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[Page 184]

Boryslaw, the Oil City

Joseph Kitai

Translated by Shimon Barak

 The only place in the world where oil [1] was, for many years, the produce of Jewish  entrepreneurship, talent, capital and labor is the city of Boryslaw, now in the  western part of the Soviet Republic of Ukraine, [2] in the foothills of the outer range of  the Carpathian Mountains, south of the county city of Drohobycz.   In the years between 1772-1918, Boryslaw belonged to Austria as part of the Province of Galicia.  For a long time and until the development of the oil industry in Romania, Boryslaw was  the most important oil center in all Europe. Later it was the major oil center in Poland.  This center was established and developed by Jews. In Boryslaw, oil  flowed on the surface of  the ground and soil wax or natural paraffin was also found and used in the production of  candles [3] . The Jews were the first to refine crude oil and produce oil for illumination.  This invention brought wealth and plenty of work for thousands of Jews who formed a  battalion [4] of thousands of Jewish proletarian workers who, as is usual when a major  industrial economic venture is first established, worked hard. Among the Jewish oil well  owners in Boryslaw was Moshe Gartenberg, in whose small field petroleum was found in  abundance.   In those days, the towns and cities in the foothills of the Carpathians were inhabited by  "Work and Torah" Jews who worked during the week no less than the Ukrainian peasants,  but on Shabat, wearing the Shabatmantle and hat [5] , became devout Hassidim,  "Owners of Shabat" and followers of the Hassidic way. I knew many of them personally  as a child. During the years I lived in Schodnica I got to know the Jews of Boryslaw in  their cups, in their anger and by their purses. [6] The Jews of Boryslaw knew how to live  and how to have a good time. The sidewalks, roads and plots of earth  were always  muddy, dirty and full of debris but there was always money and what they did not find in  their own houses they searched for in Truskawiec Krynica, Zakopane, etc.   The young men, nicknamed Borislawchik, and were always ready to beat and punch anyone,  especially Christians who usurped Jewish work places. There were many Mazur workers [7] who came from Eastern Galicia  who were anti-Semites but were afraid of Jews.  I came to know the Jews of Boryslaw especially "in their purse" when the Boryslaw  Yeshiva was founded. The writer of these sentences had the privilege of serving for  many years as the standard bearer [8] of the Gaon [9] Rabbi Raphael Kitajgorodsky. On  Motsei Shabat [10] we traveled from Drohobycz to the meeting of the founders of the  Boryslaw Yeshiva. The meeting took place in Reb Shaye Fuchsberg's home. In a short  while they gathered: Reb Isaac Glick, Lifshitz, Krochmel Baruch, Leibele Kastenbaum,  Berl Eisenstein (his brother is Reb Yosef Eisenstein from Ramat Gan). The important  guests heard and absorbed new Torah  (commentaries) and the humorous remarks from  the Gaon Reb Raphael who delivered them one by one, as a jewel merchant would take  out precious stones. When morning light arrived they dispersed, each to his business  and the work he had to do that day but left behind, each and every one of them, a sum  of money far larger than he had the means to donate, and thus on that day and place  the Boryslaw Yeshiva was gloriously founded. And till today there are many who think  they had the privilege and honor of learning and getting their education from the Gaon.

Footnotes and references

TN: translator's note

AN: author's note

Ger: German

Yid: Yiddish

Pol: Polish

Heb: Hebrew


[1]Petroleum (TN)

[2]  Since this article was written in the 1950's, Ukraine is referred to as a Soviet Republic

[3]The Hebrew term is donag adama, a verbatim translation from Polish wosk ziemny,soil wax. This  natural hydrocarbon, known popularly as natural wax and scientifically as ozokerite, has been known to humanity since antiquity.  In ancient Egypt it was used in the embalming of mummies.  It is a natural resource which appears only in a few places on earth. (TN)

[4]The work battalions were a socialist concept in which individual workers functioned according to their physical abilities and were paid a  salary according to their needs. The famous work battalion in Palestine, established according to these principles, paved roads with asphalt.  According to Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, "it was the best résumé‚ for a political candidate".(TN)

[5]Although not mentioned by name in the text, the author refers to the fur hat ( strammel) and the special robe which sometimes was golden that Hassidim wear even today on Shabat and holidays.

[6]A quote from the Talmud that says: "In three things a man is known (his true nature is revealed): bekhoso;in his cups or when drunk, bekhaso, in anger or when he loses his temper; bekhiso, by his purse or when he spends or donates money. (TN)

[7]Mazurs are the people from the eastern Polish plains (TN)

[8]In the original nose keilim, bearer of instruments. It usually refers to a disciple who acts both as a secretary and as a majordomo.(TN)

[9]  Gaon is the Hebrew word for genius and an honorific title for those versed in Torah and Talmud. (TN)

[10] When Shabbatis over. (TN)

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