostel officials with Rabbi Z. Greenfeld and visiting soldiers

[Page 369]

After several years of collecting, they started building the Hospitality Hostel. Then Ze'ev Zibes, Moshe Fuks, Litvak, Yaakov Liberman and Yoseph Charon helped in furnishing the hostel, managing it and soliciting more donations. Chaya Charon and Breina Rize would bring meat, fish and pastry every Thursday for the Shabbat meals.

The Hospitality Hostel served both to house many people after any of the large fires which occurred as well as many homeless refugees during WW–I.

Rivka Goldberg

Linat HaTzedek was established with the mission of helping the sick in Rovno who were too poor to afford the medical care they needed. The Association would send volunteers to visit the sick, take care of them in their residences and sometimes, even stay with them overnight. This was at a time when nurses did not make home visits to those who could not pay and hospitals sometimes ran out of beds and could not accommodate all the poor. The Association was formed in 1885 by Rabbi Israel Zilberberg, Noah Chermoni, Ze'ev Katashka and others.

Rabbi Yeshayahu Blich worked hard to get the Russian Government to approve the Association as a Health Institution. This recognition helped to recruit physicians and purchase needed medication. In addition, the Association began to receive a fixed portion from the “Meat Tax” as funding.

Organizers and Volunteers – 1921

[Page 370]

Management and Volunteers of the Volya Branch of Linat HaTzedek

The residents of the Volya district formed another association, “Linat HaTzedek of the Volya”, with the same mission. Under the leadership of Rabbi Hertz–Meir Pisiuk and Rabbi Shmuel Konstantinovsky, they provided much needed help especially during the epidemic of infectious diseases in 1901. The Association raised donations for the purchase of the land and the building. The Government licensed the Association in 1912 (Moshe Bilinsky and Zvi Heller solicited this Government recognition) and the Association received 500 rubles a year from the “Meat Tax”, money that was distributed to poor families in the Volya district.

[Page 371]

Organizers of Linat HaTzedek

It is now thirty–six years since I and my friends were invited, in 1918, to join the Association. Until I immigrated to Eretz–Israel I dedicated my time to visiting and helping care for the sick as well as providing medicine and medical supplies and food. I did as much as I could to support and hold up their spirits. I am proud that our efforts helped in advancing the Association as a prominent Social Service in town.

Many residents of Rovno left town during the years of the War and financial support for all these charities became uneven. Both associations, Linat HaTzedek and Linat HaTzedek of the Volya, did not let up in their efforts during the War and the difficult times that followed. They continued their blessed work under the new Polish rule in 1920. The leaders at that time were Voltcha Zubish, Zisia Bracker and Dr. Tabachnik.

[Page 372]

Gmilut Chasadim

Sara Kotin

The Gmilut Chasadim (benevolence) Charity Organization was created around 1888 by Rabbi Berish Shatz (the son–in–law of Rabbi Yaakov Hochfeld of the family of Bina). The Charity's mission, as was the custom in other Jewish communities, was to provide small loans without interest which were backed by pawned objects serving as collateral. The organizers raised the significant sum of 1,500 rubles and arranged for monthly or annual contributions from the richer families and merchants. In addition, they conducted a special ceremony of Simchat Torah where people paid for the right to read the Torah. These measures increased the amount of money that was available to pass on to people in need and positioned the Charity as one of the most important social charities in town. Rabbi Berish Shatz and his wife Mania managed the Organization for twenty–five years and Rabbi Feibush Lizak assisted them.

The war that broke out in 1914 stopped all the donations to the Charity and people who owed money were not able to repay their loans. The Shatz family left town in 1915 when the front came close to Rovno. Rabbi Berish transferred the responsibility for the charity to other people but they were unable to preserve it and it ceased to exist.

The difficult post–war situation prompted the re–creation of the Charity in 1923. The Polish Government registered it in 1924 under the leadership of Mrs. Rachel Bernstein. Other people (Mrs. Rachel Bogomolni, Mrs. Sara Kotin, Mrs. Shulamit Pisiuk, Aharon Partchuk) worked for the Organization from its office on Franziska street. They organized fundraising social parties and gave loans of up to 100 Zloty. The Organization's seal was imprinted “Rovno Yiddish Gesellschaft” – The Jewish Social Organization in Rovno.

Leib Bochkovsky

The First World War broke out in July 1914 and caused many Jews to leave their homes and move away from the Austrian front. Many residents of Dubno, Mlinov, Berestechko, Radzivilov and other towns and villages fled to Rovno. The local residents took many refugees into their homes and when they could no longer accommodate the new arrivals – public buildings and synagogues were designated as temporary hostels. The refugees often ran out of money and conditions became desperate. The War interrupted the food supply and food prices quickly rose.

[Page 373]

The Jewish community of Rovno responded by setting up a Committee for the support of the refugees and enlisted all the existing Charities and their volunteers.

They started by providing shoes, clothing and medical help. The Hospitality and Linat HaTzedek set up a kitchen and provided hot meals for the refugees. Those refugees who did not trust the kosher arrangements of the kitchen received uncooked food and prepared their own meals. The community also supplied wood for cooking and heating.

Refugee Children in an Orphanage

Chaim–Ber Charamoy

The Rovno community established an Old–Age Home early in the nineteenth century. The Jewish name for such a service is “Hekdesh” (sacred property, dedicated to religious or public purposes) and the one in Rovno was supported by donations, endowments and bequests. Over time, the building that stood near a swamp became too small for its purpose and was not well maintained due to a lack of financing. The same building also housed the Hospitality (Hachnasat Orchim) Hostel.

[Page 374]

The building was destroyed in the great fire of 1881. Its custodians, including Rabbi Yaakov Fald and his son–in–law Rabbi Moshe–Mordechai Litvak, found a new place for it in a rented house. After a few years of fundraising, they built a new Hekdesh in 9 Franziska Street. The administrators were Rabbi Yitzhak Zilberfarb and Rabbi Leibush Bernstein. Later, Rabbi Monish Efrath was successful in getting government support for the charity. The funding came from “Food Days”, sporadic donations and partly from the “Meat Tax”. The Joint helped support it after WW–I.

The Jewish Hospital operated in the same building and provided medical services to the 40–50 elderly residents who stayed at the Hekdesh, two–thirds of whom were women. Rabbi Levi Iddes was one of the dedicated Treasurers.

Israel Dines

The “Supporters of the Poor” Association was formed in Rovno in 1914 to assist people in need. The organizers were young people from the lower classes who understood how dire the situation was. Among the organizers were Israel Altman (son of Rabbi Eliyahu the stonemason), Israel Dines (son of Rabbi Ephraim the Salonimi, a copyist of Scriptures), Pesach–Leib Hershfeld, Zusia Bracker, Ms. Steinbroch, Zalman Greenfeld, Yetta Pachnik (daughter of Rabbi Meir'ke), Chai, Tashman, Yeshayahu Sachtov, Antsis, Dubkirer and others. Unlike the Linat HaTzedek Association, which helped mostly the sick and poor, Tomchei Anyim's mission was to help the poor avoid becoming panhandlers. In addition, it was their mission to help those people who had lost their property but were too proud to ask for help.

The Association had a logbook that listed its members as well as income and outflow of money, but this logbook has disappeared.

The flow of refugees increased the importance of the Association and the demand for assistance but the Russian revolution limited its activities. Some of the organizers became involved in political activities and the changes of borders (Russia, Ukraine, and Poland) limited their ability to fundraise. The end of this Charity came when the Polish Government discontinued all “Russian” organizations.

[Page 375]

The Women's Association

Sara Kotin

A group of charitable and committed women created the Women's Association of Rovno in 1892 to help the many families and individuals who were in need. The group included Rachel Bernstein, Feiga Partichuk, Shulamit Pisiuk, Esther Chodorov and Sara Kotin. The organizers called on the City's residents to help both financially and by joining as volunteers.

The first project was creating a Daycare center for children of single mothers who could then find work more easily. The Association hired Duba, an experienced kindergarten teacher, and with several assisting volunteers, they provided full–day supervision, food, clothing, shoes and instruction. The Association sent food to the mothers for weekends and Holidays and arranged for a summer camp. The children were checked on by nurses or doctors in order to help supervise their health.

Children of school–age were sent to elementary schools and the high school–age children were sent to ORT to learn trades. The Association provided hot lunches for all of them.

Members of the Association worked every day to provide these services and raised money for all the operations. They would meet every Saturday night to exchange information about new requests for assistance as well as to plan for further fundraising activities.

Most of the fundraising was done by organizing social parties that took place in the home of Valdman on Directorska Street. The Association received help from the Joint, the City, the community and individual donors. With the expansion of its charitable activities, the funding problem became critical so the Association would organize a very successful Year–End Party. The main organizer was Zusia Brenner. Men, too, helped the Women's Association.

The Women's Association became a cornerstone of the social network in the city. Many other charities helped the Rovno Community in the years following World War–I. The Association continued its work until the end of Jewish Rovno.

M. Weisman

Every young woman needed a respectable, even if a somewhat modest dowry in order to receive a marriage proposal. Poor or orphan girls in Rovno needed help and the community took care to provide this service.

[Page 376]

This helping hand was started and supported by a few individual women and, after some years, the Charity was registered by the Government. Those who started the volunteer organization included Nacha–Freidel Pekkel, Sara Feldman, Pesia Lipkerman, Rachel daughter of Rabbi Meir'ke, Feiga daughter of the milk–woman and others. They supported young women with gifts of money as well as social help – such as matchmaking. The Charity was registered with the Polish Government on May 16, 1926. The Charity's application revealed that the small organization helped dozens of women and transferred 1,300 Golden Coins (10 rubles each). There was a “waiting list” of dozens more, some of them from well–to–do families who had lost everything during WW–1.

The Charity operated modestly. Its office was in the Community Center on 15 Franziska Street.

(According to Zvi (Hirsh) Heller's Notes)

There was a Burial Society in every Jewish community. The Rovno Society was started with a Permit from the local landowner, Stanislaw Lubomirski (1583–1649). This Permit certificate was kept by the family of Yom–Tov Weintraub. The Society's Regulations specified its duties of burying the dead according to Jewish customs, maintaining the cemetery, keeping records and following Jewish traditions. Over the years, however, the governing Board became a closed club that was not reporting to the Community.

The Society maintained a ledger (PINKAS) that listed dates, names, money, bills and other information. It was an important source of knowledge about the community. The original ledger was somehow lost and the one that existed at the beginning of the twentieth century did not contain the history of the community.

After 1918 and the transition to a “democratic society”, the community wanted the Chevra Kadisha to be accountable and transparent but the Chevra resisted and kept itself a ‘closed club’. The result, of course, was tension.

[Page 377]

The Russian authorities considered this a religious issue and did not interfere. However, they did support the Society by allocating a portion of the taxes (i.e. on meat or candles) that were collected for it.

From 1885, the heads of the Society were Rabbi Shmuel Halperin and Yom–Tov Weintraub. These respected men were not strong enough to change the attitude of the members who made the Society their ‘business’. The Jewish Community settled for having honest men at the head of the Chevra which was then responsible for building a brick wall around the cemetery in 1910.

The situation changed under the rule of the Polish Government. The responsibility for managing the cemetery was transferred to the Jewish Community of Rovno. Rabbi Zvi Heller, who arranged for the erection of the brick wall, became Head of the Society and implemented improvements to its management.

For several years, Mr. Bentzman served as the Treasurer. He was known as a “go–getter” with the Polish authorities. Involvement with the Burial Society was not an attractive activity and only a few people (who considered it a Mitzvah) joined it.

Rabbi Zvi Heller spent a lot of his time managing the Society during the Polish rule (1920–1939). One of his significant achievements was opposing the “club”. In 1920 the “club” bought some land adjacent to the cemetery. They were hoping to sell the land to the community (at a big profit) once the cemetery ran out of space and would once more have to be enlarged.

The last Treasurers were Rabbi Yitzhak–Aba Gemer and Rabbi Levi Iddes. They worked with a true sense of commitment and benevolence during the last few years of the community.

The Jewish Cemetery is on a hillside at the end of Litowsky Street, next to the Christian Cemetery on the road to a village named Tootkewitz. Prince Liubomirsky, the owner of the city, gave the land for the cemetery to the Jewish community. The cemetery was enlarged twice when it ran out of available space and a wooden fence was erected around it. Due to its deterioration, Mrs. Dvora German donated the construction of a brick fence in 1910.

The cemetery was managed by a committee of volunteers who, until the middle of the nineteen century, managed it with a true sense of commitment and benevolence.

[Page 378]

Some of the more recent volunteers started to view the service as a business opportunity. They sold plots for money and gave preference to their acquaintances over others. The older generation administrators, Yom–Tov Weintraub and Shmuel Halpern, were unsuccessful in weeding out this corrupt new conduct and honest people no longer wanted to be involved in managing the cemetery. The Jewish Community took over the responsibility in the early twentieth century and nominated a new and more honest management. However, there were those who bought the adjacent land in 1920, when Poland took over the Volhynia Region. They hoped to sell the land to the community (at a big profit) when the cemetery would have to be expanded once again.

The Rovno Cemetery

[Page 379]

Mr. Zvi Heller was one of the people who struggled to keep the cemetery out of the hands of corrupt organizers. He recruited Dr. Segal to give a speech, in Russian, during a visit by President Pilsudski. When Dr. Segal mentioned the condition of the cemetery, Pilsudski replied that the tombstones with Polish inscriptions proved that this was Polish land.

It was heartbreaking when we heard that many of the tombstones were removed and used as paving stones during the time of the Nazi occupation. Those children of Satan spread their poison even over the dead.

The Jewish Hospital

Shmuel Gam

The two–story hospital building was constructed in the 1880s on Niemczewska Street #9. This was due to the hard work of Rabbi Eliezer Zilberfarb who donated the land. As well, other people donated to the project which was dedicated as a Home for the Elderly and Sick. Leibush Bernstein and Israel Lippin were the fundraisers. However, the funds collected only sufficed for the building of a ground floor.

Rabbi Moshe Litvak, David Merchelkowitz and Yoel Freilich joined Rabbi Leibush Bernstein, the manager of the building, in raising additional funds. In 1900, and with the estate of Rabbi Leibush Ginsburg, they were able to build a second floor that was designed as a Hospital. The Old–Age Home remained on the first floor. A physician and nurses were hired for the new Rovno Jewish Hospital and Rabbi Shlomo Kolikovicher became the supervisor of both Institutions.

The Rovno Jewish Council received 6,000 rubles from the estate of Avraham Bronstein. This money and other donations financed the construction of a new building on Dvoretzka Street. They moved the Old Age Home to the new building and the Hospital expanded to both floors. Ten years later, under the management of Dr. Meir Segal, and with help from the Joint, they renovated the older building and moved the Old Age Home back into it. The Hospital moved to the newer, expanded facility. Additionally, they also added a separate building in order to quarantine people with Infectious Diseases. A separate Maternity Clinic was also erected ^[1].

Even before 1881, poor people received medical services in the old Community House at the corner of Niemczewska and Suvorna streets. That building was already being used by the Hekdesh and the Hostel and was not suitable for all these purposes. The situation changed only after the Hospital was moved to a new building on Dvoretzka Street. The old building was destroyed in the fire of 1881, and the new fire station was later built on that same plot of land.

[Page 380]

The Jewish Hospital

[Page 381]

During the time of the reign of the Russian Tsar, the Hospital was financed by an allocation of funds from the “Meat Tax”. When Rovno came under Polish rule, the Hospital was financed by the City Magistrate with help from the Joint. Other sources of funding were payments by patients as well as donations. When the Hospital was moved to its new building, the name of the street was changed to Szpitalna. The Hospital added services and technological improvements and became one of the best hospitals in the region.

Chana Motiuk

An Organization in Rovno that supported poor women who were due to give birth was already in operation at the turn of the century. Several compassionate women collected donations and helped poor women with medical supplies, better food as well as money for their immediate needs. Some of these volunteers were Shifra Bayvol, Chana Charon, Bina Kolikovicher and Esther–Feiga Adele.

The number of women who required assistance grew sharply after World War–I with the growth of the city and the newly arrived refugees. More women joined the organization – these included Mrs. German, Chaya Sandberg, Shulamit Pisiuk, Esther Chodorov, Chana Motiuk, Sara Kotin, Charna Saltzman, Zelda Perlmutter, Mrs. Berger and Mrs. Stern. A management committee acquired a wooden hut on the Jewish Hospital grounds to serve as the Maternity Clinic and Dr. Hoffman (the son–in–law of Moshe Stock) was drafted as a volunteer attending physician. The proximity to the Hospital vastly improved the services available to new mothers for a nominal fee or, if necessary, for free.

Operating the Clinic was not cheap (medical supplies, food, gowns, laundry and other expenses). The committee continuously raised support from the Jewish Community, from the Magistrate, from businesses and individual donors but the Clinic always remained short of funds.

The Clinic was located inside the perimeter of the Hospital but was a separate entity. This created some tension between the Clinic and the Manager of the Hospital, Mr. Pomerantz. Later, the Government issued an edict that parts of the Clinic could not continue to operate in a wooden hut. Management planned a new building with modern services and increased capacity. The Clinic went into even greater debt but the higher capacity allowed the Clinic to treat many more women. This was done regardless of their religion and the Clinic expanded to become the Rovno Maternity Hospital. The Magistrate stopped financial support in 1930 and the Polish Government took over.

[Page 382]

The head of the Clinic was Dr. Lea Frishberg who volunteered without pay. All the workers were very dedicated and the Clinic gained the public's recognition and trust. It listed about 1,000 births each year.

Dr. Berliner worked in the Clinic but could not agree with the managing Committee. The general assembly of the organization removed the Committee of volunteers and Mr. Mann was appointed Manager, with Mr. Gonick as an assistant. During the years 1936–7 and under the Government's control, about 60% of the patients were treated without charge. Dr. Lea Charamoy worked with Dr. Berliner at the Clinic.

The “Vohlyner Leben” Newspaper of January 1, 1926, reported on the celebration that marked Clinic's two years of operation; it reads as follows:

“On December 27, 1925, the Women Association for the Maternity Clinic held its celebration marking two years of operation. About one hundred dignitaries, including the Mayor, Dr. Belinsky as well as five other doctors, community leaders and representatives from various Institutions attended the dinner. The Clinic reported that 600 women have given birth to 560 children in their Institution. A small budget deficit remained at the end of the period and while demands for services exceeded capacity, the staff always did their utmost to serve everyone. Ninety percent of the patients were satisfied. The Association is working on expanding the Clinic and counts on continuing donations from the Jewish Community of Rovno. The Association is calling on all public institutions to increase their financial support.”

Dr. Kokel mentioned that due to the dedication of the staff, only one woman died during those two years.

Appreciation and congratulatory remarks were given by the Mayor Dr. Belinsky, L. Kagan, Rabbi Shneur–Zalman Greenfeld, Dr. Rapaport of TAZ, Dr. Finkelstein and others. The last one to speak was Yaakov Wigdorowitz of the “Volhyner Leben” Newspaper.

Yaakov Zeidel

The Polish Government's “Health Clinics” services provided health insurance to all the employees in Poland. Each employer had to register his employees and to pay 75% of the monthly health tax levied by the Government. The employees paid the other 25% through a deduction at source.

[Page 383]

This arrangement provided medical care to all the workers in Poland. The concept was new for the Jews who, up until that time, did not like to pay “formal” government taxes. Over time, however, everyone realized the benefits of this “forced” service.

The health service in Rovno had several dedicated clinics as well as beds in public hospitals. Patients could visit doctors' home–offices and family members of insured persons received medical care as well.

Shlomo Shpanerfligel, a Jewish clerk, had worked in a clinic in Sarny. He was transferred to Rovno in 1924 and was, for several years, the sole Jewish clerk in this Institution that, as a policy, did not hire Jews for this position. His experience and skills made him the exception. More recently, a few more Jewish clerks were added to the service. On the other hand, many Jewish doctors and nurses always worked for the health services. One of them was Dr. Tabachnik.

Chaya Laadan (Dermanska)

The Taz Organization for Medical Health and Prevention was created after the Government had stopped the funding provided by the Joint. The Rovno branch of Taz delivered medical healthcare, disease prevention, provided public education and monitored children's health in schools and kindergartens. The services provided were low fee or free for anyone who could not afford even a small cost.

The Scabies Disease was widespread among children of the poor and Taz concentrated on eliminating it. The Taz X–Ray Department treated children from all over Volhynia and Polesia and the Tuberculosis Department treated and provided medicine and education to the sick and their families.

The Health Department sent nurses to check–up on the children and to educate their parents. Sick children were sent to different hospital departments according to the hospitals' specialties. All the Talmud Torah and orphanage children received a warm glass of milk and a roll each morning to supplement their nutrition.

The Taz organized a summer camp. It bought a pine–tree forest with a large building in the nearby city of Klevan. Hundreds of children enjoyed outdoor activities, healthy food, sports and swimming, all for a nominal fee or at no cost.

[Page 384]

The organizer of the summer camp was Alexander Gelperson, who dedicated much of his time and energy to the project. During winters, he operated a Sanitarium for sick children in the same building.

Taz Summer camp in the Klevan Forest – 1932 Organizers, staff and campers

Taz's budget came from the Joint both through allocations by public Institutions and from individual donations. Its central office for Volhynia responsibly and faithfully managed all these laudable activities from Rovno.

Translator's footnote:

1. Amos Oz described the hospital in chapter 22 of his book “A Tale of Love and Darkness” Return

KAPA, Joint and AZA

Avraham Wertheim

By 1918, thousands of refugees had congregated in Rovno as a result of World War–I and the Petliura's Pogroms. A 3–member delegation, headed by Dr. Yaakov Berman (Yardeni), went to Kiev to solicit aid for the refugees from the office of “The Jewish Committee for the Relief of War Victims” (Evreiskii Komitet Pomoshchi Zhertvam Voiny; EKOPO was launched in 1914 in Petrograd [Saint Petersburg]). The Kiev office, active in helping refugees, operated under the name KAPA and was managed by Shimon Greenberg along with Avraham–Moshe Rosenstein. KAPA had several offices in the larger cities and their traveling representatives visited the smaller communities as well.

[Page 385]

At that time, at the beginning of the War, I was a KAPA representative in Kremenetz. I was sent to Rovno to assess the situation and to design an action plan. I met with the leaders of the community, surveyed the conditions and together we agreed on several different strategies of assistance. KAPA continued to assist the people of Rovno but that operation was stopped in 1916–7 and, from then on, many of the refugees had no help at all. I visited the places where the refugees lived – public buildings and synagogues that lacked organization, hygiene, or privacy. Families were demoralized by unemployment and hopelessness. Food was scarce and children had no schooling. The aid from the Rovno Community alone could not meet these desperate needs.

A meeting of the JOINT Volhynia representatives in Rovno

[Page 386]

The events of the time, including frequent changes of “governments” (Ukrainians, Skoropadskyi [Cossacks], Petliura, the Bolsheviks, the Polish State and random fighting gangs) and the lawlessness in Ukraine drove many Jewish refugees to Rovno. We renewed The War Refugees Aid Society, whose members were Lawyer L. Kagan, H.M. Pisiuk, David Baharal, Avraham Wertheim and others. The KAPA resources were not enough to meet the needs and the Committee organized a Fundraising Campaign. Friction between the supporters of the Tarbut Hebrew Schools and the Yiddish Schools was common but the disagreements were kept to a minimum so that the refugees and their children would not be impacted.

We then received the terrible news about the pogrom in Zvyhil (Novograd Volynskiy). Four hundred Jews were murdered and many more were attacked, injured and robbed. The survivors, many of whom were left with only the clothes on their backs, fled to the nearby towns on the road to Rovno. The War Refugees Aid Society immediately organized several carriages and loaded them with bread and food, clothes and medicine and sent them to Korets, Hoszcza (today: Hoshcha) and to all the other shtetels where the over 4,000 Zvyhil refugees had found shelter. The Jews of Rovno again showed their generosity and donated to the campaign which was organized by the Aid Society and the KAPA Organization. I joined the aid convoy to Korets, where we discovered a group of about one hundred orphans. After preliminary medical treatment, KAPA brought them to Rovno.

The Bolshevik Army entered Rovno in April 1919. All the Charities and Aid Organizations including KAPA were instructed to stop their activities. Conditions quickly worsened and KAPA, itself a Russian Organization, contacted the Red Cross in Sweden for help. I received a special permit that allowed me to continue to travel within Volhynia in order to distribute relief aid. Looking for financial support, we contacted the Joint which sent a team headed by Dr. Hershfeld. In 1920, after the formation of the Polish Government, the Joint placed Mr. Shohan as its representative in Rovno. The local community set up an Aid Committee with Dr. Yoseph Shweika, Dr. Yaakov Berman, David Baharal, David Tobavin and others as members. This Committee managed the distributions of aid to pogrom victims all around Rovno.

Members of the Youth Associations in the city were very active in those aid activities. They were especially involved with the care–taking of orphans. They arranged housing, distributed food and medicine, collected clothes, shoes, and helped to school the children.

[Page 387]

Some of these young people were Rasis, Yidsis, Bukimer, Zaid, Adele, Bernstein, Bialer, Ziegel, the Onik sisters, Dora Garbuz, Baharal and others.

The AZA Charity operated between the years 1918–1920. It focused on health and education and its first move was to open a kindergarten. It recruited several teachers who were educated in Russian and arranged special Yiddish–language training for them. AZA helped the Jewish Hospital and the health–oriented charities by recruiting doctors, nurses, support staff, medicine and medical equipment. All their activities, under the leadership of Dr. Yoseph Shweika, were coordinated with the democratically elected Community Leadership Committee. Dr. Shweika represented the Zionists on the Committee while Mr. B. P. Isserovitch of Moscow represented the AZA Organization and was the Managing Director of AZA in Rovno.

The assistance from the Joint was crucial during the period of the War and the post–War pogroms. After the formation of the Polish Government, the Joint continued to increase its contribution.

Chaya Laadan

Founded in the 1880's, ORT (Russian abbreviation for “The Association for the Promotion of Skilled Trades”) had been an organization that provided Jewish communities with an education for the development of skills in Trade and Agriculture. Its goal was to improve the economic conditions of Jewish communities within the Russian Empire.

After the Russian Revolution, ORT branched into neighboring countries such as Poland, Lithuania and Bessarabia. Its operations expanded or contracted as the political stability of these countries continued to change in the years following World War–I. Support from Jewish communities helped it re–establish its schools where it could.

Before the War, ORT opened a Needle Trade School for girls in Rovno. The school, however, did not function during the War and the political upheavals that followed. It resumed teaching only after the formation of a Polish government in 1920. It educated 60–70 girls in a post–elementary Trade School.

[Page 388]

A 1933 Party for ORT Officials

In 1934–5, the School educated 134 girls who, at the end of their training, became independent dressmakers, seamstresses or cutters. With a dedicated staff, the school operated two classrooms and its graduates participated in professional exhibitions and won recognition and prizes.

A school for boys was established which taught Electrical and Mechanical Locksmith Technologies. Graduates were certified and found good jobs in Poland. Many emigrated to Eretz–Israel. The School was on Yaglonska Street and Dr. Guzman was its first Director. Later on, he was succeeded by the Engineer Avraham Levitas. The chief Instructor was Y. Kremer of Vilna and Yarovsky was also one of the teachers who worked there. The City's Education Department later relocated the school to a new building in the Volya District. When Levitas immigrated to Eretz–Israel, the School came under the BUND's education system. However, the strong Zionist influence kept Hebrew as the teaching language. In 1936, the Board elected Leib Spielberg, a Zionist, as the Director. Mr. Greenfeld, who had just returned from Eretz–Israel, became the Secretary.

The ORT Schools were destroyed during the destruction of the Rovno Community.

Shmuel Pisiuk

The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) was founded in the U.S.A. in 1881 to assist those Jews who were fleeing pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe. After World War–I, with Dr. Meir Pecker as the President, HIAS operated in Warsaw under the name YAAS. Mr. Yona Greenfeld of Kiev and Alter (a BUNDist) worked in the Warsaw Office. YAAS opened offices in Vilna, Rovno and several other cities, as well as some branches in smaller towns.

[Page 389]

The Rovno office was opened in 1921 during a time when Rovno was flooded with thousands of refugees and immigrants. By 1923, the office became the hub for the Volhynia and Polesia Regions. For fourteen years I served as the Branch Director while Shmuel Gorin was the Deputy Director. Mr. Zakon, a lawyer, was a member of the Management Committee, and Mr. Holoveshka was our dedicated secretary.

The office was housed in #7 Szkolna Street in the Kopelnick House. It aided all immigrant applicants by providing information as well as assisting with legal questions. We were in constant contact with the Government, the Central Office in Warsaw and with all the public institutions that helped immigrants. We worked with the Zionist Immigration Office to help people immigrate to Eretz–Israel. The focus of our work was providing travel documents for the refugees and assisting in locating family members or friends in their destination countries. The Office helped about 3,000 people each year and we can proudly say that practically each one of them received excellent assistance.

The Volhynia Branch nominated me as its representative in the National Directorate and I can attest that both the national Warsaw Committee and the Volhynia and Polesia Branches appreciated the work that the Rovno Branch provided.

When the Soviets entered Rovno in September 1939, the authorities made no interference in the work of local public Organizations. However, Zakon consulted with one of his government acquaintances in Moscow. He was advised that the YAAS Organization would soon be under investigation by the Government. As a result, the decision was made to close the office in Rovno. They sold the office furniture and used the money to pay the employees their last salary. This was the end of the YAAS Office in Rovno.

Rovno, like many other cities, suffered from frequent house fires. The city established a volunteer Fire–Fighting Brigade in the late nineteenth century to combat these fires. The Brigade had a few salaried fire–spotters and water–carriers. Some of the dignitaries of the city who managed the Brigade were Shlomo Kolikowizer, Isaac Wagmeister and Meir Pisiuk. The firefighters received training in use of the fire pumps and other equipment and reached a high level of proficiency. The municipality provided an operating budget and the community donated generously for new equipment. Other sources of income were charges for services and dance parties.

[Page 390]

The Fire Station was on Niematzka Street where it kept all its equipment. As well, it had a stable for the horses that would pull the equipment to the fires. The firefighters received brass helmets and uniforms, as was the custom in Russia. The Grand Prince of Russia became the patron of the firefighters and gave each of them a symbolic pin. This arrangement was in effect until the First World War broke out.

Shlomo Kolikowizer dedicated much of his time and used his connections to develop the Brigade professionally and to support it financially. The Brigade was an integral part of the community. Firefighters helped the members of the community in difficult times and stood on guard defending Jewish neighborhoods during times of danger.

The Brigade's official name was “Volhynia Pozarna Komenda” (Volhynia Fire Command) and its volunteers consisted of both Jews and none–Jews. However, over time inter–racial tension increased and the Brigade was split into two.

Some of the volunteers were the Medic Weinerman, Bendat Herman, Polowitzky, Todrus and Yitzhak Wagmaister. The following men aided the Brigade after the city came under Polish rule: Meir Pisiuk, Zusia Barker, Ben–Zion Gam, Kagan and Meisler. Their efforts increased the support of the Polish Government and the Brigade hired additional professional staff and replaced the older fire trucks with more modern ones. The City Council also provided funding.

Shlomo Fialkov held the position of Fire Chief for many years and was instrumental in developing and improving the services of the Rovno Fire Brigade.

The Pogroms of 1918–1919 in the Ukraine were still in full force when the young people of my town, Starokonstantinov, started planning their Aliyah to Eretz–Israel. The roads were closed, but conditions improved somewhat as soon as the territory of Volhynia became part of Poland. People tried to save themselves by moving away from the new independent Ukraine to the Polish territory. The roads were still dangerous and armed hoodlums wandering about, were still attacking any Jew that tried to cross the international borders between Poland, Russia and Lithuania. I was one of those brave young people who made it via Ostrog to Rovno, the Capital of Volhynia and a center of Zionism and Jewish culture.

The year was 1920 and the Rovno Zionists made us feel at home. They arranged legal papers for us and a place to stay. I was sent to work for the TARBUT organization and was soon absorbed in my work for TARBUT in the whole of Volhynia. I wanted to continue on my way to Eretz–Israel but my friends convinced me to stay in Rovno. While Zionist organizations were trying to work out the details for massive, legal immigration, I preferred to help the national cause rather than sneak through international borders.

[Page 391]

The need for social, cultural and national support organizations in Volhynia was great and we tried to help the community.

In 1921, we called a meeting. Dr. Yaakov Berman (Yardeny) reported on his visit to the Zionist Organizations in Warsaw. We discussed, among other things, the need for a forum of intellectuals and people with academic backgrounds to confer about National questions. We formed The National Academic Club and elected Shmuel Rosenhak as the club's President. I became the club's secretary and we prepared a plan for future operations.

The Forum used to meet in the Hebrew kindergarten of Ada Zunder and Dora Unick in the Okun home on Shossejna Street. Our activities included meetings, political discussions, lectures and discussions about literature. As members began emigrating to Eretz–Israel, the presence of the Forum diminished over time until it ceased to exist.

The Jewish Intellectuals Club was formed in Rovno in 1923 under the name “The Kresovi Club”. With the development of new social and professional lifestyles, people felt the need for a place where meetings, entertainment and socializing could be held in a Jewish atmosphere. This would be a place for professionals, merchants and the “intelligentsia” to mix. The Club soon developed a nationalistic attitude and became “the place” for exchanging ideas. Among the founders were Dr. Rothfeld, Moshe Chodorov and Wigdorowitz. They tried to attract people who had no political affiliations and would then try to “convert” them to Zionism. The management of this unofficial Zionist organization included Baruch Kagan, Dr. Berliner and Dr. Moshe Gertzberg. Nachum Sternthal was an outstanding head of the Club in later years. Some active members were Dr. Yissochor Reiss, Arie Kagan, Yochanan Levin, Pisiuk, Engineer Glickman, Pharmacist Rosenkranz and others, including Dr. Menachem Oren (the writer).

The Club met in the house of Sobol (earlier it was in the house of Waldman) on Directorska Street. It operated daily and attracted many people who liked its relaxed atmosphere. Here you could meet Chernov, the Principal of the Russian Gymnasium (High School), or the chief editor of the Russian language newspaper and visiting dignitaries. Notable was the visit of General Knoll, the Commander of the Polish Army in Volhynia–Polesia (the Polish border area with Belarus, Russia and Ukraine). In his speech, Knoll promoted the improvement of Jewish–Polish relations. The attendees later believed that he had tried to pull the Jewish intelligentsia towards the Sanacja Party.

A second intelligentsia club was established in Rovno in the early 1930s. Its members were not Zionists and supported the Sanacja Party. The political and ideological differences between the two clubs were very noticeable during the election campaign for the Polish Sejm and the election campaign for City Council, both of which took place in 1932. The Jewish Intellectuals Club played an important role in the foundation of the “Zionist Block”.

[Page 392]

The list of founders included Dr. Yissochor Reiss, Arie–Leib Kalika, Yitzhak Liberman, Yochanan Levin, Dr. Rothfeld, Eliyahu Lerner, Dr. Menachem Oren (the writer) and others. Most of the Jews of Rovno supported the Zionist Block and it won a majority of seats in City Council, a great achievement for Jews in Rovno and in the whole of Volhynia.

Some memorable lectures were given in the Club. Chaim Nachman Bialik visited in 1931 and talked about the Hebrew Language. His talk was the subject of many discussions in the days that followed. The National Poet read from his works in the reception party that followed. Mr. N. Bistritzky gave two lectures. One was about the redemption of Eretz–Israel and the other one about “The Core and the Cover in the National Ideology”.

The Club continued operating for sixteen years until the Soviet conquest of 1939 when it was shut it down.

The Jewish National Secretariat in Poland was formed in 1918 by Mr. Yitzhak Gruenbaum who was a delegate to the Polish Sejm (parliament). The Secretariat successfully represented Jewish interests before the Polish Government and played an important role in Jewish–Polish relationships. It dedicated much of its efforts to protecting and defending the growing number of Jews who had crossed new borders from the neighboring countries.

Rovno was close to the borders of Russia–Ukraine–Poland and many refugees passed through it. The mission of the Polish organization “YUR” was to integrate the “new” territories that had been transferred from Russia and Ukraine and to assist their residents. However, YUR did not fulfill its mission, either because of incompetency or Anti–Semitism, and as a result, refugees suffered from hunger and poverty. The Jewish National Secretariat responded by opening an office in Rovno In 1921. The office included Mr. Lazarowitch (from Warsaw), Anshel Sechnay and me. We worked with the different public organizations in the City, including the JOINT, the Refugees Council, the Eretz–Israel Office and others.

The Polish Government tried to prevent “Russian” (i.e. Jewish) refugees from entering Poland and the Secretariat had little room to maneuver. However, using its relationship with the Government, it found ways to ease the refugees' misery. Mr. Yoseph Rappaport, a lawyer from Galicia, became the head of the Rovno office. He had good connections within the Government and managed to relieve much of the suffering of the refugees.

The office in Rovno was active for three or four years until its responsibilities were transferred to other institutions and it was closed.

  Rivne, Ukraine     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 01 Oct 2020 by JH