,‫ בעריכת ברוך קפלינסקי‬,"‫"פנקס הרוביישוב‬

‫בהוצאת ארגון יוצאי הרוביישוב בישראל‬

"‫אביב‬-‫ תל‬,1962 ‫ תשכ"ג‬,‫ובארצות הברית‬
PAGES 329-330 (from Yiddish)
"When it comes to evaluating our activities in the field of culture, we must not give up on
such an important goal as IVA.

Before I talk about its activities, it is worth dwelling on the nature of the institution and its
tasks.

IVA (Jewish Scientific Institute - ‫ )יידישער וויסנשאפטלעכער אינסטיטוט‬was established in

Vilnius (Vilna) in 1925 by a group of scientists and cultural figures. Its purpose: to collect and
study the treasures and richness of the Yiddish language in literature, folk tales, legends, folk
songs - all in order to know through scientific research the Jewish life of yesterday, which
has a great influence on our lives today.

The truth is, that much was done in this field even before the founding of IVA. We know the
famous mission of the late writer Ansky with the musician Engel, who even before the First
World War, traveled between the towns of Poland, Wahlin and Ukraine and did much work
in that matter.

When IVA was founded, we felt it was an important event, because the need for organized-
systematic work had long been felt.

From the very beginning, IVA was welcomed with great enthusiasm in Poland and other
countries. Individuals (friends of IVA) joined and identified with the institution, as well as
collectors, from various groups and parties from extremist Yiddishists to general Zionists. All
those who had an interest in collecting past entries, joined the mission.

IVA was composed of several departments (sections), such as Philosophy-History, Economy-

Statistics, Psychology-Education. Around these departments gathered the most important
researchers and scientists and students. I joined the committee, and with my modest means
I began to collect materials in the field of folklore and ethnography.

I realized that we have an abundance of treasures of folk tales, legends and linguistic assets.
All of these had to be collected, and if not now - when? It was my job. I visited Cheders and
Talmud-Torahs; I collected songs, plays, I came in touch with teachers, who to the best of my
recollection, did not hinder my effort to collect the material, but some of them smiled: such
a big guy messing with nonsense. But some of them also helped. I contacted students and
artisans, copied notebooks, even from simple Jews who had something to tell. As I already
mentioned, the atmosphere at first was not so warm. It was received as a personal hobby,
not something of great, general importance, but over the time people began to appreciate it
differently.
Among all the collections I would like to mention those of local value, such as about Menin,
who lived in our city and studied in our small beit midrash. As told, they wanted to bring
down the Messiah and the Baal Shem Tov, claiming that "the redemption is not to be
hastened" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Oaths). I copied and photographed their
tables (in the place of the late Avraham Brandt) and the tombstones in the holy place.

Against the Great Synagogue was a fenced area called the Cemetery. To my recollection, it
was told, that in that place a bride and groom sank to the ground while standing under the
Chuppa. There is another version, which this place is related to the decrees of the years TH
and TT of Khmelnitsky (Cossack riots - ‫)גזרות ת"ח–ת"ט‬. Another version about this small
cemetery is that it is only a symbolic place, found in many towns in front of the synagogue,
so that all who go to pray will see the image of the cemetery, and will sin less.

I also sent various photos of events, held by the late student J. Kreitzer.

It is worthy to mention the late Avraham Eli Gruber (= Shemen) (or as he was called Avraham
Eli Badhan), who sent many folk songs, and the late Avraham Issachar (AKA as ‫אברהם דעם‬
‫ ;)פארבערס‬who does not remember him? At a young age he was a singer, a poet with the
well-known cantor Nissi Belzer of Berdychiv. As a child he had a good alto voice, so his father
sent him to learn musicianship. Then he returned to the city, got married and opened a
small shop, but his soul was thirsty for music. In those years, a young Hasidic fellow (he
prayed in Trisk Stiebel), who wrote and read musical notes, was a rare phenomenon.

So the late Avraham Issachar helped a lot in writing (recording) Chassidic melodies, prayers
and simple folk songs. His name and honor will be remembered!

I would also like to mention the material help for IVA. For example, for a long time our YH
Brenner committed to the library in the amount of 5 zlotys a month. It was a symbolic help,
but morally it had great significance. The heads of the "Zion Workers" Committee, Hoffman
J. Waxman and Gretel made the proposal to support IVA and with the support of all the
factions, the then the mayor of the city council allocated 200 zlotys for IVA.

A greater achievement was the decision of to commit 100 zlotys from the community. We
saw this as a tremendous achievement in that period. This was assisted by our rabbi,
Wertheim, who influenced the determination of the amount.

Among other things, we mention here the chairman of the community at the time, the late
Shlomo Regel, who showed understanding for that matter.

Thus, modest things were done in our city for IVA until 1929-30. After that, as I learned at
the first IVA conference in Vilnius, the work was interrupted due to my immigration to Israel.
I should note that the work left some traces and remaining progress. As far as I can
remember, some students kept researching, but I hardly know about their activities, because
I was already in Eretz Israel at that time.

I would like to mention further that in 1935 I took part in a gathering for IVA in Tel Aviv with
the department of Dr. Weinrich, who then came as a guest to Eretz Israel.
PAGE 575 (Eliyahu Gretel, in his article "In Trisk's Shtiebel)
Among other things, we heard cantorship from the late Avraham Issachar, who sang the
prayers of Nissi Belzer.

As a child, Avraham Issachar, or Avraham der Forbers (‫)אברהם דער פארבערס‬, had a good
alto voice. His father brought him to Berdychiv, where he became a singer/poet with the
well-known cantor Nissi Belzer. He studied score reading and notation, and was successful.

When he changed/matured/lost his child-voice, he returned to the city. Here at the Triskai
Shtiebel, we would hear his cantorial motifs, sung out of preprepared notes and it was a
novelty for us. We would repeat the heartfelt motifs, which were arranged for a choir and
solo singing.

Later, on more than one occasion, in the organization, we used to go back and sing the
melodies.

Years later, he helped us form a youth choir. By the way, he put many Hassidic melodies on
the record for IVA.