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The Synagogues

by J. Peri

Before the entrance to the great synagogue was the “polish”. It was used as a room that allowed secular conversation among the congregants. In the entrance to the “polish” was two thick, rusty iron gates that were not being used in our time. Apparently they were used in the past to serve the defense needs in case of trouble. When the people of the town assembled in the synagogue, these heavy gates were closed and locked for the defense before the rioters who penetrated or expected to penetrate the town and the synagogue itself. Also, there was a thick wooden door with thick colorful glass panes. From the main opening, spacious steps led to within the synagogue.

From the center of the synagogue was a high platform that was used for reading the Torah and for sermons and people went up on it by steps on two sides. The ceiling of the synagogue was concave and spread out onto thick iron tracks were bowls, and a portion of them were engraved with dates, like 1635. There were thick iron chains and on the ends hung heavy copper chandeliers for the insertion of candles. On the last two chandeliers the electricity for the synagogue was connected. The hall was spacious and many of the windows had colored glass. The Ark (Aron Kodesh) was along the central wall and steps led up to it in the middle.

The Ark was carved in the thick wall. The walls of the synagogue were several meters thick. The Ark was very beautifully molded: there were two tablets of the commandments, along side were two gold-plated lions, and there were columns.

The architecture of the Ark was performed many years ago by artistic experts who were brought from outside the area or from a nearby town. Serving as the chazan was Rabbi Levi Kreezer, of blessed memory, who had a pleasant, beloved voice.

Apparently in a much later period, additional synagogues were built around the great synagogue. The upper and lower synagogues for women bordered on the common wall with the great synagogue. In this wall were built many arched openings and through these openings penetrated the voice of the chazan of the great synagogue, and thus the women were able to follow his prayers. Devorah Brunner served as gabbai of the women's synagogues.

Along side the “polish” of the great synagogue was a small synagogue for the working people – shoemakers, tailors, carpenters and others. And also there was an additional room that was used as a storeroom for scrolls, prayer books, prayer shawls (tallit), and used phylacteries (tefillin). We, the children, saw it as sort of a storeroom for hiding places that existed during the time of Rabbi Yokel the old shamash (beadle), who served like a general shamash for all the synagogues. He was very old and white and he had great strength in his arms, despite his extreme age. He would go around with his large bound keys and he would worry about the arrangement of things, the cleanness, the candles, the heat and other things. We, the children of the street, never volunteered to help Rabbi Yokel, of blessed memory, with transferring the benches and such, except on the condition that he would give up his habit of pinching us (out of affection, of course, but it caused great pain).

From the second side of the great synagogue was the “supreme” synagogue – there would pray big shots (business people), from the followers of the religious judge, Rabbi Ben-Zion Volinsky, of blessed memory. From under this synagogue was a small synagogue that was used for praying by big shots, a portion of them were from the Chassidim of the religious judge, Rabbi Pinchas “the good natured” and a portion of them of Rabbi Ben-Zion the religious judge. Attached to this synagogue was another synagogue for women of these big shots.

Before the entrance to each of these synagogue was the “polish” (the same spacious room that was used for secular conversations and for rest).

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During her best years, Grandma Rivka was widowed. Although she was able to rebuild her life and have a happy family life, she didn't. Whether it was because of her love to her only son, or because of her compassion for the defect that was inflicted on him at his childhood, she decided to devote her life to him and his descendants.

Her life with us was not easy. I remember her always busy and worried about managing the household and its finances, which were under her responsibility.

Mother, who was confined to her bed, and on summer days would travel to places of healing, could not devote much of her attention to us, so our grandmother took care of our education as well. We, the children, did not make it easy for her, and especially I, who have been pampered since my childhood, was not grateful to her. Later, when I grew up and understood the magnitude of the sacrifice and actions of Grandma, I no longer had the option to correct the deformity. After my immigration to the Land of Israel, I dreamed about the day when I can bring my grandmother and the family to me, and honor her old age. But the exterminator came and ruined all my plans and my best dreams, and for that my heart is sorrowful.

I vaguely remember the end of the First World War, when the town was subject to a change of government. The shots were heard outside, and the Jews were crowded in the basements from the terror of the shots and hooligan attacks. Every family was crowded with its bundles under it, pale-faced and bearded young Yeshiva students were hiding, trembling like fallen leaves from fear of soldiers entering and taking them to work in the fortifications. When the door opened, the soldiers jumped out and with their rifles and their daggers pierced the glass to reveal men hiding. The screams of the children who were in the hands of their mothers increased the noise, and rushed the soldiers outside.

When the battles ceased, we came out of the darkness into the light, and the vision that was revealed to us was the destroyed bridge, which retreating soldiers had burned and sturdy villagers sailing barges across the wide Horyn River, and serving as a transportation for people and horse-drawn carts, which aim to reach the other side of the river. We, the children, who used to stay by the river all day, were happy in the opportunity to sail a little across the river.

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Many families were impoverished by the war and aid institutions were established to help those in need. In the mornings they would give out a cup of cocoa and a bun to poor children. I, whose family used to have their own cow and we didn't need help, was not allowed by my grandmother to enjoy it, but the cocoa attracted me so much that without permission I would run and hand out my cup to receive the desired drink.

The war was over, but its aftermath signaled the spirit of the children and the organization of warrior gangs. On one side the children of the Jews and on the other the children of the gentiles, with the area of the market square serving as the battle field. We the little ones served as assistants for the older children, we were collecting stones for the catapult war. More than once, someone came out of this war wounded and bleeding. But even the adults who dared to pass through the market square put their lives at risk and more than once someone was hit in the head by a stone. But the days of idleness ended quickly and the time for the Torah studying came, because we are not like the children of the gentiles! This Torah is being taught by young melamedim with the assistance of beatings with the “Kantchik”. These young melamedim don't have a lot of knowledge, but to their credit it must be said that they were the only ones at that time, who provided the first foundations for the spiritual and moral development of the children of Israel in the town, and constituted a foundation for imparting a wider education with the establishment of the “Tarbut” school.

The rabbi's kantchik was a threat to the children, but it did not prevent them from doing mischief. And since the rabbi was the one who distanced them from the world of games and imposed his teachings on them, he served as a target for their revenge. Their pranks were many and varied.

The monotonous hours of memorizing the Torah for the children put the rabbi to sleep for most of the day, and then the children's spirits came back to life and the time for pranks began, whether by tying the rabbi's tzitzit to a stool or by scratching with a straw under his ear (and it was a great pleasure to see the rabbi waving his hands in the air to punch the flies), or by adding salt to the glass of cholent that the “rebbetzin” served to the rabbi. But there were also days when the rabbi was kind to us, and those were the days when he took us out of the stuffy air of the cheder, whether it's on Lag Ba'Omer, when the rabbi took us to walk in the field, or when the rabbi taught us the “Shema” prayer; when the rabbi with his kapota walked at the head, followed by all the children in noise and bustle to bless the woman giving birth, and especially to receive the delicious honey cookies…

A child went through several cheders until he reached the mitzvah age. Every rabbi and the nickname they gave him, every rabbi and his influence on the child. But all of them alike, apart from the necessity of making a living, were good Jews, they liked the child in their own special way and wanted to see them to grow to be good and God-fearing Jews. I have a special fondness for Rabbi Benetzia. Whether it was because of his extreme old age or due to the fact that he was also my father's rabbi. The children arrived to the cheder willingly in the long winter evenings, when the children learned the Chumash; each child came with a lit flashlight and the stove in the cheder spread its heat. The light of the candle did not dispel the darkness in the end of the cheder and the bartering of buttons among the children flourished, while the rabbi was immersed in the Chumash and the tiny letters.

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Shabbats and holidays with their special delicacies were bright spots in the routine of life. Every holiday with its special dishes, which only the Jewish grandmothers knew how to prepare. Over the years, when we abandoned the tradition of our ancestors, we left the warm nest and prepared ourselves for the eastern sun, or according to grandmother's version, we fell into bad ways; when we sat and sang and also ate the soup that consisted mainly water, the smell of grandma's cooking still rose in my nose. On the morning of Friday, the preparations for the arrival of the Shabbat Queen began, with the baking of challahs, the frying of fritters seasoned with geese fat. And at noon, grandma sliced the fresh challah with her hands and dipped it in the tasty steaming and fragrant Russel Fleisch. After Birkat Hamazon, God-fearing Jews ran to the mikveh with bundles of clean underwear under their armpits. The children of Israel, with washed heads and wearing bright Shabbat clothes, were going out to the streets of the town. The time of lighting the candles and the time of prayer in the synagogues was near, after which, led by Father's hand, you would return home, bless everyone with “Shabbat Shalom”, and Father would make the blessing over wine while we were all sitting around the table with bright faces.

On Friday night, I was often unable to fall asleep, wanting not to miss the call of the shamash to recite Psalms, and more than once I was able to hear the banging of his stick on the door of our neighbor, a God- fearing Jew who got up in the wee hours of the night to recite the Psalms. The shamash would strike with his stick and his melodious voice was heard late at night – (“Merciful Jews, wake up, wake up to the service of the Creator”). I also hurried to get up. It was dark and silent outside, but the windows of the synagogue were lit and Jews were reciting the book of Psalms. At dawn they would return home and read the weekly parasha.

Grandma would take out the pot of milk that has been in the oven since yesterday, take off the three-finger thick milky crust, and fill the glass. The crispy Shabbat cookies remind me of barter trading.

Yitzchak Moshe Avrahams lived next door to us. He was a Jew with many children whose livelihood was not abundant. He had a grocery store where sweets were also sold. His son, Moshe Avraham, was my friend and he had a special fondness for grandma's Shabbat cookies. Every Saturday I would fill my pockets with cookies, whether it was with permission or without permission, rush to the Polish of the Beit Midrash, where Moshe was waiting for me. The cookies quickly entered to his pockets and my pocket was filled with a thick chocolate bar that Abraham took from his father's store.

If these were the preparations for a regular Shabbat, it is obvious that the preparations for the holidays were much more meticulous!

When the Passover holiday was approaching (at that time, we did not know about all those sleepless nights our parents went through due to their worries about how to get the money for the preparations for the holiday), there was a great commotion in every Jewish house: sewing of the new clothes for the children, going out to buy hats and shoes, without all of which the feeling of the holiday was not complete. The special ritual of baking matzah.

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The taste of a purchased matzah was different from the taste of a matzah that was baked especially for you, when every houseowner supervised and helped with his own hands to bake his matzah; the specific noise of white-washing the walls and the koshering of the tools. And when the holiday came, the house was clean and tidy, the chametz has already been eradicated and the corners of the house were scented with honey as a virtue for the sweet year that will come upon us for the better. Children who were clean and dressed in new holiday clothes with their pockets full of nuts, filled the streets of the town. The Jews rushed to prayer, after which the Passover “seder” began, in which the child also had a significant role the four questions, finding the “Afikomen” and opening the door to the prophet Eliyahu. The preparation of the holiday delicacies did not begin until the next day, with the baking of the “kigalach” and all those dishes that grandma was busy preparing all day. I remember that even on weekdays I wanted to eat the holiday dishes. Grandma, who used to pamper me a lot, would sometimes rebel and say – “Madarf nit nachnaben di shmed”, then Father undertook to do the job with a hearty smile on his face. There was no job that Father didn't know how to do properly - from repairing a shoe, to sewing a garment, and even doing a very delicate job. Everything he got his hands on came out properly repaired, even if he had never dealt with it before. He also excelled in cooking.

But not only holidays were in the life of the town. For many of the weekdays the residents were troubled with the search of sources of livelihood. The town was not blessed with extremely rich people, although there were people who made a living in abundance, but in contrast there were mostly destitute poor people. The craftsmen hardly earned a living, but they were “happy beggars”, whose joy accompanied their handiwork. Most of the town's people were small traders, who made a living by trading with the villagers of the town, and especially with the rural people who would come to the town for the market days once a week. Market days were a special experience in the life of the town.

The commotion in the market started early in the morning. Stalls were quickly set up with industrial and agricultural products from all over Poland. Before dawn the villagers had already begun to arrive to the town, some by transportation and some on foot, villagers wearing “posteles” on their feet, so in case they would have a successful trading day, they would return to their village with fresh tar boots, the smell of which wafts into the distance, draped over their shoulders. Wide carts drawn by oxen or labor-weary horses came one after the other. Winged creatures of all kinds stuck their necks out and filled the space with honk, honk and cock-a-doodle-doo. A two-months old piglet also added his squeal to the chorus, to the chagrin of God-fearing Jews. A fat rural woman was sitting in the middle and with countless eggs in her lap, which were laid this week in her chicken coop. Sacks of potatoes, vegetables and fruits of all kinds, all the agricultural produce of the land was packed into the wide villager's carts. The market was filled in this way to the limit and in the narrow passages Jews ran with their kapota sleeves rolled up, touching, bargaining, swearing and buying whatever was available. There, a well-versed seller from the capital city loudly announced that only that day, practically for free, three items for only one Zlotowka. All the defective products of the factory

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in Lodz were being sold legally at the cheapest price. Jewish housewives and broad-shouldered villagers assembled together and took whatever was available. There was noise and commotion everywhere, and also there was no shortage in tricksters in the market.

There was Grishka with the card table, quickly turning over the cards in the game “who noticed, who saw”. His partners gambled and won sums of money and innocent villagers did not resist the temptation, spending their money, which should be used to purchase the tar boots, a colorful dress for the woman and gifts for the children. In a moment their money was stuffed into Grishka's deep pockets. He quickly left the place so that the policemen wouldn't see him and then appeared in another corner, where the passersby had not yet figured out his acts. The sad villager scratched his forehead, he sat down, but he remembered that inside the kichma there was still some money for drinking that he had placed there ahead. In a short time, he would sit in the wine house, get drunk and forget his sadness. He would only sober up in his little hat when he would see the look of the sullen eyes of his deprived and accusing wife. But sometimes also an innocent Jewish woman was tempted to test her fate and lose her money, the livelihood of her family, and went away crying. But to Grishka's praise, it must be said that he was not eager for the money of a poor Jewess, and he sent it back to the Jewess by his messengers, receiving God's blessing that this will surely atone to some extent for his many iniquities.

It is said that during the days of “Odepost”, when a crowd of believers were crawling on their knees and praying to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Grishka also crawled hesitantly. More than once, some of the believers found that their pockets were empty and their money was stolen when they got up on their feet, while Grishka, satisfied with his lot, was already on his way to the city of Alexandria, and to his expectant and concerned wife.

By noon, the hustle and bustle of the market decreased, the carts were emptied and the villager women would hurry to the stores and the merchants who were waiting for the buyers. They would buy the needs of the house with money from their merchandise. Grandma would stand excited in the store with the measuring tool made of metal, “Harshin”, in her hands. She would measure and add a bit more for the sake of friendship. She tried to persuade pleasantly and remove all the doubt of the buyers to “buy it”! This colorful dress fits you so well that all the girls in the village will be jealous. Father used to help her, he would take down the fabric rolls, fold, pack and count the money. The same situation repeated in the other stores as well, until the evening arrived and the last of the villagers left to his home.

The Jews obtained their livelihood after much toil and over the years the taxes increased and the small merchants lost a significant share of their livelihood. The rolls of fabric shrank and there was a need to enlarge them somehow, like the pale girl who pinches her cheeks so that the blush will rise in them. The worry of livelihood troubled the lives of many of the town's residents. Sometimes, the “Creator of the Lights of Fire” came to their aid, and the fires that often befell the town relieved their despair. They would receive the insurance payments that were enough for them to rebuild their house and still have a sum of money left over to support the house for a while.

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The times of civilization and technology approaching the town continued slowly. The only transportation that connected the town with the outside world was a pair of knightly horses harnessed to spacious carts, with sturdy coachmen sitting on their seats. The profession of coaching was held by several families, and it was customary for it to be inherited. These sturdy Jews had a good livelihood, but they achieved it with great effort. Only in the last year, before I left the town, a motor vehicle was brought in, and the carts served as their alternative. As a child, I envied the children of the coachmen who would go down in the evening to the bank of the river to water their horses, or would sit on the seats of their fathers.

There were only two roads that led to nearby train stations.

Because of the condition of the road, there were not many travelers to Antonóvka, however the road that connected Malinsk with the town of Rivne was paved because of the town's Jews were involved in trade and transfer of goods. Even in the dead of night, the cart would set off with a lantern beside it, a lantern that only illuminated the horses' hooves, and inside the cart Jews curled up in their furs. The road was mostly in a thick pine forest. Silence and darkness were all around, only the lashing of the whip in the air and the voice of the cart owner calling “Onward” broke the silence of the night and the sound of the conversation of the cart occupants, telling stories about robbers and burglars or the wolves of the forest that attacked a cart. In the darkness of the night, the figures looked like animals among the trees and branches in the forest. Sometimes also a real forest wolf was walking through the forest and his eyes seemed as glowing coals. A shiver ran through your body and you curled up tight to minimize your figure and blur it. And then the dawn broke. The forest woke up from its sleep, birds sang from every branch, the smell of the resin of the pine trees rose in your nose, black berries glowed with dew peeked out from under the bushes on the roadside, and a pleasant Ukrainian singing was heard in the distance. These were the villager girls who collected berries of all kinds: black ones or those called “brosnides” that explode with any contact and spread their sour juice, or those “siniches”, red berries whose taste was so delicious when they were mixed with sweet cream. A few more hours and all the full baskets would arrive in the hands of Jewish housewives and would be served as delicacies on the tables of Jewish homeowners, who were not familiar with the way these berries grew or were picked.

In the field of cultural life, the town was not blessed with great wealth. The “Tarbut” school did expand the horizons of popular education and imparted Hebrew culture to the youth, and Zionist activity even developed within it. But it was mainly the pioneering youth movements that stimulated the youth to develop extensive Zionist activities: to go beyond the routine life of the town and tie their future to the Land of Israel that was being built.

The “Hashomer Hatzair” movement was established in the town while it was still a scouting movement, and then brought together the best of the town's youth and was a lively and vibrant cultural center throughout its existence. It educated the youth for pioneering and personal fulfillment. Some of the youths were attracted

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to the Beitar revisionist movement and a constant war was taking place between the two movements over the hearts of the young generation.

Some of the activists of “Hashomer Hatzair” and “HeChalutz” movements against the background of the bridge in Stepan

The cultural life of all the residents of the town was quite poor.

A theater and cinema did not exist, and only rarely would a traveling theater group come. For several days or weeks, it would stir up the life of the town and leave, leaving behind many debts and broken hearts. Rarely a local group of amateurs would get up and put on a play on stage, and then quickly disperse. The municipal library contributed a lot to broadening the knowledge, although the number of books it contained was not large and it did not satisfy the “quick” readers like my Father. Father was the first to read every book that reached our house, but he would not be satisfied with that and would spend many hours reading at Pinia's “Der Macher”, in whose house he would also purchase books as well as press.

The urban promenade “Di Hoifen” (the courtyards), as it was called (which was filled with travelers every evening) served as a place of entertainment. The promenade continued from the market square to the post office, with “bez” trees from the nearby gardens spreading a fragrant smell all along the way. I would be remiss of my townscape if I would not mention the lovely corner “Der Wahl”, which was a small grove surrounded by hills, covered with a lot of grass like a velvet carpet. At the foot of the hills flew the broad Horyn River, which returned a fresh wind. In the evenings of the hot summer days, old, young and children would come here to rest and revive their souls.

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Farewell party for Zeev Weitzengois, the first immigrant to the Land of Israel from Stepan. The year was 1932.

Family members, members of the movement, acquaintances and loved ones near the grave of the head of Beitar and a teacher of the “Tarbut” school in the town, the late Yeshayahu Neiman, who died in the prime of his life.

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On Shkolna Street, near the synagogues, was located a spacious house with many rooms and long corridors.

Compared to the Jewish houses in the town, the house was unusual both in its unusual size and in its exterior shape. It had many large windows, a large number of entrances with stairs were leading to the them, because the house had a high foundation. As for the interior of the house, it was divided into many rooms and halls and long and dark corridors. The handles and bolts of the doors and windows were of a fine kind – at that time - shiny bronze. In this house, there were also sinks, faucets and bathtubs, which was unusual compared to the other houses in the town, as well as heavy bronze chandeliers.

We, the children, pictured this house as a palace from fairy tales. (In the days I remember as a child, starting in 1936, it seemed to me like a royal house that had gone down from its greatness).

The house was empty and there only one of the descendants of the Magid of Stepan was living in it, an old, unmarried woman named Gittel, and she had an assistant named Raizel, a red-haired woman who, among other things, worked in knitting socks from which she made a living.

When we, the children, dared to enter this house (out of curiosity) through one of the entrances, everything seemed to us full of mystery and holiness. Out of awe and fear we would often flee outside, in most cases, even before Gittel or her assistant Raizel noticed our presence.

At the back of the house, towards the river, stretched a spacious lot and traces of rickety wooden stables along the entire length of the lot, right on the verge of the Horyn River, still visible.

Until 1936, Rabbi Baruch Tversky of blessed memory and his family lived in this house. He is a descended from the dynasty of the Magid of Tarisk. Rabbi Baruch Tversky was the grandson of Rabbi Avraham of Tarisk of blessed memory, who was the son of Rabbi Moshe of Kirshov, of blessed memory, who was the grandson of Rabbi Motel of Chernobyl of blessed memory.

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Rabbi Baruch Tversky married Raizela, the daughter of Rabbi Meir Chaim of blessed memory and that is how the Stepan dynasty continued. Rabbi Meir Chaim of blessed memory was the son of Rabbi Levy Yitzchak of blessed memory and he was the son-in-law of Rabbi Israel Ber of blessed memory who was the son of Rabbi David the son of Rabbi Shmuel Halevi known as the Magid of Stepan.

The other son of Rabbi David Shmuel Halevi, the Magid of Stepan, was Rabbi Yechiel Michael of blessed memory, one of the founders of the nearby Bereznit dynasty. The Bereznit dynasty was well-known in all of Volyn and had its origins in the early 19th century.

The Magid of Stepan, Rabbi David Shmuel Halevi, was one of the students of the Volyn Magid of Mezhyrich, Rabbi Dov Ber of blessed memory, who was a direct successor of Rabbi Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory.

From what I remember from the stories of my father and my uncle Yaakov Prishkolnik, who was a passionate Chassid of Rabbi Baruch Tversky and even served as a Chazan in the synagogue of the rabbi's house, it seems that he had a very rich past in this Rabbi's house. The name of Rabbi of Stepan was famous and Jews flocked to him from all over Volyn: some for consultation, some for healing and some to receive his blessing or just to be in his presence, near him, to touch and see him. Crowds were waiting for weeks until they were privileged to see the Rabbi and talk with him.

At that time, the rabbi's house and courtyard were like a beehive, they were full of Gabbaim, servants and guests. In the courtyard, stables stretched along its entire length near the river (the traces of which are still visible today), where the Jews would house their horses and carts.

The Chassidim of the town and the surrounding area, in all the generations, and especially in the period before the First World War, adored the rabbi, and made sure that the rabbi and his family members had financial support and financial welfare.

The intention was to allow the Rebbe to pray and study Torah (without worrying about livelihood) for the sake of his community and his people. The tzaddik rabbi would bless his Chassidim, advise on healing the sick and in matters of livelihood for the miserable, widows, and barren women of the community. In addition, he strengthened, supported and encouraged in times of trouble and disturbances, which were not lacking at all times for the communities of Israel among the gentiles in general and to the Stepan community in particular.

The rabbi's tenure was passed from father to son and when there was no son to inherit, the daughter married a descendant of the dynasty of a nearby town or a city. Thus, the groom continued his predecessor's family and the families of the tzaddikim multiplied as dynasties of kings in all of Volyn.

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Rabbi Baruch Tversky of blessed memory had an only son named Moshe. Moshe married the daughter of the Rabbi of Stolin. As the son was educated, he worked for a while as an insurance agent in addition to having Semichah. After that he served as a rabbi in Lubimol and probably perished there along with his family members by the Nazis.

Rabbi Baruch Tversky served as the Rabbi of Stepan until 1936, when he separated from his Chassidim in the town. Below is a description in the newspaper “Volyniar Zeitung” No. (733)30 about the rabbi's farewell from his Chassidim: -

“Several days before Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Tversky and his family left the town permanently. Most of the town's Jews gathered to say goodbye warmly to the rabbi. The rabbi who will serve as the Rabbi of Lublin. As reported, the Jews of Lublin gave him a warm welcome when he came to the city”.

Rabbi B. Tversky left Stepan and was appointed as the Rabbi of Lublin. From there he would travel to nearby towns in Volyn and occasionally he would come to Stepan. Here he was received by his Chassidim with great splendor but with longing for the old days.

At each such visit there would be a magnanimously feast, with the rabbi's Chassidim dining together with the rabbi. At the end of such a meal, there was a ritual with the leftovers (I witnessed it when my uncle Yaakov Prishkolnik, of blessed memory, who was among the rabbi's ardent Chassidim, took me there). I saw the snatching of the leftovers of food from the rabbi's plate, in order to win at least some crumb, when the holy and admired rabbi got up from the table.

During the rabbi's visit to the towns of Volyn near Stepan, he was received with great splendor by the crowd of his Chassidim in every town. The Chassidim in these towns also had their own synagogue and was called the synagogue of Stepan's Chassidim (Di Stepanier Shul).

It is known that there were synagogues of Stepan's Chassidim in the following towns: in the nearby town of Olyk - Rabbi Mordechai Glick served as the Gabbai of the synagogue there. This Gabbi instituted vows in favor of the Jewish National Fund, which was an unusual thing in those days.

The Chazan Yaakov Prishkolnik, of blessed memory, one of the Chassidim of Rabbi Baruch Tversky

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Also, in Sarny, a district town located north of Stepan, there was an independent synagogue for Stepan Chassidim that was founded by a Jew named Roizenberger. The founders and worshipers of the synagogue were mainly Chassidim of Rabbi Tversky from Stepan who moved to Sarny due to financial reasons. In the town Ratna, which was about fifty kilometers away of Kovel, was also a synagogue of Stepan's Chassidim.

Rabbi B. Tversky had also many Chassidim in the USA and he occasionally went on a journey there, to stay among his Chassidim, to cheer them up and excite them.

In the ancient cemetery of the town, it was possible to see tombstones of tzaddikim who were descendants of the rabbis' dynasty.

Family members on the graves of ancestors in the cemetery. In the background are typical tombstones of the cemetery in Stepan.

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There was a stone structure with a tin roof above it where the descendants of the Magid of Stepan were buried. Before the Days of Awe, on Ninth of Av and in times of distress, the townspeople would prostrate on the graves of the tzaddikim and hide notes - “Kvitlach” - between the gravestones, hoping that the credit of the tzaddikim would protect them and that they would find attention to their pleas.

The members of the Kotler family next to their father's-grandfather's tombstone, behind the tombstone, Rabbi Levi Kreizer - the Shochet and Chazan.

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“A supreme Kadosh as one of the seraphs, Tzaddik Yesod Olam (a great tzaddik) and famous in his generation” - this definition highlights the exceptional personality of Rabbi David Halevi of Stepan, that the book “Baal HaDorot HaChdash” (the new generations book), which is considered to be a lexicographic book of the first three generations in Chassidism, considers him among the thirty nine distinguished students of Rabbi David Ber the Magid of Mezhyrich, and according to the book “Degel Machane Ephraim”, which was written by one of the grandsons of the Baal Shem Tov, he is described as one of the students of the Baal Shem Tov.

In the third generation of Chassidism, a Maor Gadol (a great rabbi in Israel) was discovered in Stepan. Reb David Halevi was an excellent preacher, or according to the nickname given to him in the Chassidism books - “Magid Mesharim”. Being a Magid was then considered to be the top step in the ladder of Chassidism in particular and Judaism in general. He was very honored in the town and his name was known as a man who was well-versed in the matters he handles, and whenever it was possible, he would preach before the people who delighted the pleasantness of his speech with his fierce and loud voice.

He glorified the name and respect of Chassidism in public and he was liked by the audience, because in addition to his speaking talent and his pleasant personality, he knew how to spice up his words and melodies.

It seems that the tzaddik Reb David behaved with excessive modesty and humility, even though his origin was from a privileged family, he was the son of the fifth generation to Rabbi David Halevi (5306-5427), the author of “Torei-Zahav” (16?) for the Shulchan Aruch (from Ostroh). However, despite the fact that the rich imagination of the people liked to adorn and crown its beloved heroes with many legends and sprinkle them generously with virtues, they did not treat Reb David that way. “All the tzaddikim and rabbis of Poland mentioned his name with great honor and fear of God, endless wonders were told about him, and he was considered among the important students of the Baal Shem Tov” – wrote about him the author of “Shivchei HaBaal Shem Tov”, which is the most common classical book in Chassidism, without any further details. These few details are not enough to give a correct description of his personality, and therefore the written words about his life and his actions remained obscure to a great extent.

Some of the known details which are of great importance, that are mentioned in the books, are: that he was a Magid Mesharim in the holy community of Stepan; that his book “Seder Hanhagot Adam” was printed, a book full of holiness and purity; that is his second marriage he was the son-in-law of Reb Michal the Magid of Zolochiv, and that he passed away on the ninth of Tishri (and some say on the eleventh of this month), 5561.

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Stepan, his hometown, was one of the remote places of Volyn, mostly inhabited by Jews and steeped in Judaism, which came, under the influence of the tzaddik, a place of Chassidism and music. The role of the Magid was most common during the foundation of Chassidism, and it seems that the Magidim were the emissaries of Chassidism, its chosen ones who were tasked with bringing its word to the masses of people.

The Magidim, as is known, incorporated into their sermons the melody or niggun, which constitute a significant part of their speeches and served as an important means to attract the masses. After all, the melody does not just caress the ear, it lifts the heart as well.

The great-grandchildren and descendants of Rabbi David Halevi provide details about him that have not yet been published publicly. From them it became known that he was the Rebbe of many Chassidim. And his house, which he founded in Stepan, was the clan of the dynasties that branched off from him, such as: Dubrovitsa, Berezne, Sarny, and others. He was gifted with a talent for singing and playing, and with his pleasant voice he could both sing and accentuate the words. On Shabbats, a strong song full of light and joy emanated from his house, which sometimes alternated with the sounds of sadness and devotion. Evidence of this can be found in the many melodies attributed to him, sung to this day by his great-grandchildren and his many righteous descendants.

Reb David of Stepan got close to the Magid of Zolotchov, and finally married his only daughter, Yentel, whose father the Magid said of her that she possessed the Holy Spirit, and while the angels were singing, she sang with them and jumped: Holy, holy… Reb David was already forty years old at the time, a widower from his wife and the father of four sons, and the bride, the daughter of the Magid, was only eleven years old at the time, and when the rebbetzin protested in front of her husband about his desire to marry his only daughter with a man who is the father of four sons, the Magid told her: let's call the girl and ask for her opinion. The girl, without thinking much, answered: Yes, I see that he is my perfect match…

As a student of the Magid of Mezhyrich, he would always walk to the Magid from his town. At the Magid there was a custom that all his students would wear a “Shtreimel” (a hat made of fox skins) on their heads. Reb David of Stepan was not able to purchase such a hat for himself, and this caused him great sorrow. And here in Stepan one of the townspeople passed away and left behind a Shtreimel, and the deceased's sons gave it as a gift to their Magid, and he was very happy about it, even though the deceased was known as a violent and a criminal. This was not considered a serious fault in his opinion. Reb David took the Shtreimel, walked to Mezhyrich and arrived there on a Rosh Chodesh day before the prayer. According to the custom in Mezhyrich, they would wait before praying the Musaf until the Magid gave a signal to begin the prayer, and the person who passed before the holy ark would wear a Shtreimel on his head. On that day, the Magid ordered Reb Aharon of Karlin to go in front of the holy ark to pray the Musaf prayer, but when he went to pray, he found that he had forgotten to bring the Shtreimel with him. The students searched and found one at Reb David, they borrowed it from him and gave it to the Baal Tefillah. Reb Aharon began to pray in the repetition of the Shatz and immediately felt that some hidden factor

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prevented him from talking, his voice was hoarse and his throat was snoring. Those present were amazed when they saw how hard Reb Aaron labored in his prayer until sweat covered his face, something they had never seen before. After the prayer Reb Aharon took one of the Magid's students and together they walked around the Beit Midrash when they reached Reb David, and after he told them how he received this Shtreimel, they already understood who caused this evil. And when Reb David spoked about the history of the Shtreimel, he added: but after everything that he went through, Reb Aharon of Karlin praised the Shtreimel, until it became an appropriate vessel for the ascension of the souls of its previous owners.

One of Rabbi David's sons, Reb Yehezkel Michal Pechnik, who lived in the town of Stolin in Polesia, where he studied Torah and worked, settled at the beginning of the nineteenth century with his family in Berezne and became known as “Rabbi Michal of Berezne”. From him began the dynasty of the righteous from Berezne, which prospered and flourished in particular by his only son, Reb Itzikel of Berezne, the son-in-law of the tzaddik Rabbi Aharon of Chernobyl, who was well-known as a holy man with magical powers, and from whom branched out many dynasties in Dubrovitsa and Sarny (the Toichman family). The last rabbi of Dubrovitsa, Reb Nahum Yehoshua HaLevi Pechnik (5640-5702), the son of the tzaddik Reb Avraham Shmuel of Berezne, perished by the Nazis along together with sixteen thousand Jews from all the surrounding towns in the city of Sarny on the fifteenth of Elul, 5702. In those days, the other descendants of Reb David, the Magid of Stepan, were also perished in tragic death, may God avenge them.

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