History
Jewish community before 1989 – Polska / łódzkie
The beginnings of the Jewish settlement in Łódź date back to the 18th century – the period of decline of the Republic of Poland. The town did not have the de non tolerandis Judaeis privilege. The first Jewish settlers were Daniel Layzerowicz – a baker and Abram Lewkowicz – a tailor. Both already lived in Łódź in 1785. Mosiek a.k.a. Mojżesz Pryntz from Lutomiersk settled here in 1791. The first Łódź Jews who were wealthy and educated in the Scripture were: Pinkus Zajdler who arrived in 1795 from Przedbórz, Pinkus Sonenberg who arrived in 1797 from Łęczyca and Lewek Heber who arrived to Łódź in 1801 from Lutomiersk. All of them played an important role as the subsequent Parnases of the kehilla.[1.1]
The Jewish settlement in the town until the second partition of Poland which took place in 1793 was not particularly significant. Among the total population of 190 people, only 11 were Jewish. This was undoubtedly influenced by the character of the town rendered by historians as “agricultural Łódź”. Łódź at that time was not a particularly attractive town for settlers. Rather significant for Jewish settlement was the fact that Łódź, until the second partition of Poland, was owned by the bishops. In 1796-1798 Łódź became a government town. This period saw lively economic development of the town. In 1793-1808 the number of inhabitants almost doubled. The number of Jews increased over five times, from 11 to 58[1.2]. In 1807 the Łódź kehilla did not have its own rabbi yet, but the function of a mohel was already held by Lewek Heber, and his deputy was Pinkus Sonenberg[1.3]. They were, however, removed from their positions after a complaint brought to the Deputy Prefect of the Zgierz County. Dawid Herszkowicz, simultaneously a cantor, was elected as a successor to Heber. The first known elders of the Łódź kehilla were: Pinkus Zajdler and Mojżesz Fajtlowicz. The first known kehilla elections took place on 12 November 1810. The candidates were: Pinkus Sonenberg, Mendel Moszkowicz, Lewek Heber and Mojżesz Fajtlowicz. Elected to the positions of kehilla elders were Pinkus Sonenberg, with 12 votes and Mendel Moszkowicz, with 10 votes. It was them who participated in creation of the first Jewish cemetery in Łódź. Until the 1810 elections the dead were buried on the neighbouring cemeteries in Lutomiersk and Stryków. In 1811 the kehilla elders made an agreement with Adam Lipiński and his wife for purchase of land for the Jewish cemetery[1.4]. Simultaneously there was a Chewra Kadisza burial fraternity created. Its first superiors became: Szmul Litman a.k.a. Lipman, Hersz Sonenberg and Mojzesz Fajtlowicz. After one year the fraternity changed its name to Burial and Nursing Fraternity – Chewra Kadisza u’Bikur Cholim[1.5]. The first rabbi of Łódź, mentioned in the founding protocol of the burial fraternity, was Jehuda Arje, son of Gaon from Widawa. Later, official documents mention the rabbi by the name of Lewek Salomonowicz. He lived in Stary Rynek (Old Market Square). He held his office until 1818. He was succeeded in the position of a rabbi by Pinkus Hiller from Rosprza[1.6].
The Łódź kehilla had its own synagogue from 1809. Thanks to establishment of religious institutions such as: the synagogue, cemetery, kehilla board, rabbi and mohel positions, the kehilla became self-sufficient. The majority of the Jewish population were craftsmen and workers – 62% of the total population, and merchants – 35% of the total Jewish population. 73% of Łódź Jews did not have their own dwellings, and 27% of them were homeowners. Łódź Jews in 1821 lived in Stary Rynek and in Wolborska, Drewnowska and Piotrkowska (today Nowomiejska) Streets[1.7]. Almost half of the Łódź Jews came to the city from the neighbouring villages: Chojny, Stoki and Bełdów. About 25% came from the neighbouring towns: Lutomiersk, Stryków, Łask and Piotrków Trybunalski. Jews came to Łódź also from Sochaczew, Kutno and Uniejów.
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[1.1] A. Alperin, Żydzi w Łodzi. Początki Gminy Żydowskiej 1780-1822., „Rocznik Łódzki”, t. III, Łódź 1933, s. 152
[1.2] W. Puś, Żydzi w Łodzi w latach zaborów 1793-1914, Łódź 2001, s. 11
[1.3] A. Alperin, Żydzi w Łodzi…, s. 160
[1.4] A. Alperin, Żydzi w Łodzi…, s. 162. It refers to an old Jewish cemetery in Wesoła Street, in which the dead were buried until 1892.
[1.5] A. Alperin, Żydzi w Łodzi…, s. 163
[1.6] W. Puś, Żydzi w Łodzi…, s. 164
[1.7] A. Alperin, Żydzi w Łodzi…, s.177
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