Table of Contents
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A Random Photo (?)
Bfc Brest Old Jewish Cemetery circa 1916
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In the second division of the kingdom of Poland in 1793, Brisk was annexed to the Russian empire and in 1831 was set to be capital of Grodno Gubernia (County). Big fires that erupted in the years of 1802 and 1828 ruined a great part of the Jewish neighborhood. In the second fire, 5 synagogues were burned as well. Before the Jews had a chance to recover from these blows an additional distress appeared, the building of Brisk fortress in the outflow of Muchbiyetz and the Bug rivers. The location selected for the fortress was in the old part of the city, which was inhabited mainly by Jews. In 1837 the Czar Nikolai 1st ordered an evacuation of the entire area and the destruction all houses and public buildings there. The residents, including Jews, received generous indemnity payments for their property and the city was moved from its place and was rebuilt approximately 3 kilometers eastward. Among the public buildings that have been destroyed, was the ancient synagogue that was built by Shaul Wahl.
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The Jews decided to use in some of the indemnity money to build a similar synagogue. One of Shaul Wahl 's descendents, Rabbi Ya'akov Me'ir Padova, made a copy of the synagogue's layout and sent it to a Jewish architect in London who is related to Rabbi Shaul. But the Tzar, Nickolai the first, that was supposed to approve the plans, wanted the building to look like the building of the great and gorgeous synagogue in Vienna. So it was done in that way. The memory table of Rabbi Shaul Wall, which was saved from the ruins of the synagogue, was put back in the new synagogue.
The building of the fortress brought many limitations on the economic development of the city. According to the authorities it was forbidden to build in the city houses which were more than one floor high and to start new factories that had smoke chimneys: every new construction needed to be approved by the army. Other difficulties in the city were caused by fires that erupted quite often: in the year 1900 most of the homes were built with wood: only 81 out of 2,386 buildings that existed in town were out of bricks. A very big damage was caused by a fire in year 1895: about 1,800 homes were burnt, most of the homes in town. The fire of 1901 burnt the rest of the homes-approximately 800 homes. There were also people who died in the fire. With the help of short term and long-term loans and donations, among whom the Tzar Nickolai the second that donated 300,000 ruble, the city was rebuilt.
The Jews Thrive
In spite of all this, the city developed and the number of Jews increased. The main contribution to this was the development of means of transportation, a tunnel of the river Pian-Muhayevech that connected the Black Sea with the Baltic Sea, and railroads between Kiev and Warsaw and between Moscow and Warsaw, which turned the city to a very important intersection for trains. Because there were limitations on the industrial aspect of the city, there was a development thanks to the railroads, of trade in lumber and produce, which took off greatly towards the west until Germany and to the east deep into Russia. Through the train station of Brest, thousands of tons of produce were transported to the west, and from there to Russia including different motors. Every week there were 1,000 bulls that arrived and were sold to Warsaw and other towns in Poland. Most of the trade was in the hands of the Jews. According to a census in the year of 1897, here is the list of what people made:
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| Industry and Trade |
40% |
| Commerce |
35% |
| Transportation |
5% |
| Public Service and Professionals |
7% |
| Private Service |
6% |
| Unemployed |
7% |
Despite this, there was little industry: the city was home to 4 tobacco processing plants, several flour mills, a beer distillery and a small number of tanneries. Consequently, it is accurate to say that, in truth, 40% were employed primarily in trade and not in industry. There were approximately 3,500 tradesman most of whom worked as shoemakers and tailors. The rest were bakers, carpenters, smithies and builders. Most of the shoemakers made products for export to the Russian interior and Crimea. A majority of those engaged in commerce were small businessmen or peddlers.
Financial Institutions
Most of the Jewish financial institutions were established at the end of the 19th century. Mid-century, there was one bank operating in the city: Finkelstein's Bank. Starting in the '90s, others were established including: a branch of Solovetchik's and Morgenstern's bank in Warsaw; Horowitz's Zionist Bank (1897); the Brisk-Dalita Cooperative Credit Bank (1905); the Moscow-Brisk United Bank (1905/6); the Savings and Loan Association (1905/6). From 1880, a Gemach (charitable assistance fund) for the poor was operating in the city. Those banks which didn't close in 1914 were destroyed in the first year of WWI.
Education
Education for most took place in the chederim, though a Talmud Torah, established in 1856 through an initiative of Rabbi Ya'akov Meir Padua, also existed in the city. Approximately 500 children studied in this institution which offered Russian language lessons in addition to religious studies. At the end of the 19th century there were 4 Jewish public schools in the city: two for boys and two for girls. In total, approximately 1,700 children studied at these schools. About half of the high school students in the city - including both public and private schools - were Jewish.
Social Services
Throughout the 19th century a number of public institutions were established: the first in 1838. This was the HeKdesh which housed 40 beds and a pharmacy that distributed free medications to the needy. Towards the end of the century, this institution developed into a hospital with a reputation known outside the city. When the Jewish Health Promotion Society (eza) was established in Petersburg toward the end of 1912, the doctors of Brisk were among the first to establish a local chapter. During the 1856 cholera epidemic in the city, Bikur Holim was created. In 1876 a pensioners' home was established and one year later, a free clinic was inaugurated. Similarly, housing for the poor was made available. Different charitable organizations operated in the city including: a women's association flour gmach (food bank), dowry association for needy brides, and a visitor's association and others.
Synagogues and Prayer Houses
At the beginning of the 20th century there were 2 large synagogues in the city and approximately 30 prayer houses. From the beginning of the 19th century and until WWI, the following presided over the rabbinate in the city: Rabbi Arieh Leib Katznelberg (until 1837); Rabbi Ya'akov Meir Padua (1840 - 1856), grandson of Rabbi Abraham Padua and son of Rabbi Joseph Padua; Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Ornstein (1865 - 1874); Rabbi Joshua Leib Diskin (1874 1877) who made aliyah to Palestine and built the Diskin orphanage in Jerusalem which bears his name; Rabbi Joseph Dov-Bar Solovetchik (1878 - 1892), author of the book Beit HaLevi (The House of Levy); His son, Rabbi Haim Solovetchik (1892 - 1918), one of the most famous rabbis in Tsarist Russia who fought against education and Zionism.
Political Representation
Despite being in the majority of the city's population at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jews of Brest held only 3 out of 32 seats on the city council. These representatives were appointed rather than elected.
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A Pogrom Early in the 20th Century
On May 29th, 1905 followers of the Angel Michael Association incited a pogrom in the city. The Association was among the infamous black one hundred. Police and the Jewish self defense faced the rioters. There were a number of killed and wounded among the defenders. Dr. Xavry Steinberg, who had served in the past as a military physician with the rank of battalion commander, donned his uniform and helped to disperse the rioters. He also gave medical help. Because of his donning of his military uniform, Dr. Steinberg was rewarded [sic] with a reprimand from the Russian authorities.
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