|
|
From "Jewish Cities, Towns, and Rural Settlements in Lithuania:"
Historic-Biographic Sketches by Berl Kagan
New York, 1991
Keidan (Kedainiai)
Part 2: Settlement in Israel
Keidan Jews were involved with the resettlement of Israel more than 80
years before the Zionist movement began. Of one of them we know precisely
that in 1813 he settled in Jerusalem. He came to Israel in 1810 with a
group of immigrants who were students of the Vilna Gaon. He was a goldsmith
- or so was his name, which he Hebraicized to Tsoref, Avraham
Shlomo Zalman , born here in 1786. He earned a lot of money for the
then-small community. He purchased the Jerusalem center and the Hurva Synagogue
of R. Yehuda Chosid. Died 1851.
His son, Mordechai Solomon , also was active in helping Jews
in Israel. He would travel abroad on missions for the yishuv [the
pre-independence Jewish settlement]. From the German Kaiser he obtained
protection for the little settlement. Particularly great accomplishments
can be ascribed to the activity of Mordechai's son, Yoel-Moshe Salomon
- one of the foundation-builders of the settlement of Israel.
One of the ten forefathers of the building of the "Rishon Le-Zion" community
was Zev Abramovitz , born here [in Keidan] in 1843. Came to Israel
from St. Petersburg as a rich merchant. Died in 1915.
In 1844 a Keidan Jew, Yisroel-Chaim HaCohen , published "Khibat
Yerushalyim" by Chaim Halevy Horvitz , described as "one of
the residents of Jerusalem." It therefore it is understood that he had
already lived there for many years.
Keidan Jews traveled to the Land of Israel in the second half of the
nineteenth century, as can be seen from the later tombstones in an old
Jerusalem cemetery:
Yechiel Mikhl son of Moshe
from Keidan, 5622 [1862].
Dvora, wife of Yechiel Mikhlfrom Keidan, 5622 [1862].
Rochl, daughter of the
rabbi and sage Yehuda Leib Kahana Shapiro , head of the rabbinical
court of Keidan, 5623 [1863].
Shifra , daughter of R.
Meir (wife of Yechiel the blacksmith from Keidan), 5638 [1877].
Sore , daughter of R. Heshil
from Keidan (widow of rabbi Yakov from Vilna), 5639 [1878].
Shlomo son of R. Mordechai
Refoel, 5639.
Hene daughter of R. Yermeyahu
from Keidan, 5645.
With the rise of the "Love of Zion" movement and Zionism, Keidan became
very active in helping to build up the land of Israel. Among the first
Lovers of Zion activists was R. Shmarye Merkel , in 1886.
In a "List of the friends and supporters of the Children of Israel who
work the land in Syria and in the Land of Israel" from 1896, are found
these Keidaners: Kopl Abramovitz , Yosef Blumson, Zundl Ginzburg,
Leib Golombik, Yehoshua-Zvi Horvitz.
In a series of lists of donors who gave to build up the land of Israel,
the names of Keidaners are often found: 1898 - 6 articles, 1879 - 3 articles;
1900 - 3 articles; 1909 - 1 article, 50 donors. Delegate, 1899 - Yisroel
Ptashkin .
In "Parkhei Zion" [Zion's Flowers] 1899, were: Aaron Einhorn,
Dovid Bavilski, Chaim-Yosef Ratner, Meir Fridgut, Meir-Yosef Vilner, Yitschak
Ratner . Director: Zev Tauber . In "Bnei Zion" [Children
of Zion] 1899 the delegate is Yitschak Dam .
The United Council of Lovers of Zion in 1903 consisted of: Zundl
Ginzburg , settlment head; Zalman Frank , deputy; Eliezer
Wolpert , treasurer; Yosef Wolpert, Zvi Horvitz, Yitschak Dam, Yakov
Wolpert . Delegate: Yosef Blumson . The council criticized the
overly caustic debate between Ahad-Ha'am and Dr. Nordau regarding Dr. Herzl.
Aaron-Zalman Dat , born here in 1859, a passionate lover of Zion,
from the "Mizrachi" activists, son-in-law of R. Moshe-Yonah Jaffe
, a judge in Smilg, Pushalat, where Aaron-Zalman died.
Previous Page | Next Page 
|
