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Before the destruction in the year 125%9, there was in the city according to testimony of Dr. Belech some 9000 residents and more than half of them Jews.

Gorlice, before the first world war was part of small communities in Galicia - Jaslo, Bochnia, Krosna and Vodo Botza. Haye Uvochniah were two communities where the numbers grew afterward.

Gorlice was part of seven districts in Galicia where before the first war, Jews increased in a relative way.They didn’t immigrate from this place, to the contrary, they came from the outside. However, in the period of the First World War many Jews fled from our city to all parts of the Austrian monarchy and many of them didn’t return to Gorlice.

Jews in the City Council

After Poland got independence, the young men of the "Zionist Workers" went into the streets. Meir Bodgar, Yechzekeal Gobal wrote these lines.

We were met by Thadeus Tokarski, a polish socialist social worker from the city and said to us that according to the new law there is right for workers at the fourth level to send Jewish members to the city council. And Hoel and I were able to bring strength of the Jewish proletariat, members of the "Zionist Workers" (Poale Tzion). We proposed for the office this honor to Shmerl Zilber former metal worker at the place of Joseph Einhorn, leader of the guild "Poale Yisrael". Which means the circle of citizens and Zionists opposed to the appointment.. What was the end of the the thing, I don’t know. Because I left Poland. This alone I will remember , In coming after many years to Gorlice my brother Moshe made fun of me and said: It wasn’t you who made Shmerl Zilber head of the Community!

Before the destruction there were 24 Jews on the city council out of 48 members in general. After a mutual agreement as achieved , therefore it was assumed that the polish people agreed with this arrangement, although they knew that the Jews had a majority on the city council.

Curtailing Jewish officials in the City:

Before the first war, two brothers, Moshe and Haim Ruben worked in the district authority. The two officials in the office recorded the first births and weddings. Office Beindar was financed by on behalf of the Army. Weisbarg - tax official, Veterinarian was Dr. Yehudah Zomar; Dr. Friedman, district physician, and municipal physician was Dr. Frieling.The Secretary to the Mayor was Haim Ruben. For a short period, manager of the railroad station was also a Jew named Rodleich. During the time of the Polish independent there was no change in this relationship. The municipal physician was Dr. Hollander and the Dr. Zomar, Veterinarian.

The Jewish community didn’t receive any support from the authorities, neither municipal nor the government. It was an old Austrian tradition not to support the Jewish community.

The income of the community was a "Kosher" tax. (an important tax which was established according to the "forbearance command" by Austrian Emperor Joseph II in the years 1785 -1789) which caused the price of meat to rise twice as much and "Zimpel" (community tax), and other light incomes.

The fire started off in "Bedal -Gesel" section, skipped and passed by "Garbaria" , jumped and confused the "Podoskez Lonia"section and from there to the Christian church and from to all limits of the city.

For the duration of that period, to wait and consume 437 buildings that were mostly made of wood and within them synagogues and Houses of Study (Beit Midrashim).

All establishments in the city went up in flames. Jewish and Non Jewish establishments. City authorities, and government all of them. All the testimonies and documents of the court were burned. Antiquities, Notary Publics, District authorities, and city council. Outside papers of the tax office. In the midst of the conflagration were counted 9 souls and amongst them a Jewess, mother-in-law of Leibush Roth.

On learning about the conflagration, the nearby communities sent help and support. The Zamigrod community sent a wagon of bread and the Zanz community sent "Knifiklach" (folding pocket knives).

From this conflagration there remained standing the western side of the "Dvorz Yoska"

until after the first world war and the "Bozis Shovsdon" building. Immediately after the conflagration they began to build and set up the distribution. Jews were helped by Jewish donations from all over Galicia. Also the Austrian Government establishment helped a great deal.

As a result of this building activity, the city was able to develop block and building industries that were owned by the Jews..That created a special status for the Jewish builders. For example Rev Mendel Marer and his son Rev. Yatshe Kapner. Amongst the gentiles, there was a distinguished one, by the name of Frank Piatsich,who speeded up and urged the workers to finish as soon as possible so there would be no homeless people left when the cold and snowy season started.

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