[Page 70]

Dov Ber Borochov (1881-1917), the theorist of socialist Zionism, claimed that for Jews in the Diaspora, the pyramid of various professions is the opposite of that of other nations living in their own country. Because of the Jewish People's disconnection in exile, and being pushed out from primary professions

[Page 71]

(agriculture and industry) to secondary professions (brokerage, commerce, small industry), the economic foundation of masses of Jews was severed, preferring to choose vocations unrelated to agriculture or factories.

Most talented young people continued studying at universities and gain an academic degree. Others turned to commercial endeavors or clerical or vocational work. Among the most favorite professions of all time was medicine. There were those who saw it as a mission and a challenge because “all who sustain one soul as if he sustained an entire world” and others, as a sure source of livelihood anywhere and in any situation. Therefore, it is no wonder that the number of doctors relative to the Jewish population has increased considerably compared to that of other peoples.

From ancient times, renowned physicians stood out. The most famous was Maimonides (1132-1204), a versatile personality who also wrote “Health Protection” and later became the personal physician to the ruler of Egypt. Indeed, with passing time, emperors, kings, popes, and many personalities were treated by Jewish doctors. The number of Jewish doctors who were awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize is also impressive, without comparison with all the nations of the world.

This situation was no different for Romania. Aside from Prince Ştefan cel Mare who had a Jewish doctor named Shmil the Doctor and, as previously mentioned, Yitzchak Beg. Rulers Aron Vodă and Mihai Viteazul also enjoyed treatment by Jewish doctors. The list is very long.

Suceava had a representation in nearly every area of medical specialty.

According to information from Dr. Adolf Weitmann OBM

At the beginning of the 20^th century, Dr. Jacob Kraemer was appointed city physician, who functioned as such until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was very helpful to patients and often provided free medications to the needy. The city had a street that bore his name until after World War II.

Even before World War I, Dr. Weidenfeld was a representative of the city of Suceava in the Bucovina Parliament (Landtag) and also a Dozent (lecturer) at the faculty of medicine in Vienna. Another doctor during the Austro-Hungarian regime was Dr. Benzion Sperber.

Throughout the years, Romania, which won independence in 1878, on condition it granted Jews all their rights, did not meet this commitment. Thus, student Adolf Weitmann was not given the opportunity to work as an intern (unpaid) at the hospital whose director was Dr. Traian Bonnet. There was no Jewish chief physician in all of Suceava district. Nevertheless, Dr. Dickman briefly served as a battalion doctor.

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Most of the doctors studied in Austria and Italy because in Romania the numerus clausus was unofficially practiced. Those students who had been admitted were constantly harassed and humiliated or seated in benches intended only for Jews. Some of them were even expelled [for frivolous reasons]. Also, special taxes were levied upon them. Nor were they permitted to treat Christian patients, and in order for [Jewish] students to be able to dissect corpses, they had to provide Jewish ones. Sometimes, they falsified documents and brought the corpses of non-Jews.

As internal physicians in Suceava, were Dr. Aharon Hermann, Dr. Yaakov Weidenfeld, and Dr. Adolf Weitmann, who after the war was an oncology surgeon. Dr. Kalman Tartar, Dr. Siegfried (Fritz) Kraemer, Dr. Avraham Reicher and Dr. Leib Shapira. In Iţcani there was Dr. Gedaliah Schaechter. The gynecologists were Dr. Emmanuel Hoch, Dr. Saldinger, Dr. Salomovici and Dr. Dori Schieber. As dentists, Dr. Leon Itzik, Dr. Leibovici, Dr. Ephraim Fuhrer, Dr. David Zwilling, and Julius Pollakman. A pediatrician was Dr. Leah Koenig-Strominger was a pediatrician, and Dr. Schieber was an ophthalmologist.

Likewise, there were veterinary doctors, Dr. Adolf Heittle and Dr. Fleischer.

In October 1941, the doctors were deported to Transnistria along with the entire [Jewish] population. Of these, perished from the typhus which most of them became infected while treating patients: Dr. Aharon Hermann, Dr. Siegfried (Fritz) Kraemer, Dr. Avraham Reicher and Dr. Dori Shieber. Almost all of them in Shargorod ghetto died.

After World War II, those who survived the Holocaust and returned to Suceava opened clinics. Among them were Dr. Emanuel Hoch, Dr. Adolf Weitmann, Dr. Yaakov Weidenfeld, Dr. Ephraim Fuhrer, Dr. David Zwilling, Dr. Leah Koenig-Strominger, Dr. Leib Shapira, Dr. Gedaliah Schaechter and Julius Pollakman. Similarly, there were doctors from other cities who opened several clinics that did not exist before the expulsion, such as those of Dr. Klopfer, Dr. A. Rauch, Dr. P. Schwarz, Dr. L. Schaeffer and Dr. Z. Schaerf. Pediatrician Melita Dresdner, ophthalmologist Mina Zlochiver, gynecologist Dr. Lang, neurologist Dr. Alfred Ramler, internists Dr. Bresnitz, Dr. Lindenbaum, Dr. Lesner, Dr. Yaakov Rauch, Dr. Siegfried Schaerf, and Dr. Erich Anderman from Siret. In Burdujeni, there was Dr. Rabinowici and Dr. Avraham Plotnik who later moved to work in Suceava.

All the private clinics were closed by the authorities in 1948. The number of doctors increased between 1945 and 1946, after many arrived from northern Bucovina. Even before all private clinics were closed, in 1948, all the medical institutions were opened to all doctors, regardless of nationality. Jewish doctors were employed in various hospital clinics and departments in administrative positions. Dr. B. Merdler

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was appointed as the district's chief physician; Dr. A. Anderman was appointed chief physician of the polyclinic clinics; Dr. A. Weitmann was director of the hospital, and as the city's chief physician, Dr. A. Stettner.

Dr. M. M. Michalzo was the prison doctor and also worked in the polyclinic. Young doctors from the faculties of Bucharest, Cluj, Iași and Timișoara later joined the veterans.

It was no longer necessary to travel abroad to study; entry to all faculties was free for Jews. From the new graduating classes of physicians employed in Suceava or elsewhere, all were born in Suceava, Dr. Harriet Varnia (Ita Schmelzer), Dr. Sasha Koerner, Dr. Kurt (Ḥaim) Fuhrer, Dr. Regina Herrer (Weitmann), Dr. Dori Herrer, Dr. Aharon Bessler, Dr. Shmuel-Sandy Golden (Goldenberg), Dr. Jacob Bintal, Dr. Colette Herrer (Itzik), Dr. Fischel, Dr. Zwi Hauch, Dr. Clara Lerner (Gruenberg), Dr. Gita Sani (Lerner), Dr. Alexander Klueger, Dr. Marco Kreisel, Dr. Alfred Schaechter, Dr. Jacob Stettner, Dr. Pitpfer Schwarz, Dr. Perry Schwarz (Ber), Dr. Eve Schwarz (Glebetter), Dr. Ernest Hushano (Shmilovici), Dr. Gabriela Knoll (Usno). Dr. Gisela Strolowitz (Argintra), Dr. Simon Croitoru, Dr. Moskowici, Dr. Yaakov Gladstein, Dr. Edgar Schaechter, Dr. Rammer, Dr. P. Acks (Glickman), Dr. Alfred Felig, Dr. Berta Geller-Rosenblatt, Dr. Felicia Freier (Rauch), Dr. Shapira, Dr. Bella Boymovich (Shechtman), Prof. Dr. Libby Schaerf, Dr. Plotnik Jr., Dr. Gideon Raff, Dr. Lika Osherovich, Dr. Lika Pekillis, Dr. Anita Pekillis, Dr. Lucy Shulsohn, Dr. Herr Boerer (Weissberg), Dr. Jetti Alteresko (Huebner), Dr. Martin, Dr. Moskowici [already listed here!], Dr. Menashe Dolberg, Dr. Greta Kahn, Dr. Rudy Lupovici, Dr. Claris Bernstein and others.

These doctors were in all fields of medicine: Internists, gynecologists, ear-nose-throat, radiologists, dermatologists, anesthesiologists, etc. After World War II, students from the faculties, who signed up for emigration (Aliyah), including Dori Herrer, Zwi Hoch, and Sonia Haas, were expelled.

Dr. Bruno Hart and Dr. Woucher moved to Suceava from 1940 to 1941, but did not work in the profession. After 1945, Dr. Bernhard Friedel of Kimpolung, Dr. Berehnson Moisey and Dr. Aaron Bessler worked briefly as military physicians. Dr. Ernest Hirschhorn of Rădăuţi worked In the sanitary department in Suceava Province. In 1960s, Dr. Berthold Merdler worked as deputy chief physician. Dr. Boxbaum (ENT) would also come for consultation and surgeries in his field.

Noteworthy as nurses, Sonia Haas and Gita Wagner who worked at the hospital in Suceava. During communist regime, the hospital had only two Jewish employees: Jean Tennenhaus, administrative director and Anuse Berkovici, an accountant. Before World War I, the city midwife was Brambier, and until after World War II, the midwife was Nossig.

Berntal, H. Schwerberg, Kahn, Moore, Genzler, Gropper and Mrs. Frume worked as dental technicians.

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During communist regime, Dr. Ludwig Schaeffer, Dr. Avraham Plotnik and Julius Pollakman were sentenced to prison as suspects for holding foreign currency and/or gold.

Jewish doctors born in Suceava and the surrounding area who did not work in Suceava: Worked in Israel: Dr. Robert Ostfeld, Dr. Yaakov Berntal (formerly in Bucharest), Dr. Reuven Shaeffer (from Burdujeni, previously worked at Timișoara), Dr. Phavus Kahn (formerly in Bucharest), Dr. Meir Carmon (Croitoru), Dr. Mia Carmon (Zelig), Dr. Menaḥem Eidinger (previously in Timișoara).

Worked in France: Dr. Friedel Koren, Dr. Carla Koren (Hellmann), Dr. Salo Keren, Dr. David Libel, Dr. Adolf Rosner (perished at Auschwitz), Dr. Joseph (Fred) Fuhrer, Dr. Avraham Wexler (from Burdujeni). Nathan Remmer's daughter, Seraphina (Sarah) Remer, born in 1900, studied medicine in Vienna and served as a doctor there until 1936, when she died when her son was born.

Dr. Gerhard Margolis-Kerner worked in the USSR, Dr. Aronovici and Dr. Makitra in Vienna.

Dr. Wagner, Dr. Aronovici and his wife, Dr. Aronovici-Gote, committed suicide during the Holocaust.

Before World War I, there were three pharmacies in Suceava: Weingarten, Bishop and Kaba; Brilliant in Iţcani and Brader in Burdujeni. Jewish pharmacists worked in Weingarten's pharmacy: Paula Berental: (Denker), Meir, and Schieber (Frum) was an assistant. S

chwerberg, Bruno Spielman (exterminated in the Holocaust) and Pinni Sperber worked in non-Jewish-owned pharmacies. Berta Bessler worked in Kaba's pharmacy. A

fter returning from the Holocaust, there were additional Jewish-owned pharmacies in the city: Etty and Amelia Brillant who moved from Iţcani to Suceava; pharmacies belonging to Pinni Koerner (Sperber) Riczker (Frum), Kimmelman-Knobler, Berta Bessler, Zwilling (Burchis).

In 1948, all the pharmacies were nationalized and pharmacists became state employees. Pharmacist Berinzon was employed at the city hospital under Pharmacist Amelia Brillant's management. Pharmacist Zwilling (Burchis) was the manager of the Polyclinic pharmacy.

In the end, almost all of them emigrated (Aliya) to Israel.

Since the Jewish People were expelled from their country and dispersed to all corners of the world, they suffered everywhere and almost constantly from harsh decrees, persecution, oppression, discrimination, and antisemitism that have sometimes reached terrible heights such as expulsions, pogroms, conversion, and the destruction of a third of the Jewish People during the Holocaust. The supreme moral value of Judaism (Deut. 16:20), was not applied to the Jews, and although

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the Christian world, in which most of the Jewish People lived, declares its faith in the Torah, besides the “New Testament,” Law and a fair trial were not recognized by its legal systems. This bleak situation did not pass by the Jews of Suceava either.

Several different periods can be observed in terms of the attitude of the judicial systems to Jews:

The period of governors in Moldova until 1774; the Austrian period, 1775-1918; the period between the two World Wars 1918-1941; and the last one after returning from deportation and the Communist regime. In the years following the Communist era, there were hardly any Jews working in the judicial system.

Until 1774, trials in the Jewish communities were conducted according to the Turkish model. Ḥacham Bashi (Basha is Head/Leader in Turkish) was the Chief Rabbi of the Ottoman Empire. In 1839, the authorities approved the position of the first Ḥacham Bashi as the representative of the authorities of the congregation in Constantinople, and then in other cities, including Jerusalem.

Ḥacham Bashi was the representative of the authorities to the congregation. He judged religious issues, collected taxes, and appointed rabbis for the small communities. However, even then, during the 17^th-19^th centuries, Jews preferred to resolve disputes between themselves without applying to the official courts. They often turned to a rabbi who helped settle the differences because by his authority, everything would be resolved at his command/say-so.

On the other hand, those who appeared before the courts were enjoined to swear by the Jewish oath, more judaico, humiliating and insulting. This oath was first required during the reign of Prince Grigore Ghica (1739-1741) and canceled in Romania in 1912.

In the Austrian period, that is, from 1775 to 1867, when the law granting equal rights to all residents came into force, few students from Suceava studied at the Vienna Faculty of Law. Afterward, especially after 1875, a Faculty of Law was founded at the University of Czernowitz, a large number of students applied to the faculties in Vienna and Czernowitz.

The youth's desire to study law stemmed from the need to know the laws in order to stand before the judicial systems as people who are proficient in all the laws, thus more successfully protecting themselves and their families. After all, justice has always been a principle of the utmost importance in Jewish tradition. It is no wonder then, that the percentage of Jewish students in the Faculty of Law in Czernowitz toward the end of the 19^th century and the beginning of the 20th century ranged from 30%-40% of all students. They were fluent in German, the language of study, since they also learned it in high school; during the tenure of Emperor Franz Josef I (1830-1916), it became a native language in many Jewish families.

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The Jewish lawyers were judges or held senior positions in the municipalities of Suceava and Iţcani; were bank managers and activists in the Jewish community, Zionist organizations and various [political] parties.

After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bucovina was transferred to Romania and the official language was Romanian in all institutions. Many lawyers were not proficient in this language, and were not very enthusiastically accepted to work. Still, because of a clause in the peace treaty with Romania, a number of judges from Austria remained in their positions as before.

The atmosphere at the Faculty of Law in Czernowitz was hostile to Jewish students. In outbreaks of violence between Romanian and Jewish students, things reached the point of official expulsion of Jewish students from the faculty and Jewish lawyers from the Bar. The number of students from Suceava declined because they were not integrated into state institutions. Two years before the deportation, no Jews were accepted at the Faculty [of Law].

In the period after Transnistria, those who survived and returned, were accorded all the rights and were able to engage in their profession. The [Romanian] Bar Association accepted all the returnees, and Jewish jurists were given positions as attorneys, judges, etc. And yet most of them, young and old alike, aspired to emigrate to Israel. Today, there is only one lawyer, Carl Shore, left in Suceava.

Mendel Hirschel, who lived in the 18th century.	Dr. Adolf Gabor, Zionist leader, attended one Zionist Congress, died in Shargorod.
Dr. Baruch Schaffer, Chairman of the Social Democratic Party and Deputy Mayor of Suceava in 1907/8.	Dr. Adolf Hellman, Mayor of Iţcani and chairman of the city's Jewish community from 1928 to 1941.
Dr. Walter Rohrlich-Horowitz, second deputy mayor of Suceava.	Dr. Yosef Goldstein, mayor of Iţcani.
Dr. Meir Teich, Chairman of the Jewish community and urban adviser, chairman of the Shargorod Ghetto.	Dr. L. Bogen, city consultant.
Dr. Ludwag	Dr. Heinrich Lupul, municipal consultant, chairman of the Jewish community, director of the Ostbank.
Dr. Haas	Dr. Erich Lupul
Dr. Nathan Wijnipolski, chairman of the Revisionist Zionists in Suceava.	Dr. Johann Lupul
Dr. Avraham Shapira, shot in Transnistria.	Dr. Wilhelm Lupul
Dr. Adolf Finkler	Dr. Foerster
Dr. Heinrich Rohrlich-Horowitz died in Shargorod.	Dr. Levi, Judge.
Dr. Joseph Ellenbogen, died in London in 1960.	Dr. Geller, Judge, was reinstated a few months after the deportation.
Dr. Shimon Holdengreber	Dr. Hilsenrat
Dr. ḥaim Kupferberg, chairman of the Jewish community, 1946-1958, and Zionist leader.	Dr. Goldschlag
Dr. Adolf Wagner	Dr. Hausvater
Dr. Phavus Tottenauer	Dr. Tzentner, Judge.
Dr. Yosef Halpern, principal of the Jewish High School in the 1920s.	Dr. Hoffmann
Dr. Shaul Klueger	Adv. Yosef Kaufman, interim chairman of the Jewish community.
Dr. Mankes	Adv. Lucian Salomovich.
Dr. Yosef Rohrlich	Adv. Lazar Goldberg
Dr. Peretz Strominger	Adv. Netta Goldberg, Judge.
Dr. Wolf Schaerf, Yiddish culture activist.	Adv. Ruckenstein
Dr. Julius Shore, Social Democrat activist.	Adv. Vogel
Dr. Emil Koerner, served as Attorney General	Adv. Julius Hecht, Judge.
Dr. Leib	Adv. Moskowici, Attorney.
Dr. Pressler	Adv. Clara Zlochiver, Judge.
Dr. Taussig	Adv. Philip Berkovici, deputy mayor of Suceava, was sent to forced labor.
Dr. Rosenfeld	Adv. Isidor Rudich
Dr. Yisrael (Jon) Rachmut, a non-member of the Romanian Academy.	Adv. Fritz Stecher
Dr. Max Rosenstrauch, Chairman of the Community in Surina.	Adv. Weidenfeld
Dr. Linker	Adv. Greenwald
Dr. Emanuel Scherzer

Before World War I (1914-1918), the rail reached the heart of Suceava on the railway track built during the reign of Kaiser Franz Josef I (1830-1916) {source has incorrectly 1820]. The city had two stations, one near the barracks building, and the next and final one close to the District Court building (Tribunal) near the cattle market. During the war, the bridges and railways on the Suceava River were blown up, and since then the train did not reach the city. After the unification of Bucovina and Moldova, the closest stations to the city of Suceava remain the one in Burdujeni and the one in Iţcani. The end of rail transportation to Suceava presented a golden opportunity for some Jews to find an additional source of income.

And so, at the beginning of the second decade of the twentieth century, dozens of families engaged in transporting people and goods. Samson Hellman's family and their son loaded bags or crates from warehouses onto their backs, placed them on carts, and unloaded them at both train stations. The larger wagons belonged to the Merdinger family and the three Schloim brothers. Wagner made smaller transports.

Another distinguished group in the industry was that of the Fuhrer (Zohar) families. The most famous among them were the Leib brothers, Motel, Moshe and Fischel. They hauled with large carts and always had two horses harnessed to them. They transported merchandise and grains to mountainous areas of Kimpolung and Vatra-Dornei, and from there returned with oak bark (rich in tannin) material used in the leather industry in both tanneries owned by the Sternlieb brothers and Moshe Wolf Koerner, as well as at Roessler's factory in Iţcani. They left every Monday in a convoy and returned on Thursday evening.

After the end of First World War I, they began transporting people in carriages with two horses from and to Suceava from the two Burdujeni and Iţcani train stations, about 3-4 km from the city center. There were no private vehicles, taxis, or buses between the two wars. Carriages and teamsters, dozens in number, had a permanent stop in the city center. There was also a small saloon owned by H. Reif. One could get a light meal there. There was also an oat warehouse that belonged to Merdler. The teamsters, who were almost all Jews, all knew the train schedule, received reservations, and arrived to take passengers from their homes. They worked around the clock, but never on holidays. Some of them hired a Christian teamster for those days.

The best-known teamsters were the Meyer brothers, Rosenblatt, Schloim Ungarish and Holtzberg. Beyond trips to both stations, there were also trips within the city or from the city to the towns

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of Burdujeni and Iţcani. Usually, doctors came to the patients in carriages and sometimes they traveled just through the major streets to impress and show their importance. Besides the two-horse carriage that was considered “First class” there were also those with one horse that teamster Vlad, nicknamed Caiafa, had. The ride was less comfortable and cheaper; “Second class.”

Beyond these means of transportation, there were also other motorized vehicles, such as the trucks and small vehicles owned by Wilhelm Giter, Getzl Goldschmidt and Felig. After the war, the teamsters that survived the Holocaust returned to their former occupation, but only for a short transition period. Everyone was preparing for Aliya (emigration to Israel); buses also began transporting passengers from the train stations.

Even before the World War, there was a kind of small bus that left Suceava for nearby cities. The last remaining teamster in Suceava was Shimon Holtzberg. After him came the end of transport in Suceava, a business that provided a livelihood to no less than Jewish 30 families.

Surname	First names	Type/branch	Founded in
EDELSTEIN	Wilhelm	Furniture	1908
AUSLAENDER	Josef	Grocery and flour	1909
ALBRECHT	Samuel / Ernestina	Haberdashery	1904
ENGLER	Sigmund	Fabrics, textiles	1901
ANSCHEL	Rosa / Moritz	Haberdashery, sewing supplies	1905
ASPLER	Chaim	Grocery	1909
ARONOWICZ	Perl / Moses Yitzchak	Fabrics, textiles	1913
BOGEN	Elias	Fabrics, textiles	1910
BOGEN	Mendel	Fabrics, textiles	1874
BEINER	Hermann	Stationery	1874
BRUMBERG	Salomon / Cilli	Shoes	1912
GEWOELB	Samuel	Grocery	1854
GUTTMANN	Hinde / Jacob	Grocery	1896
GOLDBERG AND ROESSLER		Leather	1899
GOLDSTEIN	Cilli	Glass, China	1890
GROPPER	Leiser	Fabric	1907
GAERTNER	Abraham	Leather	1908
DERMER	Hermann	Hermann	1905
DRAPPEL	Mali / Benjamin	Grocery, Deli	1900
HOLDENGRAEBER	Feibel	Fabric	1910
HOPPMEIER	Jetti	Haberdashery	1902
HOPPMEIER	Noah	Deli	1906
HILSENRATH	Moses	Guest House	1874
WOLF	Ferdinand	Shoemaker	1902
WASSERMANN	Mechel	Grocery	1903
SILBERBUSCH	Regina / Hermann	Fabric	1908
TENNENHAUS	Juedl	Glass, China	1878
TENNENHAUS	Juedl	Leather	1911
LECHNER	Fischel	Grocery	1889
LANGER	Pepi / Shabse	Paint	1889
MEHLER	Basie	Haberdashery	1894
MEHLER	Leiser	Haberdashery	1897
MARGULIES	Gedalje	Grocery	1912
SIGALL	Wolf	Grocery	1885
SARAFINSTER	Jancu / Ernestina	Fabric	1912
POLLAK	Aron Shimon / Honora	Fashion items	1912
POLLAK	Max	Fashion	1908
FLICKER	Dawid	Tailor	1899
FALLENBAUM	Majer	Fabric	1911
FRAENKEL	Markus	Haberdashery	1872
KAMIL	Sali / Yeshayahu (Schaje)	Haberdashery	1907
KERN	Leib / Heni	Haberdashery	1895
KARNIOL	Dawid	Working clothes	1905
KOERNER	Abraham	Leather	1898
KOERNER	Moses Wolf	Leather	1901
REDLICH	Naftali / Blime	Shoes	1907
ROSENSTOCK	Majer	Fabric	1887
ROSENSTEIN	Josef-Chaim / Anna	Grocery	1899
ROSENSTEIN	Meir / Anna	Fabric	1910
ROSTOKER	Hersch	Grocery	1906
ROHRLICH	Sigmund / Honora	Furniture	1912
REINER	Nathan	Restaurant	1908
REIF	Josef	Grocery	1910
SCHWARZ	Joel-David	Haberdashery	1912
STERNBERG	Karl	Drugstore	1898
STERNLIEB AND REICHER		Leather and shoes	1906
SCHAECHTER	Abraham	Haberdashery	1912
SPIEGEL	Jacob / Sara	Fabric	1912
SPERBER	Aron Leib	Fabric and shoes	1911

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