Galitzianer. The Jewish heritage of Western Ukraine

19/05/2022

08/07/2021

GALITZIANER IN DROHOBYCZ with guests from Moldova.

We have visited the largest synagogue of Galicia and picturesque courtyards.

The hometown of Bruno Shultz is incredible.

Short story is here:

First accounts of Jews in Drohobycz date back to 1404. Only Jews who leased salt mines were allowed to settle in the town; the rest resided in the suburbs. The government initially pretended not to see where the Jews lived. Jews were allowed to settle in the vicinity of the mines but were refused the right to have a separate Jewish cemetery, which for many years rendered it impossible to establish an independent kehilla in Drohobycz.
King Władysław Jagiełło handed over supervision over the salt mines in Drohobycz to a Jew named Wołoczka[1.1]. He was also nominated a quantity surveyor of Drohobycz for the king. Meanwhile, another Jew called Detko or Dziatko, who also leased a salt mine in Drohobycz, was granted permission from the king in 1425 to deliver salt to the royal court and to trade salt with Turkey and Kiev.
In 1500 the town council of Drohobycz was allowed to tax salt mining and production of alcoholic beverages (such as beer or vodka). A taxation and privileges system was established, which served to regulate Jewish entrepreneurship. There must have existed a Jewish kehilla in Drohobycz by then, as it was represented in the Jewish self-government convention in Rzeszów. In 1554 a salt mines leaseholder, Jakub Juditz, was given the right to levy a tax on vodka producers in Drohobycz. Because of that, two Jews from Drohobycz – Samuel Markowicz and Icchak Jakuzow – went to court and appealed to King Zygmunt II August to decide which one was to levy a tax on propination. Eventually the town won the court case.
In 1578, 3,600 Jews resided in Drohobycz. The same year, King Stefan Batory issued the privilege de non tolerandis Judaeis, which banned Jews from residing in Drohobycz or its vicinity, and even banned them from trading during town fairs.
In 1618, Drohobycz was ruined by the Tatars. The town deteriorated. That is when two Jews from Lviv, Icchak Nachmanowicz and Icchak ben Mordechai Markowicz, leaseholders of the royal grounds near Drohobycz, made all possible efforts to make the Jewish community return to Drohobycz. In 1635 the Russian provincial governor, Jan Daniłowicz, allocated 30 morgens of royal grounds for a Jewish settlement. The Jewish district in Drohobycz was named Na Łanie (On the Field). Jan Daniłowicz also granted permission to establish a Jewish cemetery. The town was gradually rebuilt. In 1645 the king released the town from paying taxes.

24/05/2021

GALITZIANER WELCOMES JERUSALEM

Lviv was true “East-European Jerusalem” for its long history.

Now I welcomed dear guests - Dr. Judith Kalik an Eastern European history researcher in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with her husband and Lada Moskalets - Jewish Studies Program Coordinator at UCU (Ukrainian Catholic University) - they both are the perfect fit for my tour.

I was pleased and proud to give tour for such sophisticated visitors.
As usual, we talked about Lviv Jewish history from the very beginning, walked through the courtyards of the Old Jewish Quarter - looked at life from the inside and read all possible inscriptions/notices in Yiddish/Hebrew - it was really unique and interesting experience.

Post with comments:
https://www.facebook.com/denys.bulavin/posts/2677902828942689

24/05/2021

GALITZIANER IN ZHOVKVA

Jewish community of Zhovkva was one of the most famous and powerful in Galicia.

We learned about Jewish heritage of this cute city with a participants of international conference.

We were lucky enough to get inside one of the biggest synagogues of our region.

Post with comments (in Ukrainian):
https://www.facebook.com/denys.bulavin/posts/2682080441858261

Few words about Jewish history on Zhovkva.

The first Jews settled in Zhovkva as early as the 1590s, immediately after the foundation of the town. In 1600, Stanisław Żółkiewski, the Voivode of Ruthenia, allowed Jews to establish their first prayer house. At that time, the local Jewish community was subordinated to Lviv kahal, but in 1620, it became independent and established its own communal authority. The Jews were granted a privilege of building their residences in a street subsequently called Żydowska (Jewish) Street, which led to the Jewish Gate, one of the town four main gates. The king granted Zhovkva the autonomy according to the Magdeburg law and also exempted it from custom duties and other special taxes. These privileges enabled merchants and craftsmen from other towns to trade freely in Zhovkva. The town also received a privilege of hosting a major trade fair (Jahrmark) four times a year and to have two market days each week. 17th-century Zhovkva was home to more than a hundred Jewish craftsmen, including furriers, silver- and goldsmiths, jewellers, tanners, pharmacists, and tailors. Several dozen Jews received special privileges including the lease of the customs house, of tax collecting, and of propinacja (producing and selling alcoholic beverages). They were also running inns, managing fish ponds, running lumber mills, and freighting timber.

In 1624, a wooden synagogue was opened next to Aron Moshkovich’s house, and in 1626, the kahal appointed first communal rabbi Ezekiel Issachar (d. 1637). In addition to the synagogue, the Jewish quarter enjoyed the operation of all other communal institutions, including a mikveh (ritual bath), a slaughterhouse, the rabbi’s house, a beth midrash (study house for adult Jews), and a hekdesh (shelter for the poor and for the vagabond alms-seekers). In 1640, the town owners allowed the Jews to open a yeshivah. The town’s Jewish community gradually grew and acquired importance. In 1628, 21 houses in Zhovkva were Jewish, and in 1680, 88 houses. When in 1648, the Cossack troops under Bohdan Khmelnytsky approached Zhovkva, thousands of Jewish refugees found safe haven in town and took part in defending the town against the Cossacks along the Polish garrison. In 1765, the Jewish community of Zhovkva boasted more than 1,500 members and possessed more than 270 buildings. Jews owned nearly all the buildings around the market square, which formed a lined-up gallery where most of trade took place. The street leading from the market square to the synagogue also had a commercial importance and was known as the Jewish Market.

24/05/2021

SHOLEM ALEICHEM IN LVIV

Lviv was to become a transit station for Sholom Aleichem on the way from Kyiv to America, but nevertheless he lived here for 9 months (in 1905-1906).

Why?

"Jewish Lviv" undoubtedly made an extraordinary impression on him.

He was just shocked, so much so that the Lviv atmosphere contrasted with the situation in Russian Kyiv, where Sholem Aleichem used to live.

He expressed his impressions in novels "Boy Motl" and "Wandering Stars".

24/05/2021

GALITZIANER WELCOMES POLAND

Guests from Jewish organization Hillel Poland.

Telling about Galician Jewish heritage with young generation of Polish Jews was a remarkable experience.

We had the same Jewish Universe in the past now we try to learn from it.

24/05/2021

MATZAVOT IN THE OLD JEWISH CEMETERY IN LVIV

During my work of study and cleaning of the Lviv Old Jewish Cemetery on Rappaport street I collected some pictures of this site.

The old Jewish cemetery in Lviv is one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. Together with the remains of the walls of the High Castle and the Church of St. Nicholas, it was one of the few monuments of princely times in Lviv, preserved until the XX century.

There are several versions of when the first Jewish cemetery (kirkut) appeared in Lviv. According to the administration of the old Jewish cemetery, the oldest matzevot date back to 1348 (baby Jacob) and 1378 (Miriam, daughter of Saul). Historian Mayer Balaban (M. Bałaban) believed that the cemetery could exist from the end of the XIII century and was considered the oldest in all of Red Russia. The director of the Lviv Historical Archive, O. Cholovsky, believed that the Jewish cemetery in Lviv dates back to 1414 in city documents. Another researcher, Rudolf Menkitsky, believed that the earliest mention in the books of the Lviv magistrate dates back to 1480. This record stated that Jews had to pay 30 money a year for the cemetery on St. Nicholas Day.

For a long time, Jews from all over Galicia were buried here, only in the late 16th and early 17th centuries were Jewish communities allowed to have cemeteries in other Galician cities and towns. Despite the appearance of a new Jewish quarter in the city center in Lviv in the 1950s, the cemetery remained the same for a long time.

24/05/2021

GALITZIANER IN DROHOBYCZ

The hometown of Bruno Shultz is incredible.

Museum of Bruno Shultz, largest synagogue of Galicia and picturesque courtyards.

First accounts of Jews in Drohobycz date back to 1404. Only Jews who leased salt mines were allowed to settle in the town; the rest resided in the suburbs. The government initially pretended not to see where the Jews lived. Jews were allowed to settle in the vicinity of the mines but were refused the right to have a separate Jewish cemetery, which for many years rendered it impossible to establish an independent kehilla in Drohobycz.

King Władysław Jagiełło handed over supervision over the salt mines in Drohobycz to a Jew named Wołoczka[1.1]. He was also nominated a quantity surveyor of Drohobycz for the king. Meanwhile, another Jew called Detko or Dziatko, who also leased a salt mine in Drohobycz, was granted permission from the king in 1425 to deliver salt to the royal court and to trade salt with Turkey and Kiev.

In 1500 the town council of Drohobycz was allowed to tax salt mining and production of alcoholic beverages (such as beer or vodka). A taxation and privileges system was established, which served to regulate Jewish entrepreneurship. There must have existed a Jewish kehilla in Drohobycz by then, as it was represented in the Jewish self-government convention in Rzeszów. In 1554 a salt mines leaseholder, Jakub Juditz, was given the right to levy a tax on vodka producers in Drohobycz. Because of that, two Jews from Drohobycz – Samuel Markowicz and Icchak Jakuzow – went to court and appealed to King Zygmunt II August to decide which one was to levy a tax on propination. Eventually the town won the court case.

In 1578, 3,600 Jews resided in Drohobycz. The same year, King Stefan Batory issued the privilege de non tolerandis Judaeis, which banned Jews from residing in Drohobycz or its vicinity, and even banned them from trading during town fairs.

In 1618, Drohobycz was ruined by the Tatars. The town deteriorated. That is when two Jews from Lviv, Icchak Nachmanowicz and Icchak ben Mordechai Markowicz, leaseholders of the royal grounds near Drohobycz, made all possible efforts to make the Jewish community return to Drohobycz. In 1635 the Russian provincial governor, Jan Daniłowicz, allocated 30 morgens of royal grounds for a Jewish settlement. The Jewish district in Drohobycz was named Na Łanie (On the Field). Jan Daniłowicz also granted permission to establish a Jewish cemetery. The town was gradually rebuilt. In 1645 the king released the town from paying taxes.

24/05/2021

LVIV JEWISH TOUR «SYNAGOGUES & COURTYARDS»

Journey in search of all vanished Lviv's synagogues with visit the only survived synagogue of downtown and the old Jewish cemetery.

24/05/2021

GALITZIANER IN BRODY

The hometown of famous Joseph Roth is worth visiting.

There is one of the oldest synagogues in Galicia and gymnasium where Joseph Roth studied.

The first Jews settled in Brody in the 16th century, when Hetman Koniecpolski owned the town. By 1648, around 400 Jewish families lived here. In 1664, the local sub-kahal split from the kahal of Lwów (Lviv), secured its independence, and from that time, Brody Jewish leadership played a significant role in the Council of Four Lands. In 1696, the Jewish quarter burnt down but was quickly rebuilt. In 1699, the owner of the town, Jakub Ludwik Sobieski (son of King John III Sobieski) allowed Jews to settle in all quarters of the town and to work in all crafts as well as in trade, despite the presence of the Christian guilds active in the same trade.

Early in the 18th century, Brody was pillaged by the Russian army, and a great fire destroyed the central part of the town in 1749. Brody was soon rebuilt, however, thanks to the support of the Jewish international merchants who brought merchandise from Paris, Leipzig, and Neustadt. When the Armenians, who also had been active in trade, left the town after the fire, the Jews remained without their long-lasting competitors and Brody became one of the main Jewish centres in Galicia.

24/05/2021

TREASURES UNDER FEET III

Study of the Old Cemetery in Radechiv, Lviv region.

The first written mention of Radekhiv dates back to 1472! Historically and geographically, this territory was part of the Belz and Galicia-Volyn principalities, Tatars and Turks passed here, empires replaced each other.

And of course, as in every Galician town, Jews lived here… Not just lived, but, for example, in the XVIII century, they accounted for almost half of the population!

Unfortunately, as you well know, almost everywhere the only monuments reminiscent of the former Jewish universe of Galicia are Jewish cemeteries. They were traditionally called kirkuts here.

But these memorabilia are very noteworthy!

There are a lot of mats here, about 50, unfortunately they are just stacked in lumps. There are a lot of survivors, and almost every one is a small work of art, a real poem in stone!

Post with comments:
https://www.facebook.com/denys.bulavin/posts/3200761656656801

24/05/2021

POLISH COINS WITH JEWISH INSCRIPTIONS

Did you know about such? 🤔

And it was not one or two coins, but was a systemic phenomenon in a certain period of time. Jewish coinage has not been given such a scale anywhere else in Europe!

Why and when did such miracles happen in Poland?

This is one of the most interesting historical moments in Eastern Europe - to the beginnings of the Jewish history of Poland!

24/05/2021

TRIP TO OLESKO, LVIV REGION

Olesko is a small town 70 km from Lviv. It is famous for its castle.
But it also has unknown Jewish heritage which we discovered during our tour.

We visited old synagogue & Jewish cemetery with ohel.

24/05/2021

THE FIRST HEBREW NOVEL EVER

The Jewish history of Galicia hides many surprises!

For example, it was a Galician Jew who wrote the first modern Hebrew novel in history - "The Revealer of Secrets".

It was published in 1819 by Joseph Perl.

Ironically, the first Jewish book was a sharp satire on the Tzaddiks and Hasidic teachings.

However, the person of the author of this novel - Joseph Pearl - is extremely interesting.

He was called "Jewish Rousseau", although he lived all his life in Ternopil. But he did not just live, but changed reality.

In Ternopil he founded:
- the first private Jewish school in Galicia
- Jewish Cultural and Educational Society
- printing house
- craft school
- hospital
- library (8000 books)
- the first reformist synagogue

It was a true illuminator, a renaissance man.

We can only admire such people 🧐

09/04/2021

LVIV JEWISH TOUR «SYNAGOGUES & COURTYARDS»

Journey in search of all vanished Lviv's synagogues.

09/04/2021

GALITZIANER IN DROHOBYCZ

Galitzianer had welcomed guests from Israel in search of forgotten Jewish Universe.

09/04/2021

TREASURES UNDER FEET III / JEWISH LION FROM STOYANOV

Young researchers of Galician Jewish heritage are sometimes very lucky!

See what beauty we found in the town of Stoyaniv, Radekhiv district - a well-preserved double matzevot with a beautiful lion cub .

This is just a gift from Heaven, because it is one of the least known Jewish cemeteries in Galicia!

Unfortunately, almost nothing is known about it or about Stoyanov's Jewish community.

Although Stoyaniv itself is noteworthy: the first mention of Stoyaniv dates back to 1501. By the privilege of King Sigismund II Augustus in 1547, Stoyanov was granted the Magdeburg right.
Since the second partition of Poland (1793) Stoyaniv has become a border town on the border of Austria with Russia!

The Jewish cemetery was restored in the summer of 2008 by a group of American students from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire (USA) and volunteers from Stoyanov.

Post with comments is here:
https://www.facebook.com/denys.bulavin/posts/3285901064809526

09/04/2021

GALITZIANER IN BUCHACH

Trip to the home-town of Nobel-prize winner Shmuel Yosef Agnon.

09/04/2021

GALITZIANER WELCOMES GERMANY

Group of teachers and students from Germany.

09/04/2021

GALITZIANER IN ROHATYN

Volunteering in the International American-Ukrainian camp organized by the Rohatyn Jewish Heritage Foundation for the clearing and cleaning of the old Jewish Cemetery in Rohatyn in summer of 2019

Here's the detailed report:
https://rohatynjewishheritage.org/2019/07/volunteers-clear-old-cemetery/

Thanks to Marla & Jay Osborn for their activity 💙

09/04/2021

GALITZIANER WELCOMES AMERICA

Big group from USA including Lviv descendants.

09/04/2021

TREASURES UNDER FEET II

STUDYING AND CLEANING OF THE LVIV OLD JEWISH CEMETERY ON RAPPAPORT STREET.

I together with Lviv Jewish Cultural Society (לוואווער יידישער קולטור-געזעלשאפט) and guests from France were volunteers.

We cleaned and accomplished in order the available matzevot at the former Jewish cemetery on Rappoport.

Post with comments is here:
https://www.facebook.com/denys.bulavin/posts/3226195540780079

09/04/2021

JEWISH TOUR «SYNAGOGUES & COURTYARDS» with visiting many authentic courtyards of the former Jewish quarter called Krakidali.

09/04/2021

VISIT TO GOLDEN ROSE SYNAGOGUE

Visit to local Jewish community «Turei Zahav», which takes care of remnants of Golden Roze Synagogue.

Turei Zahav is the original name of the famous Golden Roze Synagogue - the main synagogue of Medieval in-town Jewish community, one of the oldest synagogue in Ukraine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rose_Synagogue_(Lviv)

It was Sukkot feast, so we were warmly welcomed by Turei Zahav rabbi - Mr Meilakh Sheikhet. Thanks for hospitality!

09/04/2021

TREASURES UNDER FEET I

STUDY AND CLEANING OF THE LVIV OLD JEWISH CEMETERY ON RAPPAPORT STREET

Chief of local Jewish cultural society Sasha Nazar and I studied the matzevot of the Lviv Old Jewish Cemetery on Rappaport street..

Some of them are just extremely interesting.

It was especially nice to find a lion cub (Lion is a symbol of Lviv)

As you know, almost every matzevot was a work of art. After all, religion forbids Jews to portray people.

Therefore, in ancient times, the "portrait" of the deceased, his habits, profession, pedigree, the nature of the occupation were depicted symbolically. And there's just depth of meaning in their symbolism!

For example, the lion in the Jewish tradition represents the Jewish people. The lion is a symbol of the tribe of Judah (Judah) (and all modern Jews come from the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin). By the way, the name of the religion "Judaism" - also from him

But the five-candlestick is a symbol of female piety! It was a woman's duty to light candles on Shabbat and holidays ...

The tombstones of married women are mostly decorated with a five-candlestick (usually with birds on both sides).

We plan to make "cleaning day" and put things in order.

Post with comments is here:
https://www.facebook.com/denys.bulavin/posts/3200761656656801

09/04/2021

JEWISH TOUR «SYNAGOGUES & COURTYARDS» with visiting the only preserved synagogue of the Lviv's downtown – «Jacob Glanzer Schul» and Museum «Hall of Synagogues».