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V. Reishe Immigration
Association in America

The Reishe Association on New York's East Side, was established in 1893, but due to the limited number of immigrants from Reishe, and also because of the economic crisis at that time, the organization did not last long.

The current Reishe association was established in 1902. A group of Reishe young people filled with enterprising spirit, came together at a meeting that year in the home of Bernard Estreich, and decided to reorganize the “Rzeszow Young Mens' Society”. The group consisted of Bernard Estreich, Y. Forman, M. Hoizer, L. Tocker, L. Frechtik, Alec Estreich, H. Estreich, Abe Goldfarb, L. Estreich, Leib Tzuker, M. Last, Y. Ziegfried and Sh. Tantz. The first gathering was held on the 19^th March 1902, where it was officially accepted that the name of the organization would be “Rzeszow Young Mens' Social and Benevolent Society”. Yakov Forman was elected as the first president.

Under the strong leadership of Bernard Estreich, the organization progressed very well. When I arrived in New York in 1913, the Reishe society was recognized as one of the best and most active immigrant associations in New York. In 1922, the Reishe society celebrated its 20^th anniversary. Bernard Estreich was the president, and Avraham Simcha Katzenberg was the chairman of the organizing committee. This event was one of the finest anniversary celebrations that an immigration society had ever organized.

The association served as a center for the members, and as most of them were immigrants at that time, and needed to form friendships, they found exceptional spirited pleasure there. I personally found my first and best friends in New York at the Reishe society.

The Reishe association had very good leaders and loyal co-workers. Among them, at its head, was Bernard Estreich, as already mentioned. He was known by the name “The Red one”, because of his fine red beard. He looked like a diplomat, and to be honest, he truly had superior qualities. He was a good speaker and when “The Red” began to speak at a gathering, everyone listened. He was one of the dedicated leaders of the Reishe society and devoted the best years of his life in New York to the organization. He died on 23^rd January 1952.

The second dedicated leader of the Reishe society in my time, was Morris Polodzshe. He was an American young man with a general education, of great intelligence and his work was highly regarded by the members. He was also a first-class speaker and took his work on behalf of the organization very seriously. He devoted the best years of his life to the Reishe society, and still does that today, as I write these lines. Under his leadership, the society progressed very well, and he has earned much recognition for his great accomplishments.

Max Last, one of the founders, with whom I became acquainted very soon after I took up membership of the society, was one of those people that everyone loves. Max was a Yiddish man of letters, and an intellectual. He was the first to

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participate actively in helping to instill Yiddish culture into the Reishe society, He assisted with the arrangement of Yiddish literary reading events. He died on 11^th December 1933.

Sam Biegeleizen was also one of the most enterprising contributors to the Reishe association.

When I became a member of the Reishe society in 1914, he was then the vice-president. He carried out his duties promptly and well. If one of the members took ill, Sam was the first to visit. The organization was part of his life. He had a very successful son who died prematurely. This affected him deeply, but he continued to devote himself to the benefit of the society. He died on 11^th October 1952.

Dr. Baruch Last, the Reishe society's doctor, was one of those who helped to instil the modern Yiddish spirit into the organization. He was a fighter for reform. In the years that he was active, new members from the intellectual ranks joined the society and later played an important role in the organization. I want to mention here just a few of them, such as A. Sh. Katzenberg, Dr. B. Toirek. Shimon Shtoib and others. Dr. Last died at a young age on the 29^th October 1924.

Yosef Kleinkop was one of the earliest members. He had a barber shop on the Lower East Side that was patronized by Reishe immigrants. My cousin Harry Nidder, Rolf Folozshe, Sam Izen, and I, would meet in Yosef Kleinkop's barber shop every Sunday where we would discuss the problems of the society. Kleinkop, who spoke a good English, was the ringleader and had great influence on a large section of the members at the time of the elections.

Among other active members, there was also Leizer Gruner. He was the opposite of Yosef Kleinkop – a quiet and calm person. He was vice-president at the time when I was president in 1916. He always participated in all the committees, particularly in the year that the society celebrated its 20^th anniversary on 18^th February 1923.

Of the active old members, it is also worth mentioning Herman Rozenberg who still maintains the position of secretary of the association, a position that he has held for more than 30 years. Among the other dedicated old members are Shimon Shtoib, Aaron Kleinhoiz, Natan Driller, the Eltzveig brothers, also Sam Izen, and Frank Volf. The latter two were very active in the organization in 1913 when Sam Izen was the secretary, and later also the president.

To the above-mentioned group, belong also the following – Yosef Brenner, Irving Law, Louis Retting, Max Shtrik, Louis Shtoib, Morris Zimbach, Sam Licht, Sam Lieberman, Frank Fuzichboim, Aaron Shtark, Hyman Shtoib, and Martin Shtoib. The above-mentioned all took part

In the noble work of the Reishe Relief Committee. Moshe Horovitsh who also belongs to this committee, is also the president of the Reishe-Kortshin synagogue in New York, also Yakov Berger, Ed Felzenfeld, Natan Goldman, Natan Hyman, S. Kozner, Natan Seinfeld, A. Lichtig, Avraham Milgroim, K. R. Moskovitsh, Irving Polodzshe.

In New York, there is also a “Reishe Ladies Society” that helped the Reishe Relief. They also participate in all important aid-work enterprises. Among the active members, it is worth mentioning Minnie Shtoib, Dora Flammendorf, Tilly Glagover, and Mrs. Lois Retting.

Once a year, the Reishe organization arranged an annual ball. That was then the custom of all immigrant organizations. On that evening, all the immigrants met in the great dance-hall. This was the immigrants uniting evening. Former Reishe residents would arrive, not only from New York and New Jersey, but also from other nearby towns. It was truly a pleasure to meet so many friends and immigrants from the same area. I remember such a dance evening at the beginning of the 1920's where I met the noted Reishe intellectual, a journalist, Mendel Karp, and also the Reishe communal leader Ephraim Hirshhorn. Both came here soon after the First World War and if not for the dance evening, I would never have known that they were in America.

At the annual dance evening, Bernard Estreich took the leadership role because he was the organizer and the leader of the members' march, that took place at exactly 12 midnight, to the sounds of a band of musicians. At the front, marched the marshal Estreich, followed by the president and the members. This was the most beautiful part of the evening.

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After New York, Newark and New Jersey have an important place among Reishe immigrants. A Reishe association also exists in Newark that was organized in 1909 by a group of former Reishe residents, under the leadership of Morris Kremer who was also its first president. The following were also among the founders: H. Izen, Aharon Bush, Avraham Goldfarb, M. Geiger, S. Arem, M. Grod, Yosef Tzuker, Binyomin Klinger, and Binyomin Koresh.

One of the active members who helped to raise the Reishe association to the highest standard of the immigrant associations, was Zelig (Ziegfried) Shporen, who gave up the best years of his life in America, for the Reishe association. He was president three timesand is today the treasurer, a position he has already held for 17 years.

Zelig Shporen was one of those who assisted in organizing a Reishe hospital committee in Newark, together with the Reishe community leader Ephraim Hirshhorn, Yakov Soyer, Hyman Akst, Hyman Grod, and Y. Kremer whose wife Elizabeth, worked together with the committee to raise money for this noble goal. When the new Reishe Jewish hospital was completed in 1939, Zelig Shporen and his wife received a invitation to go to Reishe to take part in the official opening of the hospital in Reishe. The outbreak of the last World War brought an end to this all.

It is worth mentioning that his wife Elizabeth, who was born in America, a true woman of valor, gave up every minute of her free time to help gather funds for the Reishe Relief during the last two world wars. At the end of the last world war, the Newark Reishe Relief committee united with the New York Reishe Relief committee to assist in aiding Reishe war victims of European camps who were suffering and in need.

In 1948, a Reishe ladies auxiliary was organized in Newark, under the leadership of Mrs. Elizabeth Shporer, who was the first president, and Mrs. Adolph Vang, the first vice president. There are many Reishe residents living in Philadelphia, and also in other cities in America. Reishe is represented in the 48 states. The above-mentioned associations are the only Reishe organizations in America.

The Board of Management of the Reishe Federation in New York (1967) From left : Irving Law (president), Molly Naddel, Max Rubinfeld, L. Atlas, Sam Dembitzer

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First row, sitting from right: Leah Bilich (Flamendorf), Regina Shiffer (Vineman), Akiva Shiffer. Second row, sitting from right: Leah Flaher, R. Halpern, Malka Vagshal, S. Shvimmer (Vagshal), Roni Rubinfeld, S. Valbromsky (Blitzer) Third row, standing from right: Mendl Flaher, Tzvi Halpern (Rozenvasser), Dovid Vagshal, Mendl Vineman, Leon Vineman, Leon Rubinfeld, Tzemach Valbromsky, Yosef Nusboim, Sh. Nusboim

First row, from right: Avraham Shiffer, Berish Reizner Second row, sitting from right: A. Binenshtok (Flamendorf), Rivkah Shindelheim (Tzimmerman), P. Purepa (Tenner), Yocheved Shiffer (Kandel), Helle Neihas (Pelther), Ella Reizner Third row, standing from right: Yosef Binenshtok, Meir Shechter, A. Shechter, Chaim Vinetroib, Leizer Tenner, Volf Luft, Avrom Kihal, Meir Amster, M. Amster, Perel Blitzer

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