The second general meeting of the “Eretz Yisrael” society took place on January 20, 1895. Its membership was 344 people at the time. Nachum Anderman was chosen as president; Reuven Jonas as vice president, Isadore Landau as secretary^[94]; Yitzchak Last as Hebrew secretary; and Julius Kornovlia as treasurer. The other members of the committee that were chosen were: Yisrael Adler, Yaakov Anderman, Pesach Almer, Gavriel Becher (librarian), Izador Goldfeld, Menashe Herscher, Yosef Horowitz, Shaul Lebensart, Moshe Kornovlia, and Shlomo Rosenfeld^[95].


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This union also founded a Jewish library, the first in Stanislav.

G.

The aforementioned declaration not only gave a push toward the establishment of a women's organization in Stanislav, but also influenced Jewish women in other cities, who began to gather around the flag of Zion, and founded women's Zionist organization.


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A debate opened up in “Przyszluc” regarding the Jewish woman and emancipation. A Zionist woman from Lvov publicized there^[98] and response to the declaration, and asked that Zionist women also fight for their own emancipation, for it is inconceivable to conduct nationalistic activity only in the confines of one's own home. Julius Wurtzel of Stanislav spoke out against this idea in his article “The Hebrew Woman and Emancipation”^[99], and attempted to prove that the battle for the emancipation of Jewish women is the second tier objective. First of all, the work must be done to emancipate the nation, and only a Hebrew woman the daughter of an emancipated Jew will be able to think also about the emancipation of Jewish women. It is obvious that the Hebrew women must be granted all rights, without restrictions.

In 1899, the “Bar Kochba” students organization was founded. The following people were elected to the committee: M. Apencler as chairman; Julius Wurtzel as vice chairman^[100]; Yosef Filenbaum as secretary; Isadore Landau and Edward Abramson^[20*]. In 1900, the following people were elected to the committee: Moshe Kanner, Yosef Filenbaum, Shimon Walish, Julius Wurtzel, and David Horowitz. In 1901, the following people were elected to the committee: L. Shtend, Moshe Zaltz, Yosef Alpert, Julius Wurtzel, and Yosef Filenbaum.

After the First Zionist Congress, the spokesmen of the Zionist movement in Galicia realized that the program, whose text was set during the first national convention in 1893, no longer served the purposes of the movement, for the congress in Basle molded it into a specific form. In order to fit the plan of action into the Basle program, a national Zionist convention took place in Lvov on December 26-27 1897. Dr. Shmuel Shor and Moshe Dogilowski^[101] of Stanislav participated. Dr. Shmuel Shor, whose outlook was that of a Herzlian Zionist in the full sense of the word, was elected to the national committee.

The question of the relationship of the Zionist faction to the “Ahavat Zion” society for the settlement of the Land of Israel, which consisted of 85 branches, was dealt with during that convention. This question was the cause of a dispute between a large portion of the Zionists of Galicia and the leadership of the Zionist movement in Vienna. The Zionists of Stanislav took a neutral stance in this dispute, and did not participate in any of the debates that led to divisions and defamation of Herzlian Zionism. The Zionists of Stanislav attempted to serve as mediators in the “Ahavat Zion” strife, which was, in essence, a dispute between political Zionists and practical Zionists. However, when the divisions widened due to the activities of Dr. Shmuel Rosenhak and Leibel Taubish of Kolomyya, who turned in June 1898 to all the Zionist groups in Galicia with an announcement that they intend to confer about several important Zionist questions with the aim forming a united stand of all Zionists of Galicia at the second Congress “Due to the lack of a national organization in Galicia” – the Zionists of Stanislav succeeded in mediating between Kolomyya and Lvov, and in convening a national convention in Stanislav in order to clarify all the questions regarding the status of the Galician Zionists in the World Zionist Organization.


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The national convention, which met on June 26-27, 1898, was opened by the rabbi of Brotchin (Bohorodczany), Rabbi Shraga Feivel Schreier, who called for unity and consolidation among all Zionists of Galicia. The following were elected as delegates from among the Zionists of Stanislav: Dr. Shor, Dr. Reuven Jonas, Baruch Kramper, Mondshein, and Hillel Sussman. Dr. Shor greeted the convention. At his advice, a telegram was sent to Dr. Herzl, expressing to him the appreciation and faith of the convention. Dr. Shor also lectured about the treasury for the Jewish settlers, and organizing for distributing the shekel^[21*]. The convention continued it deliberations on June 28-29 in Kolomyya in order to appease the Kolomyyan opposition. Only Dr. Shor was chosen from Stanislav be among the 28 delegates from Galicia to the Second Zionist Congress in Basle. During the congress, debates broke out within the Galician delegation on the subject of practical effort in the Land of Israel. These debates led to an open war in front of the congress during the time of the selection of delegates from Galicia to the Zionist action committee. After Dr. Avraham Zaltz and Dr. Avraham Korkis declared that they would not accept the mandates to the Zionist Action Committee, Dr. Shmuel Shor, Dr. Shmuel Rosenhak (of Kolomyya) and Julius Shnuter (of Krakow) were chosen as members of the Zionist Action Committee. Thus did the Zionist camp of Stanislav, with Dr. Shor at its helm, transfer to the political Zionists and enter into the battle with the national committee of Lvov, who did not wish to distance the supporters of Dr. Zaltz and “Ahavat Zion” from their ranks. The peace and compromise that were worked out, after difficult efforts during the convention of Stanislav-Kolomyya, evaporated quickly; and the dispute returned and came to the open, this time between the decisive majority of the Zionist organization of Galicia headed by the national committee on the one side, and the leadership of the Zionist Action Committee of Vienna and its Galician supporters, joined by Dr. Shmuel Shor on the other side. (We cannot determine if all of the Zionists of Stanislav agreed with Shor's position.)

During the national convention that convened in Stanislav in June 1898, it was decided to set up regional organizations. In order to actualize this decision, on October 5, 1898, the first regional organization met in Stanislav^[102], with the participation of 20 delegates from 10 Zionist organizations in the region of Stanislav, who represented 1,500 members. Dr. Mordechai Zeev Broda and Dr. Henryk Gabel represented the national committee. The task of this convention was to organize these groups into a consolidated organizational group with a regional committee at the head.

After Kramper opened the convention in the name of the “Eretz Yisrael” organization, and the leadership was elected consisting of Dr. Reuven Jonas as chairman, Reich as vice chairman and Julius Wurtzel as secretary, a report was given of the status of the individual groups. According to the words of its delegate Isadore Landau, the “Eretz Yisrael” organization in Stanislav developed very well, and had 500 members. The groups developed well even in the outlying cities of Nadworna, Tlumacz, Voynilov, Dolina, Halicz, and Kalusz, and the number of members grew greatly.


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In his speech about the agenda of the regional organization, Dr. Jonas stressed that the dearth of personnel among the intelligentsia (speakers, presenters) requires that all of the organizations unite into a large regional organization centered in Stanislav, which will direct all of the Zionist activity in that region. Drs. Gabel and Broda pointed out that the organization of those who paid the Shekel was, indeed the organizational basis^[22*], although the national organization would be given sufficient autonomy. In order to cover expenditures, it was decided that each organization would pay 5 Florin to the regional treasury, and each individual member would pay 1 ½ Kreuzer. The national committee would receive 50% of income. The charter was accepted, and a regional committee set up consisting of 14 members. These were: Dr. Shmuel Shor as chairman; Dr. Reuven Jonas as vice-chairman; Julius Wurtzel as secretary in the vernacular; Brener as secretary for Hebrew and Yiddish; and members: Dr. Bacher, Shenfeld, Baruch Kramper all from Stanislav; Reuven Fahen (Halicz); Freiling (Tlumacz); Dr. Rubin (Dolina); Binyamin Harc (Nadworna); Lax (Kalusz); Reis (Voynilov); and Y. Lautman (Brotchin).

At a secret meeting, Drs. Broda and Gabel presented a report about the second congress, and pointed out the reasons behind the dissatisfaction of a large segment of the delegates of Galicia. Two decisions were taken after debates, in which the committee affirmed its commitment to the Basle program and expressed its faith in Dr. Herzl to the large Action Committee.

In the meantime, the schism between the members of the Zionist Action Committee – Dr. Shmuel Rosenhak, Julius Shnuter, and Dr. Shmuel Shor – and the national committee in Lvov deepened. This was particularly so after Dr. Rosenhak obtained the agreement of the Zionist Action Committee in Vienna to set up an regional office in Kolomyya. The Zionist leaders in Galicia were angry about the deeds of their members in Kolomyya, and the bitterness deepened the schism between Lvov and Vienna. The competition between the members of the Galician Zionist Action Committee: Dr. Rosenhak, Shnuter, and Dr. Shor, with the national committee that had set up a central Zionist office for Galicia in Kolomyya and appointed Leibel Taubish as its head brought no blessing to Zionism in Galicia. Through the mediation of Dr. Mordechai Zeev Broda, an agreement was finally reached to call a Zionist convention in Galicia in the middle of June, 1899. In the meantime, the second regional meeting took place in Stanislav on April 30, 1899, with the participation of delegates from 9 organizations, as well as Drs. Mordechai Broda and Shmuel Rappaport, powers from the national committee in Lvov. After an opening speech by the chairman Dr. Reuven Jonas, Dr. Wurtzel presented a report about the activities of the regional committee and the state of the various organizations. Dr. Bacher presented a report about the participation of the region in the obtaining of shares in the settlement fund – 1,226 shares were sold. In his speech about journalism, Dr. Jonas attacked the “Magid”^[103] for its negative stance towards to the World Zionist Organization^[104].


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His recommendation to “Hamagid” that if it continues to oppose Zionism in its articles, Zionists would no longer subscribe to it, was accepted. At the convention, the need to convene a national convention was stressed. Dr. Broda pointed out that the regional committee is preparing a national convention, and will inform all of the organizations of the agenda.

Dr. Rosenhak, according to his words^[105], found it necessary to agree to a convention of the national committee, on the condition that it would also deal with planning efforts for the benefits of the settlement fund^[106]. However, already when he returned home, Dr. Rosenhak reached the conclusion that it would not be good for the national convention to deal with organizational questions, since it was known that the congress would offer advice regarding the charter of the organization, and it was possible that the resolutions of the national convention would be in complete opposition to the charter that was agreed upon by the congress. He also found that the convening of a national convention would cause great expenditures. Therefore, he turned to the Action Committee in Vienna^[107] with a request that they inform him if, according to its opinion, it was necessary to convene the convention. The Action Committee requested from Dr. Shmuel Shor, Julius Shnuter, and Dr. Rosenhak that they commence their activities to convene the convention in Galicia^[108]. The situation with the Zionist movement in Galicia did not improve, despite the efforts of Dr. Broda and his friends. The disputes did not cease. Due to a dearth of material means, the national committee in Lvov was forced to cease its publication of the “Przyszluc” and “Haivri” newspapers. The Zionists in Lvov founded a society for the publication of Jewish books and newspapers. The Zionists of Stanislav recognized the urgent need to support this expenditure, and therefore, the third regional convention was convened on December 17, 1899, headed by Dr. Shmuel Shor, which began its deliberation regarding the newspapers. Dr. Reuven Jonas presented a report and expressed his sorrow that the publication of newspapers ceased due to the lack of support by the Zionists of Galicia. In his lecture, he presented details about the publication of books, and the convention decided to support the renewal of such. Afterwards, he presented a report about the situation of the regional organization. The convention also dealt with the question of nationalist education, and the promotion of the Hebrew language. It was decided to request from the directors of the Baron Hirsch fund to expand its school curriculum to include the teaching of the Hebrew language, and to conduct evening classes for the study of the Hebrew language at no cost. Through the efforts of Dr. Shmuel Shor and Dr. Reuven Jonas, the Union of Jewish Workers (Boi und Handwerker Farein) was won over to the Zionist idea. The regional committee, which was full of activity and initiative, started a campaign for organization and publicity in the outlying towns. Each week, it would send speakers and presenters to meetings in such towns. From among the speakers, we should mention Leib Zweig, Karp, Shenfeld, and Dr. Reuven Jonas. Successful Zionist activity was also conducted among the laborers, officials, and other circles of workers and factory employees.


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After the first national convention of Jewish nationalist Zionist officials and factory workers that took place on August 6-7, 1899 in the city of Bryn, at which Mordechai Feffer served as the delegate from Stanislav, efforts were made to organize a Jewish nationalist organization of officials and factory workers also in Stanislav. After numerous meetings that dealt with the charter, using the charter of the organization in Bryn as an example, the first general meeting of the “Achva” organization for Zionist business officials took place. There were 130 members. The following were elected to the first committee: Shlomo Glass as chairman, Klorner as vice chairman, P. Gold as secretery, A. Halpern, Baruch Kuter as treasurer, Pinchas Derman, Sh. Pasternak, P. Rubinstein, Weidler, and Yosef Goldshlag^[109].

One of the first activities of “Achva” was to establish a plan to set up a business school. A special committee was set up for this purpose consisting of businessmen and representatives of “Achva”, however, due to various reasons, the plan was not actualized. As time went on, a men's choir was established, that dealt especially with nationalist Jewish song. From time to time, the members of the organization performed theatrical plays in Yiddish^[110].

When Dr. Mordechai Zeev Broda settled in Stanislav in 1900, a recognizable change took place in the life of the Zionist movement in the city. His consistent and constant effort attained a compromise between the two disputing Zionist camps, Kolomyya and Lvov, in 1901. The Zionist office in Kolomyya was liquidated, and all of its responsibilities were transferred to the national committee in Lvov. In the meantime, the Zionist organization in Galicia grew and spread, and the number of branches grew in all regions of the country to such an extent that it was difficult to administer all of their issues from one central point. Therefore, the national committee decided to take responsibility for the directorship only. For the purpose of day to day administration, three regional centers were set up in Lvov, Krakow and Stanislav, headed by regional committees (distrikt komite) that maintained contact with the committees and organizations in each individual locale. A regional convention took place in Stanislav on January 19, 1902 to deal with the new regional situation ^[111]. Aside from the organizations “Eretz Yisrael”, “Rachel” and “Achva” of Stanislav, representatives of the Zionist organizations in Nadworna, Ottynia, Tlumacz, Brotchin, and Koropets participated. The Zionist Action Committee of Vienna was represented by Dr. David Maltz, and the national committee was represented by Dr. Shmuel Rappaport. After the giving over of reports, the convention dealt with the organizational charter, publicity, and activities for the spreading of the Hebrew language. Dr. Reuven Jonas recommended the establishment of branches of the Zionist organization in all places where Jews live, and to obligate every member to purchase the Shekel. In accordance with the recommendation of Dr. Yaakov Laufer, it was decided to publish Zionist newspapers and to issue publicity brochures from time to time.


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A decision was also made to found the “Safa Berura” organization, whose purpose would be to promote the Hebrew language. After the convention decided to authorize the charter for the region of Stanislav, a regional committee was elected with the following people: Dr. Mordechai Zeev Broda as chairman, Dr. Reuven Jonas as vice chairman, Dr. Shmuel Shor, Dr. Hillel Zusman, Baruch Kramper, Shenfeld, David Horowitz, Shlomo Glass (the representative of “Achva”), and Regina Meller (“Rachel”).

The regional committee, whose activities broadened, was very successful in organizing the region in a manner that it was able to take upon itself additional tasks. From the summer of 1902, it was no longer a regional committee but rather a district committee^[23*], headed by: Dr. Mordechai Zeev Broda as chairman; Dr. Reuven Jonas as vice chairman; Dr. M. Apencler, Dr. Moshe Dogilowski, and Dr. Hillel Zusman as members of the secretariat; and Dr. M. Kanner, Mordechai Feffer and Dr. Julius Wurtzel as members of the committee. The secretariat concerned itself with all of the organizational, publicity and cultural activities. New branches were founded with the help and diligence of the Zionists of Stanislav. Schools and night classes to study the Hebrew languages were founded in several cities, and the entire district beat with vibrant Zionist life. Through the efforts of Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Zeev Broda, the Stanislav district committee was the first that dedicated a great deal of activity and effort to actualizing a plan for working on the situation of the Diaspora.

The political changes, which came due to the fact that the Austria-Hungary Empire wished to ensure its existence for the long term in the spirit of the needs of its constituent nations, placed entirely new tasks in front of the Jews of Galicia. The Zionist organization, which wished to take the mantle of leadership for itself, was not able to ignore the needs and requests of the masses, such as the ensuring of equal rights for the Jews as a religious-national unit. The movement was forced to decide on its stand and express its opinion on economic issues, on the question of the autonomy of communities, Jewish education of the youth, etc. Based on deep and penetrating debates among the circles of the Zionist intelligentsia in all of those matters, Dr. Broda designed a political plan that was accepted by the district committee. The district committee decided to bring this to deliberation and debate before other district committees in Galicia as well as before the leadership of the Zionist organization in Vienna. Zionism expanded in the city, and its circles grew day by day through the activities of Dr. Broda in the realm of culture. His lectures, sermons and classes instilled the Zionist outlook in the midst of the community, and strengthened its ideological roots.

The terrible news of the death of Dr. Herzl arrived in the midst of the serious work of the Zionists of Stanislav. Public mourning gatherings were arranged, all of the stores and workshops were closed, Dr. Mordechai Broda delivered a eulogy in the synagogue of the enlightened ones, and Dr. Shmuel Shor evaluated the loss in the Great Synagogue in the place of Rabbi Yitzchak Horowitz, for the community did not give him permission to speak^[112]. In the Zionist circles, members of the “Achva” organization set a plan for the perpetuation of the memory of Herzl. In a detailed memorandum signed by the chairman Gershon Freulich and the secretary Zvi Geitheim, the organizational committee of that organization recommended the establishment of a 1,000 hectare “Binyamin Zeev Herzl Orchard” in the Land of Israel on the lands of the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet LeYisrael), and to plant 100,000 olive trees there. With the income from the orchard, which was estimated at 150,000 Crown, a Hebrew university should be founded, which must bear the name of Dr. Herzl. In order to ensure the realization of this plan, the authors of the memorandum recommended dividing up the orchard into sections that would be given over to different communities, with each community being responsible for the costs of planting the olive trees.


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A special committee was also set up “to establish the Herzl Orchard in the Land of Israel”. This plan was never actualized; however we can assume that it provided the impetus for the establishment of the “Herzl Forest”.

The death of Herzl did not weaken Zionism in Stanislav and its district. During the years 1903-1905, the number of organized branches in the district grew to 30: 18 Zionist organizations, 3 “Poale Zion” organizations, 2 academic organizations, and 7 Zionist women's organizations. 1,300 shekels were sold, and 1,098 Crowns were collected for the Keren Kayemet LeYisrael in 1908.

On May 7, a district convention took place with the participation of 45 delegates from 11 locations. After the presentation of reports, Dr. Reuven Jonas, who was at that time a member of the action committee of the Hapoel Hatzioni, lectured on “the situation and streams of Zionism”. The following people were elected to the district committee: Dr. Mordechai Zeev Broda, Dr. Gavriel Bacher, Gershon Freilich, Dr. Yosef Filenbaum, Avner Konner, Dr. Yaakov Laufer, David Shlomo Lichtman, Avraham Magnet, Regina Meller, Dr. Shmuel Shor and Dr. Reuven Jonas^[113].

The Zionists of Galicia began preparations for political activity in accordance with plans of Dr. Broda for practical efforts in the Diaspora. The parliament in Vienna deliberated about the granting of the general right to vote. The Zionist organization of Austria and Galicia decided to enter the political contest, and to tie the recognition of Jewish nationalism with the granting of the general right to vote. In the beginning of January, 1906, the district committees of Lvov, Krakow and Stanislav issued a proclamation to all of the Zionist committees and branches to convene a mass gathering on January 7, 1906 in every place, and to take a decision demanding the prime minister to include in the election law, which was being presented in parliament, paragraphs that ensure the rights of the Jewish minority in Austria, by means of establishing an autonomous Jewish nationalist curia. With this, a new page opened in the annals of Zionism in Galicia, including in Stanislav.

H.

Thus in 1904, when communal elections took place, two factions entered themselves into the elections. The first faction was the progressives, who united with the Orthodox. They were headed by Lipa Horowitz and his son Yitzchak Meir.


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Both of them were zealous and resolute. The second faction was the Zionists, who entered themselves in their own slate for the first time. Of the 1,289 voters, 616 (50%) voted. The Zionists only received 13 votes, on account of the fear of the assimilationists and the Orthodox. However, these results offer no proof that the Zionist movement was not finding its place in the lives of the Jews of Stanislav. This movement won over for itself first and foremost the academic intelligentsia, who were centered on the “Bar Kochba” organization as well as the Haskalah branches. It became a popular movement during the tenure of Dr. Mordechai Broda, who was accepted in 1900 as the preacher in the synagogue of the enlightened ones. He dedicated himself to cultural-Zionist activity not only from his pulpit in the synagogue, but at all times he made a point of stressing the value of the renaissance of the Jewish people, and he educated the youth in a nationalist Zionist spirit.

Dr. Broda was appointed to the advisory committee of the educational network of the Stanislav region on June 24, 1900 (to fill the place of Hirsch Halpern, who died), by the powers of the communities of Stanislav, Halicz, Mariampol, and Jezupol. He was very active in the realm of study of religion, and he attempted to propose a curriculum that was fitting for Jewish education. He was appointed in 1905 as the superintendent of the study of the religion of Israel in the schools of the city. He was also the director of the birth registration office from 1901-1906. Every second Sabbath, he arranged special gatherings for the school youth in the synagogue of the enlightened ones, at which he attempted to educate the youth in the Zionist spirit. The situation came to the point where a government directive closed these gatherings.

The activities of Dr. Broda were variegated, and with all of his activities, he was able to find the time for communal Zionist activity. His activities in directing the political efforts in a fashion contrary to the spirit of the assimilationists, communal heads, and leaders of the synagogue of the enlightened ones, brought forth the situation where the latter terminated their contract with him in 1907. In his farewell address on the Passover holiday, April 6, 1906, Dr. Broda denigrated the relationship between the communal leaders and their servants: “Is it not a crime that they persecute our finest and most noble powers, those who, due to their strong love of their nation, overlooked their own careers and dedicate their best efforts to the education of the Jewish youth in the spirit of true Judaism. In place of those powers, they wish to bring in bonded servants, who serve the cruel powers, who will do everything that their overseers request of them”^[114]. Before Dr. Broda left the city, the masses gathered to take leave of their spiritual leader, who had become a legendary figure in the city during his own lifetime.

The Zionists of Stanislav founded Zionist newspapers. In May 1903, Dr. Moshe Dogilowski published a Yiddish Zionist weekly called “Yiddishes Wochenblat”^[115]. From January 1904, Gavriel Herzog edited this weekly. It ceased publication in 1905. The printer Izak Weidenfeld published the weekly “Der Yiddisher Veker”.


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After a year, the newspaper passed to the hands of Mordechai Feffer. Eliezer Rokach (1850-1918), a well-known personality from the inception of Zionism who at the time lived in Stanislav, became the editor. Aside from the Yiddish weekly, he also published the “Hayarden” Hebrew monthly, edited by himself, Yitzchak Farenhauf, and Avraham Lebensart. However after a few months, Rokach moved himself and his newspapers to Buczacz.

The assimilationists published the Polish weekly “Kurier Stanislavowski”. It was published from 1909-1911 with Izador Mencel as editor, and from November 1911 until March 1912 by the publisher Izak Weidenfeld. The newspaper was explicit in claiming that it preached the idea of the assimilation of the Jews, and it battled against all of the anti-Polish streams among the Jews. The assimilationists of Galicia, who united in their battle against Zionist with the Orthodox, saw the Zionists as political competitors, who were liable, with the passage of time, to win over the hearts and opinions of the masses, and to encourage them to independent political life. Therefore, it is no surprise that the representatives of the assimilationists in Stanislav, such as Arthur Neimhein, the mayor of the city at the time; Dr. Leon Boral; Dr. Eliahu Fishler; Edmond Rauch (who used to speak mainly in Yiddish, for which the Poles were never able to forgive him, since they saw him and Dr. Neimhein as the obstacles to the Polonization of the city)^[116]; and Philip Leiberman participated in the convention of Jewish assimilationist delegates to the parliament in Vienna and to the Sejm in Lvov, which took place on January 6, 1907 in Lvov with the aim of organizing and uniting the assimilationists against the Zionists. Dr. Neimhein pointed out at that convention that “We are Jewish Poles and we want to remain as such”. Dr. Arthur Neimhein and Edmund Rauch were the people from Stanislav who were elected to the regional committee during that convention. A Jewish democratic organization arose in the town at that time, which was based on Polish nationalist foundations, and whose main role was to battle against Zionism.

The struggle of the assimilationists was, however, for naught. The reform of the electoral rights in Austria awakened also the masses of Jews. They did not pay attention to the mottoes of the assimilationists, but rather to the echo of the voice of the nationalist movement. In the elections of the Austrian parliament that took place on May 17, 1907, Dr. Mordechai Broda entered the competition from the Zionist side, Edmund Rauch from the Polish assimilationist side, and the representative Stewjertania from the Polish Christians (aside from a number of delegates from other parties who did not enter into the picture). The masses supported the Zionist delegate. Out of 4,395 electors, 3,866 participated. Dr. Broda received 1,204 votes, Stewjertania received 1,151, Edmund Rauch received 1,199, and the other 4 candidates received 392 votes. After this result, a run off election took place between Dr. Broda and Stewjertania. After the electoral committee invalidated 80 ballots because the first name of Dr. Broda was written as Marcus rather than Markus, as was registered in the electoral writ, the Polish Christian Stewjertania was elected with a majority of forty-some votes.

The Zionist masses emerged from these elections as victors. The masses saw that the assimilationists were not their leaders. From that time, the economic and political Zionist activity grew day by day. In 1910, the time was ripe for another test – the masses arose on the occasion of the population census.


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The assimilationists and the Orthodox, who wished to serve Polish interests, requested that the Jews declare the Polish language as their language. However, of the 15,161 Jews of Stanislav, 9,000 registered their language as Yiddish. In 1911, one year after the census, parliamentary elections again took place. Dr. Gershon Ziffer was the candidate of the Zionists, and against, him, from the assimilationist side, was Edmund Rauch. The known mechanism of the “Galician elections” worked in favor of Rauch, who was elected with 2,590 votes. Dr. Ziffer received 1,152 votes.

During those years, there were no recognizable changes in communal life. The assimilationists ruled, and, in their fear of Zionism, they stood watch over the walls of the Jewish community lest a new spirit penetrate. The Zionists expanded their journalistic activities. At the time of the elections in May 1911, the Zionists began to publish the Yiddish weekly “Der Yid”, edited by A. L. Shusheim and Meir Henish. This newspaper appeared twice a week, and was at a high literary level. The editorship passed to Ben Zion Fett in July 1912, but the weekly only continued until the end of 1912.

The World War, the Russian invasion of August 1914 and their rule until June 8, 1915, the return of the Austrian army to the city, and the second Russian invasion, left their mark upon the community and the Jewish population. A large portion fled westward, to Bohemia, Hungary, and particularly to Vienna. At the end of the war, a new storm came upon Stanislav Jewry – an era full of tribulations and persecutions.

I.

In the meantime, battles between the Poles and Ukrainians took place in the Lvov-Przemysl area, and almost all of eastern Galicia was cut of in November 1918 from its capital of Lvov, which was conquered by the Poles. Already on October 26, 1918, a few days after the Ukrainian national committee issued, on the basis of the Czarist manifesto, its declaration that the Republic of Western Ukraine is being established in eastern Galicia, Bukovina and Transcarpathian Ruthenia – Galician Jewry proclaimed its neutrality in the Polish-Ukrainian war. At this time, a great task was designated for Stanislav.

After the Poles captured the entire areas of Przemysl, Lvov and Rava Ruska with 172,523 Jews, Stanislav was set up as the provisional capital of the Ukrainian Republic, and also the political and administrative capital of the remainder of eastern Galician Jewry, whose population numbered approximately one half a million.

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