Jewish Studies. Almanac

Searching for God: The Relational Dimension of Janusz Korczak’s Religiosity

Dorota Bis — 2025-12-31

For Janusz Korczak, the relational dimension of spirituality was fundamental. He first sought God invarious areas of his life and then applied this personal experience to his everyday life, especially in his relationships with his pupils. He perceived religion as a fundamental element of human spiritual life, believing that every human being has a desire to seek and discover religiosity. This includes, above all, an openness to the sacred and the freedom to experience it in a personally meaningful way. Janusz Korczak’s writing, especially the works in which he struggles with life and searches for its meaning, can be seen as an invitation for readers to reflect on their own lives and search for what gives them value. For Korczak, this ultimate value was God, whom he understood to be Love.

Paradoxes of Jewish Music

Zofia Hartman — 2025-12-31

Jewish music is a multifaceted cultural phenomenon, and its definition has long been a subject of controversy. Behind these definitional disputes, one finds conflicting tendencies and even paradoxes related to the practice and reception of music that is in some way connected to Jewish traditions. This article explores key questions concerning its authenticity, addressing whether imitations or transformations of Jewish musical themes should be included in its semantics. It also examines the tension between what is considered “traditional” and what is modern or contemporary, as well as the place of commercial music within its definition. These issues cannot be separated from their cultural and social context, a background particularly shaped by complicated Polish-Jewish relations. The processes of adaptation and creative synthesis taking place within socalled contact zones lead to the transformation of traditional musical elements into new artistic forms. At the same time, they emphasize the dichotomy between mass culture and the values of high artistic culture. Although deeply rooted in tradition, the phenomenon of Jewish music remains dynamic and susceptible to changing socio-historical conditions. The analysis of these factors requires an interdisciplinary approach that takes into account the diversity of research perspectives and the existence of tensions resulting from the functioning of this music at the intersection of cultural memory, commercialization, and artistic innovation.

Mordechai ben Joseph Sułtański in Volhynia: An Attempt to Elevate the Legal Status of Karaites in the Russian Empire

dr Veronika Klimova — 2025-12-31

The article analyzes the biography of Mordechai Sułtański and his potential contribution to the enhancement of the legal status of Karaites within the Russian Empire. A pious individual, Sułtański served as a hazzan and authored numerous works. He earned a reputation as a preeminent scholar of his generation, making a substantial contribution to the fields of Karaite religion and history. The study is based on the Zecher Caddikim manuscript (Ms. B 445), housed in the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, Russia. It focuses on Sułtański’s contacts with Tadeusz Czacki, Alojzy Osiński, and other high-ranking officials during the Karaite scholar’s life in Volhynia. A selection of fragments has been published in Hebrew with an English translation.

Spy or Victim of Stalinist Madness? Isaac Goldstein (1892–1954): A Forgotten Biography

Paulina Korneluk — 2025-12-31

This article examines Isaac Goldstein, a figure largely overlooked in Polish historiography. He was born in 1892 in Zamość and was the nephew of Yitskhok Leybush Peretz (Isaac Leib Peretz). His brother was the prominent Zamość architect and city councilor Moses Goldstein. Isaac Goldstein was the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust. While living in Poland, he belonged to the Bund, and beginning in the 1920s he worked in Moscow. He was a communist who appears to have sincerely believed in the system. In the 1930s, he worked as an economist and researcher. He spent World War II in Tashkent and returned to Moscow following the war’s conclusion. His acquaintance with the renowned director Solomon Mikhoels resulted in Isaac Goldstein being accused of spying for Jewish nationalists and the US. He was arrested, brutally interrogated, and died in prison in 1954. This article aims to situate this figure within a broader family and historical context.

Legal and Financial Status of School Principals in Poland and Israel

Bernard Panasiuk — 2025-12-31

This article presents the results of a comparative analysis of the legal and financial status of school principals in Poland and Israel. The legal section discusses the foundations of each country’s education system, recruitment procedures, qualification requirements, the scope of decision-making autonomy, and the mechanisms for evaluating the work of principals. The financial section presents the salaries of principals at various levels of education, taking into account gender gaps and the ratio of their salaries to the earnings of other professionals with higher education. The analysis revealed that in Poland, the legal status of principals is based mainly on strict statutory regulations, while in Israel, greater emphasis is placed on flexibility, mentoring, and innovation. The financial status of principals also differs significantly between the two countries — in Israel, principals receive, on average, about 40% higher salaries than in Poland. The conclusions point to the need to implement support programs in Poland for principals in their first years of work and for greater transparency in recruitment procedures in Israel.

Teaching Conditions and Practices in Galician Cheders, 1772–1918

Roman Pelczar — 2025-12-31

This article presents the role of cheders in the elementary education of Jewish children living in Galicia. This type of school operated there throughout the entire period of the partitions of Poland. Cheder schools were the most popular type of Jewish religious school. They were established by private teachers (melameds), who also served as tutors. They were supported by assistants, known as “belfers.” Cheder schools were mainly attended by boys aged 3–13. However, Austrian and Galician state authorities restricted the activities of cheder schools, aiming to close them and replace them with public schools (for all Galician youth). Due to the popularity of cheders (which had a centuries-long history), the Jewish population was reluctant to send their children to public schools. The greatest supporters of cheders were the Hasidim. These schools were established in towns with significant Jewish populations. Often, several or even dozens of such schools operated simultaneously in one town. Their main operational problems were poor conditions and large class sizes. Despite their popularity, cheders began to be strongly criticized during the period of autonomy. This criticism came not only from political and educational authorities but also from progressive Jews, who saw them as one of the causes of perceived cultural stagnation of their compatriots.

Mordechaj Gebirtig (1877–1942) — Somewhere in Between

Grzegorz Poźniak — 2025-12-31

The life and work of Mordechaj Gebirtig (1877–1942) have been well documented in existing literature. His works have been recorded and published in various interpretations and editions. However, it is difficult to resist the impression that this poetic work is very little known and has been popularized to only a limited extent. This article aims to intensify the promotion of this work. The research and descriptive approach is innovative. It is based on an approach to the person and his work through a series of polar opposites along which the artist’s ars poetica is expressed. Its understanding lies somewhere “between” these polar opposites. There are six of them: 1) between oblivion and memory; 2) between life and death; 3) between word and sound; 4) between grey everyday life and the stage; 5) between poverty and wealth; 6) between good and evil. In the Bible, the number six expresses imperfection and incompleteness. The author’s intention is to emphasize the incompleteness of the proposed set of poles of tension, thereby inviting further research.

Jewish Customs Related to Pregnancy and Childbirth as Reflected in Selected Ethnographic Literature from the Early Twentieth Century

Karolina Przebieradło — 2025-12-31

Pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period were associated with a risk for both women and children. This has led to the development of numerous related beliefs and protective practices. However, there are only a few texts in ethnographic literature devoted to these issues in the context of the culture of Jews living in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The aim of this article is to show how ethnographic publications from the late 19th and early 20th centuries addressed practices and beliefs related to these issues. The text presents the attitude towards parenthood in Jewish culture, discussing prohibitions and commandments concerning pregnant women, as well as preparations for delivery and childbirth itself. The combination of folk practic-es, magical thinking and religion is an interesting issue, as is the intermingling of cultures. Despite the limited quantity and diversity of sources analysed, the publications reveal the richness of the traditions that defined the way of life of Jewish communities.

“A Somewhat Passive Attitude of Governments”: A Few Remarks on American Policy Toward the Holocaust of Jews in 1941–1944

Przemysław Różański — 2025-12-31

The article opens with a quote from a letter by Louis Segal, Secretary General of the Jewish National Workers’ Alliance, to Stephen T. Early, Press Secretary to the President of the United States, requesting American support regarding Nazi Germany’s extermination of Jews in the occupied territories of the USSR. Segal attached to the letter, dated November 3, 1941, an editorial from “Congress Weekly,” the official publication of the American Jewish Congress, which cited specific examples of mass crimes committed against Jews by Nazi Germany and Romania. Segal’s letter serves as a starting point for describing, explaining the causes of, and evaluating US policy toward the extermination of Jews conducted by Nazi Germany in occupied Europe, particularly the USSR and Poland. The article also describes the activities of American Jews in defense of their co-religionists persecuted in Europe.

Polish-Jewish Relations in Lublin During the Great War (1914–1916)

Mieczysław Ryba — 2025-12-31

This article examines Polish-Jewish relations in Lublin during World War I. A significant economic conflict emerged between the Polish and Jewish communities. The relatively low level of assimilation within the Jewish population, attributed to the substantial size of this community within the city, gave rise to considerable ethnic tensions. Despite this rivalry, the political dispute had no ideological (racist) basis. The struggle was rather centered on who would be the dominant force in the country after Poland regained its independence.

The Life and Work of Johann Jacob Sachs, a 19th-Century Physician, Scientist, Promoter of Health Education and Pioneer of Public Health

Julia Sienkiewicz Wilowska — 2025-12-31

The article analyses the life and educational path, and selected works of Johann Jacob Sachs, a physician and scientist of Jewish origin born in Mirosławiec (Märkisch Friedland) and, from today’s perspective, a pioneer in public health studies. The Wałcz district, in which Mirosławiec is located, was an important center of the Jewish population from the 18th to the 20th century. Its functioning was influenced by two orders — religious and those related to Prussian legislation. The use of various sources and documents from that period allows for an analysis of the mechanisms that influenced Sachs’s life. Sachs, born in 1803 into a large, orthodox Jewish family, initially received an education that prepared him for the role of rabbi. However, this did not bring him satisfaction. He eventually completed his medical studies and moved to Berlin, where he pursued an academic career and publishing activities related to medical journals he founded. One of his most famous works is A Picture of a Woman’s Life in Health and Disease from a Psychological, Intellectual and Moral Point of View. A Handbook for German Women.

Sachs, who was born in 1803 into a large, orthodox Jewish family, initially received an education that prepared him for the role of rabbi. However, this did not bring him satisfaction. He eventually completed his medical studies and moved to Berlin, where he pursued an academic career and publishing activities related to medical journals he founded. One of his most famous works is A Picture of a Woman's Life in Health and Disease from a Psychological, Intellectual and Moral Point of View. A Handbook for German Women.

Strony tytułowe

Paulina Tomczyk — 2025-12-31

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