Rzeszów, Poland (Pages 123-127)

There were yeshivot in Rzeszów, although not continuously in all periods, thanks to the city's rabbis who took on the great effort associated with it. HaRav Mordechi of Rzeszów, whose name is mentioned in the large collection of responsa by the preaching rabbi in Lvov [Lviv], HaGaon Yiztchak Izik son of R' Mordechi. He was among those who at the beginning of the 5th century of the current millennium, after the state of Poland had rested from the war and God instructed His people: “double the wisdom by establishing and maintaining yeshivot for the innocent and pure Jewish children,” who “assembled and heard their lessons.” “Who have illuminated our darkness from those days until this time. So that our ankles may not stumble from walking in the paths of the Torah that our forefathers have shown us.” And also, “to remove an obstacle from people's path, and to consult secretly together about hidden things in all matters of the Jewish people. To supervise the members of their community, manage them wisely, to establish order and build fences and protect the religion in their own community, so that neglect will not increase within the land.” (the words of HaRav Moshe Hagiz in the book Mishna? Hakhamim [“Teaching of the Sages”], mark 349).

Rzeszów was considered one of the distinguished communities that sent their representatives to Va'ad Arba' Aratzot [Council of Four Lands], which met once every three years at the Jarosław Fair. Its chief representative was the renowned rabbi R' Aaron Samuel the son of Yisrael Kaidanover (Maharsha'k). After serving as a rabbi in the cities of Moravia and Germany, and undergoing various wanderings during the war, he returned to Poland and served in Rzeszów as president of the court and Rosh Hayeshiva^[1] he founded there. Students from various cities studied at his yeshiva and prepared for the rank of a rabbi. In his youth, HaRav Gabriel of Krakow studied in R' Kaidanover yeshiva in Rzeszów. He was a distinguished scholar and the community of Rzeszów chose him to be its rabbi. But, in the meantime, he was elected rabbi in Nikolsburg [Mikulov] and he was forced to reject the request of the people of Rzeszów. In Rzeszów served as rabbi R' Shmuel Halevi, who was the rabbi of the Rema [Moshe Isserles]. He was the son-in-law of the renowned rabbi, R' Yitzchak of Pozna., who was previously a rabbi in the city of Mezhirichi and moved to Rzeszów. In his consent to books he signed “The words of Shmuel to the collection of sayings of Mr. Avraham Segal residing in the holy community of Rzeszów.” It is told about him that he built Beit Midrash Meat (yeshiva) in the community of Rzeszów for praise and glory.

In the days of HaRav Aharon Ittinga in Rzeszów, HaRav Tzvi son of Yehudah, the son-in-law of R' Avraham president of the court of the holy community of Dobromil, was accepted as Rosh Hayeshiva in Rzeszów. His son testifies about him in his introduction to the book Gaon Tzvi [“Sage Tzvi”]: “And here, God expanded His border with students, if the kings will be appointed by us, the nobles will be appointed from you, the great enlightened rabbis, who sit in the assembly of the wise, now sitting in the teaching chair and his students will be loyal to him.”

The yeshiva in Rzeszów excelled by the fact that it was not founded by rabbis or committees, but by two ordinary Jews, the brothers Moshe and Hirsch Schindler who were fruit merchants. Young men from the cities around Rzeszów, such as Przeworsk, Łańcut, Leżajsk, Żołynia, Bukowsko and Grodzisk, came to study there. But the candidates had to have certain knowledge, and, besides that, they needed a recommendation that they were “not among those who were forced to do so,” and in Galicia they meant that there were not Zionists.

The yeshiva was organized like the big and famous yeshivot in the world. The young men were provided with lodging and yamim^[3]. If the young man only had three yamim in a week, he received a few crowns from a special fund so that he could make a living the rest of the days. The donors of the yamim were rich, ultra-Orthodox Jews in Rzeszów. The two Shindler brothers made sure that the young men would not eat at homes that were not religious enough. The first to give yamim were R' Motish Eckstein, his son R' Meir and his son-in-law R' Mendli Yoles - ultra-Orthodox rich Jews. Among the providers of yamim was also R' Yakov Nathan Kanner, who was somewhat intelligent and wore modern clothes, but

still, he remained an orthodox Jew. R' Noach Shapira, the members of Libtsha Eingber family who owned an estate, a kind of Jewish “landowners,” as they were called in Rzeszów.

The head of the yeshiva was R' Mendli, but due to his poor health his son, Yosil, taught the lesson to the young men. During the day they studied at Beit HaMidrash, which stood across the home of the Rabbi of Rzeszów, R' Nathan Levin, and in the evenings at the Linat Tzedek Synagogue. The way of learning was according to the Galician method, that is, the rabbi “uttered” the lesson, and if one of the young men discovered an innovation, or an idea, he was able to express himself at the middle of the “saying.” This led to heated debates and new “discoveries.” Sometimes, long and divisive negotiations lasted several hours, until Rosh Hayeshiva was able to return were he had started. However, the more the interim calls to Rosh Hayeshiva increased, the more the matter became unclear, and everyone tried to innovate more…

Rosh Hayeshiva called the students - and the students called each other by the names of their city of origin, such as the Przeworstzky, the Łańcuty, the Grodzistzkay. If Rosh Hayeshiva heard an innovation from a yeshiva student, he stopped with a comment: did you hear what the Grodziski said? It was a sign that he liked the innovation, and everyone lingered to chat about his innovation.

But, as soon as they returned to the subject, the Gemara's melody played again with such sweetness that passersby outside lingered for long moments and listen. Others, secretly snuck into Beit HaMidrash and sat and listened to the pleasant sounds of the Gemara. Among the frequent guests, who came and listened, was also the Hebrew teacher Zechariah Segal, who shaved his beard and sidelocks and taught modern Hebrew to the Zionists. Once, Rosh Hayeshiva told his students that this teacher was a heretic and it was forbidden to come into contact with him, but he should not be thrown out of the yeshiva. On the contrary, maybe he will return to the right path when he listens to our studies... Since then, when he entered Beit HaMidrash, the students studied with great diligence, as if they were fighting a vigorous battle with Sitra Achra …^[4]

In Rzeszów there were several shamashim^[1] who deserve to be spoken of. R' Mordechai Sokolover, a great scholar, learned, punctual, and the best reader of the Torah at the Dzikover Kloyz. He had an impressive appearance, tall with a long black beard that gray hair was scattered through it. A smile was always poured on his lips, and he served the Dzikover Hassidim with truth and faith. He supervised the order in the kloyz, the cleanliness, and even made sure that there was no shortage of “wine” for each of the Rebbe's yahrzeit^[2]. In a special cabinet in the corner stood all kinds of saucers with a beverage, strong or diluted, that he served the owners of yortsayt every day, or if the Dzikover Hasidim felt like Shevet Achim^[3] on an ordinary day with a glass of brandy after the Shacharit payer. Famous were his wedges of cheese served for dessert after the brandy. They were called Dembitzer kaizelach, and were hard as rocks, but accompanied by brandy, their taste was pleasant to the palate. R' Mordechai was easygoing towards the youth, he did not care if the boys of Talmud Torah made a fuss, the main thing, he said, was that they also opened a book and learned, whether a little or a lot.

He excelled in the reading of the Torah, paid close attention to every word and not missing a note in Ta'amei Hamikra^[4], a vision that was unsurpassed in his day and in the kloyz…

One of his sons, Meir, he is “Meir Apen,” resembled one of the Neturei Karta^[5] of Jerusalem in his zeal and extremism. Meir was a craftsman and worked hard for his living every day of the week. Like his father, who, in addition to his work as a shamash he also “produced” horse harnesses and all kinds of leather belts. He had a small shop that was also a workshop in “Freedom Square,” and there he worked late into the night to make saddles and harnesses that excelled in quality and beauty. During the day his shop was filled with farmers and Polish landowner from the area. It was like this on weekdays, but when Friday came, he has completely changed. While the day was still long, he ran to the mikveh to purify himself for Shabbat Malkata^[6], Whoever saw him in his silk Sabbath clothes and white socks tucked into his half shoes, it seemed to him that one of the Admorim^[7] appeared before him. In his zeal and extremism, he often crossed the permissible limit and emphasized the excessive. He was not afraid of anyone, and in the manner of extremists, he was bold and rude to elders, who were of a higher rank than him. He lives from some “fixed idea,” and at the same time he lived from his hard work.

A special type was R' Yehezkel shamash. He was the shamash of the rabbinic court and the shamash of the rabbi, president of the court. He was full of information about the history of the community of Rzeszów, about the rabbis who served this city in the past, its public figures and leaders.

R' Asher, the shamash of the Rimanov Kloyz, was a refugee from Russia. He came to Rzeszów and stayed there. He got married, established a generation, and worked as a shamash at the Rimanov Kloyz. When I immigrated to Israel, I met him in one of the alleys of Mea Shearim^[8], dressed like one of them in the special attire of the people of Jerusalem. Since then he has disappeared from my sight, and I have heard nothing about him.

The Jewish settlement in Rzeszów existed since the mid-fifteenth century. Of course, there were no synagogues and Batei Midrash in which cantors led the prayers in pleasant voices that captivated the hearts of worshippers. However, it seems that Rzeszów has written a new page in the history of cantorship. About two hundred and fifty years ago the cantor Yokel Reischer was well-known. He was named after the city of Reisha [Rzeszów], maybe because he was born there or maybe because he served there for a while as a cantor, who wandered far from his city to western countries and brough joy the hearts of Jews in all the places he visited. Therefore, it is appropriate to bring here a few words of explanation to this cantorship that Cantor Yokel Reischer was its representative in the western countries.

The name “cantorship” is an abstract concept, since the cantorship was not uniform among the Jews. Every Jewish ethnic group, Sephardic, Yemenite or otherwise, interpreted the cantorship as it understood it, and due to the lack of a common language for all, every ethnic group performed the cantorship in its own way. Even the largest ethnic group, the Ashkenazi, was divided regarding the formulas of cantorship and prayer. Rzeszów's cantorship, for example, did not belong to the Old Prague version, and not even to the general Ashkenazi version^[1]. Jewish Rzeszów constituted part of the Eastern European Jewry, and as such the Eastern European version was customary there. Yokel Reischer sang this version in the western countries and tried to arouse more affection for it than other versions. It is a pity, that his critics and admirers only publicized his pleasant voice, while they ignored his unique cantorship style that was customary at the time in Rzeszów itself.

There are a few sources about the cantor from Rzeszów who lived about two hundred and fifty years ago. We will use here the most detailed source, as described in Glückel von Hameln's book (she was born in 5407/1646 in Humburg and died in 5484/1724 in Metz).

Glückel describes the Jewish life in her generation, and in doing so mentions the story of the cantor from Rzeszów. She was not knowledgeable with the nature of cantorship, and in her descriptions she dwells mainly on an extraordinary event, the like of which has never happened in any community.

Glückel von Hameln says that she cannot help but tell what happened in her community, Metz, on the Sabbath of the holiday of Shavuot in 5475 [1714], when men and women were in the synagogue. The cantor, “the great singer,” R' Yokel of the holy community of Resha (Rzeszów in Galicia) in the country of Poland, began to pray the Birkat Yotzer (morning) prayer, and pleased with his voice from HaEl Bitatzumot [“King of the Universe”] to the blessing Yotzer Or [“Forms the Light”]. But before he started with this blessing, a sound was heard in the synagogue, as if something was destroyed. The women thought the ceiling was falling on them, and because of the great fear, they hurried down, each one wanting to save her own life first. When they reached the stairs, they fell one on top of the other crushing each other to death with their shoes. Within half an hour six women died and more than thirty were injured. Some later died from their injuries, some fell ill, and the doctors treated them for over a quarter of a year. Glückel von Hameln describes in detail the sensational event that left a great impression on her contemporaries.

It is possible that R' Yokel Reischer had no part in this event, except that many wanted to hear and enjoy his pleasant voice and his beautiful melodies, and the disaster came due to the crowding caused by the large number of visitors. The cantor, who was very moved by the commotion, left the synagogue and went home, and in his place came another cantor who continued to pray even though he did not excel in his voice.

A second source for this event is Shomo Lipschitz, author of the book Teudat Shlomo [“Solomon's Certificate”]. He tells, that when he arrived in Prague, the city elders boasted to him that the greatest cantors serve in the Old Prague community. Cantors who knew the theory of music well and composed new melodies for each holiday. This R' Shlomo was not satisfied with his tenure in Prague. In 5475 [1715] moved to Metz where he heard about a great cantor, Yokel Reischer, when he prayed on Shavuot at the synagogue, he expressed his feelings at length before reciting the Shema and caused a delay, and that's why the accident happened, and six women were killed in the synagogue.

This event is also told by Binyamin ben David Creilsheim in his booklet, Helkat Binyamin [“Portion of Binyamin”], (Berlin 5482/1722).

A short time after the event in the city of Metz, we find Cantor R' Yokel Reischer of Rzeszów in the city of Amsterdam. He became so famous there, that he was painted by a Dutch painter and his picture is still in Amsterdam today.

In 5479 [1718], a traveling tourist, Avraham Levi, found him in Prague where Yokel served as cantor, and he was full of praise for Prague cantorship in general and Yokel in particular. Levi's travels were printed in the Dutch Jewish literary collection Izraelitisha Lettrbate (Amsterdam 1884, from page 148 onwards). And there he says: “They (in Prague) have famous cantors in the synagogues. And among them I found one who is a magnificent and famous throughout Europe. He is the cantor R' Yokel, whose voice is like the voice of a lion. The cantors serve here as singers, and musicians on the organ, violins and drums on every Shabbat eve to welcome the Shabbat with Lecha Dodi [“Come My Beloved”]. They also add various songs and pleasant melodies lasting about a full hour.” At that time R' Yokel was appointed as a cantor in Prague. He traveled from city to city and moved heaven and earth with his prayer.

R' Yokel Reischer managed to attract many listeners because of his Polish cantorship that the Jews of Prague were eager for in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the aforementioned centuries, the Prague community was the most important center. Its geographical location, between east and west, caused Jews from Germany, the eastern countries, and also from the Balkan countries and Italy to flock to it. Until the latter established a special community and a special synagogue (Alte-Schule) there, and already in the 16th century we find there cantors from Russia.

The Jews in the community of Rzeszów were certainly not similar in their traits, opinions, and temperaments, but, as with all the Jewish settlements in Poland, there were also Jews from Germany, Babylon, Persia,

and the descendants of the Khazars, who together developed into a special type. The eastern element was renewed and strengthened among them, and the European influence was far from them. From the German Jews they received the Jewish religious culture, including the traditional music. and they modified it by adding Eastern, Semitic, and Slavic elements to traditional Ashkenazi music. The decrees an persecutions in the Middle Ages, and also the pogroms that broke out in the years 5408-5409 [1648-1649], served as a powerful factor in the creation of melodies, because the troubles and suffering inspired sad melodies. Indeed, joy also inspires musical creation, but since there were not many days of joy for the Jews during all the days of exile, only sorrow and pain remained. The duty of the Eastern European Jews cantor was to recount the Jews' troubles in a pleasing voice. To detail the endless chain of calamities and disasters, and at the same time to inspire a spirit of faith in the people and confidence in the “Days of Redemption.” Great cantors in Eastern Europe created unique style of music, Polish-style cantorship, which was called “Eastern European cantorship,” and its main function was to provoke tears, admiration of the soul and elevation to the world of nobility.

With the riots on the Jews of Poland and Russia the refugees fled to the western countries, and from the 17^th century the Polish cantorship began to spread throughout Europe. At the beginning of the 18^th century, there were “Polish” cantors in most communities. The Polish music became popular among the German Jews, and German cantors were forced to imitate the Polish cantorship. We find Polish cantors and singers in Amsterdam, Hamburg, The Hague, London and other cities. R' Yokel Reischer was one of the messengers for the spread of Polish cantorship, and his name graces the history of cantorship in different countries. From the beginning of its settlement Jewish Rzeszów was considered the cradle of Polish cantorship, after the influence of the Near East reached Poland which was a large and extensive country. Eastern and Western Galicia was also part of it according to the political divisions by its neighbors.

The history of the Jews in Rzeszow itself passes almost silently over its cantors and cantorial music. It cannot be assumed that it was different from the cantorship in other cities in Poland. Of course, the cantor also engaged in several jobs together, such as clerical work, teaching, etc. Nevertheless, the cantor did not find a profitable livelihood for his family. He was forced to move through cities and towns in Poland and beyond, until R' Yokel Reischer became world famous when in his appearance as a cantor in cities and respectable communities in Western European countries.

In the 90s, a city cantor, who was well-known throughout the area, served in Rzeszów. He was not only a renowned singer with a tenor voice that could compete with the best opera singer of those years, but also one of the best cantorial composers of his time. His work “These Candles” was always sung in Rzeszów. This was Leibush Blumenkrantz, the well-known cantor in all Galicia.

On the Shabbat and holidays he prayed at the city synagogue with a large choir of singers, who later became great cantors and singers. His prayer often lasted until after midnight. When Cantor Leibush Blumenkrantz prayed in the city synagogue, the hall was filled not only with regular worshippers, but also with people flocking to it from other synagogues. Even during the cantor's performances with his singers at private parties, at circumcision ceremonies, and the like, hundreds of people stood on the street behind the windows and listened in admiration to his beautiful compositions.

Every year, during Hanukkah, for the “First Candle” service he blessed the candles with his singers accompanied by a Jewish orchestra of the renowned musician in Rzeszów, Motel Karbes. Rzeszów's Jews came in droves for the “First Candle,” and stood for two hours or more in the cold synagogue listening to the beautiful sounds of the cantor and his choir. During the eight days of Hanukkah, after the Maariv prayer, Cantor Leibush Blumenkrantz visited all the city's wealthy homeowners with his singers and sang Chanukkah songs before them, and in return he received Hanukkah money of several coins.

When he passed away at the prime of his life, not only Rzeszów, but all of Galicia mourned him. After his passing a new cantor was not accepted in his place. Various cantors came to Rzeszów for a try and prayed in one of the two great synagogues on the Shabbat. Among them were mediocre and less than mediocre cantors, but also renowned cantors appeared, like Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt who later gained a worldwide reputation as one of the greatest cantors. Yossele Rosenblatt appeared in Rzeszów in 5662 (1902). He was a young man who looked for a cantor's position. He prayed Maariv on weekdays at the Wola Synagogue. An hour before Mincha prayer, he set up a small table by the synagogue gate and received “alms” from those who came to hear his prayer. Many came to listen, as he had already become famous throughout the country.

To Rzeszów also came the famous cantor, Zeidel Rovner (Maragowsky), and also other good young cantors who years later became famous in the world. But none of them could take the place of Cantor Blumenkrantz. His chair remained vacant for many years.

He was a native of a town in Galicia. His tendency for the amud^[2] was discovered in him at the age of five or six. When he was a child, he wrapped himself in a towel and imitated the cantor loudly in the prayers Yekum Purkan^[3] and Mi Sheberach^[4] until his mother scolded him and silenced him. When he studied at the cheder, he said everything in such a melodious tone that all the passersby stopped to listen. Once, the Klausenburg cantor, Yehiel Bernstein, passed through city and heard the boy singing. He liked the boy and came to his mother to get her permission to take him with him. Of course, she refused. But, one bright day, little Isrolik took his bundle under his arm and left with the cantor. He sang with the cantor and studied at the Klausenburg Yeshiva. He had a wonderful alto voice, and the cantor guarded him like a precious stone.

For five years, Yisrael accompanied the cantor on his travels throughout Hungary, Serbia, Turkey, Russia, and more. He stopped in Rzeszów, where he was appointed cantor thanks to his miraculous alto. When he prayed “solo” he moved his listeners to tears.

Later, Cantor Bari was accepted into the conservatory of the famous cantor Zeidel Rovner (Maragowsky), and fulfilled

an important role for him. Zeidel always said with admiration: “Isrolik is the best among my students.” Isrolik accompanied Zeidel on concert evenings and was very successful in each place. He surpassed all the singers both in his voice and his knowledge of music. He first sang in his wonderful alto and then also in tenor. Zeidel immediately made him a tenor when signs of voice change began to appear in him. Later, he sang with the renowned cantor and conductor R' Leizerka of Krakow and also conducted the choir. He became famous as one of the most dramatic and beautiful tenors, and the Jewish community gave him a scholarship to study with the renowned singing teacher, Delany, in Lvov [Lviv].

Once, the well-known soprano singer at the Viennese Opera, Selma Kurtz, heard him by chance. She was so impressed with him that she decided to take him to Vienna so he could continue his studies there. He studied for two years with Professor Habigen, one of the most renowned vocal teachers.

The First World War broke out and the healthy young and handsome cantor, Bari, was drafted into the army. He was wounded three times.

After the war he was accepted again as cantor in Rzeszów. He served there for several years and fulfilled his role to the satisfaction of the townspeople. He attracted the worshippers to him with his melodious voice. Jewish Rzeszów could rightly boast of her cantor who was famous throughout Western Galicia.

However, at the end of 1922 the economic situation in Europe worsened, especially the situation of the Jews in Poland. Independent Poland began to make life miserable for its Jews with taxes and decrees, and serious concerns clouded the skies of the Polish Jewry. Immediately after Rosh Hashanah 5683 [1922], Yisrael Bari left Rzeszów and arrived in New York. There, he immediately became famous for his wonderful tenor and his beautiful classical prayer. He was accepted as a cantor at the Grove Street Synagogue in Jersey City, and later in other synagogues. He performed at musical evenings and excelled at singing Jewish songs and classical music and earned a name in America as one of the greatest cantors.

Professional cantors treated Leib Kirshner with respect, not only because he was a good cantor with a powerful, properly trained tenor, but also because he was an intelligent musician with a special personality. Leib Kirshner came from Kishinev the capital city of Serbia, and it is known that Kishinev was considered one of the centers of cantorship in Russia. There were magnificent and world renown cantors d in Kishinev, and it was known that a cantor serving there would receive a decent and good position.

Cantor Leib Kirshner was accepted as a cantor in the city of Lancut immediately after arriving in Galicia, and only after he decided to leave it, he was accepted as a cantor at the Great Synagogue in Rzeszów.

He was a cantor with knowledge of music and cantorship. He knew how to play the piano, was well-versed in all cantorial literature, and his strength was with him as a cantor and an excellent conductor. Kirshner knew how to attract music lovers to the choir and diligently guided talented boys, who sang with taste and knowledge under his magic wand. He served as a cantor in Rzeszów for several years and earned a good reputation. His home was open to all cantors who emigrated from Russia abroad and even helped them to continue their way to the seaports. In Rzeszów they knew how to admire their cantor who gave them great spiritual pleasure in his prayer at the synagogue.

One day, a wealthy America tourist America happened to be in Rzeszów and heard the cantor's prayer at the synagogue. He was deeply impressed and offered Cantor Kirshner to travel with him to America where he would also receive a larger salary. At first, he refused to wander far to America but after a lot of persuasion, the tourist managed to influence him, and he accompanied him on his journey to America. Leib Kirshner was accepted as Chief Cantor in the city of Detroit.

Mordechai Techer was a native of Rzeszów and received a Jewish and general education. Even in his childhood he had a beautiful soprano voice and performed with various cantors among them those who were well-known in the world of cantorship. Mordechai sang for Yakov Horowitz (who replaced the renowned cantor Baruch Shor) in Lvov. From there, he moved to sing with Cantor Leibush Blumenkrantz in Rzeszów and then with Boiman, Negler and Avraham Prachtenberg, and everyone unanimously claimed that Mordechai is destined to be a cantor who will not embarrass his followers. Mordechai's voice excelled in its sweetness and lyricism, and his listeners were filled with admiration. Not all cantors are equal in their qualities and talents. One cantor boasts of his conservatory certificate, another cantor boasts of his voice, whether it is a powerful voice or a modest and pleasant one, and a third can boast of his “reciting” the prayer. There were cantors who emphasized their knowledge in the Torah and piety. Mordechai was a type of cantor who excelled not only in the professional side of cantorship, but also in his ability to adapt the cantorship to the rhythm of the prayer in such a way that it would be in harmony. And it goes without saying that he learned a lot in the wisdom of music without relying solely on his voice.

In 1901, he immigrated to America and served there as cantor in various cities such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toronto Canada and others.

Besides the municipal cantor, who was considered one of the “religious ministers^[5]” whose livelihood was paid for by the community, there were regular prayer leaders in the two large municipal synagogues. who were also crowned with the title of “cantors.” Such a prayer leader was R' Zishe at the municipal synagogue, a tall Jew with a long red beard and a powerful voice that no one could compete with. R' Zishe also appeared as an official cantor at weddings and other mitzvah celebrations.

The Wola Synagogue had its own cantor - R' Moshe Amkraut. Besides being a cantor he also engaged in the work of Sofer SeTaM [scribe]. He was a master of his profession in Galicia, and it was a great honor for the person he agreed to write a Torah scroll for. However, he was also gifted with a powerful tenor voice. He was dressed like a Hasidic Rebbe, had many children and barely made a living. His profession as a scribe and cantor did not bring him enough to support his family. On the advice of his eldest daughter, he opened a shop selling trinkets and baked goods in Wola. His wife ran the shop, and within three or four years it became the largest Jewish pastry trading house in the city. Moshe then stopped working as a scribe and cantor.

Meir Diener was born in 1889 in the city of Torchyn in the Lutsk region. Since childhood, his heart drew him to music and singing. He began singing in the choirs of famous cantors of his time and studied solfeggio and voice development. During the First World War he performed as an opera singer, and in 1928 he directed the choir of the famous cantor, Singerman, in the city of Kovel. Meir Diener sang as a tenor in the choir and over time became the choir's conductor. When Cantor Singerman left Kovel, Meir Diener was appointed Chief Cantor in the city's Great Synagogue. In 1933, he submitted his resignation to the synagogue committee, later he was accepted as Chief Cantor in the city of Ludmir and served there until 1934. On the same year he was accepted as Chief Cantor in the synagogues of the city of Rzeszów and served there until the Holocaust. He was gifted as a good musician and choir conductor. In Rzeszów he organized a choir of school children. Every Hanukkah he held concerts with his choir in collaboration with the best Jewish musicians, as well as the best musicians of the17th Polish Battalion, which was stationed in the city of Rzeszów. He was a beloved man to all who knew him. In 1939, at the outbreak of war, he refused to part from the people of his city whom he had faithfully served as a cantor and chose to remain with them. He lived for a long time in Rzeszów Ghetto until he contracted a fatal illness and passed away. Despite the ban on gatherings, a large crowd of ghetto residents accompanied him on his final journey to eternal rest. The rest of his family members were also murdered by the bitter enemy together with the remaining Rzeszów's Jews.

Cantor Dov Menachem Konwiser
(1887–1936)
by Cantor Herzl Konvisser

Translated by Ronley Konwiser

Cantor Dov (Bernard) Menachem Konwiser went through many transformations in his life. He was born in Minsk, Byelorussia (Belarus) in 1887. His exceptional vocal talents were discovered during his adolescence and he was accepted into the local school where he received education as well as training for cantor and choir.

When Dov Menachem matriculated, he travelled to Konigsberg where he was taught cantorial singing in the style of the famous cantor, Israel Weintraub, and learned musical concepts which widened his abilities within this profession.

On his return to Minsk at the beginning of the 20^th Century, he at first worked as a choir master in the great synagogue of his home town, and was then promoted to the position of cantor in the Town of Kloavary.

The years of the First World War brought much suffering and misfortune to him and the Jews of the area. In 1922 –1925 he lived in the town of Zgierz, (that is close to Lodz) and from there he moved to Reisha.

After hearing him perform as Cantor on the pulpit, on one of the Sabbath eve prayers, he was accepted to be the cantor for the Reisha Synagogue. During that period, he devoted his time to training the choir with many of the compositions and prayers. The choir was extremely professional and of a very high standard. Besides being a cantor he also composed his own compositions that were sung in the choir. He sang his compositions, as well as the melodies of Sulzer with great feeling.

Cantor Konwiser served as Cantor in Reisha from 1925–1931. Like most of the Polish Jewry his salary was not sufficient, so in 1931 Cantor Konwiser left his family in Reisha for search of a better life for his family. He went to Cape Town, South Africa, where he was accepted as Cantor. He passed away in Cape Town in 1936. His wife Rosa Chaimova Konwiser passed away in Reisha in 1928. His son Herzl went with him to South Africa. Six daughters remained in Reisha. Rivka, Ester–Rachel, Yohevet, Feiga, Bella, and Basia.

Ester–Rachel Konwiser could be found in one of the cities in Russia, Herzl Konwiser settled in Johannesburg South Africa. The rest of the sisters were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust.

The Cantor Dov Menachem Konwiser and his new choir, July 1931
Photographed: Haim Greenfield, Moshe Spiegel, The Cantor's son Herzl Konwiser, Shechter and others

The synagogue, the first Beit Midrash in Rzeszów and those added over time, were no longer sufficient for the city's Jewish population. Especially on the High Holidays, or during the holidays, when Jews from nearby villages came to the city to enjoy the prayers of the excellent cantors and prayer leaders. Such prayer leaders were from among the Hasidic community in the city. They excelled in their good qualities and piety and led the prayers on the High Holidays. They were found in each Hasidic Kloyz, and some of them were ordained by the Admorim.

We mentioned above R' Zisha and R' Moshe Amkroit. Apart from them it is possible to add additional names, such as the elderly R' Avramale Birman the ritual slaughterer, Baal Musaf^[1] who regularly prayed at the Great Kloyz. R' Yehiel Tenenbaum Baal Musaf at the Great Kloyz whose prayers and singing included warmth and devotion with the Jewish “sigh.” Baal Shacharit^[2] at the Great Kloyz was R' Mendel Pink, who knew the various prayer styles and chose the best and most beautiful of them, while remaining faithful to the traditional version. Additional excellent Baalei Musaf were R' Hershel Neubauer the ritual slaughterer, R' Aiza Maan the ritual slaughterer, R' Yehudah Horowitz, R' Moshe Slitel. R' Haim Wald. R' Zelig Loipban, R' Hirsh Yakov Baal Shacharit at the Great Kloyz, R' Elisha in the Dzikover Kloyz and many others.

In Rzeszów (Raysha) there were two synagogues of historical and architectural value: the “Old Synagogue” (or the Municipal Synagogue – De Alte Shtatishe Shul) which was built in the Renaissance style, and the “New Synagogue” (De Nayshtatishe Shul) which stylistically belonged to the early Baroque period^[b].

Due to the lack of historical documents, it is difficult to determine with certainty the construction dates of these synagogues. The first Jews arrived in Rzeszów in 1550 and, according to local legend, the “Old Synagogue” was built at the end of the 16^th century by the Lubomirski family on land belonging to the priests. “In return for the grace of using the lot for building purposes, the Jews were required to pay a tax in material, which was 32 pounds of Polish candles made of beeswax. They paid this tax until 1867.”

The synagogue was located near the market, in the northeastern part of the city (near the aforementioned second synagogue). Despite the many changes made to it over time (mainly after the fires), several elements that testify to its early Renaissance style have been preserved in the building. The main additions were the support columns and outbuildings.

This synagogue, like the “New Synagogue,” excelled in its defensive nature, as evidenced by its small tower and large windows set at a considerable height.

“There is no doubt, writes the city's historian, Franciszek Kotula, that the “Old Synagogue” had to fill a duty in the city's defense plan similar to that of the Bernardine Monastery. The city owner decreed that four weapons with bullets should be placed on the synagogue tower, which still exists today. And indeed, bullet holes are still visible in the tower.”

The synagogue consisted of a prayer hall whose dimensions were: 15 meters long by 12 wide, with a semicircular women's section (which was separated from the main prayer hall by an iron grate), from the entrance hall and the two audience rooms. The building also housed the community's jail: for those committing minor offenses - in the aforementioned tower, and for those with more serious offenses - inside the synagogue's cellar.

Four pillars, which supported the dome vault, stood in the center of the prayer hall, and between them was the bimah. The walls were rhythmically divided by

flat wall pillars. The Holy Ark was made of wood and excelled in its carved motifs. The women's section balcony was lit by two side windows, two windows in the building's facade and a central circular window.

The prayer hall, in the Baroque style, made a fine impression due to the logical composition of its internal arrangement.

After the fire of 1842, the plaques that adorned the wall were replaced with new ones. Prayers and verses from the Bible were painted on them in gold letter.

It is difficult to determine the date of the establishment of the “New Synagogue” in Rzeszów, just as it is difficult to determine the date of construction of the “Old Synagogue.” The entire archive of Rzeszów community, and the inscriptions in the synagogue, with the help of which it was possible to discover the year of its construction, were also erased in the aforementioned fire.

In 1842, Professor Luszcklewicz, who tried during a scientific trip to determine that date, concluded based on his investigation that the “New Synagogue” was built at the beginning of the last century, that is, in the 18^th century. However, art historians moved this date to the 17^th century.

During the aforementioned fire part of the synagogue burned down. The synagogue's renovation was overseen by Marcus Kanarfogel, a wealthy merchant from Rzeszów who brought workers from Sambor for this purpose.

The “New Synagogue” (De Nayshtatishe Shul) was located in the northeastern part of the city, near the market. It was a brick building that stood out for its fortified character. The Jewish Furriers Association in Rzeszów was tasked, based on its regulations, that is, according to the law, to keep a flag, firearms, and gunpowder for the protection of the synagogue. The external sign that indicated the fortified nature of the synagogue was the rounded tower, which had stairs leading to the attic.

In 1627, in his well-known manifest on the defense of the city, the city's owner called the Jews of Rzeszów, homeowners and tenants alike, to defend the city. He ordered them to be in possession of “long firearms (Hakownica), sixty cartridges and three pounds of gunpowder for each firearm - excluding women and boys under the age of ten.” In addition, all Jews were required to keep in ready condition: three blocks of gunpowder, always dry and good, and to preserve it for all times. Also sixty bullets for firearms and thirty bullets for cannons, and the sound of the drum they must line up under their flag. The Jews of Rzeszów were assigned one tower, “behind the synagogue,” with four firearms for defense purposes, and they were ordered to hire a man to watch over it and to fire these firearms. The Jewish Hetman [military commander] supervised the general state of readiness, and Mosko Haptazh (Moshe the Embroiderer) was appointed to this position with the consent of the city's owner.

Stylistically, the synagogue belonged to the early Baroque, which still borders on the Renaissance. The interior was a typical “nine-field” style. Therefore, this synagogue could confirm the assumption of the Renaissance nature of the prototype of the nine-field synagogues. It was an extensive building, covered with a protruding gabled and pointed roof. Its windows were like church windows, arranged in a twin pattern. To the south it was surrounded by low buildings in which the women's sections were found. The interior was made in the form of a large dome (15.70 x 16.80 meters), divided by four columns connected by arches. Between them was the bimah and around it a railing and stairs. Pseudo-Ionic capitals adorned these columns. In his description of the of this synagogue's interior, Professor Luszczklewicz, emphasizes that the architects knew how to maintain the aesthetic conditions of the late Renaissance. To put so much originality into it and at the same time take care of the requirements of worship (see drawing).

During the years of occupation, the Germans used this synagogue as a warehouse and burned it down during their retreat. Today only ruins remain of the building.

Religious Education in Rzeszów