Oshmyany, Belarus
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[Page 3]
May this book serve as a symbolic eternal lamp commemorating Our Martyrs.
For a long period, the Oshmana "landsleit" discussed at their meetings the subject of publishing a Memorial Book. However, practical steps in this direction were taken only in 1964. In January 1964, the Townsmen Committee held a meeting in which also participated several invited guests. After a detailed discussion, devoted to the problem of the contents of the Book and to the organizational matters, the Book Committee was chosen. Its members were: Moshe Becker, Moshe Beininson, Zelda Ziskind, Yona Livne, Hoshea Soltz, Reuven Solel, and Michael Peled.
First of all, a circular was sent to our fellow-townsmen in Israel and in the diaspora. The letter explained the great importance that ought to be attached to the task of perpetuating the memory of the Oshmana Community; information was given on the proposed contents of the Book, and we appealed to the "landsleit" to write articles, rerninisenses and to give a financial contribution to the undertaking.
Shortly afterwards, in March 1964, at a well attended meeting we announced our decision to publish a Memorial Book. The assembled expressed great satisfaction at the announcement and on the spot raised considerable sum of money for this purpose.
We came to the conclusion that personal meetings with our fellow townsmen would be most helpful and effective. We visited numerous towns and villages where we arranged meetings with our "landsleit" and discussed with them the problems relating to the book. Thanks to this activity, articles, reminiscences and other materials, as well as financial contributions, began to reach us in a slow but continuous flow. Our "landsleit" wrote about their experiences during the holocaust years. Their writings were shattering, written with blood - not with ink.
In the course of time began to arrive documentary articles on the life of the Jewish Oshmana Community before the war, and on its economic, educational and social institutions. This activity continued till we became convinced that we disposed of enough material and of sufficient financial means to begin the editing and printing of the book.
I should like to mention the praiseworthy activity of the members of the Oshmana Committee in America, and foremostly Mr. Aaron Borovsky who placed himself at the disposal of the Israel Committee, contacted all our fellow townsmen in the United States, organized a meeting in New York and contributed greatly to the success of the undertaking. Mr. Harry Ginsberg of the U.S., for his generous financial help. We thank our editor, the writer M. Gelbart, who, besides carrying out his professional duties, guided us in solving all the technical problems, and searched the archives for valuable and important material relating to the history of Oshmana. We express our gratitude to: a native of our town, Mr. Hayim Rindzinsky, from "Heret" Zincography, Haifa, for his devoted effort in printing the illustrations and Pictures of the book. We thank the Mordehai Anilevitz "Moreshet" for their generous help in handing us important material about our town.
- to Mr. Michael Peled who, in his writings, presented a faithful image of the Jewish Community's life;
- to Reuven and Malca Solel for their devoted work. We are grateful for their important contribution - the paper for the printing of the book, in memory of Haim Soloducho and their painstaking work;
- to Hosea Soltz for his devoted work on the Editorial Committee, and particularly for translating the chapters dealing with the history of Oshmana and for drawing up a map of the town;
- to Mrs. Zelda Ziskind for her endless devotion and for shouldering the burden of the daily work on the book.
- to Zeev Bakst for his important work in gathering material about the people and the history of Oshmana's Community;
Finally, let me mention gratefully the activity of our friends Moshe Beininson, Yona Livneh, Luba Pistol, Rivka Shapiro, Yona and Haim Berkman, Aljokim Zyskind, Doba Becker who devoted much of their time to the book.
And last, but not the least, let us remember our "landsleit" who forgot their daily cares and preoccupations, and, in response to our appeal, wrote articles, sent pictures of great documentary value, thus helping to complete the great undertaking.
May they all be blessed!
This book is destined for all those who were born in our town, and there absorbed the atmosphere of their paternal homes and who carry in their hearts the memories of Oshmana.
Strong is our hope that also our children will read the book about their parents' native town, about a Jewish community which struggled for its life until the end, until its complete destruction.
[Page 4]
The Lithuanian Great Prince Jagiello (1350-1434) married the Polish Queen Jadwiga in his palace at Krevo, near Oshmana. This was the beginning of the personal union between Poland and Lithuania. Oshmana lay on the territory of the Lithuanian princedom of Krevo.
In 1384 the German crusaders attacked the princedom in order to destroy it. They established a fortified camp in the village of Miedniki and looted all the settlements in the vicinity. The inhabitants of Oshmana escaped from their homes which were looted and burned down.
In 1432 Oshmana again became a battlefield. At that time King Jagiello banished the Lithuanian Prince Swidrygiello, who resided near Oshmana, for his cruel and oppressive rule. During a heavy and bloody battle ten thousand men were killed. King Jagiello built a Catholic church as a token of gratitude for his victory. Soon afterwards began period of growth and the locality became a flourishing town. Next to the church was a large square which served as a meeting place for the population. In the course of time the square became a market-place. Four streets ran from the market: Zofrany, Vilna, Olshan and Barony.
In 1537 the duties (payment of taxes) and the rights of the inhabitants were determined by a royal ordinance signed in Warsaw. Great progress in the legal sphere took place in 1792.
The Polish King, Stanislav Poniatowski acceeded to the request of the town-mayor and the municipal councillors and freed Oshmana from taxes paid to the land-owners. The inhabitants had since to pay municipal taxes only. Also a court of appeals was established in town.
It is difficult to fix the date of the arrival of the first Jewish families in town. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, published in Petersburg, there were, in 1765, 376 Jews who paid the "head tax".
After Poland's partition in 1795, Eastern Poland was annexed by Russia. The Russian authorities carried out a russification policy. A Russian orthodox church was built in the market square and a Russian school opened. Oshmana became a district-town. Within its jurisdiction were the little towns of Zupran, Sol, Smorgon, Krawo, Olshan, Vishnevo, Volozin. In 1880 the population of the district was 162285 souls, among them 11131 Jews. At that time the economic situation of the Jews improved, as a result of the opening up of large markets in the Russian Empire.
The population censuses carried out in the middle and at the end of the nineteenth century bear witness to the speedy growth of the Jewish communities in the district.
In 1897 there were 3803 Jews in Oshmana, the total number of inhabitants was 7214. According to the Great Russian Encyclopedia (Petersburg, 1914) there were in the town: 23 factories, mostly tanneriers, 276 workers, 704 craftsmen and artisans, 2 Russian schools and 2 Jewish schools.
During the First World War, in the fall of 1915, the town was taken by the German Army. The Germans reimained in Oshmana for three years.
After the First World War, Oshmana changed hands several times, in the course of the fighting between the Poles and the Russians. Both sides carried out pogroms against the Jews. Since the end of 1920 until September 1939 Oshmana belonged to Poland.
During the period between the two wars, Oshmana grew considerably. The Poles, who were interested in the increase of the Polish population, included many adjacent villages within the borders of the municipality.
The Jews participated actively in the life of the town and contributed greatly to its development and prosperity.
According to Mr. Golembo, there were 7 Jewish councillors in the municipal council. These are their names: Abraham Strugach (Vice-Mayor), Shlomo Grop, Joseph Golembo, Shaul Milikovsky, Ahoron Soloducho, Hanah Shreider, A. Katcher.
In 1939, soon after the outbreak of the Second World War, Soviet Russia occupied eastern Poland, as stipulated in the Molotov-Ribentropp agreement. Oshmana came under the Soviet rule.
On Sunday, June 22nd, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked Soviet Russia. Already on Thursday, June 26, the Germans occupied Oshmana.
Immediately upon their arrival began the tragic end of the Jewish Community. The Oshmana Community, many centuries old, with its learned rabbis, diligent merchants, generous, warm-hearted Jews and gentle, innocent children was annihilated.
In April 1943, the Ghetto was liquidated. Some of Oshmana's Jews were transferred to labor-camps and the Vilna Ghetto, the rest to the death-camp at Ponar.
The Olei Oshrnana Organization in Israel fixed the 2nd day in the month of Ab, the day on which all the men were killed, as the Remembrance Day of our innocent victims.
Before the end of World War Two, in July 1944, Oshmana was recaptured by the Soviet army.
Now there live in Oshrnana a few scores of Jews
[Page 6]
At the outset of this century there sat on the Rabbinate's Chair, the Congregation's Head Rabbi, Rabbi Mordechai Rosenblatt which was known in the Jewish World in different names as: The Pious from Botten (Der Bottener Zadiq), the Rabbi from Koralitz (Der Korelitzer Rab), the Good Jew from Oshmina (Der Oshminer Guter Jid) and Rabbi Mordehele from Slonim (Der Slonimer).
And here are some features of his descent and image as I succeeded to find out from different sources.
Rabbi Mordechai was born to his father, Rabbi Abraham Menachem Weizel, in the town of Antapoli (Grodno District) the 3rd of lyar 1837, His father was an honorable merchant in Antapoli, and although he was well-versed in the Law of Moses and ordained to the Rabbinical post, he did not want to make the Law of Moses an axe to dig with and traded in commerce.
In his childhood he had distinguished himself by his outstanding talents, his enormous perseveration, and his activity in learning and work. Those who knew him in his childhood relate that his diligence and perseverance were beyond human power.
At an early age he already learned the Law of Moses from Rabbi Isaac Hirsch, the Congregation Head of Siatitz and when he was fourteen years old, he married one of Antapoli's girls.
In 1856, he moved to Pinsk and there served before the Renowned and learned Rabbi Morddechai Zakheim - President of Rabbinical Court of Pinsk - and was ordained by him to the post of Rabbi.
After being ordained as Rabbi he returned to his home- village Antapoli and was appointed as Assistant Rabbi to Rabbi Pinhas Michael - President of the Congregation Court of Antapoli, which loved him as a son and cherished him much.
During several years they both learned the Law of Moses, and consecrated a part of their time in learning practical Kabbalah (a mystic lore).
In 1870, he was appointed as Rabbi of Boten (Grodno District) and owing to a life of self-mortification which he led, and his perseverance in the study of the Law of Moses, he became known as a Pious and Miracle Performer. Multitudes of people flowed to him from near-by and far-off places, to seek advice from him and ask for his blessing, and not only Jews called on him but Christians also and the neighbourhood nobility.
In 1887 he was appointed as Rabbi of Korelitz (Pinsk District), and four years later, in 1891, as the Rabbi of Oshmana.
About this event, we find in the "Hamelitz" of 2.4.1891 the following correspondence:
"Oshmana - we publicly announce that his Honour our Renowned and Learned Master and Teacher Rabbi Mordechai Rosenblatt, may he live long and happily, Amen, was good enough to accept the post of Chief Rabbi in our town, and immediately after the coming Passover for good luck, will reside among us, and therefore may the seekers of this post desist from mollesting us with their orations and by their sending delegates here, because a Rabbi has already been appointed thanks to God. Signed Moshe, son of Reb Leib Shehira".
I remember from my mother that at the outset the Rabbi dwelt at Holshany Street in the house of Rabbi Moshe Sherira (which was known as Reb Moshe Der Bolvenishker) and in the days of Rabbi Mordechai, the Rabbi's was built, which is certainly remembered by Oshmana's inhabitants.
In Oshmana he sat on the Rabbinate's Chair until 1940, and in that year went to minister as Rabbi of the Slonim Congregation.
It seems that during his stay in Oshmana, many congregations applied to him and proposed him the Rabbinate's Chair in their town but without success.
In this connection, we do find in the "Hamelitz" from 8th March 1896 the following correspondence:
"Oshmana - the owners of the printed message from Kobrin (Hamelitz No. 33 this year) in which it was stated that the Congregation of Kobrin elected as Rabbi the Re- nowned and Learned Rabbi Mordechai Botener now honourably residing in our town, I therefore say that writer only conveyed false rumours among Israel.
It is true that the Kobrin Congregation had sent men to deliver a Rabbinate's appointment letter to the Rabbi of our town, but our Rabbi didn't accept it, although they promised him much more money than that which he shall receive from our Congregation, and on hearing this, the writer of these lines found it right to make it known in the "Ha- melitz" lest some Rabbis might think that the Rabbinate Chair in our town is vacant and might increase useless ex- penses in order to come to us. A Hebrew I am.
It seems that Kobrin's Congregation didn't lose hope in influencing Rabbi Mordechai to accept the Rabbinate Chair in their town by means of attractive offers.
As a matter of fact, in the Hamelitz No. 42 dated 19.2.1898 we find once more a correspondence in this connection, and here is the text:
"Our friend from Oshmana Judah Aidel Cizling informs us that many had vainly tried to sit on the Rabbinate's Chair at Oshmina, after having heard that the Learned and Renowned Rabbi of Oshmina finally accepted, after entreatment, to become the Rabbi of Kobrin, and that this rumour is without foundation. The Rabbi will not leave his Congregation, who knew how to honour him, for any other town which sought him earnestly, let alone Kobrin where the Rabbinate Post was desecrated in a deplorable manner, as is known to the readers of Hamelitz, and which is to be regretted owing to the diffamation of the Law, Religion and Heaven's name too, how would he personally fail in that? God forbid that I should suspect the Rabbi in such a matter".
From the above, we learn that the Congregation of Oshmina knew how to honour Rabbi Mordechai and did not easily part from him.
In my youth I heard from the elders of Oshmana, that when it became known in town that a delegation from Slonim had come, and that the Rabbi accepted to receive from them the appointment letter to the Rabbinate's post, they assigned watchmen on the Rabbi's house in order to prevent him from leaving our town, and it was only on a rainy and stormy night that the Slonim delegation managed to take out secretly Rabbi Mordechai from Oshmana. It seems that the Rabbi was also connected to Oshmana, for in Oshmana he married (his second marriage) the rich Abraham Green- berg's daughter, after the death of his first wife.
I have heard many legends and miracles from the elders of the village about Rabbi Mordechai-le, here is one of them:
It happened that a woman came to the Rabbi with a child about two years old in her arms. Since the Rabbi was still in Beth-Hamidrash (here Synagogue), the woman entered a neighbouring house and asked permission to rest there until the Rabbi returns. On being asked by her hosts, the woman recounted that she had been married to a man many years ago, and during all these years she could not bear children, and only two years ago she gave birth to the child in her arms: a lovely child, but he was dumb and did not speak, and that she came to the Rabbi in order to restore to him the capacity of speech.
After coming out from the Rabbi's house with her child, she went back her face wet with tears, in order to take the package left over with her hosts, and left their house in a great hurry, without telling anything.
After a time it became known in town, that when the woman came to the Rabbi and told him about her worry and affliction, the Rabbi asked her: maybe it is preferable that the child should not speak? Once more the woman told him that this was her only son, and that she didn't know whether God may give her once more an offspring, and that the only consolation in her life - was the child, and how should she not shudder when seeing her son dumb ?
And the Rabbi once more asked: "Perhaps is it better if the child does not speak?
It was only when the woman repeated her request for the third time that the Rabbi addressed himself to the child and asked:
My son, why do you not speak ? and the child was silent.
Once more the Rabbi addressed himself to the child asking: My son, why do you not speak ?
And than the miracle occurred.
The child observed his mother with his clever eyes, then turned towards the Rabbi, looked at him, opened his mouth and said:
Rabbi, what shall I say, that I am a bastard ? and then the woman started weeping and cried: Rabbi, let him be silent, it's much better that he be silent all his life than speak! and she ran from the Rabbi's house.
There are many "ethical morals" in this story, but these I will leave to the reader.
His first-born son was the chairman of "Etz-Haim" Yeshiva which was established at the beginning of the nineteenth century, in which studied, in his days, more than four hundred disciples. This in addition to the Rabbinate's post which he held.
Rabbi Mordehele died in the days of the first World War (I don't know the precise year) and left two sons and two daughters.
His first-born son, Rabbi Asher Weizel, was the Rabbi of Drohichyn, and his second son, Rabbi Shmuel Yoshua Weizel was a great scholar on religion, but he worked in commerce, and was an honourable merchant in Slonim.
His two sons-in-law were also rabbis: the first was pre- sident of the Rabbinical Court of the Goldlieve Congregation (Sobelsk District) and the second also President of the Rabbinical Court of Boten (Grodno District).
Still in his youth he published a book about the argumentation in learning Talmud called "The Rose Leaf" and from his book's name, his teachers and friends called him "Rosenblatt", name in which he was known by all.
In 1899, while presiding on the Rabbinate's Chair, his book "Mordechai's Glory" appeared in Wilno in two parts containing questions and answers on Halacha (theory) and practice homilies and argumentations.
It is also known that he left a quantity of manuscripts, and it is not known to me whether they were published.
And finally I would like to mention that of Oshmina's people mentioned here, Reb Yehuda Aidel Cizling was known to me, with his honour-inspiring face, a great religious scholar, a "Rabbi" and an educator par excellence. And in my youth I was lucky enough to be one of his disciples.
[Page 8]
In his youth when he studied at the Yeshivot of Voleshin, Telz and Slobodka, he was called "the genius from Troki", for Troki, near Vilna, was his native town. Then he became known as one of the most famous rabbis of his generation. Not only was he a great Torah scholar and a very righteous man, but he also possessed broad education and wordly knowledge; he had a great personal charm and impressive appearance.
He came to Oshmana in 1921, having suffered greatly in the days of the First World War and the Russian Revolution; he had lost his wife and son, his house and property and was finally forced to leave his community which loved and admired him; even when he fled from Russia and be- came a refugee, this did not dim the brilliance of his personality and he captivated the hearts of all the people who knew him intimately.
His death was a shock to the rabbis, the Torah scholars and to everybody in the whole neighborhood of Oshmana. All the inhabitants men and women, old and young, participated in his funeral. In addition to them arrived hundreds of rabbis and religious students from Vilna and the entire region. When the news of his death arrived in Palestine, Hagaon Rabbi Iser Zalmen Melzer of Blessed Memory, who was in Jerusalem at that time, left immediately for Hebron to eulogize him at the Slobodker Yeshivah there.
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