The Jewish Community of Ruse

Ruse

Русе, also Russe,  Rousse,  Ruscuk , Rustchuk

An important port and district city in northeast Bulgaria, located on the Danube River, approximately 300 km (480 miles) northeast of Sofia. During the Roman period, the city was called Sexaginta Pristis. At the beginning of the Ottoman period (14th century), it was called Russi and until the beginning of the 20th century – Ruscuk, which is a Turkish translation of the Roman name.

In the beginning of the Ottoman occupation, Ruscuk was a small, unimportant border town. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it was an administrative and economical center. By 1864, it had become the capital of the Danube province established by the Ottoman rule. The governor was Midhat Pasha, a prominent Ottoman statesman of the 19th century.

Russe became an important trade crossroad, for both land and naval trading routes that led to the entire empire as well as other countries. The city’s importance increased with the laying of the first railway in the European (Rumelia) part of the Ottoman Empire, between Russe and Varna.

During the 20th century, the city's economy was based on trade of goods and output of factories that were established there. Russe was nicknamed "the Northern Gate of Bulgaria.” In 1954, the only bridge between Bulgaria and Romania over the Danube was built there. The economic crisis in the early 1990s resulted in halting of the transfer of goods and movement of people on the Danube by 1992 .It was renewed, in a limited way, towards the end of the 90s.

In 1878, the population of Russe numbered 26,163 residents. By 1985, it had grown to 183,000. Russe has many academic and cultural institutions serving a population of 169,000 in 1992.


The Jewish Community

Jewish life in Russe are recorded since late 18th century. At that time, the importance on the Danube port cities Nikopol and Vidin decreased and Russe started to prosper. Jews from Vidin and refugees from Manish, Belgrade and Edirne formed the first Jewish settlement in the city, and were later joined by Jews from Nikopol.

By the end of the 18th century, Jews were already permanent residents of Russe and began to organize their community institutes. The first synagogue was established in 1797 in a house bestowed to the community by the city's governor. It was burned by the Russians in 1810, during the 1806-1812 war between the Ottoman Empire and Russia. During the war many residents abandoned the city, including the Jews. After the war, many Jews returned to Russe and a period of rehabilitation and flourish started for the Jewish community, and for the city in general. The Jews, who had lived close to the river before the war, now built their houses in the inner city and the new Jewish neighborhood was created.

Community Institutes

At the beginning of the 19th century, Abraham Grasiani was appointed the first community rabbi. He was the author of "Reshit Yaakov" and initiated the establishment of many community institutes. In 1822, the Jews requested use of a four-room inn as a synagogue, also called Yahudi Khana. In 1852, as the community grew, an additional synagogue was established, Kehila Kedosha Giron, ("Holly Congregation Giron”). In 1863, the magnificent Sephardic synagogue was dedicated. The editor of the newspaper "Havazelet" wrote in the 1893 spring edition, "… the power of its magnificence is indescribable with a human stylus.” The Ashkenazi synagogue was dedicated in 1878. It was severely damaged in 1893 and in its place, a high school for boys was built. The synagogue was rebuilt In 1927.

By the end of the Ottoman rule (1878), there was a separate Ashkenazi community in Russe (and in only a few other places in Bulgaria). Regulations proclaimed in 1920, approved the existence of only one Jewish community in each settlement. Exceptions were made in Sofia and Russe and only there did the division between Sephardic and Ashkenazi remain.

In 1900, the Jewish community of Russe was included in the list of 34 official communities in Bulgaria. The Rabbinical court of Russe was the district court for matters in marriage as well. A rabbi and two consultants, one of them a jurist, served on it. Only the courts of Sofia and Plovdiv enjoyed the same status.

Charity and Aid Organizations

During the Ottoman period, a community charity system was developed and the "Gmilut Hassadim" and "Bikur Holim" organizations were established. After the war ended in 1878, the community activity continued. In 1894, a women’s charity organization called "Klaridar” operated in Russe and in the beginning of the 20th century a branch of Bnei Brith, “Sigmond Bergel” was founded.

At the time of the Balkan wars (1912-1913) about 4,000 Jews lived in Russe, within a total population estimated at 34,000. Over 300 Jewish men served in the Bulgarian army. Charity funds from Bulgaria and abroad supported the soldiers’ families. The local community board too assisted the bereaved and needy families of the Jewish soldiers. With its initiation a surgical field- division was established, in which the wounded of all religions and nations were treated. Between the two world wars, the "Malbish Arumim" charity aided the poor. A kitchen attached to the Hebrew school, provided meals for the poor pupils. In 1937 the community board established an old-age home.

Education

Until 1864, children studied in the traditional school Maldar, which was the only Jewish educational institute. With many difficulties, the community leader Abraham Rosanes managed to improve and broaden the education system. Hebrew language, grammar, general studies and foreign languages were added to the traditional curiculum. A Jewish school for both boys and girls was founded, which operated until 1873, when two schools of Alliance Israelite Universelle for boys and girls were opened. In the beginning of the 20th century, the management of Alliance was compelled, due to pressure from the community's Zionist circles, to close the schools after refusing to give priority to the Hebrew language studies and to Zionist education.

The Jewish community of Russe had two kindergartens, an elementary school and a junior high school. In 1920, 90 percent of the Jewish children studied in the Jewish education system. During the 1930s their number decreased to 65.8 percent, since many well-established families sent their children to non-Jewish schools. This was a common practice in other cities in Bulgaria.

Demography and Economy

In 1810, about 200 Jews were living Russe. Towards the end of the 1870s their number increased to about 2,000. They were the largest minority in the city and integrated in the economy. They were involved in trade (grains, wax, honey, material etc.), crafts (tinsmiths, tailors, silk producers, glaziers), and were owners of haberdashery shops, butchers and porters. Few were landowners. In the middle of the 19th century, four Jews were owners of vineyards in the vicinity.

After the First World War (1914-1918) the city's economy was badly damaged. Southern Dobrudja, the main marketing focal point, was taken over by Romania. Ninety Jewish families left Russe. The Jewish traders suffered from competition resulting from the establishment of the Bulgarian cooperative movement. In order to help them, a cooperative for "work" credit was established with the help of the Sofia Geula bank. The trades and crafts continued to be the main source of income. Amongst the Jews there were owners of factories in the industries of textile, food, paper and metals. Few were owners of boats, importers, wholesalers or professionals. Most of the Jews, however, belonged to a wide sector of hardworking handworkers and porters that lived poorly and were in need of aid from the community.

Zionist and Cultural Activity

Influenced mainly by the Zionist activity in Romania, the community in Russe founded in 1882 the first Zionist group in Bulgaria. At the end of the 19th century, two educational associations were established: "Progress" (later on "Hashachar"), and "Union.” They established libraries and theater groups. In 1895, the organization "Ahavat Zion" was established, which after a year changed its name "Agriculture Zion," with the objective of establishing settlements in Israel. A Jewish bi-weekly called "Il Amigo del Pueblo" was published between 1983-1900. Information about events in Israel and throughout the world was published in it as well as articles about Jewish and general issues.

In 1902, several young people established the Maccabi Jewish society for Gymnastics and Music. Within a year the society numbered a hundred members. In 1905, it defined itself as a Zionist society. After World War I, the branch, which ceased its activity during the war, initiated the renewal of the activity of the Macabi branches throughout Bulgaria.

The association "Mikra", set up towards the end of 1912, was a pioneer in spreading the knowledge of the Hebrew culture and language amongst young people. With its assistance, similar associations were established in other cities. At the end of 1914, "Mikra" representatives participated in a national gathering of similar associations. Owing to "Mikra", Russe became an important Jewish cultural center, and published, between 1926-1929, one of the most important periodicals of the Bulgarian Jewry – the bimonthly "Evreiska Tribuna". The association founded a Hebrew library and published books about Jewish issues. Between the two world wars, branches of "Hashomer Hatsair" and "Betar" movements were active in Russe. In 1928 the third conference of "WIZO" was held in the city. Russe, in 1931, became the first the permanent site of the central board of the Poalei Zion party, which was transferred to Sofia in 1938. Poalei Zion established "HaOved" organization in 1934, which prepared workers and
craftsmen for immigration to Israel. Additionally, there was a political party of the "General Zionists.” Jewish political activity took place also within the communist and the socialist parties. The vast Zionist activity was confronted by hard resistance mostly coming from the communists.

The Drama group operating in the community, presented operettas and plays in the community center and a philharmonic band enriched the cultural life. A choir of the "David" association – a youth association of music fans, was active in the big synagogue.

Amongst the well-known people of Russe were Avraham Rosanes and his son the historian Shlomo Rosanes, the playwriter and translator Joseph Avraham Mapo, and the Nobel Prize winner author Elias Canetti, born in Russe.

In 1893 - 2,196 Jews lived in Russe, in 1920 - 3,956 and in 1926 their number declined to 3,446 people. On the eve of World War II, around 3,000 Jews lived in Russe.

The Holocaust Period

In February 1940, following the ongoing building of the relationship between Bulgaria and Nazi Germany, Boris, the king of Bulgaria, appointed Professor Bogdan Filov, a pro-German, to be prime minister. Under the influence of Germany, in October 1940, the Bulgarian government legislated, the “Law for the Nation Protection,” limiting the rights of the Jews. According to this law, executed in February 1941, Jews became citizens without rights. They were obligated to wear the Jewish badge, their homes and businesses were marked and they were expelled from high-education institutions.

In March 1941, Bulgaria joined the German allies and the German army entered the country. Jewish men were recruited to labor squadrons and were forced to carry out various arduous tasks under the difficult conditions of the concentration camps for forced laborers. However, the German plan to send the Bulgarian Jews to death camps was not executed, owing to the firm opposition of many sectors within the Bulgarian people to this action.

In May 1943, it was decided to expel the Jews of the capital city Sofia to the provincial towns. This was the first stage to transfer them to the east. Once this was revealed, a demonstration was held with mostly Jews participating. The demonstration was stopped within a few minutes and many were arrested. Amongst the arrested, were Rabbis, Zionist leaders and members of the Consistorium. Many Bulgarian public figures, churchmen and Jewish figures, amongst them Sofia’s Rabbi, Rabbi Daniel Zion, made extensive attempts to cancel the decree. The arrested men were eventually transferred to concentration camps near Somovit.

On 26 May 1943, the deportation of Sofia Jews began and lasted for two weeks. 25,743 Jews were deported. They were scattered in the provincial towns, and some of them reached Russe. The local authorities ordered the deported Jews to be housed solely in homes of Jews. The food was scarce, free movement of the Jews in public places was limited and their radios and vehicles were confiscated.

During the war, ships with Jewish refugees passed through Russe. All of the city's residents, both Jews and Christians, provided them help.

Bulgaria was freed from the German occupation on 9 September 1944. After this release, the Zionist activity in Russe was renewed. In 1945, a conference of the "Haluz" movement was held in the city.

Almost all of the Russe Jews came to Israel as part of the mass immigration of Bulgarian Jews during the years 1948-1950.

During the 1990s, the Jewish institutions in Russe were destroyed. The building of the Ashkenazi synagogue was used as a storage house. At the end of the decade, this building was renovated in served as a community center of the Jews.

In 1993, 156 Jews were living in Russe, maintaining an ongoing community life, including meetings, lectures and observance of Jewish holidays. The building of the Sephardic synagogue, from 1863, was used during the communist times as a carpenter's shop and a studio of a local painter. At the end of the 1990s, the building was sold by the Jewish community to the Protestant association, Church of God of Prophecy, which converted it into a church.

In the old cemetery, not even one gravestone was left.