« Previous Page Table of Contents Next Page »

[Page 90]

In their concern for the education of the children, a line of teachers took upon themselves the assignment of teaching Torah and Judaism to the young generation. Those teachers – beginning with the alphabet-teachers and up to the Talmud instructors – who educated the young between the two world wars, were well-known to all of us. All of the youth in town, without exception, went through their schools. For some, reading a page of Talmud was enough, and some further expanded their learning in the yeshives. The “knowledge acquired in childhood” which he received in the kheyder, no one ever forgot.

In the following lines I will try to depict the intellectual situation of these educators, as I remember them.

The dardiki-melamdim in the town were: R' Berl Tsirman who, as a mitsve, went around every Friday as the Shabes eve approached, and called out “Yidn in shul arayn!” {“Jews to the shul!”}; R' Yekl Shprintse's, who in his later years became a beadle in the study-house; and R' Yeshaye Nosn Kruk, a meticulous person before whom the boys trembled if he even blinked, and especially at his whip.

Of the elementary teachers, who planted Jewishness in the hearts of the very small children, the brothers R' Hersh Itsik and R' Yehoshua Malavani had a special approach to the children and taught them with heart and soul.

R' Aba'le – people called him that [diminutive] because of his small build – was a Torah teacher. Most of the Goworowo youth passed through his kheyder. He was an unusual educator, awaking respect in his pupils and was devoted to them heart and soul. R' Aba'le cared for his pupils like a father, and his wife, the rebitsin, was faithful to them. The boys treated them the same – they were bonded to their rebi and loved him very much. It was very rare for him to use a whip.

For years after leaving his kheyder, his pupils felt an obligation to visit their beloved teacher. He was a God-fearing and acute Hasid and traveled often to the Ger Rebi.

[Page 91]

R' Hershl Glogover

The Talmud teacher R' Hershl Glogover, or, as he was popularly called, Hershl “the fop”, was a good Jew, a teacher and commanded respect, if only for his extraordinary appearance. Always dressed in neat, clean clothing, with a finely-combed beard, he made the impression of a wealthy lumber merchant rather than a teacher. His pupils were boys who had already studied Talmud with Commentators and were preparing to travel out to a yeshive. R' Hershl had been teaching even before the First World War.

R' Yisroel Leyb Kruk occupied an esteemed place in the education of the Goworowo youth. He was a real Talmud scholar and was gifted with rare pedagogic abilities. He was also a talented teacher and guide, not comparable to any teacher of the old cut. R' Yisroel Leyb kept to the modern and progressive, and strove to educate his pupils in the spirit of the times – according to the example of the modern Talmud-Torah. Himself a student of the great Lithuanian yeshives, he taught his pupils in the Litvish “style” – in a scholarly manner. It was a great merit for the student when R' Yisroel Leyb accepted him into his kheyder; and not everyone was taken. He sought pupils with good heads and with a strong will to study. It is no wonder, then, that the majority of his pupils continued their studies in the yeshives, and the more local yeshives also considered his pupils.

R' Yisroel Leyb Kruk, of blessed memory

[Page 92]

R' Yisroel Leyb was also an important member of ”Hoveyvi-tsion, and one of the founders and leaders of the “Mizrakhi” movement in town. Disregarding that the hasidic circles looked askance at Zionism, and in some instances chased the Mizrakh-ists out, he stayed firm in his membership in “Mizrakhi”. He would propagandize for Zionism, “sell sheklim”, work for “Keren kayemet l'Yisroel” and lead flaming discussions with his friends in the Agudas circles. R' Yisroel Leyb Kruk died in the war years.

Also reckoned among the important teachers in Goworowo was R' Avrom'le Grudke. Once he was a big grain merchant, but when he was older he took up teaching. R' Avrom'le was a great Talmud scholar and Enlightener although his outward appearance gave the appearance of an idler. He was full of Torah and wisdom, a master of Hebrew grammar, knowledgeable in TaNaKh, an expert in philosophical books, knew chapters of “Guide for the Perplexed” by heart as well as Yehuda Haleyvi. He was also very well-versed in world literature, knew the Enlightenment books well, was interested in history, natural science and so on.

R' Avrom'le loved to take a break during teaching and tell the pupils of the great wonder of God's world: about the wisdom of physics, chemistry, and other secular knowledge. On the long winter evenings when the sky was full of stars, he sometimes walked around outdoors with his pupils, pointing out stars with his finger and calling them by name: “Mars”, the “Chariot” and others, explaining their paths and thereby demonstrating an expertise in astronomy. About the meaning of the science, as in is there life on Mars, he explained, “Just as in our world everything is green, so it is on Mars that everything is red, because its [Hebrew] name is “Madim” is from the word “adom” – red.” The pupils swallowed every word that came from the mouth of their beloved rebi.

R' Avrom'le Grudke had the habit of ending the studies an hour early on Friday, closing the Talmud and sitting back to relate various histories. Each week he chose a different theme. He would tell the pupils about great Jewish personalities and historical figures, and thus weave in whole chapters of Jewish history. If it was about Rebi Avika or Bar-Kokhba, how energetically he depicted the Bar-Kokhba rebellion and the role of Rebi Akiva; whether it was about the era of Babylonia with its princes, the figures of Yehude Ha'nasi, Hilel the Old and others; the sources of the ganoim, the wonderful stories about RaMBam when he was the chief doctor to the Egyptian king; the story about “Ibn Ezra” who presented as a poor man and traveled all around the Jewish world; the tragic history of the expulsion from Spain, the decrees of the 1400s and others.

[Page 93]

When he talked about Erets Yisroel he did so with much enthusiasm, and hardly knew when to end. He often sat for more than two hours later than usual. He offered about the Turkish Sultans, how they uncovered the “Western Wall”, which had been shadowed in mist for so many years; about the “Cave of the Patriarchs” which no one dared to go inside of because a mysterious wind blew out of there; about “Rokhl's Tomb”, the graves of R' Simion ben Yokhay and his pupils and all the mystic stories that were woven around the kabalists in Tsfat. When he touched on the story of the revival to life of Erets Yisroel and the “Khibat tsion” movement, he literally shone. He spoke spiritedly about Baron Rot'schild, who bought land and established colonies with Hebrew names; about Moses Montefiori, the great Jewish intercessor who was received by powerful Tsar Nikolai and managed to lighten the burden for [Russian] Jews, and about his activity for Erets Yisroel. With his conversations and chats he brought a great coherence to Jewish history, a love for Erets Yisroel, for knowledge and a will to learn.

R' Avrom'le did not merit coming to Erets Yisroel. He was murdered along with all the Goworowo victims in the area of Slonim may God avenge their blood. Only his son Yehude with his daughter Tsipora managed to come to Erets a few years after the outbreak of the war. His younger son Khone, the Beys”Ri, who a short time before the war prepared to go to Erets Yisroel by foot along with the “Ripel Group”, did not manage to realize his dream. He, along with all the other family members, were murdered with all the martyrs, may God avenge their blood.

R' Yitskhak Reytshik – or, as people used to call him, R' Itsele – was also in his older years. He turned to teaching after he was forced to liquidate his manufacturing business.

R' Itsele, a fine scholar, a very pious and observant Jew, took pains to educate his pupils in his spirit. He died during the war years.

R' Beytsalel, or as we called him, “Tsale-Yosl”, belonged among the “temporary” teachers. In fact, he was a merchant, he dealt in fish, grain, leasing orchards and so on. But he did not make a good living from all that,

[Page 94]

and he had to turn to teaching. He was a scholar, with a sharp mind and agile comprehension, who did not like to think for long but to answer quickly and get to the point. In general, he was impatient and a quick decider. He had modest needs and did not worry about himself too much. When he did not have any great success at teaching, he threw himself into trade – and vice versa. He gave private lessons in Talmud with the Commentators to pupils in the town.

R' Beytsalel Yosef was one of the first victims of the Holocaust in Goworowo. He was shot right on the first Friday when the German murderers had just come into the town. heads and with a strong will to study. It is no wonder, then, that the majority of his pupils continued their studies in the yeshives, and the more local yeshives also considered his pupils.

R' Beytsalel Yosef Karvat

R' Yankev Shtshetshina, the son-in-law of R' Beytsalel Yosef, was a “temporary” teacher. He drew his main livelihood from his haberdashery business on the “long street”. R' Yankev was a fine, noble Jew, with a long beard and a constantly smiling face, with friendly glances. He was not supported by his teaching but was a teacher out of need – the shop did not bring in the full livelihood for his household. And since he was a man burdened with children, he had to seek an additional income. In poor health, he was not able to give over his knowledge to his pupils, and despite his scholarship and good humor his kheyder was not very large.

Right after the great fire in the town R' Yankev left for Ostrove. There the Germans caught him and forced him to clean the water closets with his bare hands. Later they shaved off half of his beard crosswise and he had to

[Page 95]

walk around that way. He would not shave off the other half of the beard under any excuse. He died in the war years.

R' Yankev Shtshetshina, of blessed memory

R' Yosef Batshan was also a “temporary” teacher. He was the grandson of the old Goworowo Rov, the “v'shev ha'koen” and son-in-law of R' Yehude Sheyniak. R. Yosef was really a grain merchant, but, since he did not make a full living from that trade, he often also occupied himself with teaching. He was known as a Talmud expert and Enlightener and considered himself one of the eminent proprietors in the town.

R' Yosef Batshan, of blessed memory

[Page 96]

R' Aron Aronson

Especially famous and well-known all over the land was R' Aron Aronson, author of books of his sermons. For the most part he traveled around over the towns and villages of Poland a presented his sermons, which were distinguished by their sincerity and folksiness. Masses of people gathered in the study-houses of every town when R' Aron spoke. His stories and parables had a good reputation in the world of traveling preachers, and more than one of the famous preachers repeated his sermons and often used his stories and parables that were then continually used by the audiences.

I will mention a characteristic case: One of his sons, who was of the idealist Socialist bent and far from being religious, from time to time used to become “someone else”. Then he let his beard grow. He traveled around the country for several months repeating his father's sermons. He delivered the sermons with such talent that it was hard to differentiate between father and son. When the writer of these lines was studying in one of the yeshives, far from Goworowo, I accidentally happened upon one of R' Aron's son's sermons. It is worthwhile citing the witticism that he wove into a sermon and as he characterized the revolutionary common people: The “song of glory” which is sung on Shabes after praying, and which begins with the words “I weave songs and poems”, he translated as what would be said when the Messiah comes: When Moshiakh comes there will be “songs of the meek” when the poor will sing “songs” and “murder the rich” – that is, the wealthy who have never reckoned with the poor, oppressed them and not helped them, will then find no place, and will be killed.

R' Aron used to leave the town after Peysakh and return from his wanderings over the Polish countryside a year later, for our Peysakh. When he wanted to spend a year's time with his family he packed in a few pupils and became a teacher. Being a permanent pauper, he had no great aspirations and sufficed with a small number of pupils. In his free time, he was busy writing additions to his sermons. R' Aron was probably killed in Lomzhe, where one of his sons was the cantor and ritual slaughterer.

Goworowo had another “teacher-preacher” in R' Velvl Yagodnik, or as people called him “Velvl Brizshnier”. R' Velvl was a tall, hearty Jew with broad shoulders, a sharp glance and a high, scholarly forehead. He was a teacher of average boys who had just begun to study Talmud.

[Page 97]

Although he was a scholar with a broad knowledge of secular things, he still kept himself apart, did not like to “intrude”, not mix in politics, and was not a fervent Hasid but a simple, “common” person. Thus, he was very devoted to his pupils. He necessarily chatted with them, preached Mussar, led them to love the Torah, to desire learning and to be honest Jews.

He spent a lot of time traveling around the land, delivering sermons, and calling the audience to be good and pious. He considered himself a bit of a socialist and in his sermons he preached for charity, justice and equality and not to, heaven forbid, exploit one another. R' Velvl was also one of the first victims from our town. He was shot by a German near his house on the first Friday of their invasion.

One must also count R' Aba'le Likhtman among the town's teachers, who for many years tutored children. He was a learned Jew and talented in song and music. He was also the bath-house attendant for several years. In his last years he gave up both his professions and became a wagon-driver on the Goworowo to Rizshan line. From all his livelihoods he remained a complete pauper.

R' Leybke Shmalts also dealt in teaching for many years. He was a fervent Aleksander Hasid and often traveled to the Rebi. On Rosh-ha'shone and Yon-kiper he led shul services. For a certain time he was also a beadle. As a Jew he was a doer of good works and a giver of charity. In his last years R' Leybke was a bath-house keeper in the town.

R' Leybke Shmalts, may God avenge his blood

[Page 99]

Before the First World War, during the time of the Russian Tsar may he rot in hell, there existed three “kosher” schools for children in Goworowo, and three “ritually impure” schools. Do not laugh, gentlemen, it is indeed curious, but such was the fact.

Why “kosher” and why “treyf”? I will explain:

Under Russian rule there was a decree that in each kheyder or school where children were taught, there must be hung a portrait of the tsar and of his wife, and that the children must be instructed in the Russian language and grammar at least two hours every day. Among the parents were some who, without an alternative, agreed to teach the children a little Russian. But there were other fathers who said, under no circumstances would they allow their children to be taught “goyish”. Therefore, there were two kinds of kheydarim, the “kosher” ones with the teachers Yekl Shtshetshina, Hershl “the fop” and Yosele Melamed; and the “treyf” ones with the teachers Mendel the Lame, Niske and Aba'le.

Both sides having a claim, both the kosher and the treyf had to give the Christian director of the schools, Stankius, a bribe in order for him not to tell the Russian inspector what was being done. The treyf schools Stankius covered over completely, as if they did not exist, and for the kosher ones he notified the teachers the day before the inspector was to arrive; they cleaned everything up, hung the pictures of the tsar and the tsarina, and at the hour the inspector came they seated the Yiddish-Russian teacher Kovkevitsh and his wife, and the children recited the prayer in honor of the tsar and studied a little Russian.

There was a time when the kosher kheyder children really did have to go to the general school for two hours each day and study secular subjects. This was designated for 11 to 1 o'clock. Those children had to pay their “debt” later by studying until 10 at night.

The teacher Yankev Kovkevitsh and his wife, very intelligent people, strove to spread education in the town. But they were forced to do the will of the most strictly religious householders. The teaching couple were also busy giving private lessons for boys and for girls in their parents' homes. Their son Lazar Kovkevitsh, who was born in Goworowo, also became a teacher of Yiddish and Russian. The Kovkevitsh family was in town until the Great Fire. After the First World War they never returned to Goworowo.

  Goworowo, Poland     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 19 Apr 2024 by LA