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[Page 330]
By Azriel Pollak
Translated by Moshe Kutten
I was born in Zborow, but my parents moved while I was still a baby when the First World War erupted. During the War, from 1914 to 1918, my father R' Yakov, z”l, served in the army of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph while we resided as refugees in the Czechoslovakian village Shlakau [?] near the city Troppau (Opava]. We returned to Zborow at the end of the War.
Between the years 1918 and 1920, Zborow experienced intense artillery battles between Bolshevik Russia and the Polish forces. The city was plagued by hunger, poverty, and unsanitary conditions; leading to a typhus outbreak among children. There was a severe lack of physicians and medicines to treat the sick. I remember the wooden huts constructed to accommodate the returning refugees from that period. These huts were situated behind the municipal slaughterhouse close to the cattle market known as “Tragovitza.” The area was marked by desolation, poverty, and unpleasant odors, and residents of these huts were seen as some of the city's most destitute individuals.
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There were no water taps in the city then. Water was delivered to homes in buckets for a fee, and being a Der Vasser Treger [water carrier] was a common profession. There was also no electricity then. It was only during the latest years that electricity produced by the flour mill machinery began to reach homes. The local transportation relied on a horse-drawn wagon, while people traveled longer distances by train. Unique folklore was formed around the wagon owners, whose job was transporting travelers to and from the city and the train station, 4-5 kilometers away. Electrical refrigerators were unavailable then, so people learned to store food in the cellars or “natural refrigerators”–dug holes in the backyards. They placed ice blocks, brought over from the area's frozen rivers, in the holes and covered them with a thick layer of straw. The insulation helped preserve the ice throughout the summer months.
Many houses were clay huts–made of a wooden skeleton, and clay blocks made of clay and straw placed in between–everything was handmade. Once these blocks dried and hardened, the house was ready for use. The roofs were typically made of interwoven bales of straw made of wood or clay tiles known as guntes. This design contributed to frequent fires in the city. In the winter, people had to cover the roof with a thick layer of straw to help retain heat. Heating was provided by primitive furnaces that burned coal or wood. While some houses were built from red burned bricks, our town had no concrete structures. The most impressive buildings included the courthouse, the district governor's house, known as the “Starosta,” two churches–one Russian Orthodox and one Catholic, and the Synagogue HaGadol, along with a small number of houses.
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I was sent to a cheder at a very young age, where my second melamed was R' Mordechai Heiman, who resided nearby across the road. Before him, I learned the Aleph-Beit from an elderly member of the same family. I studied religion subjects by R' Binyamin Auerbach, R' Yakov-Yosi Gutfleisch, and R' Betzalel. The latter was the elder of the Kloiz, and I used to bring him a pot of cooked milk with a thick skin, out of respect and sympathy. Gutfleisch was more modern in his approach; he taught us the Bible using advanced methods for that time. In addition to my religious studies, I attended an elementary school shared by both Jewish and non-Jewish children. The lessons at that school began with a Christian prayer in front of the crucified statute displayed at the front of the classroom. We, the Jewish children (the state called us the children of Moses religion), would stand and listen to the prayer but did not participate actively in it.
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(Seated from the right): Krotsovska, Fdorovski, Zvdovski, Principal Richlevski, Yenoshvitsovna Vinshevska |
I fondly remember some of the teachers, such as Rafatzka and Pedorovsky. The school's principal for many years was Richlevski, who later went on to become the mayor. The language of instruction was Polish, and the limited religious studies (referred to as Religya) were also taught in Polish by Aba Waltuch.
When we completed that elementary school in Zborow, there were no high schools in town. High school level courses were established by Binyu Reiss, who currently lives in Uruguay, along with his brother, M. Reiss, Rokeach, and Naphtali Katz, who passed away in Haifa. A group of youths attended these courses to further their education.
We loved the lessons, and the teachers made the material enjoyable. It was there that I was introduced to Latin for the first time; I also developed a passion for literature and history. I learned the foundations of physics, botany, and mathematics then. This experience was one of the most remarkable chapters in the lives of the youth in Zborow. Only a few of us from that period remained: Arye Rotem in Netanya, Israel, Milek Pfeiffer in Germany, and Feige Mintzer in the US. I would also like to mention a figure well known to all of us, teacher Yavetz, z”l.
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This is the man who introduced us to the beauty of the Hebrew language in our education. He brought the Hebrew literacy, grammar, and the everyday conversation closer to our hearts. His image is etched in my memory as a Jewish prodigy deeply connected to the Torah and infused with a love for our original culture.
I joined the HaShomer HaTzair youth movement at a young age, which I can assume was by chance. I could have just as easily joined Gordonia or the youth movement associated with the General Zionists. Nearly all the youth at the time were organized in various Zionist youth movements, while the older members tended to be part of the Bund[1] or movements further on the left. The HaShomer HaTzair was organized by age. Friendship were forged, and participation in activities–such as conversations and meetings–was mandatory. Older members led the discussions. I would particularly like to mention Yolek Raff, who now lives in France, Israel Roth, who resides in Sweden, and Avraham Adler, who lives in Uruguay. The movement's main goal was to prepare and train the youth for Aliyah and educate them for physical work. The aim was to overturn the distorted Jewish economic pyramid upside down, moving away from trade or clerical jobs and focusing instead on manual work.
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Indeed, many participated in Hachshara kibbutzim in the diaspora and lived or attempted to live based on manual labor. All the Zionist movements, including HaShomer HaTzair, were guided from Eretz Yisrael. Emissaries came from there to direct, teach, guide, and prepare groups of youths for Aliyah. The summer camps, where future pioneers learned extensively about the kibbutz principles, were well known.
This is the place to mention an activist, my beloved friend Arye Adler, z”l, who excelled in mathematics and physics even then.
Among the surviving members, I would like to mention Milek Pfeiffer (currently lives in Germany), Ze'ev Kurtzer (in Haifa), Yeta Kurtzer (Detz) (in Kibbutz Masaryk), Michael Ginsburg (in Afula), and David Halperin (in Netanya).
[Page 333]
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(July 13, 1971) at the Beit Hamoreh, Tel Aviv |
[Page 334]
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[text in Yiddish] |
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beloved wife, mother, and sister, Chana Silberman. She suffered much and died at the age of 50 [date obscured]. By Her Bereaved Family. |
[Page 335]
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and His Obituary |
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With broken hearts we announce the passing of our esteemed leader, Shlomo Rotzenbaum, z”l. The Board of the Ner Tamid Association [date of death is obscured.] |
Translator's Note:
By Eliyahu (Adyk) Silberman
Translated by Rena Berkowicz Borow
The relief organization of Zborow residents in the USA was described somewhere else. Binyamin Reiss especially mentions the help of Zborow people in the US, setting up the “Kitchen' and the Gemach [?] Fund. He mentions several organizers with whom he exchanged letters and became close to.
I personally had the privilege of meeting with past Zborow residents in the US, and participated in a meeting of the organization in 1951 and learned about its activities. The goal of this meeting was assisting survivors of the Shoah. There in fact were two organizations of past Zborow residents. One was established before WWI and was called “First Zborower Association. The other founded much later was called “Zborower Young Mens' Association, Inc.” Regardless of the distance in the years of their creation and also because of the difference (in age) between their founders both included the
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DEAR FRIEND:
You are cordially invited to attend A CARD and PACKAGE PARTY which will be held SATURDAY EVE, January 13th, 1951, at 6:00PM, at the ROYAL HALL, 83 East 4th STREET, NEW YORK. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED. We assure you a pleasant and enjoyable evening. We are arranging this affair for the same purpose, namely: TO BUILD A PERMANENT MONUMENT IN ISRAEL in the form of a BUILDING TO ACCOMMODATE SOME OF OUR LANDSLEIT, who are still homeless, and at the same time, give our ZBOROWERS who were fortunate enough to reach the shores of this blessed country, the possibility of commemorating the NAME OF THEIR DEAREST WHO DIED “AL KIDDUSH HASHEM.” Our last call for this noble deed was it seems to our disappointment a “CRY IN THE DESERT.” Here is a pause in which the writer of this letter refers to the Yiddish, where he expressed his feelings in Mame Loshen. We sincerely hope that you will understand and appraise the noble and worthy cause. We are living in stormy times, when not all is “BUSINESS AND PLEASURE AS USUAL.” Think it over. There are many of our towns people, who after years of wandering are still to be looked after in this Country as well as in Israel. We are looking ahead to greet you at the Party. COME AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS WITH YOU. Sincerely yours, THE COMMITTEE N. Okun, Chairman; S. Bettinger, Treasurer; M. Schames, Co-Chairman; Moe I. Heller, Secretary |
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[Page 337]
former Zborowers of all ages, including those who went to the USA at various times-before and after WWI and even those who arrived after the WWII.
Each organization's objective was to help towns people in need because of illness, old age, etc. The Jewish cemetery in New York includes a special section for Zborow residents. In the past, they had a special synagogue, but after these residents and members of the organizations dispersed, the synagogue disappeared. As mentioned, both organizations offered help to their compatriots-right after WWI and during the years between the two world wars.
Faced with the distress and the needs of the Zborowers-the two organizations were joined under one roof and became “United Relief Federation for Zborow” (in Yiddish: United Aid Federation for Zborow)” and the meeting in which I participated was set up by the unified organization.
The joint organization assisted the Shoah survivors from various camps and included funds to the Zborow organization in Israel to help the Shoah survivors settle in Israel.
In 1950, they started raising funds to build a memorial building in Israel to the Zborow martyrs that would serve as housing for the homeless survivors. For this purpose, they also issued the announcement shown below, but afterwards they neglected this project and it was canceled.
During my visit, I sensed the former Zborowers in the USA identified with Zborow and her past residents around the world, especially in Israel. Many years have gone by since then and it's hard for me to know what the situation is today. As the earlier generation has aged, it is unfortunate that no one has tried to revive this connection.
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[Page 338]
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By Binyamin Reiss
Translated by Rena Berkowicz Borow
This Parshat is about my deceased friend Naftali Katz, z”l. His personality and devoted community activities are described in another chapter. Here I will relate an event with public implications that involved him and could have been a disaster but ended up well. [Balamut–bag of fodder, placed in front of horses. The chapter title was so named because of its connection to the cart drivers.]
Here is the summary of the story:
On one of the weekly market days, a fight arose between the peasants who came to the market and a Jewish cart owner named Chona Marder. The police intervened and took the cart owner to the city jail. This fight attracted many onlookers and the police stationed themselves with guns there to maintain order and scatter the crowd.
When Naftali Katz found out what happened, he felt that, as a member of the City Council, he should assist the Jewish prisoner. On his way to the city hall, he ran into policemen blocking the way. To enable him to pass he pushed a policeman's gun aside. This careless action resulted in Katz's immediate arrest, accusing him of seizing a policeman's gun. At that time, there were widespread accusations of this type against Jews. The press was full of stories about Jews insulting the Polish state, the Polish army, the national Polish anthem etc, etc. The atmosphere was full of incitements that resulted in many cases of attacks against the Jewish population, including killings. This also caused small and large scale pogroms and harsh judgments for the alleged insults against the saintly symbols of the Polish nation.
As soon as I heard of this incident and confirmed it, I realized the seriousness of this situation and that it could result in riots against Jews. To prevent this, members of the community council went to the district chief and its police. Although the latter bullied us, the district chief promised that he would do his best to maintain peace and order. That night I did not sleep a wink. I met several times with the district chief and had a detailed discussion with the head of the district court. I also visited Naftali Katz in prison (definitely an unusual thing) to discuss the exact details of the event.
The next day was quiet. Much tact and patience was required to prevent an explosion. In the meantime, Katz was transferred from the city jail to the district jail and the district attorney accused him of attempting to take away the police weapon–a very serious accusation that could result in many years imprisonment. But an evaluation of the situation indicated that there was a chance that it could be resolved peacefully. Our hope for this outcome was based on the sympathetic attitude of the president on the district court.
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His name had been Seigelbaum before he reached his high office. Years ago, he converted and changed his name to Dzhveski, but like many other converts, he showed special empathy toward Jews and took their side when possible. We knew that the peasant who insulted the Jew on trial in front of Judge Dzhevski should thank God if he came out of this process in one piece
I was on very friendly terms with the chief of the district court house. So the evening of Naftali Katz's arrest, we had long discussions about the situation. His first and decisive step was to handle the case himself and one of his first instructions was to allow me to visit the prisoner any time, day or night (this was generally not allowed during an investigation).
The next day, I traveled to Lvov to consult with Zionist leaders about a lawyer experienced in this type of case. After discussion with the leaders, including the head of the Lvov Jewish community, Senator Dr. Ringel, it became clear to us that this situation concerned the Jewish community and not just the personal fate of the accused. They promised the required help. Dr. Bromberg, a well known lawyer in Lvov, was hired. He went to Zborow to be close to the events and plan the defense. In the meantime, Judge Dzhveski prioritized the start of the trial and it began exactly three weeks after the incident. Dzhveski's judgments proved our faith in him. He sentenced the accused to three weeks in prison that included time served during the investigation. As a result, Naftali Katz was released immediately. So ended this event in a complete moral victory and with no damage.
Regarding Judge Dzhveski. He converted to advance his career, which is without doubt a despicable deed. But in spite of this, the Jewish community was always fond of him. He was always an Israel devotee and possibly regretted his decision. He enjoyed discussing Jewish topics and strictly observed his parent's yahrzeit. Mr Shmuel Friedman, a rabbi who sold eggs and grains, assisted him in this matter. He would give him the money needed for the observance required by the Jewish laws. He did this for many years.
In connection with this, I have to recount an event told to me by Dr. Yitzchak Kister, a member of the Israel Supreme Court when I visited him in Jerusalem. Talking about olden days of Zborow, we mentioned Judge Dzhveski and found out that in Zborow there was a group of religious Jews who opposed receiving funds from this judge for the yahrzeit observance. When their opposition was rejected, they consulted with Rav Alter Zweig. Judge Kister showed me Rav Zweig's book (“questions and answers”) where, among other things, he discusses Dzhveski's case. Rav Zweig was supportive and he ruled that it is permitted to accept that money to perform his parents' yahrzeit observance. I became very emotional upon reading this answer and was glad that this good person was not wronged.
This concludes the Balamut story that brings out an exciting tale in the life of a dearly beloved friend, and especially gives a feel for the old days.
Translated by Moshe Kutten
(Related to a comment on page 340)
Part A–Questions, Answers, and Commentaries on topics of the Mishnah and Ramba”m, and a pamphlet “Har Ebal” “Ebal Mountain”]
The book contains innovations and comments on topics from the “Youreh De'a” related to Halachic laws concerning celebrations.
By Moshe Yona HaLevi Zweig
God has been gracious to me, with His abundant mercy and grace
Former Av Beit Din [Head of the rabbinical court] of Otik-Mohiliv (Bessarabia), now in Jerusalem (May it be rebuilt and reestablished speedily in our days, Amen)
In the matter of the convert, Judge Dejewski
From his book,
Ohel Moshe
Translated by Moshe Kutten
In this case, we have a convert who serves as the president of the district court. On his parents' yarzeit (anniversary of a death), he sent Ner Neshama [memorial candle] to the synagogue. Additionally, he requested that the caretaker of the synagogue study chapters from the Mishnah to help their souls ascend to heaven.
The question posed to Rabbi Zweig is whether the synagogue is permitted to accept and light the candle from a convert and fulfill his wish to study chapters from the Mishnah.
Synopsis of the Ruling
Rabbi Zweig discusses varying opinions from the sages, including RAM”A (Rabbi Moses Isserles), MABI'T (Rabbi Moshe Bar Yosef from Trani), MAHARSHA”M (Rabbi Sholom Mordechai Shwadron), MAHARSH”L (Rabbi Shlomo Luria), The Gaon from Lvov Rabbi Yosef, among others.
Regarding the first request, Rabbi Zweig aligns with the majority of the sages who permit accepting and lighting the candle. He cites two main reasons: first, lighting the candle is a commandment, and second, since the requestor is a state official, a refusal may pose a danger to life.
Concerning the second request, Rabbi Zweig also refers to the opinions of the sages such as the RASHB”A (Shlomo ben Avraham ibn Aderet) and TASHBA'z (Rabbi Shimon ben Tzemach Duran(. While he does find one rabbi who forbids it, Rabbi Zweig ultimately agrees with the majority that there is no reason to disallow the study of the Mishnah to aid the ascension of the souls of the deceased, even if it is himself who studies the Mishnah himself.
Binyamin Reiss
Translated by Rena Berkowicz Borow
Zborow had a diverse population that included Jews, Poles, and Ukrainians. Though the town itself was mostly Jewish, the outlying rural areas were inhabited by a majority of Ukrainians. The Poles and Ukrainians hated each other and were united only by their hatred of the Jews. But there were instances when their mutual animosity turned out to be beneficial to us in our battle to thwart the malevolence they plotted against us. Here is one such incident:
One Sabbath afternoon I was informed, after being sworn to secrecy by Mr. Kurchowsky, a friend who worked in municipal “security,” of a plan by the Ukrainians to post “guards” outside Jewish shops on the next Tuesday weekly market day, to stop non-Jews from entering.
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Mr. Kurchowsky was a friend of many years who I knew to be decent and trustworthy and whose information I had no reason to doubt. I knew the ramifications were threatening. On market days, thousands of Ukrainian farmers poured into town and the slightest miss-step could lead to catastrophic consequences.
As soon as I heard, I met with several community leaders and it was decided that I should immediately go to the official in charge of the district and report the news to him. I did and he told me that he, too, had gotten wind of the scheme and had ordered the chief of police to investigate this matter.
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We agreed to meet again later in the evening at the restaurant “Ilana” for further discussions. I was assured that secrecy would be guarded at all costs.
The next day, Monday morning, I called for an urgent meeting for that afternoon at the Jewish community hall. I sent a special invitation, in writing, to our Jewish community leaders, with the agenda item: “Various troubling issues” (I have kept one of those invitations to this day). The discussion dealt with the ominous situation and it was decided to enlist the authorities. The Polish authorities responded to our appeal and informed the Ukrainian authorities that their scheme would be met with resistance and that the police would use all means in their power to punish lawbreakers. The Ukrainians, aware of the Poles' abiding hatred for them, understood that the warning was serious and that any blood spilled in a confrontation would be their own. They called off their plans and market day passed in peace.
And so, the hatred between the Poles and Ukrainians served to save the Jews from a fearsome fate.
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