POLLAK Origin of surname

Julia Margaret Polak (1939- ), professor of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at Imperial College London, England, where she established a research centre to develop cells and tissues for transplantation into humans. Polak was born in Argentina. She graduated in pathology from the University of Buenos Aires after which she moved to London.

In 1995, as Professor of Endocrine Pathology at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School (now Imperial College London) she was found to be suffering from one of the conditions she was researching, life-threatening pulmonary hypertension. Her life was saved by a heart and lung transplant and as a result of the success of this operation she decided to change her specialization to tissue engineering. The Centre which she founded made huge advances in tissue engineering research which made transplant surgery much safer. She was for many years editor of the journal "Tissue Engineering" as well as a member of the UK Stem Cell Bank Clinical and User Liaison Committee and an advisor to the British Science and Parliament Committees. She is recognized as one of the most influential researchers in her field. Her work was recognized by the Society for Endocrinology, the International Academy of Pathology and the Association of Clinical Pathologists. She was named in Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Honours List 2003 for her services to medicine.

Miksa Pollak (1868-1944), rabbi and historian, born in Beled, Hungary (then part of Austria-Hungary). He was ordained at the rabbinical seminary of Budapest in 1894, and from that time on served as chief rabbi of the Reform community of Sopron, Hungary.

He published "A zsidok Becsujhelyen" ("Jews in Wiener Neustadt", 1892, in German: "Die Juden in Wiener-Neustadt" 1927); "Das Judentum und seine Parteien" (1895); "A zsidok tortenete Sopronban" ("A History of the Jews at Sopron"; 1896, in German: "Die Geschichte der Juden in Oedenburg", 1929). He was author also of "Abodath Yisrael" (1924). His monographs on the Bible in the works of Hungarian poets (Arany Janos 1904; Tompa Mihaly, 1912, and Madach Imre 1935-1939) were published with the aid of the Hungarian academy. He contributed articles to the "Monatschrift fuer Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums", "Oesterreichische Wochenschrift" and the jubilee volume in honor of Moses Bloch (1905). He also published a Hungarian translation of a prayer book. Despite new sources, Pollak's works are still considered valid in their major conclusions. He was an outstanding preacher and a volume of his sermons was published in 1938.

Author Karoly Pap was his son.

Rose Pauly (1895-1975), dramatic soprano, born in Eperjes, Hungary (then part of Austria-Hungary, today Prešov, in Slovakia). She studied voice training in Vienna, Austria, following which she made her opera debut as Aida in Hamburg, Germany. At the Koln Opera, she was discovered by Otto Klemperer who brought her to the Kroll Opera in Berlin (1927) where, for the next few years, she was given important roles in most of their productions. She built an extraordinary repertoire including more than sixty roles and was invited to appear with most of the leading opera houses of Europe. At the Vienna Opera, she appeared successfully in most the Wagnerian and Richard Strauss soprano roles, scoring a notable triumph in Strauss's Elektra. In Vienna she was given the highest appointment to which a prima Donna could aspire, that of Kammersaangerin. In Italy, where she sang in every major opera house, she was also honored: In the hall of fame at the Verdi Opera House of Trieste her portrait was hung between Duse's and Moissi's.
In 1937, she made her American debut in a concert performance of Elektra with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. She was a sensation. A few months later, she was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera House, making her debut there in Elektra. She also scored triumphs as Elektra in Covent Garden, London, and Salzburg, Austria. Among her other great roles was Leonora in Beethoven's Fidelio.
However, though Elektra has been her most successful role, she proved her talent in a great variety of standard and modern operas through appearances in leading opera houses of the United States and South America. She appeared extensively in song recitals.

Pauly survived the Holocaust, and in 1946, leaving behind her meteoric career, she settled in Tel Aviv, Israel, and worked as a teacher.

Hayim Pollak (1834-1905), author and educator, born in Liptoszentmiklos, Hungary (then part of the Austrian Empire, now Liptovski Svaty Mikulas, Slovakia). After receiving a Talmudic education in his native town, Pollack studied at the Yeshivot of Pozsony, (Pressburg, now Bratislava, Slovakia), Sateraljaujhely, Hungary, and also at Prague (now in Czech Republic). He taught at various Jewish public schools in Hungary, including that of Obuda (Altofen), where he was retained on the staff after the city of Budapest took over the school.

Pollak was the author of a Hebrew-Hungarian dictionary (1880), the first of its kind. In addition he published "Valogatott Gyongyok" ("Choice of Pearls"),a translation of Solomon ibn Gabirol's "Mivhar Hapeninim"; "Megillath Antiochus" (1886), with Hebrew notes; "Tikkun Middot ha-Nefesh" (1895); "Izrael nepenek multjabol" (1898; German translation, "Die Erinnerung an die Vorfahren", 1902), a history of mourning customs; "Josefinische Aktenstuecke ueber Alt-Ofen" (1902). From 1882 to 1883, he edited the journal "Jesurun", founded to combat anti-Semitism.

Henrik Pollak (1821-1894), physician and communal worker, born in Obuda (Altofen), Hungary (then part of the Austrian Empire, now in Budapest, Hungary). His father had arrived there from Bohemia or Moravia. He studied medicine at the Universities of Pest and Vienna, Austria. In addition to Hebrew, Latin, Greek, English, French and German, he learned the Hungarian language. He advocated among the Jews the necessity of learning the vernacular and giving up their idiomatic and social seclusion.

He took part in the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848 to 1849 as a physician in the revolutionary army. From 1860 on, when political conditions permitted it, he collaborated actively in the movements which were to establish the Jewish community of Hungary as one among equal denominations. He attended the Congress of Hungarian Jews in Budapest (1868-69), in which Jewish communal life has been organized, and recognized. He took part in the establishment of the rabbinical seminary, and the founding of the Hungarian Jewish Scholarship Fund. Pollak was a member of the National Public Health Committee.

He published "Sistemate medicinae a Paracelso ad nostra tempora" (1846), in addition he contributed to the "Orvosi Hetilap" ("Medical Weekly") and to the "First Hungarian Jewish Calendar" (1848), on statistics of the Jews of Hungary.

Pollak retired from communal activities in the 1870s.

Leon Pollak (1879-1933), conductor, born in Prague, Czech Republic (then part of Austria-Hungary). He first studied mathematics at the Technical University in Darmstadt and in Göttingen, Germany. Attracted by the world of music, he was trained privately as a conductor by the director of the Prague Conservatory. Pollak began his career as choirmaster at the German Theater in Prague. Later he held similar positions in Bremen (1905-1910), Leipzig (1910-1912) and Frankfurt (1912-1917). From 1917 till 1932 he was principal director of the Hamburg Opera. From 1915 he conducted Wagner’s works with the Chicago Opera Company. In 1932 he was guest conductor in Cairo, and in 1933 at the Vienna State Opera. In Germany, Pollack was considered a foremost interpreter of Richard Strauss. He died in Prague of a heart attack while conducting Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Vilim Pollak (1861-1933), physician, born in Paks, Hungary (then part of Austria-Hungary). He worked as a physician in Požega, Croatia (then part of Austria-Hungary) and in 1897 he was appointed city physician and director of the municipal hospital, a position he held until his death. In addition, he taught hygiene at the high school in Požega, and gave lectures on health and hygiene habits for the local residents. Pollak served as a member of the Požega municipal council from 1893 to 1895. He also was president of the Jewish community of Požega.

Leo Pollak (1912-1942), boxer, born in Zagreb (then part of Austria-Hungary). While making a living as a pastry chef, Pollak became a professional sportsman. He started boxing in 1932 with Maccabi Jewish sports club in Zagreb. In 1934 he was the champion in the lightweight category of Sava Banovina (or Sava Banate) -  a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia that covered much of the present-day territory of Croatia. From 1935 through 1938 he was four times in a row champion in the welterweight category of Sava Banovina and multiple champion of Zagreb. At the boxing championships of Yugoslavia, Pollak won the title of champion in the lightweight category 1935-1936, in the welterweight category in 1939, and in the middleweight category in 1940. At the 1938 championship of the Lesser Entente in Prague, Czechoslovakia, he won a gold medal in the welterweight category. He played for Yugoslavia in 1939 in Budapest against Hungary, and at the end of 1940 he defeated by points Emil Krleža, the champion of Yugoslavia and the Province of Croatia. After the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis Powers and the establishment of the collaborationist Independent State of Croatia in 1941, Pollak was arrested and deported to Jasenovac concentration camp where he was murdered in 1942.