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A. Sečovce and its History

Sečovce, Gálszécs in Hungarian, and Tzetzovitz in Yiddish sits in Eastern Slovakia on the main road between the cities of Košice and Michalovce. The transportation between these cities is carried out by bus. The towns of Vranov in the north and Trebišov in the south were connected by rail, which was the main means of transport in Czechoslovakia. This railroad connected Sečovce with the border town of Sátoraljaújhely (Slovenské Nové Mesto) on the border with Hungary and with Medzilaborce in the north, not far from Galicia in Poland. Sečovce is bisected by the Trnávka River, with intermittent water flow in the summer and the winter. Thanks to the Jewish community, the town developed as a central settlement of the rural surroundings full of vineyards and fertile farmlands. Farmers brought wheat, barley, grapes, and other plant and animal products to be sold in the Jewish shops and in the weekly markets. Thousands from all over came to the markets every year. Villagers often visited the city, not only to barter and sell; but also to make arrangements in various government offices, and with lawyers and doctors, many of whom were Jewish.

Sečovce is a city in the region of Šariš-Zemplin. Trebišov lies about 10 kilometers away, which is Sečovce's rival town, and holds part of the regional government. Residents of the city were Slovakian Christians– Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox. They spoke a special Slovakian dialect of the region of Šariš-Zemplin (Hutoricky), which was different from the written language; many spoke Hungarian, especially the white-collar workers, which was a remnant of the Hungarian government. From the Declaration of Independence of the Czechoslovak Republic by Prof. T.G. Masaryk on October 28, 1918, Slovakian was the official language and the authorities expected that everyone, even the Jews who spoke German, Hungarian, and Yiddish, would choose to speak in the nation's official language.

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B. The Pioneers of the Jewish Community

The first Jews arrived in Sečovce and its vicinity with the consent of the owners of the estates, the feudal lords, nobles, and their leaders, headed by Count Andrási. These paritzim,^[1] that the Jews would pay taxes were subject to, encouraged their limited settlement from time to time because the counts saw Jews as a tool to encourage trade and grow the economy. With their commercial zeal and skill, the Jews succeeded in developing the economy and the agricultural industry, and in forging ties between the extensive Jewish communities in the large country they were able to market their produce to the western Hapsburg Empire. The owners of the estates– the local rulers who charged Jews patronage fees for the right to settle and trade at market– benefited from time to time.

The first evidence of the existence of Jewish families in Sečovce is found in the municipal archives. In a list of residents from 1764, in volume 7, appears the name of the Jew “Olblat” and his family, who originate from Halič^[2] in Moravia. Members of the Brown, Pulitzer, and Kleinman families were founders of the community. Their descendants studied at the yeshiva of Rabbi Yechezkel Landau in Prague. One of the members of the Brown family submitted his candidacy for the city's chief rabbi but was not accepted. The Pulitzer family, who lived in the courtyard of the house of Count Fisher, dealt in insurance. The Kleinman family made a living as glazers and from selling housewares.

Translator's Footnotes:

1. Land owners Return
2. A town about 130 miles west of Sečovce. Return

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