Bialystok boasted political parties, professional associations and other groups that played an important role in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the city. The Jews were involved in demonstrations, strikes, political upheavals and armed attacks on the AWROM SZMUEL HERSZBERG hated Czarist police. The latter had to reckon with the power of the Jewish labor movement, which showed courage and honor in demanding human rights. In 1905-06, Czarist soldiers staged pogroms in Bialystok, leaving many Jewish victims maimed or killed. ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO (Editor’s note: Concerning Jewish life in Bialystok 100 years ago, an interesting description was left to us by ‘ the well-known researcher, author and specialist on Bia- lystok, A.S. Herszberg, who was exterminated by the Nazis. His memoirs about Jewish life in Bialystok in the last century may be found in the second volume of his Pinkas Bialystok, in an article titled “‘Review and Over- view, excerpted below.) When I arrived in Bialystok in the spring of 1880, the Turkish War had ended. Textile manufacturing had begun to flourish, Jewish participation in this industry increasing to an advanced stage. Bialystok already could boast of several wealthy Jews. In general, the socioeconomic status of the Jewish population was satisfactory. The time was ripe for an economic upturn. Nevertheless, Bialystok still retained the outward appearance of a small shtetl. Large brick homes were few in number. In the main, the town consisted of small wooden and a few shingled dwellings. Fences parti- tioned these modest residences. There was still no run- ning water. People depended upon water carriers. Certainly no electric lighting existed at that time, nor was there yet a theater. No large hall was yet available to accommodate weddings, concerts or debates. The comedienne Sonja Zadrunski (Sonja der Badchen) entertained at weddings. | : Social life was almost entirely interwoven with the religious. It was mainly confined to the batei midrashim. The larger study halls, where people prayed, studied, discussed civic matters or just idly spent their time, played a vital role in Jewish life. Hebrew teachers, pious Jews, the wealthy and philanthropists enjoyed the most esteem. The Enlightenment (Haskalah) had long before infiltrated Bialystok. Still, the Maskilim did not enjoy much prominence. Actually they were a _ repressed minority. Consequently they established their own separate synagogue. Gradually the MHatzfirah (Haskalah-oriented) newspaper began to circulate until it attracted four hundred subscribers. No newsstands, however, existed then in Bialystok. Since the older peo- ple could not read Russian, they were satisfied with the news conveyed to them by younger citizens who read the Russian papers. 6 The Torah ignoramus received no respect what- soever. Only a laborer who also knew how to study the Torah was honored. Simple Jewish toilers learned Ein Yaakov, listened to a magid or recited the Psalms. Also for them the bet hamidrash served as the community ‘center. Everyone knew everyone else’s business. Gossip was never lacking. Yet the main topics of conversation were political. Many disputes arose in the batei midra- shim concerning civic or communal matters. The usual Count Jan Klemens Bronicki II (1689-1771), who inherited the village of Bialystok from his father. During his lifetime (1742), King August III raised the status of Bialytok froma village toa town. This act enlarged the Jewish settlement in Bialystok and led to its eventual development as a large industrial city. times for these exchanges were the Jewish holidays when Jews did not go to work. Every bet midrash had its spokesmen and its wise guys. The large manufacturers of Bialystok were mostly German. The Jews constituted the small factory owners. At that time Bialystok had a large number of Jewish saloon keepers, most of them earning meager livings. Many Jews depended for their livelihood upon The Bialystoker Memorial Book