Zikhronot (Memoirs)

Ber of Bolechów

ca. 1790–1800

The new Rabbi pleased everybody, because he was beyond all doubt a righteous man. I was then a boy of twelve. My father received two letters from Rabbi Yukel on the subject of a good match for me in Brody, and as a consequence I had to visit R. Mordechai every Saturday after the midday meal and read Gemara with him, in order that I might become…

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Creator Bio

Ber of Bolechów

1723–1805

Dov Ber Birkenthal, also known as Ber of Bolechów (his native town in Galicia), was a merchant of Hungarian wine, Hebrew memoirist, and arbitrator. Combining extensive Jewish traditional and secular knowledge and tutored in Polish, German, French, and Latin, he is most noted for his memoirs (Zikhronot), written in the 1790s but published only in the twentieth century. The chronicle of his life describes both religious and secular activities and delves into historical and political events. They also portray Jews’ prominent roles in Polish economic life.

Related Guide

Life Writing: Biography, Autobiography, and Ego Documents, 1750–1880

The famous and the obscure, women and men, in epitaphs and private letters, ethical wills, cookbooks, and religious reflections, all reflect aspects of Jewish life in a period of great transition.

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