Ber of Bolechów

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.