DR. JACOB SOKOL REMEMBERING THE JEWISH HOSPITAL The Jewish Hospital in Bialystok was a vital institu- tion in the history of the town’s Jewish community. Its archives, had they been preserved, could have told many wondrous stories, not only about Bialystok itself but about its humanitarian efforts, which gained the recognition of places far away. The Jewish Hospital had achieved such a remarka- ble reputation that the highest government officials, even bitter enemies of the Jewish people, went there for medical treatment. The hospital administration consisted of: A. Knia- zew, Director; Poznanski, Secretary. Its medical and The nurses and doctors of the Jewish Hospital, founded in 1840. surgical departments were well organized. Many hundreds of patients used its ambulatory services on a daily basis, a large percentage of whom were treated gratis by its doctors, top specialists in every branch of medical science. The Jewish Hospital was more than a place for curing disease. For the young Jewish doctor it was an extension of medical school, a golden opportunity to expand his theoretical and practical knowledge. Each week the hospital conducted seminars, arranged by the medical society, rendering it a citadel of medical knowledge, where doctors and nurses stud- ied with great diligence. Moreover, practical clinical lec- tures were offered there. That is why many young doctors and medical students became affiliated with this institution. Patients were sent to the Jewish Hospital in Bialy- stok from neighboring communities because of its excellent reputation as a center for diagnosis and treat- ment. Those young doctors who interned there were required to go through a difficult apprenticeship before they were approved for clinical practice. It was extremely tough in those prewar years for Jewish young people to enter the Polish universities and 42 continue their education. Only a small number who had the financial capability left Poland for Western Euro- pean universities, which did tend to accept them. Unfortunately many had to give up their dreams of higher education because of monetary problems. When a student completed medical school he had a year of internship at a hospital. This was certainly no easy experience. For a Jewish student to intern at a general hospital was practically impossible. Therefore, it was necessary | to apply to the Jewish Hospital. Not all the students, however, were accepted there. During the Nazi occupation, young Jewish doctors doing their internship at the Bialystok Jewish Hospital, together with their older colleagues, remained at their medical posts until the last moment. Many of the hospi- tal’s doctors including Dr. Rejgrodski, Dr. Triling, Dr. Forszteter, Dr. Epsztejn, Dr. Iserson, Dr. Ziman, Dr. Jakobson, Dr. Kagan, Dr. Wolf, Dr. Fejgin and others were exterminated together with their patients, whom they treated for almost fifty years. May their memories be blessed. JEWISH JOURNALISTS Mojsze Wisocki — co-founder of Unzer Leben, daily newspaper. Journalist, publicist, lecturer; Asz. Amiel — Essayist; Mend! Goldman — poet and jour- nalist, known for his concise, subtle articles for Unzer Leben; J.L. Szacki — impassioned raconteur; Lejbl Fajans — Yiddish language specialist. Later a member of the Academy for the Hebrew language in Israel; Furje and Jehuda Lis — poets; Dowid Sapir — novelist and skit writer. He wrote a three part Yiddish novel, The Weak Generation; 5. Lampert — journalist and sculptor, Chaim Wisocki — Master short story writer of romantic themes; Aron Brzezinski — his favorite subject was the bleak, declining Lithuanian-Polish shtetl; J.G. Sztejnsapir — humorist and founder of a weekly Yiddish publication; Oszer Czanowicz and Josef Rubinlicht — The former originally wrote for the War- saw Express. The latter was a folk humorist; Jakow Waks and Cwi Wider — Freelance writers on labor issues for Unzer Leben; Mordechaj Zabludowski and Dr. Cwi Lukaczewski — specialists on engineering and medicine, respectively, whose articles appeared in the Friday Unzer Leben; Nojach Zabludowski — known for his meticulous use of language; A.S. Herszberg — his- torian of Jewish life in Bialystok; Awrom Tyktin — scientist, publicist and philosopher. Many of the above improved their writing style under Pejsach Kaplan’s tutelage. The Bialystoker Memorial Book