Nowy Sacz, Poland - Pages 466-473

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[Page 466]

The Zionist Movement

by Majer Landrer
Translated by Miriam Kreiter
Edited by Renee Miller

The First Steps

Records of the Zionist movement in Sandz were already noted in the last years of the nineteenth century when the movement made its first steps in the Jewish World. Already, then, there were a few simple people within the strong fortress of the religious, narrow-minded zealots who looked toward the young Yishuv [the Jewish community in Palestine] in the Land of Israel, and nourished the hope for a resolution of the problems with which the young people struggled.

Slowly the Zionist idealists found each other in Nowy Sacz and formed a group which eventually developed into one of the most important factors in the Jewish life in the city. At any rate, they did not reach the stage of organization until the first years of the 20^th century.

It was in 1903 that the idea of Zionism in Sandz developed from an idea in the mind to expression in the activities of the day. The first of these activities was the establishment of a reading room and a library with the name “Ezra” [after Ezra and Nehemiah, who led the Jewish people] by the brothers Dr. Leon, Dr. Bernard Silberman and Dr. Leon Mannheimer. These three were also the signatories on the invitation to a meeting of founders of the “Ezra” association. The response to the invitation was tremendous. The meeting was held in a rented room in Mordechai Dawid Klapholz' home in the market square. During the meeting, a committee was chosen as follows: the three signatories on the invitation, Moshe Nussbaum, Abraham Nussbaum, Yakov Nussbaum, Shimen Zeigler, Chaim Reuben Berger, Benjamin Wolf Berger, Dov Ber Zsupnik, Naftali Meir Raker and Shmuel Weintraub.

The First Test

Not too many days went by when the young Zionist Organization in the city was confronted by a serious test which resulted in a crowning success.

It was in 1904 when the sad news about Mr. Herzl's death fell like a storm over the bright skies of the Zionist camp. As in all the communities in Galicia, a memorial meeting for the great teacher who was snatched away in his prime, was held in Sandz. The meeting was held in the Great Synagogue. Thanks to the influence of Dr. Leon Silberman, the elector of our town, the administration gave permission to hold the meeting. However, the zealots among the congregants, who were radically opposed to the Zionist ideal stormed the synagogue and tried to dismantle the meeting.

The haters of Zionism in the cities of Galicia, who in the depth of their hatred, had perhaps cherished the hope that the death of the leader would bring an end to the movement for which he gave his life. The religious zealots in our city might have learned the lesson that this tragic event in the history of the Zionist movement served as stimulus to its progress and its acceptance by the masses. They adored the man who, with natural pride carried the flag of resurrection, and who fell as a great man on the watch over his people.

The Founding of the “Poalei Zion” Party

In 1905, The Zionist organization in the city succeeded in extending its field of activities into a new area – the Jewish worker.

In those days the Jewish workers in Galicia were mainly apprentices in trade or business, namely, salesmen in shops or workers in workshops. They were completely under the influence of the Bund (the union of assimilated Jewish workers). But with the awakening of the national spirit among the other groups of the Jewish public, the new workers also began to appear in the Jewish workers' street, and the leaders of the workers began to establish a new national party, the “Poalei Zion” party. In Sandz, the activists among the Jewish workers also began to establish a “Poalei Zion” party in the city with the help of the organization. The activists in this area on behalf of the Zionist organization were Shimon Zeigler, Nahum Bilder, Moshe Wolf and Shmuel Friedmann.

The activities of the new party mainly concentrated in the area of culture among the apprentices of trade and business.

[Page 468]

Cultural-Educational Activity

Cultural-educational activity took place within the framework of the Zionist organization. It concentrated mainly on organizing private lessons in the Hebrew language.

The only teacher was Mordechai Dawid Berl, of blessed memory, who made a great contribution to the dissemination of the Hebrew language among the young people in the city.

In order to increase the informational-cultural activity among the Jewish population in the city, the Zionist organization rented a large auditorium with two adjoining rooms in Duniavsky Street in the center of the city. Lectures, Hanukah parties and other activities which attracted a large segment of the population were held there. Later, the reading room and the “Ezra” library were transferred to that auditorium.

Even that library could not supply the greatly increasing needs of the movement and the public. In 1910, the folk library “Yidishe Folks Bibliotek” was established. It contained books in Hebrew, Yiddish, Polish and German – the four languages that had readers in Sandz at that time. Later on, both libraries were formed into one large library. Dr. Leon Silberman hastened to provide the necessary help, and placed the hall of the bank that had been established by him, at the service of the library. Persons of academic education, who volunteered their services, conducted the operation of the library. They were Yitzhok Weindling, Yitzhok Sander and Jacob Zeigler.

The maintenance of the Zionist activities in the city was, of course, linked to expenditures. It was difficult in those days to raise money to cover them. They were covered to a great extent, by Dr. Leon Silberman from his own pocket.

A Newspaper in Yiddish

The need for public information influenced the Zionist activists in town, who were not satisfied with the publications of the movement published in the big cities, to publish a local newspaper in Yiddish that would be devoted to the discussions of the local and general problems of the Jewish public. Following this discussion, the newspaper,”Sandzer Tsaytung” ['Newspaper of Sandz”], edited by Gershon Weinberg began to appear. Its columns were devoted to discussions with various assimilated personalities as well as reactions to the activities of the congregational activists.

The Association “Bes Sfer Evri Sfa Berura” [“Clear Language Hebrew School”]

In the early years of the Zionist organization in the city, it was enough to provide knowledge of the Hebrew language through private lessons. With the great development of its activities, there was an imminent need for an organized Hebrew School. In 1912, an association under the title “Bes Sfer Evri Sfa Berura” [“Clear Language Hebrew School”] was founded by Dr. Zvi Syrop, Dr. Leon Silberman, Dr. Bernard Silberman, Moshe Nussbaum and Alter Neumann. The new association began its activities immediately. In the academic year 1912-13, evening classes in Hebrew were already being conducted. The teachers of the evening classes were: Shimon Kuplinski and Mordechai Dawid Berl. At the same time, a kindergarten was established under the direction of two teachers.

[Page 469]

IMAGE

Kopelyanski's Hebrew Course, Approximately 1924

Standing from right to left: Goldfinger, his sister Sheindel Tores, unknown, Stern, unknown, Rushke Klausner, Aron (Arek) Eisenbach
Seated, from the right: Rukhl Klapholz, Rukhl Borgenicht, Kopelyanski, Greenhut, unknown
Sitting, below from the right: Grun, Westreich, Leibowitz

The improvement of Hebrew education in the city made a great impression on the sympathizers, as well as those who were against the movement. Until the First World War, the number of students increased. On the other hand, the Ultra Orthodox did not remain idle. For those who were against the Zionist movement and against the idea of the resurrection, the fact itself of the existence of a Modern Hebrew school was considered anathema. There was nothing they would not do in order to fight it and destroy it. Among other things, they would place guards near the entrance of the school. They made lists of the students who participated in the Hebrew lessons. On the basis of these lists, the Orthodox later sent letters to the parents warning them not to allow their children to participate in the classes. In their unrestrained fight against the Zionist school, the zealots did not avoid warnings of excommunication, etc. In connection with this, it is worth mentioning a characteristic event which demonstrates the relationship in those days, of the Zionists and their opponents among the zealots. One of the parents who received such a letter warning of excommunication, decided it would be better if they did not go to the synagogue; that was where the rabbi was praying. When the rabbi realized that those parents were absent, he inquired about it. When he found out about the threatening letters, he gave instructions to immediately stop the sending of the letters…

[Page 470]

The Struggle Against Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitic propaganda in Galicia was very strong at that time. On the eve of the First World War it reached very threatening proportions. It was customary for the Jew-haters, the Galician anti-Semites to fail to discriminate between a “good” Jew and a “bad” Jew. Between the Zionists who believed in Jewish national ideals and the zealots, were the Jews who were assimilated and called themselves “members of the Mosaic persuasion” and claimed to be thoroughly Polish. They sent their poison and hatred to both the Zionists and the zealots.

In Sandz, the anti-Semitism reached its peak during the visit of Nahum Sokolow [Zionist leader and journalist]. It was at the beginning of 1914 when Sokolow, came to Galicia at the invitation of the Zionist academicians so that he could lecture on language and war in the land of Israel. This was sponsored by the “Hilfsverein of the German Jews” [“Aid Association of German Jews”] which funded the budget of the Technion [Israel Institute of Technology] in Haifa to establish German as the language of instruction in that institute. Sokolow was invited to Sandz at the behest of the Zionist academicians under the leadership of Yitzhok Weindling.

The Galician journalists did not forget the Jewish Polish journalist's stand to defend his people against those who attack them. In all the cities of Galicia, as well as Sandz, Sokolow's appearance was a pretext for the propaganda of hatred. On the evening of the lecture, there were masses of people who came to listen to the words of the lecturer, and at that moment, the anti-Semites stormed the lecture hall. They disconnected the electric power and they attacked the participants with enormous fury. However, the Zionist organizers, who knew from the start what to expect from the mob, organized a special guard unit for this event. They overcame the mob and repulsed them. The lecture continued as planned and there were no other interruptions, thanks to the organizers. At the end of the lecture, hundreds of people accompanied the lecturer-the important guest-from the lecture hall to the party that was held in his honor in the home of Leon Silberman. There, a very festive party was held in honor of the guest. It made a great impression on all the participants. Even the assimilated sector of the city took part in the celebration. This was the first time in the history of the city that the assimilated population participated in an event organized by Zionists. The personality of the famous guest and the savage attacks against him on one hand, and the Jews of the town on the other, made the people who were attacked get closer to each other. They forgot their differences of opinion and extended a friendly hand to one another. When the eyes of the assimilated were opened to the true reality, they responded to the call of the Zionists to participate in mutual defense operations. As a result, a committee was formed of Zionists, Socialists as well as assimilated Jews, and immediately began to operate an extensive public relations campaign.

Among other things, this committee had published during a certain time, a newspaper in the Polish language entitled Nasz Glos [Our Voice] whose aim was to protect the Jews from the anti-Semitic propaganda. The editors of the newspaper were: Dr. Yirmiahu Frenkel, Yehoshua Fensterblau and Viktor Friedwald.

[Page 471]

The First World War

In the middle of the summer of 1914 the Great War broke out. It was to bring about radical changes in government and order in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. It endowed the Zionist movement with an international endorsement. In Sandz, all the Zionist activities stopped with the general mobilization and the national call for service at the front. Many of the young Zionists fell in the field of battle and among them, two members of the Zionist Academic Organization in town: Yitzhok Landau and Jacob Ziegler. Some of the Zionist leaders were also mobilized and others moved to other cities such as Vienna, Prague, etc – all that meant, of course, that all the Zionist activities ceased and were renewed after the First World War with the Balfour Declaration [The Balfour Declaration of 1917 was the first significant declaration by a world power in favor of a Jewish "national home" in what was known as Palestine. --news.bbc.co.uk].

The Regional Committee

The excitement and enthusiasm of the people, especially of the youth toward the Zionist ideal, made it clear that there was a need for greater usefulness and efficiency in the administration of the Zionist Organization. In order to instill the Zionist idea in every settlement where there was a Jewish community, the central institutions of the Zionist movement decided to organize regional committees. In the region of Sandz, local committees were chosen in the neighboring settlements. The representatives of these settlements were called to a regional conference that took place in Sandz, in the auditorium of the well-known bank in the city called the “Silbermanishe-bank”. At this conference, the committee of the General Zionists together with the representatives of the local committees was declared as regional committee.

Since expanding their area of activity, two rooms were rented in the home of Mrs. Sara Englander at Jagellonska Street. The “Ezra” library was moved there. Dr. Baruch (Bolek) Lustig was attached to the committee which took upon itself the duty of the administration.

Dr. Baruch Lustig, born in Kroœcienko, studied law (later practiced law in Kroœcienko and was murdered during the war). He graduated from the high school in Sandz and he belonged then to the student organization of the “Bney Zion“ high school. Later, he joined the organization of the Zionist academicians. In his Zionist activity, he devotedly fulfilled any function required of him.

In 1921, when Dr. Yitzhok Weindling left our city, Meir Landerer was asked to take upon himself temporarily, the operation of the Secretariat of the local council of the General Zionists, until a permanent candidate was found. After about a year, in 1922, Meir Landerer asked to be relieved of his position in the Secretariat because of differences in the ideological concept. After some time, Shimon Ziegler, member of the local council, declared that he had contacted Shlomo Terper and the latter had agreed to be elected to the committee and to take over the Secretariat.

Shlomo Terper, the son-in-law of Simcha Kleinman, was born in Nowy Targ, served in the army in our town as an officer. After his release from the service, he worked in his father-in-law's brick factory. In his function as secretary of the local council he proved to be capable, energetic and very devoted.

The Bes Sfer Evri Sfa Berura [“Clear Language” High School]

Close to 1920, the association of the Hebrew school Sfa Berura had renewed its activity. Rooms were rented in the apartment of Mr. Weiss at Dlugona Street, evening classes were initiated, Baruch Nicht was invited to teach. He remained for one year, and afterwards, Shimon Kuplinski was invited to teach. The latter was known in Sandz even before the First World War as an excellent teacher.

[Page 472]

Sandz in Aliyah

With the conquest of the land of Israel by the British at the end of the First World War, many considered it as the first phase toward the realization of the Balfour Declaration. All over the Diaspora a tremendous enthusiasm for the Yishuv [Jewish settlement in Palestine] in the land of Israel awakened. Many activities took place toward the training and preparation of young people toward aliyah. The office that was established by Zionist executives with the purpose of directing the activities toward settlement in the land of Israel considered the selection of appropriate human material as one of its most important aims. Candidates for aliyah required, first, suitable training for physical work, mainly for agricultural labor. The movement of pioneering emigration (aliyah) was endowed with particular importance by the Zionist organization in Sandz. There were two reasons for that: 1) Sandz was a Galician regional city near the Czechoslovakian border; that is why many of the Jewish pioneering youth in the various regions of Poland looked toward it. They yearned to reach the place where they could be closer to the leader in order to take advantage of the various possibilities of reaching Vienna. There was a concentration there of aliyah offices including the world office for settlement in the Land of Israel.

2) There were many agricultural farms in the neighborhood of Nowy Sacz where the Jewish pioneers could find work to prepare them for agricultural labor in the Land of Israel, where they were planning to settle.

The Zionists of Sandz had not prepared in advance for the role given to them. However, they did not recoil from the goal. An office dealing with the affairs of the Land of Israel was established there in the city. It took upon itself, among other functions, to link the various central institutions and to assist in attaining the main goal – aliyah to Israel.

The following were appointed as directors of the office: Dr. Bernard Silberman as chairman and Meir Landerer as secretary.

IMAGE

Committee kk”l [keren kayemeth leisrael {Jewish National Fund}]

[Page 473]

One of the first and most important duties of the office was to obtain employment for the pioneers who arrived in the city from all over Poland. Among the executors of that function was Rafael Mahler, who visited the agricultural farms in the area in order to obtain jobs for the pioneers.

The office for the affairs of the Land of Israel announced the receipt of applications of candidates for aliyah and began registration. It is worth mentioning that among the first to register were a father and son. Their registration made a great impression on the city. They were Yosef Schmaje and his son. The father was an Orthodox Jew sporting a beard and side curls, but he was, at the same time, an educated person devoted heart and soul to the Zionist idea. That was a very unusual phenomenon in those days in Sandz. Following their registration, they both made aliyah in 1920 and settled in Jerusalem.

With the strengthening of the aliyah movement, the need for pioneering training of Jewish youth had increased. In Sandz, the organization “Hechalutz”[ Zionist youth movement begun in Eastern Europe to promote settlement] had been founded from among the local youth. A number of the members came from our city. In connection with the preparation of the youth for aliyah, it is worth mentioning the devoted Zionist Zev (Wolf) Gelb, owner of an agricultural farm near the city. He invested much effort in the training of pioneers in agricultural work on his farm. He trained them to the best of his ability. Members of the first group that went through the training on Zev Gelb's farm were Meir Landerer, Dulek Green and Zachraya Landerer.

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