Kalwaria at the court of the Gerer rebbe,¹⁸⁷⁰ delighting in the spiritual
atmosphere.
(6) [5] Rabbi Perelmuter,¹⁸⁷¹ a former member of the Sejm and rabbi of
Piotrków. Held a rabbinical post for several years. Rabbi Najfeld,¹⁸⁷² who
had tremendous influence on non-Jewish institutions, was a force to be
reckoned with everywhere.
(7) Jankielewicz,¹⁸⁷³ a member of the communal council, a writer of proshenia,¹⁸⁷⁴
a man of influence in the local administration, carried out various enforcements,
went to see the governor and came back to town to announce that
‘he’ had told him siądźcie.¹⁸⁷⁵ If he noticed someone cast a vote for a leftist
delegate, he would whisper it into the chairman’s ear. Bent double before
every scribbler and treated Jews severely and courageously. Was a non-believer
in his youth, observant in his old age. Not a Torah scholar, but no
expert in worldly affairs either.
(8) [6] A man they called Avrom bas Malka, a Torah scholar, an expert in the
Talmud and the Talmudic commentaries. Very religious, half wild, with
a high opinion of today’s apikorsim,¹⁸⁷⁶ who pray little and are ready to sacrifice
themselves for a fellow Jew. Lived in poverty all his life. A melamed,
he didn’t hit his pupils, but sought to convince them.
(9) Perelmuter Motl, a stubborn man who always had complaints about
everything and everyone. A knowledgeable man, a scholar, with respect
for the young, fought with the rabbi, a friend of his youth, whose teacher
he himself had been, and who did nothing and accomplished nothing, just
1870 Rabbi Abraham Mordechai Alter (1864 or 1866–1948), leader of the Ger (Góra Kalwaria) Hasidic dynasty, one of the most influential Jewish figures of the interwar period, co-founder of Agudat Israel.
1871 Rabbi Abraham Hersh Tzvi Perelmuter (1843–1930), representative of the Jewish population in the temporary Polish government in 1917, co-founder of Agudat Israel and its representative in the Sejm. He was close to the Jewish Orthodox community and maintained a good relationship with the Hasidim and their leaders. From 1861 he served as a rabbi in Łęczyca, Oświęcim, Będzin, Raciąż, Pabianice, Radom, Poddębice and Warsaw; in the latter, he was active in the Jewish community.
1872 Presumably an error on the part of the author. The context and personal attributes described strongly suggest that Rabbi Perelmuter is meant.
1873 Benjamin Jankielewicz, son of Shabtai: See Gal-Ed, pp. 36 and 348.
1874 (Russian) petitions.
1875 (Polish) Have a seat.
1876 (Yiddish) non-believers (sing. apikoyres), skeptics.
