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Chapters in the History of Kremenets Jewry

Twenty-one Months under Soviet Rule

Aizik Hofman (Tel Aviv)

Translated to English by David Dubin


On the 10th of September 1939, the Polish government with its diplomatic corps escaped from Warsaw, on their way to Romania, through Kremenets – Zbaraz – Zaletschiki.

[Translation Editor's Note: Zbaraz (Zbarazh) is at 49 40 N / 25 47 E, 30.1 miles south of Kremenets. Zaletschiki (Zaleshchiki) is at 48 38 N / 25 44 E, 101.3 miles south of Kremenets.]

On their way they stopped in Kremenets for 3-4 days, and housed in hotels and the high school. The city has never witnessed such regal pomp, fancy cars, and consular representatives of foreign countries, their flags and symbols, as seen in those few days. Of all the countries' representatives, apparently only the Italian and USSR delegates had received a forewarning of the coming bombardment, and left in time, while the rest of the diplomats stayed.

On the morning of the next day the city was bombed; It was market-day, and hundreds of people were killed in this surprise attack, aimed to hit the government and cause confusion among the citizenry. Many left their homes to hide in the mountains and forests. Some returned at night while others stayed and slept in the open. This one shelling was sufficient to paralyze the life of the city.

On the 17th of September the citizens listened to radio Moscow announce the agreement between Russia and Nazi Germany. The people left their hiding places and awaited the arrival of the Russians. Some of the wealthy and the landowners escaped to Poland and Germany, but none of the Jews left the place. When the Red-Army arrived on the 22 nd, it was received cheerfully.

The mayor and the Polish police were ready to help the new regime in keeping order; a “temporary administration” was formed immediately – under the authority of the Russian army and politicians – to which were added some local clerks from the Jewish intelligentsia, and the Communists who were released from jails and returned to Kremenets.

In general, the new regime showed a tendency to favor the Jews who were an intellectual and devoted element, while among the Polish, many were members of nationalistic movements. During the early months of the Soviets' rule the Jewish population swelled by 5-8 thousand people; refugees from western Galicia and Congress Poland, escapees from the Nazis, returning students and other citizens who lived temporarily out of town. The tendency for families to reunite was growing stronger. Some from among the newcomers were absorbed into the governmental administration, others of the young Jews with technical education, who were denied the opportunity to work in their profession because of the Polish oppression, and so, were forced to go into commerce, were now able to pursue their skills.

Rapidly all the economic institutions prevalent in Russia were established: a national commerce network, national companies to utilize forests, for buying agricultural products and supplies. Industrial cooperatives were formed, like the large one for shoes. The coal and peat mines that were not in operation during the Polish regime were rehabilitated and employed many workers and clerks. In those enterprises, the refugees who did not know Russian, found work as laborers.

In those days they said that during the Soviet regime all three nations living in Volhyn were satisfied: Jews received jobs in offices; Poles were permitted to deal in second-hand clothes (before, they were jealous of the Jews who had a monopoly in it), Ukrainians were permitted to have their signs in Ukrainian (the official language in the governmental offices was Russian only).


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Until January 1940, economic life continued orderly; commerce was free, products were sold in stores according to the Ruble = golden exchange. Quite soon it was evident that stocks would not be replenished, resulting in rising prices. Delivery of supplies was irregular, and when sugar or manufactured goods arrived in the government stores, long lines were formed in front of them.

At the end of November 1939, though the retailers were left alone, any inventory of goods in the wholesalers' stores was gone, their keys and all their goods were confiscated without any compensation. This harmed the lumber and iron merchants most. After awhile the flourmills and bakeries were confiscated. Step-by-step, in a systematic and consistent way all commerce and industry was taken from the Jewish citizens.

At the end of 1939 the citizens were ordered to vote, for or against, annexing the city to the Ukrainian-Soviet republic. Obviously the Jews voted for the annexation. For fear of the authorities, or for having no choice, as when it was Hitler or the Soviets – they chose the Soviets.

In the spring of 1940 came an order for all the refugees to register and declare their choice, whether to stay in Russia or return to Nazi-held Poland. Many felt that the hardship of living under Soviet authority was too difficult, and believing that they would be given permission to leave, declared their wish to return. The result was not what they expected. One night, a squadron of the N.K.V.D. took them, and their families, and sent them to work camps in the Urals and Siberia. (The Polish citizens who were settled in the city's area, during the thirties, for the purpose of giving it a Polish character, were taken out in the same manner).

The Jews felt very miserable, but later realized that they were saved, while the others were annihilated.

* * *

The termination of national Jewish life came without the need for action by the authorities. The Jews understood that under Soviet rule, public activities were not acceptable, and they had better concern themselves with their personal needs only. The most outstanding public personality in our city was Dr. Binyamin Landsberg, the leader of the Zionist movement. He resigned all his public positions, moved to Lvov (where he was not known as a Zionist), and got a job as a teacher of Russian. After him, many of the other Zionist activists and members of the bourgeoisie moved to Lvov and other towns, which saved them from being deported (in the town of Dubnow many people were deported). Fear had done its job.

All the Zionist and other organizations ceased to exist. All the skilled people devoted themselves to adapting to the new way of life. The head of the NKVD in Kremenets was Kovlenko. While he hesitated when the Ukrainians and Poles questioned why he did not destroy the resources of the Zionist's movement, he replied, because even if he just wanted to ban Zionists' activities, it would be necessary to imprison the majority of Kremenets Jews in the jailhouse. And, yet, the Zionist Hebrews are useful and faithful subjects to the Soviet regime. And, indeed, the Jews adapted themselves quickly to life under the new regime.

Use of language in public life soon changed. Without being forced, the Yiddish language that was used during meetings of trade unions, gave way to Russian and Ukrainian.


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The public and cultural life of the Jews was cut completely. Stopped were the meetings and conventions, organizations were terminated; even the “Dramakryz”, the amateur theater group of the trade union groups ceased to exist. The movie-house continued to function, of course, but showed only Russian movies.

Key positions were given, generally, to party members who came from eastern Russia, and were “Easterners” (“Vastatshniki”), and were assisted by some local Communists. For example, Meir Pinchuk (a former member of “HaShomer HaTzair” turned Communist), was appointed in charge of the High School, and his wife on other schools. “Tarbut” school existed, but in a physical way only; same building, furniture, and teachers, but the language used was Russian and Ukrainian, the teaching system and contents completely changed.

It is interesting to note that some of the Jewish laborers who were leaning towards communism, thought that now they would be relieved from labor and would be given positions in government institutions, but the new authorities preferred choosing from the intelligentsia, and rejected them completely, or gave them a minor job, like in charge of a storage plant. Because of their lack of knowledge in business management, they often got in trouble in their new jobs and later were accused by inspectors of wasting public property; then they were arrested or exiled. True, in the long run [these] actions benefited the exiled, as it saved their lives. Note, also, that the Communist party was a “closed shop”; during 21 months not one new member was accepted: “slowly, first you have to adjust to us, prove your allegiance, then your time will come to join”… But the time never arrived.

The war between the U.S.S.R. and Germany erupted with a surprise on the 22 of June 1941; four days later the Germans were near the city. The town's people tended to move east, deep into Russia, but soon came an order that none is to leave his job, or he will be considered a deserter. Most people accepted the edict and stayed in town. Only a minority, a few hundred young persons, took a chance and left town for the east, in 26-27 of June, while the echoes of shots sounded behind them. At the previous border, by Yampol, Likhovtsi and others, they got into arguments with the border guard, but eventually were let through to the depth of Russia and thus were saved.

[Translation Editor's Note: Yampoli currently is known as Yampol. It is at 49 58 N / 26 15 E, 25.4 miles ESE of Kremenets.
Likhovitsi may be either Lukavets at 49 51 N / 25 10 E, 19.9 miles SW of Kremenets, or, more likely, Lyakhovtsy (now known Belogror'ye) at 50 00 N / 26 25 E, 31.8 miles ESE of Kremenets.]

Why did not many leave, but stayed and were annihilated? There were several reasons for that: First, a strong belief that the Germans would win and overtake the escapees. And so it is preferable to await them at home and not breakup the family; Second, though the Nazi's cruelties were known by then, the atrocities of the extermination were not known yet; Third, many hesitated to endanger themselves by acting against the authorities who forbade leaving the town.

After awhile the policy was changed by Stalin's famous order commanding the loyal citizens to leave their places, burn and destroy everything, and leave behind only scorched land. Many Jewish settlements like towns in Besarabia and others, obeyed the order, moved east and were saved. For the Jews of Kremenets the order arrived too late; by the time it was announced, their fate was set for annihilation.



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Courageous Spirit

Brigadier Y. Avidar (Jerusalem)


The bravery and courage of my town's Jews are engraved deep in my memory. They proudly stood against all foes and attackers, defending life and honor. From the oldest to the youngest they were imbued with heroic spirit, and when the time came they were ready to fight back. Here are some episodes from my youth.

When the news about the pogroms in Proskurov reached our town, our business-school, which was attended by Jews and gentiles, was engulfed in a hostile atmosphere against the Jews. Provocative writings appeared on the walls proclaiming “ We'll do to you like in Proskurov” and others like it. The Jewish students, minority in the class, were attacked the “Shkotsim” (hoodlums). A fight in the third grade (13 years olds) between the two national groups lasted about an hour, and the non-Jews got beaten badly. The teachers could not stop the fight, until the trusted and liked school principal, Yefim Konstantinovits Domanski, intervened. He was able to finally stop the fight.

When I was just a small boy in preschool, a Russian student, the son of the police commissioner, insulted me and called me “Zhid”. I did not let him get away with this; on the way home I followed him, hitting him all the way from school to his home. The commissioner complained and the principal called me and informed me, officially, that a complaint was written against me. I replied that it is true, I did hit the boy, but that he deserved it as he insulted my people. The principal accepted my explanation and did not punish me. More than once, during games, when a group of Jewish children felt insulted by their gentile friends, a fight would ensue. And though fewer, they did not shrink back, and more often than not, they won.

Brigadier Moshe Carmel told me his impressions after visiting our town and meeting its youth. In the different towns that he visited as a representative of the “HaKhaluts HaTsair” (the young pioneer), he witnessed incidents of cowardice among the Jewish youth, when intimidated by the “Shkotsim”. In Kremenets the situation was completely different. When walking out of town with a group of boys, near the river Ikva, or on the mountains, gentile boys often attacked them. After seeing the reaction of the boys from other towns, they expected his group to run away, and were surprised to see an immediate marshaling for defensive battle, fighting and hitting their foes until they ran away. Such were our town's children, such was our youth, and this was the spirit of the grownups.

In a later period, during Polish rule, I remember soccer tournaments between the Jews and the Poles. When the Polish group was going to lose, the Polish audience would start to provoke the Jewish audience, but the gentiles ended up being the losers.

Pogroms were not perpetrated on Jews in Kremenets. This was not because the gentiles of our town and its surroundings [didn't want to], but mainly because the Jewish population was courageous and knew how to stand and defend themselves in times of trouble. During years, days of civil wars, frequent changing of governments, the Jewish population had an established “self-defense” group, in different forms or names, sometimes joined by the gentiles and other times without, according to the current situation. However, the initiative and instructions were of, and by, the Jews. In the interval between governments – and some times that lasted for days – authority was in the hands of the “Haganah” (Defense).


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Most of the time, the new authorities acknowledged the Haganah as a semi-official citizen defense force. In this form, it continued until the new “revolution”.

The existence of the Haganah imbued a feeling of security and pride in the town's people. I can still recall the strong effect on me, a young boy, watching the Haganah's guard-platoon striding confident, guns in hand, in the center of the street, guarding the city's peace. My heart was full of pride, because my brother Khanokh Rokhel and my cousin Avraham Biberman, were among the guards, erect and confident, their guns bayoneted. Well remembered is a Polish man, Mr. Visotski, who was a big help to the Haganah organization.

In 1917, all of Russia was raging in the throes of the revolution. On the eve of the Bolsheviks' take-over, eruptions of hooligans started. Those were not just “under-world” persons, but also some of the decent citizens who felt it to be an opportune time for reckoning with the Jews. Near Mr. Goldenberg's store, on Shiroka St., a pogrom was organized under the leadership of an officer in the motorcycle troupe that was stationed in the area. The Jewish “Druzhina” showed up immediately, and dispersed the hooligan gang. Their evil plot was nullified.

I remember another aborted pogrom in our town. During the changing of governments, a sort of authority-vacuum was created in the city. The gentiles in the suburbs “smelled” the odor of lawlessness; tempted by the army's supplies which were housed in the large seminary's buildings, they started to ransack and loot them. The farmers from the area rushed into town to join them in robbing and looting. A bloody storm was at the city gates. There was no doubt that as soon as the lawless crowd was done there, it would proceed to the Jewish areas of town and start looting and murdering. The “Pogrom” was felt in the air. Rapidly the Haganah groups organized, showed up at the entrance to the center of the town, prevented the gangs of “hooligans” from entering the city's boundary and put an end to the looting.

The self-defense of the Jews in Kremenets was not a passing episode; it existed for many years, by different names and different forms: “Druzina” “The home protection” “Self protection” and “Civil Militia”. Remembered is Mr. Ezriel Gorngut, the active Zionist and “Rav mi'taam” who was a long time leader of the Civil Militia. The young members of the Haganah trained themselves in the skill of weapons usage. There was a constant concern for acquisition of weapons and ammunition, as most of theirs were acquired from those abandoned during the changes of governments. Though they were required to relinquish their weapons to the new authorities, they made sure that they were not left empty handed. Most of the time they had a few hundred guns. The organizing ability of the Haganah should be noted; excellent order, responsibility, care and protection and registering of the property, command, guarding, slogans, messenger-boys, and even an information bureau for finding out, ahead of time, about impending changes of authorities, so as to be ready and well organized.

Who were the members of that self-defense? Mostly from among the Zionist youth and the students, but also grown up citizens and many of the general population.

The existence of the self-defense organization in Kremenets was well known in the area, near and far, and maybe that was the reason that our town was spared the blood baths that visited many towns in Volhyn and Podolia during the years after the First World War.

There are some who attribute the heroic character of our town's Jews, to living in the mountainous area. But the Zionist idea, which permeated more and more into the Jewish heart, strengthened it's spirit, and awakened its feelings of personal and national pride and honor.

Valiant youth, a proud Jewish settlement – How you became so plundered!



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R' Yitskhak Ber Levinzon [the RYB”L]

Ben-Or (Orinovski)

the book “ Chapters in the New Hebrew literature's history”


RYB”L, his life and personality

The RYB”L in his personage, civic and literary activities, symbolized the cultural movement that was started among the southern Russian Jews during his lifetime. He devoted his life to fulfill the demands of the time and the essential public needs and duties, while abandoning his personal affairs and needs. Forty years (1820-1860) he lived in his native city Kremenets, in Volhyn, a life of loneliness, poverty, and poor health, his house standing at the edge of town. The poet A.B. Gotlover describes him so:
“The house is small and narrow, only one room built of wood and reeds, plastered with mud in and out. The furniture consist of a rickety table, a small simple chair, and a bed like of the poorest of poor in Israel, and upon it the man I was seeking – the great, wise Rav, RYB”L, the one after whom we start counting the new era in the Jewish annals in Russia.”

In this house RYB”L was bedridden, his nerves weak, and his body emaciated and weak, not able to take even a few steps. He lived like a hermit secluded from the world around him, but from his poor dwelling removed from life's noises, and in spite of his weakness, he sent his messages to his people and the Russian government, courageously and tirelessly, battling on two fronts: the inner and outer, and scored victories. In this house he wrote many books and penned memorandums to the government. He never veered from his self-assigned life's duties. In this house Jewish intellectuals and gentile government officials often visited him. Among them was the Russian government minister, Graf D.A. Tolstoy, who described him as a monk and a holy man.

RYB”L was the first Hebrew intellectual in Russia well versed in Russian and added to the Russian culture, and not to the German. His father, R' Yehuda Levin, a wealthy Kremenets merchant, a Jewish scholar and intellectual, taught him Jewish studies and Russian, and instilled in him patriotic feelings to Russia. From which came his belief that ”What the government wants for us, is peace and our best”. This brought the turning point in the intellectual movement from German to the country's native language. He also wrote the first Russian grammar book in Hebrew, named “The basics of the Russian language”. During the Napoleonic wars, the young RYB”L and his wife lived in the border town of Radzivilov (1812), and worked in the Russian army as an official translator and garnered distinctions. When the war was over he composed a poem “Sounds of heroism” to honor the victorious Russia.

The defense minister sent the poem to the government, as a proof of mother-land-love in the hearts of the Russian Jews. From then on, RYB”L was honored by the government, was gifted with prizes for his books and listened to attentively for his advice on regulations for the Jews. Legendary stories circulated among the Jews about his great influence in the government ministers' circles. Thanks to this influence he succeeded to some degree in achieving his ideas in education. What were his ideas?


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Click here to extend the picture - kre072s.jpg [4 KB]
Collage of life
of R’Yitskhak Ber Lewinzon


First, reforming the educational system: “Establish schools to teach Jewish children Torah, religion and the commandments; ethics, and integrity towards the sovereignty and the nation among whom they live, learn their language, arithmetic, and the sciences. Teach the young girls and boys a profession or skill, because idleness and unemployment are the roots of sin; it is not necessary that all should be Rabbis, all smart, all proficient in a few languages, all physicians, philosophers, poets.”

Second, reform the Rabbinical organization, and community leaders: “A national head Rabbi should be elected, an eminent scholar, judicious and wise, with a large assembly of wise and scientific minded scholars to serve as his law court. Wise and honored wealthy citizens should be elected, to oversee and tend to, the needs of the community's members.” Also, “There should be preachers who do not talk with hints and Kabala, but about the duties of the heart and such.”

Third, correcting the economic conditions: The government should give, to at least a third of the nation, land for farming and raising cattle and sheep, as was done by our forefathers… And all the people of the Jewish nation should be forbidden, by order of the Rabbis, to wear expensive and silken clothes, silver, gold, and precious stones, to use silver and gold vessels and utensils, or ride in fancy carriages. In principle: they should not live in luxury, as it is the custom of today, that even the poorest of the poor dresses his sons and daughters as one of the wealthy men. The truth is that all those luxuries are at the root of all the corruption that resulted from our sins. The nation of Israel, and particularly our brothers, the sons of our nation, that are dedicating themselves to working the land, should make all the effort to distance themselves from any luxury, to live a simple life, wear inexpensive, plain but clean clothes.”


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These ideals were of the general enlightenment movement, and the ideas of the RYB”L were in a practical formulation: he was the first of our scholars to draft for the Hebrew population, a clear, definite, detailed plan for all the needed reforms in our lives. His belief and trust in the Russian government, and the importance of instilling a patriotic foundation in the nation, was another of his new ideas. In the beginning of the 19th century the RYB”L was able to proclaim, proudly, that the Russians “never lifted a hand against a Jewish soul” as opposed to the Poles and the Ukrainians and all the other western nations… Obviously he did not see the future, as the enlightenment blinded his vision, but at least some of his ideas came into fruition: Under his influence special schools were opened for Jewish children, rabbinical colleges (beit-midrash) in Vilna and Zhitomir, a review board for Hebrew books was formed, and Jewish settlements for Jewish farmers were established in southern Russia.

Though on the outside he saw the start of reforms for the benefits of the Jews, on the inside things were not well. Jewish life in Volhyn was mired deep in ignorance and extreme fanaticism, and his goal was – “to open blind eyes”… Spiritually he was close to the enlightened scholars of Galicia, kept friendly ties with them and followed in their path. When young, he lived about twelve years (1813-1824) in Galicia and was inspired by the satirists Perl and Arter. He wrote the satire “Words of the Righteous” that is a sort of an epilogue to the book: “Uncovering the hidden” “Valley of the Spirits”- as in “Lower Hell” where the righteous and all Jewish sinners and where the soul recounts all that has befallen it. (“Valley of the Spirits” came before “Transmigration of Souls” took place.) But the grandeur of RYB”L was not by way of satire, but as a writer on current scientific affairs. From the Galician School he inherited the importance of history as a basic principle for understanding Judaism and its needs. He was not a philosopher like RN'K (R' Nakhman Krokhmal), or a scholarly researcher like ShY'R (Shlomo Yehuda Rapaport). For that reason, there is no scientific value to his many books, which contain long articles dealing with currant problems that he solves from a so-called scientific-historic aspect. RYB”L was expert in all our ancient literature's secrets, and highly knowledgeable in languages and sciences. He was diligent in his studies even when ill. In far away Kremenets he found the historian Chetski's large library, and studied scientific books day and night. He acquired basic knowledge in Arabic, Syrian, Aramaic, Greek, and Roman (Latin), in the new philosophy and other sciences. All his scholastic learning was his means to achieving his life's goal: to reform the life of the Jews, to rejuvenate and establish it on solid ground, and on basic blending of Judaism with Humanism, on the laws of Israel and the culture of the nations;. Having a great talent as an author, he knew how to utilize his knowledge for basic, theoretical, convincing propaganda.

In his scientific-current affairs books, there is no stormy war about religion, but peaceful words of explanation. RYB”L was a pious, orthodox Jew, follower of all the religious laws, and Jewish customs. He did not change the way he dressed, always wore a hat, careful with all the light as with the serious commandments. His behavior gave the Khasidim no room for finding fault in him; a fact that irked them a great deal, because he was looked up to by the young generation, who saw in him a living proof that general education (Haskala) does not negate the validity of religion. In truth, in his many books he kept on emphasizing that
“Observance of the Torah's laws is vital to the existence of the nation, because only those laws link all of the Jews as one, friends all. If not for them our nation would have been lost, assimilated, absorbed by the other nations. Anyone not following the Torah's laws is betraying the nation. Jewish customs should be dear to any Jew who wants his nation to continue its existence, unless he is an abhorrent offshoot, planted among us from without – In all our laws is logic and mystery unknown to us, and it behooves us to follow them according to God's edict without reason or argument”. He was extremely angered to read of the 'Bible's critics”, who write openly and by innuendos, against prophesies, deny the truth of the miracles told within, and God's protection of his nation Israel, etc.”

In his will he is revealed as a highly moral and ethical person; his will includes 13 cautionary notes:


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“You must trust God all the time and in every place; to refrain from anger, hostility, and holding a grudge; to speak truthfully; to have your words reflect what's in your heart; not to slander others; not to have sinful thoughts; speak gently with all people; admit to the truth; consider people to be innocent; it is preferable to be insulted than to insult others; refrain from chasing after honors; not to swear even on the truth, and not to ask God to be relieved of the test, because you do not know if you will be able to resist.”

The RYB”L was a religious ethical person, devoted to his people and looking for its betterment as he saw it. Because he was well received by government officials, and was an interceder for his people, even those who envied him did not harm him. He worked with tremendous diligence and wrote his long and many books.


The books of RYB”L

As mentioned, he started his literary work with words of satire, but sometimes he showed a “weakness” and composed poems and rhetoric, epigrams, and riddles. Those were published in his pamphlets “RYB”L's pouch” (Yalkut RYB”L) and “Author's Scholarly Collections” (Eshkol Ha'Sofer), and in spite of it, their writer cautioned that “these are not worthy to be called 'poems'.” He also published linguistic research papers: “Lebanon's Roots” (Shorshey Levanon), “Shem's Tents” (Ohaley Shem), and others. These are not valuable; being shallow, for the author lacked the knowledge of modern methods of linguistics research. More important were his books “Zrubavel” “No Bloods” (Efes Damim), and “Akhiya the Shilonite” (Akhiya Ha'Shiloni). In those he defended Judaism in general and the Talmud in particular, against the accusers and hate mongerers “among allies and adversaries” who are attacking with insults and defamations. He fought fiercely against all the vicious false charges, particularly the “blood-libel” (Alilat-Dam) that our enemies had accused us of. Those books show us his deep love of the nation, and his bravery in talking openly with the anti-Semites declaring his favor for Judaism over Christianity. The Talmud was hated by the Russian government and by the extreme “enlightened” among us, but RYB”L was an adoring admirer of Judaism and all its holiness, and especially of the people who weaved their life style in accordance to Talmudic Judaism. The defense of Judaism and its values, against the anti-Semites who ruled ruthlessly in Russia, and the heretics who “defile and degrade all that is holy to us” is the way the nation fights for its culture and existence among the other nations – was the goal of RYB”L, and to it he dedicated himself more then to preaching for scholarly enlightenment, for craftsmanship, and for farming the land.
With all those, his main greatness is in his enlightenment-propaganda books: “Teuda b'Yisrael” and “Beyt Yehudah”.

[Translator's Note: These titles translate to, Purpose in Israel, or Testimony for Israel, and House of Judah or Tribe of Judah, respectively.]


Teuda b'Yisrael

In his preface to this book RYB”L tells that “pastors and friends, despisers of falsehood and lies” asked him to explain to them which are the necessary studies, beside the Talmud and the Commentaries, “for the perfection of the general humanity, and the Jewish perfection in particular.” From their words, five main questions stood out:
  1. Is it a duty for the Jew to study the holy tongue according to the rules of grammar, or is the translation of the words that are in the holy writings and the Talmud to the spoken language sufficient, the way it is customary in the schoolrooms (Kheder)?,
  2. Is he permitted to study foreign languages?
  3. Is he permitted to study the sciences and literature of other nations?
  4. What is the usefulness in learning languages and sciences?
  5. Would not their usefulness end up as a loss they will cause to the religion and faith?


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RYB”L answers those questions in the four chapters of his book. In the first he brings evidence from the Talmud, the Commentaries, and the rabbinical literature, that [it is essential] to know the Hebrew language and understand the holy books – first by understanding the words, as based on their grammatical construction. With this he also emphasizes the national reason: “by its tongue would nations be recognized, and be distinct from each other.” Not in vain does our ancient literature identify the concepts “Nation and Tongue” “All the nations and the tongues” and how can a man be called a “Hebrew, when he does not know Hebrew?”. Besides that, the Hebrew language “became the link of the religion to the existence of the nation; the central pillar to latch all our exiled brothers that are spread among different nations, from one corner of the universe to the other. How would they express their ideas to each other in distant lands, if not by using the holy tongue that is common to all Jews?”

In the second chapter he shows proof that the Jews always knew and spoke Aramaic, Greek, Arabic, etc. and that “there is no holiness nor defilement in writing and speaking different languages” and a book in Hebrew is not “kosher and pure” and a book in a foreign language is not “ unfit and profane”. He talks bitterly about the Jews that speak “not in their holy tongue, and not in a pure and clear tongue of the local language like German or Russian”… As a practical man, he points to the economic benefits for the Jews, from knowing the country's language, which will afford them business contacts with the local people and government officials.

In essence, his third chapter's main idea is this: “Know, dear reader, that any and all knowledge, small or large, is very essential for a person, therefore he has to study and know it, as there is no wisdom and knowledge that will not benefit us – and only the simpletons that God destroyed their intelligence, and the contaminated fools, will undermine this wisdom.

For the purpose of giving strength to this opinion, the RYB”L brings a long, chronological list of the Jewish sages from the ancient times to the Vilna Gaon, who were outstanding in knowledge and erudite in all fields of wisdom. But, “All the knowledge and sciences in their time compared to those of our time, were lacking. So, when we say that our ancients were eminent scholars, the meaning is as far as knowledge was available in those days.”

The RYB”L knew, though, that the salvation of Israel is not in education alone, and he dedicates the last chapters of his book to [the idea that] “the duty of a Jewish man is to learn a profession or a craft so that he can support himself.” Again he relies on the scholars of the Talmud, bringing as an example their writings, which praise labor and condemn idleness. As in: “Any person who does not teach his son a craft, is as if he teaches him robbery” and he lists a line of teachers (tanaim) and sages (amoraim) who were shoemakers, tinsmiths, woodcutters, porters, tanners, etc. After much deliberation, he comes to the conclusions that: a) The Jews lived in their country, and in other countries, for long periods as an agrarian people; b) The Jewish religion admires all forms of work, especially agriculture; c) The Jewish nation is capable even now to revolutionize its way of life, and turn from commerce to agrarian nation; d) The time when the Jews had to grasp the business way of life, was during the middle-ages, when Jews were restricted and dispossessed of all economic positions but commerce and money-lending; e) Now, when the sun of general education and love of your fellow men “is shining in the world” it behooves us to follow the advice of the Russian government, to abandon the life of business which is full of lying and cheating, and start working in agriculture, which brings true happiness to men. And in this “we will gain respect in the eyes of his Majesty the King, who wants us to be happy and successful …”

A few months after the book's publication (1828), the RYB”L received a thousand Rubles from Czar Nikolai the First, “for a book in the Hebrew language, whose purpose is the correction of the morals of the Jewish nation.” The book made a great impression on the enlightened scholars, but caused a great anger among the Khasidim.


[76]

Beyt Yehuda

This is the most scientific book of RYB”L. It is a kind of historiography on the history of Judaism, the aim of which is to prove that study of Hebrew scholasticism is not a new “heretical” one, but that it stems from historical Judaism. The book closes with a lecture on the necessary practical reforms that are needed in the life of the Jews. This book, too, has left a great impression on our world.



RYB”L Among Children

Dictated by L. Rosenthal

(Presented for publication by M. D-N “My world” a newspaper for young people)

Translated to English by Thea Persoff


In the days of RYB”L, Jewish children were educated in “kheders” and in “yeshivas” in which only holy studies and Jewish religion were taught, but the children did not receive general education there. More so, the orthodox Khasidim in those days prohibited their sons from reading history books or mathematics, etc. Anyone who wanted to read such books was forced to do it in secret.

One summer, the government issued a command to open special schools throughout the country, for the Jewish children to be taught general learning and knowledge.

The orthodox Jews were sorry, as it seemed to them as if their children were led into apostasy.

Y. B. Levinzon was the single Jewish person in Kremenets who liked this edict. He lived on Gorna Street, which was named by the locals “Tyrants street.” Because of his grave illness he could not live in his house on the heavily trafficked and noisy Shiroka Street. Alone he stayed in his house on the quiet “Tyrants Street” and daily he was carried outside to enjoy the sun's healing warmth and light. At one time, while sitting on his bed wrapped in a heavy robe and smoking his long pipe, he was disturbed from his rest by a Jewish man, running and screaming that his son was registered to the school by the authorities. Raising his arms to the heavens and howling that his son was taken to “Shmad” (apostasy, conversion)… Many children were following him perplexed and frightened. The RYB”L called the children to him and softly explained to them that the government did them a favor by opening schools for them, where they will learn Torah and knowledge, the country's tongue, and the history of nations, then they will not be ignorant as before. The children, who liked him for a long time, accepted his words with affection, and lost their fear.

A day will come – predicted old RYB”L – when fathers will feel sorry when their children will be “secondary” in school. Among those children was also my mother, who to this day remembers the words of RYB”L.



[Page 77]

On the Value of Crafts and Agriculture

(A collection of ideas from the writings of RYB”L)

Translated to English by Thia Persoff


We were already ordered to teach our sons crafts, as was told by our sages: the father is obligated to his son to teach him a craft. R' Yehuda said: “ any one who does not teach his son a craft, is as if he is teaching him thievery .”

And what R' Nehorai said: “ I disregard all the crafts in the world, and teach my son the Torah, only ”, was explained by the MHRSH”A z”l that he does not mean for a person not to teach any craft altogether, but he will teach it to him in a casual manner, because the teaching of a craft is a firm charge on every father.

[Translator's Note:
MHRSH”A : M= moreynu (our teacher) H= ha'rav (the rabbi) R = rebbi Sh = Shmuel A = Aidels.
z”l: Z = zikhrono (his memory) L = l'brakha (be blessed).]

And it was written in “Avot”: “Any knowledge without a craft, is bound to end in idleness, followed by sin”. The RMB”M z”l said: “Anyone that occupies himself with studying the Torah exclusively, and will not work but live on charity – profanes the Lord and shames the Torah, and puts out the light of religion, and causes damage to himself, and excludes his life from the next world (olam ha'ba) as it's forbidden to get pleasure from the writings of the Torah.”

From now on I will not keep my lips sealed, but alert my brethren and my people to another ill that has taken deep roots among us, and this is it: Why have we - men and women, small and big, rich and poor - made commerce our goal? Why don't we follow in the steps of our ancient forefathers, and work the land too? Why did we despise it, distance ourselves from it; and today none of us is a farmer or a rancher. The people loathed this work, but it is unjustified; [they] held it, unfairly, in contempt; This occupation was never contemptible, nor degrading, but the opposite: since days bygone it was considered honorable and was glorified, and received top praise; for out of it comes life, and not only the poor did it, but also the nobles and the gentry. Princes and kings too, plowed their land and harrowed their fields.

And for a fact we will see, when we explain, that the supreme wisdom is in teaching the people of Israel to be only a realm of farmers, not businessmen. First: each person in Israel received, as his property, a plot of land to cultivate so he could provide food and all the necessities, for himself and his family. Second: in all the promises for the future that are written in the Torah, the blessings, and the curses, for riches and for privation, you will not find anything, but about field, vineyard and livestock.

Out of all these we conclude that: a) the main occupation of the Israeli man for making a living in ancient days, was working the land, which was desirable and honorable in his eyes, b) that the law of our holy Torah, not only is not against working the land, but [working the land] is commanded by it, c) that a Jewish man is capable of doing this kind of work today, like any other person from another faith, is in opposition to what our antagonists say: that the law of our Torah is against it, and that it is not in the Jew's nature to be able to do this kind of work, and d) that commerce was foreign to the ancient Israeli man, and he did not know of it, or of its name. Their sons who came after them and intermingled among the gentiles had slowly learned from them. As was explained a few hundred years ago, the business of commerce increased with us, and we got so used to it, that today it has become second nature to the Jew.



[Page 78]

The Student Traveling to his Teacher

A chapter from the book The virgin from Ludmir by Yokhanan Tverski

Translated to English by Thia Persoff


… Mountains surround Kremenets; Mountains related to the Carpathians, drawn and extended from them, and make it seem as if it is sitting in hiding; Mountains, of which the distance nearly nullify into suspension of blue, hardly realized for a moment, and those that are close to be seen. The “Bona” mountain rises and overlooks the whole town, the center of the region.

“Do you see the fortress over there, on the mountain?” says the cantor from Zaslav, the one who travels for his earnings, and is eager to find listeners for his tales. For a moment Benjamin concentrates his mind on the tall, strong buildings; on the cannons lying in wait, taking aim at the valley; on a tower on which you can stand at the top and see everything that is going on in the area.

And there, my dear people, at the top of the mountain, there is a deep pit called “The pit for the condemned to death.” The story told is, soldiers that have done wrong by the King, are punished and then lowered and concealed in it. Yes, that hollow, they say, is full of bones.

The horses are raising dust; an incline drags a wagon down to the town. On the mountains and the outskirts of Kremenets are areas of Ukrainians, Russians and Poles, gardens and orchards surround their houses. In the town and its two suburbs only the Jews live.

Benjamin descends, rummaging in his money-pocket, and paying the wagoner. Suddenly a feeling of complete freedom assails him, as always when in a foreign place. He enters an inn in the Dubna suburb. In the room are sitting a few merchants that came to the fair, and some passengers that happened to stop by. The landlady places in front of them bowls of food.

“I heard” says one of the guests, while slicing bread on the table, “that some of your town's people had petitioned the government for land!”

“Yes, fifty-two families!” answered the landlady.

“Give me some good brandy, from the best!” The man moves the edges of his coat a bit, to prevent wrinkling. In truth, how odd, that Jewish people will take upon themselves, willingly, to be “Gentiles”…. farmers working the land!
“Is this the influence of the “ Teuda ” by the up-coming rising leader?”

[Translator's Note: This refers to the book “ Teuda b'Yisrael ” written by RYB”L.]

Benjamin exits the room.

On the small veranda stands a young woman, the sun gilding her yellow eyelashes. She rubs and buffs a large Samovar, while humming a song to herself, pronouncing the words in a Volhyn dialect: A soldier's bride is not worth a quarter / like a calf he'll be lead to the slaughter!

“Excuse me, could you be so good and tell me where does Yitzkhak Ber Levinzon live?”

Her face took on a blush. “Who?”

“Yitzkhak Ber Levinzon, the famous sage.”

“Oh, you probably mean Itzik-Berl Yidel's!” she said, happy that she realized whom he meant, and started again, to rub and shine the copper, ambidextrously. “He is not liked in our town.”

“No? Why? He is a great man and a wonderful scholar.”

“A seducer and an instigator, it's been said.”


[Page 79]


“Heaven forbid!”

“And he is eloquent, always has assertions and arguments. And he is very close to the 'movers and shakers' in the government.”

“No, everyone is seeking his company, because he is of our nation's scholars.”

The young woman realizes now, that disreputable words about the old man are somehow insulting to the young man. She does not want to upset him. After all, he is not speaking to her as to a servant, the way all others do. But why does he champion the man? She raises her head.

“Are you two related? Are you a real relative of his?”

“Yes, in spirit.”

The young woman unrolls her sleeves. The Samovar is ready; buffed all over and its copper shines like a mirror, but she stays. It is clear that she is happy to continue conversing with the tall open-faced young man, even though she is puzzled by his words.

“And they say more in the town. You should know, here in Kremenets they can drown a man in a spoon of water. He always cries that he is in dire poverty – and he has a servant at home. She is waiting, they say, that he should leave her an inheritance of his money. But what nasty tongues and scoundrels say here in Kremenets should befall the trees and stones! But he is sick – this is true. Did you come to visit him?”

“Sick?”

“Yes. Did you not know? And you said that you are related to him. He hated his wife, and before they were divorced she put a little poison, deathly poison, in his soup. She was a bad-tempered one. Since then he is sick with some sort of a fever.”

“Are those words true” Benjamin asks himself, or are they imaginary suppositions of his enemies?

“And where does he live?”

From behind the door is heard the voice of the fat landlady, thin and sharp:

“Shifra?! What happened to you there? Where is the Samovar?”

The young woman lowers her voice, “At the edge of the town…Go straight from here then turn left.”

Benjamin turns, walking the long stretching town. Here is the school for priests, called “Seminary”; Crosses load the domes, inner and outer buildings, front and back yards connected to each other… its grove thick with trees, climbing up to Mount “Vidomka”. The street is named “Broad Street”, probably in jest, as it is narrow and tight. Pathways twist and turn towards the “Bona”…

At the edge of town, far from its tumult and noises, Benjamin stops in front of a small house. People who go to the homes of the famous, in their own town or in others, come to this clay cottage. There is power in him, the writer of the “Teuda” to debate with the world's scholars!

Benjamin's heart is beating hard and fast. To a cautious knock, an old woman who is all bones and tendons appears. The servant? Following her, he enters, eyes taking in the room and its contents.

By the square, a crisscrossed single window, stands a rickety table, tottering from old age. Across from the entrance – a raised-sides bed, made in a haphazard way. As in every sickroom, it seems, the center is the sick person, among the few pieces of furniture. And in the center of the center – He.

His head is crowned by long, wispy, messy hair, thickening near his earlobes, maybe side locks, maybe curls. A head of a man that is heard to tell his correct age – his rounded beard looks youthful here, and snowy there.


[Page 80]


Benjamin wants to rush to his master and teacher and shake his hand, but realizes that the other is not at all aware of his existence.

“ Well, did you go to him?” Levinzon asks the woman in a meek voice, as if she is the lady of the house.

“ I certainly did.” she answers.

“And he sent you back empty-handed?”

“ No. He sent you a different book. Here! He said, 'What is the difference? The essence is learning!'”

Yitzkhak Ber Levinzon's face turned greenish white. “There is no such sorrow as when you request something that you want, and receive a thing that you do not want. And this from a man who is an important member of the community, supposedly intelligent.”

“And did you send the letters that I gave you?” Levinzon continued.

“I sent. What do you think, I did not send? But what good is it? You write and write – and nothing!”

Levinzon, focused on their talk, does not see the stranger. However, his presence in the room makes him feel self-conscious, embarrassed and angry. Because of that he boasts:

“Nothing, you said? His Majesty the King gifted me with his support. His honor, the King himself! And, the Education under-secretary in Lodov wrote, that the prize given me is 'for a book in the Hebrew language, about moral reform for the nation of Israel'. No, I do not waste my time! You will see. All the philanthropists in the world will answer and grant my request.”

The old woman exits quietly. Now Levinzon focuses his attention on the stranger. Was it not, really, to him that he directed his last words? But now he looks at him with distrust, as if searching him inside and out. He feels that the young man's looks, which radiate health, has a calming influence on his nerves. There are times when a person has a strong need for the closeness of strangers, as they are helpful in calming his spirit.

“Enter, please!” he says softly, as if contrite for his previous suspicion. “Why are you standing by the door? Please remove the papers and sit down!”

Benjamin removes the sheets of paper from the small chair made of white wood, which stands by the bed, and is used, apparently, as a sort of table.

“Forgive me, my young friend, for receiving you while lying down. For many years now I am in pain, but any man that I find to be truly singular and good, is like having grapes in the desert.”

For a moment Levinzon gets lost in memories of his years of residences and wanderings in Galicia. Maybe it is not a good idea for a writer to associate always with his colleagues, if he wants to avoid competition and jealousy. But also, that is where he meets wonderful persons, and at the top of the list is the honored friend R' Nakhman Krokhmal, creator of ' Strength of new achievements'. Each day at sundown both went walking up and down the hills and mountains surrounding Zhulkov, each conversation was an exchange of ideas and influences.

“Here, my young friend, I sit alone outside the encampment. Yes, in my native town I am in exile: There is no writer, no book. No one tells the news and there are no new pages to be seen. And so many are those who scorn knowledge.”

Only now Benjamin notices that the shelves, attached to the wall behind the bed, are empty. So where does he collect the large amount of material for his writing? Probably copies all his needed material from the books that happen by chance to come his way. Mainly, his memory must be excellent.

“But, sir, are not even a few of the town's citizens supporters of the enlightenment movement?”

“Yes.” The old man's voice enlivens and his face lights up, “I thank the Lord for gifting me with a few from the fair and righteous, that were brought up by me”.


[Page 81]


“Beside those persons passing by from near and far from time to time, Jews and Christians, big and small, visit me. In spite of this...” He looks again at the young man as if searching his mind. “And what brings you to me?”

“Sir, acquiring knowledge is the joy of my life, but it is very hard for a person to open the road for truth, without teachers or friends!”

Levinzon gathers strength and sits up in the bed; his knees covered by the blanket, His head is of a grandfather, and his narrow shoulders are like a grandson.

“My dream, since a youth until old-age, was to form an assembly of intellectuals – with the condition that they should be honest and righteous men - to be named “Tziyon” (Zion), which will strive for the betterment of the scholars and seekers of knowledge, and for developing the sciences.

“For until when” his voice takes on some self pity, “will we see the Khasidim holding on to each other tightly, helping each other and winning, while our people totter and decline?”

“Did you realize your dream, Sir?”

Suddenly Levinzon inhales a sharp, hoarse, breath. “The schism, my enlightened friend, the schism of the hearts! Not all scholars are truly working for the good of all, to find favor in the eyes of God and men, and the nation we live among. Particularly in the eyes of the great King, may his honor increase, and his governors.”

“But sir, the decrees against us…”

The clock ticks with his quick, even movements.

“My enlightened friend, are you, also, asking: why all those changes? Don't you understand that those reforms are good and beneficial; they are the privileges of the country? Yes, our Lord the King, may his honor increase, has done great kindness to us, so Jews will be like the rest of the citizens, wear army uniform and civilian clothes. This is a great change!”

“But sir, the hatred.”

Levinzon's face turned chalky, but his eyes, feverish eyes, sparkle, and his breath is hot. Is his fever causing all this nervous excitement?

“Yes. It happens that clerks do trample the good orders of the government, but even they are not to blame. It is the foolish Khasidim, by their bad and perverse behavior, who cause the hatred of the country for no reason! Their Rabbis live a life of success and happiness and the pursuit of luxury. They do not understand that in our time, the time of enlightenment, the period of restrictive laws is over, and they incite our people against loyalty to our ruler and well-wishing government. Is not she the one who is opening the way for us to enter the garden of knowledge – the country's schools?”

Now Levinzon's face expresses a mixture of softness and importance.

“On the sixteenth of October 1836, I set my self to write to His Royal Majesty, our King Nikolai the First, about reforms for my brethren. God was supporting me, and awarded me with a reply from His Royal Majesty. And indeed, the government wants to open for us new ways for earning a living, too. Did you hear that many families have already settled in villages and are working their land? With God's help, and the King's, I have caused this!”

The room is in stillness now, the silence deepening, strengthening, you can almost hear it. Suddenly, from outside, light steps on the pebbled sloping walk are heard. Benjamin wants to get up. How can the one who goes to the head of the nation, carrying the torch of enlightenment, find even a morsel of goodness in this wicked kingship?

The old servant entered the room.


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