eilatgordinlevitan.com
Birz Portraits
Return to Birzai Home Page
Click on Photos to Enlarge
#birz-port_1: Rabbi Elazar Meir Preil (1878-1933) from;
http://www.yutorah.org/bio.cfm?teacherID=80131
Biography: Rabbi Elazar Meir Preil (1878-1933) – Born in Birzh, Kovno, Rabbi Preil studied in Shadova, Telshe and Slabodka, where he particularly excelled. In 1907, he was sent by the yeshiva in Telshe to London, and then became rabbi of Manchester. In 1911, he came to America and was appointed rabbi in Trenton, New Jersey. In 1912, he was chosen to be a rosh yeshiva at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, and taught there until 1922. He was appointed rabbi of Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1919, where he served until his death. This gaon, who was known for his righteousness, was very active in the Agudath HaRabbonim of America. He was also very instrumental in the establishment of Ezras Torah and other charitable institutions. In addition to contributing many writings to various Torah journals, Rabbi Preil authored Sefer HaMaor, a two volume work on halakhah and aggadah.

#birz-port_2:

Picture of Batia and Dov in 1935
Today I spoke to Batia nee Fridman who was born in Birze in 1913. She
was not feeling well ( she is 94 years old) and said that it would be
much better to visit her in person in Kibbutz Yagur. She said that she
studied in the Tarbut school in Birze for four grades ( it only had 4
grades). The rest of her schooling she did in Ponevitzes were she
attended High school in Hebrew. The Zionist youth of Birze belonged to
3 different branches; HaChalutz, HaShomer Hatzair and Bitar. Batia was
a member of Hachlutz. another member was Dov Lifshitz. They were the
only members from Birze who were able to get certificates and make
Aliyah to Israel. They came to Israel in March of 1935. There is a
picture of them with the other members of Hachalutz of Birze , dated
February 10th, 1935. Sadly no other members were able to receive
certificates ( some were able to come to Israel later not as members
of hachlutz). From the members of hashomer hatzair there was Yoel (nee
Boyer) Banai. Yoel who is about 93 years old lives in Kibbutz haniv
and Batia urged me to call him since he is much better then her about
remembering Birze and in her words "He loves such things ..."
Here is what she told me she heard from her brother Israel about Birze
after she left. When the Soviets took control of the area in 1940 all
was well between the jewish and the Lithuanian citizens. In June of
1941 when Germany attacked Russia, Her brother Israel was able to
escape deep into the Soviet Union. Some of the local Lithuanias blamed
the Jews for hard times during the Soviet regime. They killed the
entire jewish population in 1941. The Jews who survived were in
another town at the start of the war. Some survived Kovno ghetto and
the Shavli ghetto and German camps. Her entire family who stayed in
Birze perished in 1941. Her brother Israel survived in the Soviet
Union and later came to Israel to join his sisters and brother;
Benjamin who left Birze before the war. She said that she knew her
second cousins; Yitzhak Chait and his brother Lova well.She knew of
Zhenia and Lola but at that moment she could not recall other Chaits.
   
#birz-port_3:
#birz-port_4:
   
#birz-port_5:
#birz-port_6:
   
#birz-port_7:
#birz-port_8:
   
#birz-port_9:
#birz-port_10:
   
#birz-port_11:
#birz-port_12:
   
#birz-port_13:
#birz-port_14:
   
#birz-port_15:
#birz-port_16:
   
#birz-port_17:
#birz-port_18:
   
#birz-port_19:
#birz-port_20:
   
#birz-port_21:
#birz-port_22:
   
#birz-port_23:

#birz-port_24: