Rabbi is the term in Judaism for a religious teacher. The word rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word , rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’ in many senses, including "revered." The word comes from the Semitic root R-B-B, and is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" Rabbi ' onMouseout='HidePop("87364")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Assyriology">Assyriologist
Assyriology is the archaeological, historical, and linguistic study of ancient Mesopotamia and the related cultures that used cuneiform writing. The field covers not just Assyria but also that nation's eventual conqueror, Babylonia, together with the predecessor of both civilizations, Sumer...
and orientalist.
Schorr ranks among the most outstanding personalities in the scientific life of Galician and Polish Jewry, being a renowned historian — the first Jewish researcher of Polish archives, historical sources and
pinkasim, noted Assyriologist — the president of the 13th district Bna’i Brith Poland, a humanist and reform rabbi who ministered the central synagogue of Poland during its last years before the Nazi annihilation.
The range of Moses Schorr's interdisciplinary scholarship is astonishing. Schorr was the first historian who undertook the systematic study of Jewish history in Poland, and Galicia in particular. He made discoveries after finding and translating Babylonian, Assyrian and Hittite legislative annals. As a scholar of the
jurisprudenceJurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal philosophers, hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions. Modern jurisprudence began in the 18th century and was focused on the first...
and
civilizationA civilization is a complex society or culture group characterized by dependence upon agriculture, long-distance trade, state form of government, occupational specialization, population, and class stratification.-Definition:...
s of the
Ancient Middle EastThe Ancient Near East refers to early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia , ancient Egypt, ancient Iran , Armenia, Anatolia and the Levant...
, Schorr can be considered a legal philosopher and sociologist of Ancient Middle Eastern societies. Besides, Schorr was personally appointed to the Polish Senate by Polish president
Ignacy MościckiIgnacy Mościcki was a Polish politician and chemist, President of Poland . He is the longest-serving President of Poland, spending 13 years in office .-Life:...
(1926 – 1939). He did not belong to any political party, although he was inclined to
ZionismZionism is the international political movement that originally supported the reestablishment of a homeland for the Jewish People in Palestine. The area was the Jewish Biblical homeland, called the Land of Israel...
. He was active in the social, public and religious life of Polish Jews, and was often chosen by them to head public organisations and represent Polish Jewry to Polish and international powers, though he never sought this role for himself.
Birth and early years
Moses Schorr was born on May 10, 1874, in the town of
PrzemyślPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 2006, it became part of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
in
GaliciaGalicia is a historical region in East-Central Europe, currently divided between Poland and Ukraine, named after the Ukraіniаn city of Halych. The nucleus of historic Galicia is formed of three regions of western Ukraine: Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk.-Tribal area:The region has a turbulent...
, then a
kreisPrussian districts were administrative units in the former German state of Prussia. The districts , also known as counties, usually took the name of the district's capital . A typical district had a rough diameter of 20 to 40 miles, though few were circular in shape...
town within Austro-Hungarian empire. Moses was the oldest son of Osjasz Schorr, the director of the Jewish cooperative bank in Przemyśl and of Esther Schorr (née Friedman). He had two brothers, Adolf and Samuel, who both became lawyers in Lwów and Jarosław, respectively. Moses started his education at the local
PrzemyślPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 2006, it became part of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
gymnasiumA gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools...
where he completed his studies in 1893. At gymnasium he acquired the basics of Judaic lore, along with the instruction of his father and private teachers. Among his teachers was the grandfather of an outstanding Slavist, Moshe Altbauer, who instructed Moses in the
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
and
TalmudThe Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
.
Rabbinical and philosophical studies
To continue his education Schorr moved to imperial
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
where he embarked upon the study of theology at the Jewish Theological Institute / Israelitisch – Theologische Lehranstalt from 1893 to 1900. The institute, founded in October 1893 with the assistance of Albert von Rothschild, trained reform rabbis. It had 26 students preparing for the rabbinate and 11 for teachers of religion at that time. Among Schorr’s teachers were such celebrities as
Adolf SchwarzAdolf Schwarz was an Austria-Hungarian chess master.He took 10th in the Vienna 1873 chess tournament . In 1878, he took 2nd, behind Louis Paulsen, in Frankfurt. In 1879, he took 3rd in Leipzig...
in Talmud and religious-ritual codes, David Heinrich Müller in Biblical exegesis and Semitic linguistics, Adolf Bücher in Jewish history and Meir Friedman in Midrash studies. Simultaneously, Schorr studied philosophy at
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
and Lwów Universities, between 1893 and 1898. During his studies in Vienna, Schorr devoted a great deal of time and effort learning Hebrew and other oriental languages, showing particular interest in Egyptian mythology and psychology.
In 1898 Schorr attained the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and Medieval Studies at
Lwów UniversityThe Lviv University or officially the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv was founded in 1661 and is the oldest continuously operating university in Ukraine...
of Jan Kazimierz. In spring 1900 he received the diploma of rabbi in Vienna, being among the first dozen graduates of Rothschild’s seminary.
Lecturing in Lwów
Soon after graduation, in November 1899 he became a lecturer at the Jewish Teachers Seminary and the Teachers Gymnasium in Lwów, working there until 1923, while he also engaged in educational and social work. Schorr did not feel motivated to work as a gymnasium / seminary teacher. Of his time teaching in Lwów he wrote to Polish sociologist Ludwik Gumplowicz:
… For a long time I have not written to you of my old intentions to continue studying aiming at a dozent position. Besides, that “spirit” of semitology … has not left me for a moment, haunting me as a shadow at every step. I have not lost contact with orientalistics, not for a bit. I have used every free minute to get acquainted with the ever growing literature, but unfortunately these free moments are quite rare. Professional work takes a lot of my time and causes a painful conflict between a forced, often mechanical work which I lack internal vocation for, and the results of my [oriental] studies ... On one hand, I do not want to be a charlatan in the profession, I even know that I have a certain mission as the religion teacher in Galicia and could even attain the “laurels” of the reformer in this subject. But I lack this specific ambition or enthusiasm. On the other hand, I am becoming convinced that I would have to study at least a year at the university (Berlin or Leipzig) so that I could independently work with Assyriology here. I have to admit for a moment that I have become a personality here, and everywhere they try to involve me in a friendly, humanitarian and scientific life … and every day the circle of my “social virtues” widens itself — popular meetings, ceremonial speeches, committees, collectives etc., etc., — all this distracts me from my work, as I see myself suddenly thrown into the whirl of life when I would like to remain still unknown among my co-confessors. As an unripened apple I am plucked from the tree and I still miss my tree — knowledge. As for the altruistic impulses, I think that I still have enough time to realize them … Lviv, January, 1901
At that time, the rabbi of Lwów, Jecheskiel Caro, offered Schorr a deputy post at the Reform Synagogue “Templum”, namely to preach, to give marriages, and make burial speeches during the absence of Rabbi Caro. However, Schorr did not accept the offer as being the state teacher he preferred to be completely independent from the “kahal” as he said. Meanwhile Schorr corresponded with a number of intellectuals of that time, including Ludwik Gumplowicz, to whom he wrote at least 46 letters, while
Simon DubnowSimon Dubnow was a Jewish historian, writer and activist...
was writing to Schorr from Odessa. His correspondence with Dubnow has not been studied yet. Schorr’s letters to Gumplowicz were published by R. Żebrowski.
Studies in Semitic languages
Schorr managed to realize his plans. Having received a scholarship from the Austrian Ministry of Education, he went to Berlin for two years where he studied Semitic languages, Assyriology and the history of the Ancient Orient under the guidance of famous scholars, including Delitsch,
WinklerWinkler may refer to:* Winkler, Manitoba, a Canadian city* Winkler , by Giles Coren* Winkler , a crater on the Moon* Winkler , people with the surname Winkler or Winckler-See also:...
, Bart, Sachaua, Leman-Haupt and Schtreck. In 1905 - 1906, he broaded his knowledge in the field by studying Arabic philology in Vienna under the guidance of the remarkable semitologist David Heinrich Müller. The latter scholar exerted a strong influence on Schorr, who can be considered as his disciple. Müller himself was a Galician Jew, born in Buczacz and this may have strengthened the link between teacher and disciple during Schorr’s studies in Vienna. Müller first taught Schorr Biblical criticism and Semitology at the Seminary, and a decade later, Arabic linguistics. Müller advanced a novel theory on the structure and form of the Biblical Psalms, which Schorr later developed in a series of articles.
Professor at Lwów University
In 1904 Schorr was appointed a lecturer (as Privat Dozent) and in March 1910, associate professor of Semitic languages and history of the Ancient Orient at Lwów University, a chair which he later held in Warsaw.
Relation to Zionism
Being inclined to the Zionist movement, Schorr took part in the 7th Zionist Congress of 1910 in Basel. The Congress and three weeks stay in Switzerland made an impression on Schorr as he writes to Gumplowicz from hotel “Habsburg” in Basel:
There is no need to stress how strong an impression I got from the wonderful views of Swiss nature. I will stay here in Basel for 14 days for the whole duration of the 7th Zionist Congress, which is going to start on Thursday. Already today there are several hundred guests, most from Russia, among them the outstanding Jewish figures, and many ladies, as well. Already today, the Congress seems to me to be the most powerful manifestation of Jewish solidarity around the world. During the entire course of Jewish history, there was no such movement that would so deeply enter the consciousness of all the Jews with such an enthusiasm. But already nowadays various groups with different tendencies are being formed, away from the main fundamental idea.
According to the stenographic protocols of the Congress, Schorr took part in it but did not make any public speech, just following the event. His attitude towards Zionism can be defined as “liberal skeptic of reserved opinion”. He was not particularly fond of the movement, which seemed to him inadequate and tendentious to a certain extent. Being a liberal Jewish historian and orientalist of broad intellect and outlook, he did not see the Zionist claims to be convincing enough for such a political step, as he writes:
As for the Zionist movement … I am noting in advance, that in my opinion the historical proofs can not be decisive for the present. After all, Professor Winkler proved that the Jews had never been to Egypt but does this mean that the Jewish religion, that is based on the fact of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt and its consequences, should disappear from history?
Żebrowski presumes, that Schorr’s participation in the Congress was perhaps one of the reasons that a rich merchant from Wilno, a banker and fervent Zionist, chose him to marry his daughter Tamara, who was rather disappointed by her father’s choice but nevertheless married (under chupa) father’s appointee Schorr in the synagogue of
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
n
KönigsbergKönigsberg was the capital of eastern Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945. It was founded by the Teutonic Knights just south of the Sambian peninsula in the year 1255 AD during the Northern Crusades and named for King Ottokar II of Bohemia...
(modern Kaliningrad) on the 31st of October 1905. The marriage was successful, and thanks to her support the scholar was capable to surmount the pressures and stress from the great number of duties he had to perform. The boulevard rumours claimed his wife and daughters were among the most beautiful ladies of Warsaw in the inter-war period.
Professor in Semitic languages
In April 1916 M. Schorr received the degree of merited professor of Lwów University in the field of Semitic languages and Ancient Oriental history, combining this post with other certain duties at the same university until 1923. In 1912 he participated in the international congress of orientalists in Athens, where the scholar was assigned the functions of one of the secretaries of the semitology section and presented a lecture entitled Sumerian and Semitic beginnings of the Ancient Babylonian law, which was published later in the Paris edition of Revue Semitique. In 1918 he became a member of Oriental committee at the Cracow Academy, and in 1920 a member of the Polish Scientific Society in Lwów, and finally one of the founders of the Polish Oriental Society in the same city, which was founded in 1923 calling him to its work.
Transfer to Warsaw
Moses Schorr, moved from his house in Lwów in 1923 to
WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2009 was estimated at 1,709,781, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000...
, never to return there. He was invited to Warsaw to succeed the well-known
Samuel PoznańskiSamuel Abraham Poznański or Shemuel Avraham Poznanski was a Polish Reform rabbi and scholar, known for his studies of Karaism and the Hebrew calendar....
as preacher at the moderate Reform Synagogue on Tłomackie street, designed to seat 1.100, then the largest synagogue and community in Europe and second largest in the world, behind only to New York. Never suspecting that he came to be its last minister, exactly 20 years before it was blown up in retaliation for Jewish ghetto uprising in 1943. Warsaw Judaic Community numbered then 352.659 Jews (1931 census), and to head its religious life on the eve of the coming Holocaust and growing antisemitism was a great responsibility and challenge entrusted to Moses Schorr. In the same rabbinical capacity he became a member of Warsaw rabbinical council, one of the top Jewish religious authorities in Poland. Some of his preachings were published. He was also elected to the position of inter-regional rabbi whose main duties and functions were to represent the Jewish community in front of the state and administrative authorities. Schorr was also appointed a member of city and regional School Councils by Jewish community board.
Warsaw University and Polish parliament
In 1926 Schorr became the professor of Warsaw University. Later on, in 1935 he was elected to the Polish parliament.
At the Warsaw University Schorr headed the Institute of Semitic languages and history of the Ancient Orient . While working at the Institute of Judaic Sciences Schorr headed the department of Bible Studies and Hebrew theology, and during 1928-1930 he was its rector. In 1933, he took this position the second time, being at this post just one year until 1934. In 1933-1934 he was elected the member of the
Polish Academy of SciencesThe Polish Academy of Sciences, headquartered in Warsaw, is one of two Polish institutions having the nature of an academy of sciences.-History:...
(PAU), and in 1935 member of the Finnish Oriental Society in Helsinki. In 1937 Schorr received the title of merited doctor from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
In 1927 he initiated the creation of the Committee for setting up the Jewish Library at the Great Synagogue in Warsaw and became its head. This library was finally completed in 1936. Today the library building houses the Jewish Historical Institute in Poland.
Institute of Judaic Sciences in Warsaw
In February 1928 Schorr together with M. Balaban, Tohn and Braud, founded the Institute of Judaic Sciences, for the research of Judaic sciences and Judaism, in particular the Biblical subjects, philosophy, religion, Talmud, sociology, Semitic languages and Hebrew literature. It was located on the site of the present-day Jewish Historical Institute, side by side with the Great Tłomacka Street Synagogue, that did not survive the war, where the impressive Blękitny Wieżowiec (the Blue Skyscraper) at “Bankowy plac” stands now. It functioned on the strength of a state budget, receiving help also from foreign Jewish institutions. The Institute retained the library which numbered over 35 thousand books, documents and magazines. Professor Schorr became the first rector of the newly created institution.
State Examination Committee for Jewish teachers
In 1924 he became the head of the State Examination Committee for Jewish teachers of religion and Judaic subjects in secondary schools, and a member of the Ministerial Commission for the evaluation of the school handbooks in the field of Judaica.
He was also the member of the State Council of Education of Poland and many other social institutions.
Social and charitable activities
Speaking about the social-educational and cultural activity of M. Schorr, we should turn back for a few years and note that in 1904- 1905 he headed the Toynbeehali, the Society for the promotion of education among Jews in Lwów. At the same time he was also one of the founders and long-term members of Opieka (Care), a society to support the Jewish Youth of the secondary schools. During his stay in Lwów, M. Schorr became one of the founders and the first head of the "Society of the teachers of Moses religion of the people's secondary schools of Galicia" and at the same time he led the first teachers' congress in 1904 in Lwów. Since the moment of the foundation of the Jewish Community Library in Lwów, he was a member of its board and later on its head.
Jewish Rescue Committee
In 1917-1918 he headed the Jewish Rescue Committee in Lwów, and from 1916 on Schorr was also a member of the central committee over the Jewish orphans in Lwów. The Society of Jewish national and secondary school, which was established at the beginning of 1919, had chosen him its first head, and in 1920 entitled him a merited member of the society.
Schorr and Bnai Brith
From 1901 on, Schorr was a member of the humanitarian society B’nei Brith Leopolis in Lwów, where during a few years he led the library. From 1921 Schorr was the president of the Lwów branch of B’nei Brith in Galicia, part of the royal Austro-Hungarian Empire within the 12th district of B’nai Brith Austria. The B’nai Brith “Leopolis” was founded in 1889 and since 1932 had its own building at 3 Maja street, 10. The archival documentation of B’nai Brith “Leopolis” has been partially preserved. These are the acts of great historical value for possible research and Schorr’s speeches and papers delivered at B’nai Brith “Leopolis” are still to be studied. The same relates to the papers of such lodge members and fellows of Schorr in Lwów as: Dr Michael Ringer, Victor Chajes, Dr Levi Freund, Dr Alexander Mayer and Max Schaff. From 1922 Leopolis was incorporated into the 13th district of Poland and numbered 217 persons, being the most numerous lodge in Poland.
Since the creation of the great lodge of the 13th district of B’nei Brith in Poland (on 22-23.10.1922 Cracow session), Schorr was elected the vice president of the Polish district, while the presidency was entrusted to lawyer Dr Adolf Ader from Cracow. From 1924 he was also the president of the lodge Braterstwo (Brotherhood) in Warsaw. This lodge numbered 85 members, including 32 merchants, 14 physicians, 13 engineers, 8 lawyers, 8 industrialists, 6 bankers, 1 writer, 3 Senators (eng. Moses Koerner, Schorr himself and banker Rafael Szereszowski), 1 deputy (lawyer Dr Apolinary Hartgas) and two professors — Schorr and his close colleague, historian and friend Meir Balaban. The lodge reached its highest membership in 1931, when it had 130 members. After Schorr’s resignation from its presidency, his role was taken over by Meir Balaban and consequently the lodge was headed by lawyer Maurycy Edelman, merchant Maurycy Meyzel, Seminary director Meir Tauber and lawyer Ignacy Bamberg.
The headquarters of Warsaw Braterstwo lodge were located at Rymarska 8 street. In the years of his presidency, Schorr organised many initiatives, undertakings and cultural events, managed the meetings of so called “speaking diaries” with the participation of renown personalities, writers and publicists. He took part in the creation of Auxilium Academicum Judaicum, an organisation formed for the erection of the Jewish Academic House in Warsaw. Schorr’s brotherhood played an important role in the founding of the already noted Reform Institute of Judaic Sciences and the publishing society Menora, that in its turn published
Miesięcznik Żydowski (Jewish Monthly, 1930 – 1935), which remained under the influence of B’nei Brith. Through the Warsaw lodge, Schorr co-organised and supported the Relief Committee for the Jewish victims of the economic crisis, continuing his role in the religious affairs of the nomination of rabbis and Orthodox influences. While heading Warsaw lodge, Schorr took the initiative of setting up a special literary award for an outstanding writer of Jewish origin. In 1932, Schorr intervened with the president of the Polish organisation, Dr Leon Ader, as well as to the “Concordia” lodge in Katowice in the employment of Rabbi Dr M. Vogelman, though the matter was not solved.
In the revived charity activity rich members of the lodge played an important role, not sparing generous offerings; among them was a friend of Schorr, renown wood merchant Horacy Heller, who assigned for social activities 20.000 dollars. Significant sums were donated by his colleagues, banker Szereszowski (one of two Jewish colleagues in the Polish Senate with him), Dr. Joseph Landau, industrialist Maurycy Raabe, and others. In the years 1937 – 1938, a violent anti-Masonic campaign took place in Poland and led to the special decree of 1938 that dissolved any sort of free Masonic societies, including B’nei Brith.
Moses Schorr performed the functions of vice president of the B’nai Brith Lodge Solidaność (Solidarity) in Cracow. There are dozens of letters written by M. Schorr (on a range of different matters) preserved in the B’nai B’rith collection of the State Archives in Cracow. During his presidency Schorr corresponded with a number of BB officials, including the Secretary of the Great Conventional Lodge in Chicago. Schorr’s BB letters are still to be studied. In this matter, in 1993, Polish historian Dr Bogusława Czajecka delivered a paper “Moses Schorr as social activist in the light of B’nai B’rith documents (1922 – 1938) ” during the scientific session on Schorr at Polish Academy of Arts in Cracow.
Schorr’s views on Bnai-Brith’s goals and their practical application in terms of social activities are expressed in his work (in Polish) “Ideals of the Order B’nei B’rith and their application towards real life conditions.” The essence of B’nai Brith M. Schorr describes as following:
… The union of Bnai Brith, as an international organization (…) is characterized by two fundamental principles: the idea of solidarity of all the Jews in the entire world (…), the idea of universalism of humanity, the brotherhood of all the peoples and nations (…). These two ideas I consider for the highest goal of our spiritual and intellectual program …
Besides other accomplishments within the B’nai Brith, Schorr’s initiative was the creation of the lodge Montefiory in Łódź, then the second largest Jewish urban community in Poland (222.497 Jews). In 1928 lodges “Montefiore” and “Braterstwo” took up the discussion concerning the official name of the organisation, arguing between B’nai B’riss” and B’nei B’brith formulations. Schorr’s suggestion “…taking into consideration the scientific and practical views, the name of the order should be written “B’nei B’rith” was adopted unanimously.
Schorr authored the appeal of the information bureau of the lodge Braterstwo about the situation of the Jews in Germany and other countries after 1933. Schorr was a member of the committee which managed the bureau. His goal in the activity of B’nei Brith was to unify the principle of national solidarity among the Jews with the ideas of universalism.
Schorr and political life
In political life, Schorr didn't take an active part. He clearly defined his political position regarding the Polish Jewish question in the questionary campaign arranged in February 1919 by the Governmental Commission, where Schorr participated as a scientific expert. The protocols of the campaign were published in a separate book,
W sprawie polsko-żydowskiej. Ankieta (Concerning the Polish-Jewish question. Questionnary).
Schorr concentrated mainly on scientific work, teaching and social activities, rather than politics. In 1935, the president of Poland, Ignacy Mościcki named him Senator in the parliament. In his parliamentary speeches, along with articles in the Jewish press, such as
Nasz Przegląd and
Chwila, Schorr expressed his concern about the growth of antisemitic feelings and actions in Poland and the passive conduct of the authorities in this regard. He led the Jewish immigration and colonial committee, which aimed to make possible the Jewish immigration from Poland to countries other than Palestine. In July 1938 he participated in the
international summitThe Évian Conference was convened at the initiative of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in July 1938 to discuss the issue of increasing numbers of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. For nine days, from July 6 to July 15, delegates from thirty-two countries met at Évian-les-Bains, France...
in Evian, France on the problem faced by 500,000 Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria with the advent of the Nazi regime and after the “Anschluss” of Austria. The
Évian ConferenceThe Évian Conference was convened at the initiative of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in July 1938 to discuss the issue of increasing numbers of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. For nine days, from July 6 to July 15, delegates from thirty-two countries met at Évian-les-Bains, France...
, held in Evian-les-Bains, on the French shore of Lake Geneva, was convened at the initiative of
US PresidentThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
Franklin D. Roosevelt, who invited European, American, and Australian delegates for an open discussion on organising the resettlement and immigration of those who experienced persecution on the basis of religion or race. Schorr was one of the key speakers in Évian and was highly involved as many Jews fled Germany for Poland.
Golda MeirGolda Meir was the fourth prime minister of the State of Israel....
represented Palestine, but only as an observer.
Last years
After the beginning of the Second World War, M. Schorr entered the Jewish Civil Committee and on 6th or 7th of September he left
WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2009 was estimated at 1,709,781, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000...
. He knew that the Nazis would not spare him, as he was an active Jewish social leader who often spoke against fascism in the parliament. These fears forced him and his wife, Tamara, to escape eastwards. His daughter Felicia, with her 3 children (two her own and 1 of her sister Sonia) lived in the town of
OstrógOstrog can refer to:*In Russian history, an Ostrog was a fortified settlement, generally with a log stockade. Many of the early towns in Siberia began as Ostrogs. The smaller unfortified equivalent was called a zimov'ye...
near
RówneRówne may refer to:*Polish name for Rivne in Ukraine*Równe, Masovian Voivodeship *Równe, Opole Voivodeship *Równe, Pomeranian Voivodeship *Równe, Subcarpathian Voivodeship...
. Moses and Tamara Schorr reached Ostróg on 27th of September.
Arrest by NKVD
The appearance of Schorr was quickly noted by Soviet securities in the town. Two days after his arrival, Schorr was arrested by
OstrógOstrog can refer to:*In Russian history, an Ostrog was a fortified settlement, generally with a log stockade. Many of the early towns in Siberia began as Ostrogs. The smaller unfortified equivalent was called a zimov'ye...
NKVDThe People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including...
branch, being kept in custody in local prison for a week. Later he was transferred to the nearby regional administrative center of Łuck, where he spent another week in Łuck prison.
Confinement and questioning
On the 24 of September he transferred to Lwów (back to his native town where he had studied, worked and lived until he moved to Warsaw in 1923). This time he arrived there as a prisoner, not coming home but on his way to jail. The psychological associations and pressure the scholar was undergoing must have been intolerable. In confinement, Schorr was forced to fill in a questionnaire, was photographed, had his personal belongings taken off: the golden watch, pen, scissors, organiser, a file of photos and a comb with a cover-box. The first questioning most likely had taken place in
OstrógOstrog can refer to:*In Russian history, an Ostrog was a fortified settlement, generally with a log stockade. Many of the early towns in Siberia began as Ostrogs. The smaller unfortified equivalent was called a zimov'ye...
. The scholar was asked when, by whom and why was he appointed for the Senator’s position, when did he become a rabbi, and to which party did he belong. Schorr was answering that president Mościcki appointed him to the Polish Senate in the capacity of Rabbi of Warsaw and that he did not belong to any political party. The prosecutor noted down only his words concerning the rabbinical functions and the account of marriage of Schorr’s daughter Sophia (residing in Paris) with the official of Polish Ministry of Justice. After his arrest, Schorr’s wife and daughter Felicia moved to Lwów, where the latter worked as a waitress.
Imprisonment at Lubyanka
On the February 3, the newly appointed Russian prosecutor of the Lwów branch of
NKVDThe People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including...
, Lopunov, received an order from the Deputy of the Peoples Committee of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSRThe Ministry of State Security was the name of a Soviet secret police agency from 1946 to 1953...
V.N. MerkulovVsevolod Nikolayevich Merkulov , was the head of NKGB from February to July 1941, and again from April 1943 to March 1946...
, sending him to
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
for a continuation of the investigation. Schorr was sent in convoy to the First Special Department of Soviet NKVD. In the documentation which was sent along, the mark “healthy” was noted.
In Moscow he was held in Lubyanka prison, being kept in the same cell with the Bund activist
Viktor AlterVictor Alter was a Jewish socialist activist and publicist of the Bund, and a member of the executive committee of the Second International.-Life:...
, the poet Wladislaw Broniewski and the Polish Senator of the National Party - Stronnictwa narodowego / SN professor Stanisław Gląbiński. The Polish nationalist later recollected: We became such close friends that we slept together at one bench. In one of the accounts of cell inmate Mrs. Wisia Wagner from the 10th of August, 1943 we read:
Cell no. 21 was little. It housed 30 persons. Among them the main rabbi of Warsaw, renowned scientist, professor of Warsaw University Dr Moses Schorr, the activist of Bund Victor AlterVictor Alter was a Jewish socialist activist and publicist of the Bund, and a member of the executive committee of the Second International.-Life:...
, Senator professor Stanisław Gląbiński – the leader of Polish National Democrats and other personalities, who formed the intellectual elite of Poland. I spent a few days together with Prof Schorr. Despite his elderly age, he was constantly taken for torturing questioning and beaten. He was awakened in the middle of the night, led away for many hours and only in the morning returned. As he told us in the cell, he was accused of belonging to the protagonists of the bourgeois government. I spent 10 days with Prof Schorr and was astonished by his spiritual posture, despite the sufferings, he did not allow himself to get broken and after questioning was coming back calm and full of dignity. By chance he happened to share his cell with the leader of “endecja” [Polish Nationalist Party pursuing the policy of tough assimilation of the minorities]. The representative of Jewish people and former antisemite went into so friendly a relationship that they slept on the same cell bed. After 10 days Prof Schorr was driven off from our prison and I have not seen him ever since.
Liberation attempts
The attempts to liberate Schorr, which were undertaken by the Polish government in exile with the mediation of the
VaticanThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and speaks for the whole Catholic...
and the U.S. State Department did not succeed. In February 1940,
Cordell HullCordell Hull was an American politician from the U.S. state of Tennessee. He is best-known as the longest-serving Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt...
, as Secretary of the State of the USA during the presidency of
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , the only U.S. President elected to more than two terms, was a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, appealed to the Soviet powers through the mediation of international organisations to find Schorr and rescue him from Soviet prisons. However, this did not produce any results. At the same time the President of the Council of Ministers of the Polish government in exile, Władysław Sikorski applied to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of his government with the following letter:
I ask you Sir minister about the entreatment of our Ambassador in the VaticanThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and speaks for the whole Catholic...
with the intervention, aimed to free Professor Schorr, arrested by the Bolshevik powers in Lwów. I consider the diplomatic means through Vatican to be the most advisable solution of this matter. After release, I ask you to direct Prof. Schorr to France. Head of the Council of Ministers – gen. div. Sikorski.
Concentration camp and death
On the 17th of April, 1941 Schorr was assigned to 5 years of mandatory prison labour in the Central Asian deserts of the Soviet Uzbeki Republic. He was taken to the
NKVDThe People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including...
's 5th concentration camp in Posty,
UzbekistanUzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan , is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia, formerly part of the Soviet Union...
, where he got sick and died in a camp hospital on the 8th of July, 1941. He was buried in grave no. C-30 on the grounds of the same hospital. Polish authorities learned of his death only on the eve of 1942, after diplomatic relations were established between the Polish London government and USSR's government. The Polish government tried to liberate him a second time, planning to appoint him to the post of the main Rabbi of the
Anders ArmyAnders Army refers to the Polish Armed Forces in the East in the period of 1941-1942, which got its name from its commander Władysław Anders. The formation, created in USSR, would grow over the two years following its formation in 1941, and provide the bulk of the units and troops of the Polish II...
, which was forming at that time, but it was too late.
At that time A. Sztibel, renown Jewish publisher, wrote of M. Schorr the following lines:
At every ship arriving in America from Europe, nearly every Polish Jew claims to be the leader of the Jews of Poland. These are the people, whose names I never heard, despite the fact that I was born and brought up in Poland. In the meanwhile professor Schorr, a real authority of Polish Jewry, is kept in Bolshevik prisons and no one makes the slightest effort to rescue him … (A. Sztibel, letter to Cyrus Adler)
Schorr's Family
After the outbreak of the Soviet German War, Schorr’s wife Tamara and her daughter Felicia, with her grandchildren, left Lwów for
WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2009 was estimated at 1,709,781, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000...
. Having endured internment in the
Warsaw ghettoThe Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of the ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe, located in the territory of General Government in occupied Poland during World War II.-Creation:...
, by virtue of obtaining Costa-Rican and
NicaraguanNicaraguans are people inhabiting in, originating or having significant heritage from Nicaragua. Most Nicaraguans live in Nicaragua, although there is also a significant Nicaraguan diaspora, particularly in Costa Rica and the United States with smaller communities in other countries around the world...
passports (from the daughter Sonia), they were next interned at Warsaw's “Pawiak prison” on the 19th of June 1942 as citizens of a neutral state. After several months, they were transferred to the French town of
VittelVittel is a spa town and commune of the Vosges département, in north-eastern France. Mineral water is bottled and sold here by Nestlé Waters France, under the Vittel brand.-World War II:...
(170 km west of
StrasbourgStrasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. With 702,412 inhabitants in 2007, its metropolitan area is the ninth largest in France...
) in
AlsaceAlsace is the fourth-smallest of the 26 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the sixth-most densely populated region in France , with 222 inhabitants per km²...
, where they arrived on the October 20, 1943, to be exchanged for German prisoners of war. In
VittelVittel is a spa town and commune of the Vosges département, in north-eastern France. Mineral water is bottled and sold here by Nestlé Waters France, under the Vittel brand.-World War II:...
, they (and 300 other Jews with foreign passports) were kept in a special hotel guarded by
GestapoThe was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning in April 1934, it was under the overall administration of the Schutzstaffel under Heinrich Himmler in his position as leader of the SS and Chief of German Police...
.
After more than a year of waiting, it became clear that the next day they would all be deported to the transitional camp
DrancyThe Drancy deportation camp of Paris, France was used to hold Jews who were later deported to the extermination camps. 65,000 Jews were deported from Drancy, of whom 63,000 were murdered including 6,000 children...
(from where detainees normally were transported to Auschwitz). Tamara Schorr and her daughter Felicia Kon decided to commit suicide on the 17th of April in 1944 in
VittelVittel is a spa town and commune of the Vosges département, in north-eastern France. Mineral water is bottled and sold here by Nestlé Waters France, under the Vittel brand.-World War II:...
so that Felicia’s children, as orphans, could avoid transfer. The wife of Professor Schorr finally died after consuming poison. Her daughter Felicia was wounded, after jumping out the window, and got to the hospital. Her other daughter, Sonia, managed to reach
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(together with husband Arthur Miller) toward the end of 1940.
Children
Schorr was married in 1905 to Tamara Ben Jacob, the daughter of a publisher, Zionist, banker and bibliographer Yitzhak Ben Jacob (1858 – 1926) from Wilno. He had six children with her:
- Sonia, wife of Arthur Miller, the prosecutor of the Warsaw High Court and the head of the of the Criminal law Department at the Ministry of Justice of Poland; she died in 1961.
- Deborah (died prematurely in Lwów in 1917);
- Felicia, in marriage Kon-Lipets (died in New York
New York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1984);
- Ludwig (1918-1963) an outstanding architect who settled in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo , usually called Tel Aviv, is the second largest city in Israel, with an estimated population of 391,300. The city is situated on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, with a land area of...
;
- Esther, in marriage Ben-Kohav (died in Jerusalem
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
in 1991),
- Joshua (Otton), an engineer in Jerusalem
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
who died in Jerusalem in 2005.
Awards and remembrances
Schorr was awarded Poland's Golden Cross of Merit. His name is listed on the memorial next to the Polish Parliament, a monument erected recently in memory of the Senators of the II Polish Republic who perished at the hands of the NKVD and the Nazis.
A scientific meeting was devoted to M. Schorr. In 1993 a similar meeting took place at the Polish Academy of Sciences in
KrakowKraków , in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow and pronounced
, is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland and a popular tourist destination. Its historic centre was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites as the first of its kind...
. In 2001 an Educational Center named in honor of Prof. Moses Schorr was established in Warsaw, aimed at the education of the Jewish community remaining in Poland. Schorr Center was founded as one of the projects of Ronald Lauders Foundation to cultivate Jewish literacy, culture and history among Jews all over Poland.
Streets in Israel named after Schorr
There are streets named after Schorr in
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
,
Tel AvivTel Aviv-Yafo , usually called Tel Aviv, is the second largest city in Israel, with an estimated population of 391,300. The city is situated on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, with a land area of...
and
HolonHolon is a city in Israel, on the central coastal strip south of Tel Aviv. Holon is part of the metropolitan area known as Gush Dan in the Tel Aviv District. In 2007, it had a population of 168,800. Holon has the second largest industrial zone in Israel after Haifa.-Etymology:The name of the city...
.
Scientific legacy
The scientific heritage of M.Schorr is undoubtedly large and worthy of attention. Two main trends can be defined in his works. The first stream of his scientific activity deals with the history of Polish Jews. Schorr’s historiographic approach and view upon the methodology applied to the study of the history of Polish Jewry, can be aptly summarized in his own writing:
The major defect of the methods of research of Jewish history in Poland is that the general issues were studied before the details had been exposed. There was attempt to present the history of the Jews in entire Poland, before this history had been reviewed in specific cities. The historical entireness was treated, before the elemental processes had been exposed.
Therefore, also today’s general works on the history of Polish Jewry, and they are few after all, are characterised by the dilettante forms, lacking integrity, accurateness and clarity in subject presentation. Their material used is meager and not sufficient to encompass the entirety of the history of Polish Jewry, neither in the political-economic sphere nor in the cultural developments. An appropriate solid basis for such a general task can only be constructed by virtue of the archival material, which is so abundantly accumulated in different archives and partially the libraries. The fundamental, scientific presentation of the entire history will only be possible when the factual historical, economic and cultural developments in the major cities will be multilaterally studied on the basis of archival sources. Publication and analysis of the archival documents should be the first task preceding the general studies.” — M. Schorr. Lwów, October 1902
The techniques and methods Schorr used in historical studies were far ahead of his young age (28) and the time in which he worked. He began his scientific work in this field as an auditor in Vienna University as early as 1897, writing his first serious work entitled "Zur Geschichte des Don Josef Nasi" (Concerning the history of Don Joseph Nasi), which was published in
Monatschrift fur die Wiessenschaft des Judenstum. In this work, the author analyses the relations of Joseph Nasi with the Polish king, Sigismund August, in light of the situation of Jews in Poland at that time. Joseph Nasi was the Portuguese born marrano, the Antwerp banker, the duke of the Ottoman islands of Naxos and the Cyclades, Lord of Tiberias, one of the first “proto-Zionists” and an influential Ottoman statesman during the reign of Salim (1566 - 1574). Schorr analysed the relations of Joseph Nasi with Poland. Being a 20-year-old student at that time, he managed to correct the fundamental error of Graetz, a leading historian of the time, who claimed that Sigismund August acknowledged a number of commercial privileges for the Polish Jews by virtue of the services of Joseph Nasi to Polish diplomacy at the Ottoman court. On the basis of sources found by Schorr in the historical city archives of Lwów, Shorr, as a young student, came to the conclusion that Joseph Nasi was not guided by altruism in this situation; Nasi only wanted the privileges for himself to trade in Lwów, and according to his wishes he got them.
Doctoral dissertation
The doctoral dissertation of M. Schorr, entitled
Organizacja Żydów w Polsce (The Organisation of Jews in Poland), first appeared in Lwów’s leading historical quarterly,
Kwartalnik historycznyKwartalnik Historyczny is a Polish history journal. Established in 1887, it is the oldest extant national journal for history. The founder of "Kwartalnik Historyczny" was Ksawery Liske....
, in 1899, and was later translated into Russian in the Russian scientific monthly
VoskhodVoskhod may refer to:*Voskhod programme, the Soviet programme of human spaceflight*Voskhod spacecraft, a spacecraft used in that programme*Voskhod rocket, a rocket that was used to launch those spacecraft...
. In 1903 Schorr was awarded the Wawelberg Prize (provided by the famous Polish-Russian banker and philanthropist) for his work
Żydzi w Przemyślu do roku 1772 (Jews in
PrzemyślPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 2006, it became part of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
until 1772) . It was republished in 1991 in Jerusalem with an introduction by
Jakub GoldbergJakub Goldberg was a Polish scriptwriter, assistant director and actor....
and an epilogue by his last surviving son, Joshua Otton Schorr. The former study,
Organisation of Jews in Poland is a serious attempt to summarise the data about the
kahal organisation of the central institutions of Jewish self-administration - the
vaads and the brotherhoods of Jewish craftsmen. As for his dissertation and its subject, Schorr expressed the following opinion, writing to Ludwik Gumplowicz from Vienna in October, 1897:
… the organization of Jews in Poland is thus one of the most important and the most interesting parts of Jewish culture in Poland; I will only note the huge importance “the council of four lands” had directing the life of Polish Jews for 200 years. In general, my intention is to devote myself to the study of Jewish history in Poland. For the next task of mine I consider the publication of the most important archival documents concerning the Jews — the way Bershadsky began that already. During my search of the City Historical Archives in Lwów, I became convinced that there are real treasures for the history of Polish Jews. I am staying all the time in Vienna, except holidays. I still have 1½ years until finishing my theological studies. I doubt very much that I will be following the profession of a preacher [rabbi] in practice. I am more fond of scientific work. I repeat that your interest in my historical works is a good stimulus for me; that motivates me even more to my intended research ….
Monograph "Jews in Przemysl"
Another work, the monograph about the Jews in
PrzemyślPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 2006, it became part of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
, is precious not only for its concise examination of the history of this remarkable community but also for the numerous
PolishPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
,
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
and Hebrew documents from the 16-18th centuries concerning the history of Przemyśl Jewish community, which are added at the end of the book: nearly half of the work. Schorr starts his historical account from the early 15th century, when the first Jews began to appear sporadically in significant numbers in the major cities of Czerwona Rus’ (
Red RutheniaRed Ruthenia is the name used since medieval times to refer to the area known as Eastern Galicia prior to World War I....
: Lwów,
HaliczHalych is a historic city on the Dniester River in western Ukraine. The town gave its name to the historic province and kingdom of Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, of which it was the capital until the early 14th century, when the seat of the local princes was moved to Lviv...
,
PrzemyślPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 2006, it became part of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
and
SanokSanok , part of The Land of Sanok , is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009....
, with the first historical mention of Jews in Przemyśl from 1466, following with the reviews of the privileges of Sigismund II August (1548 – 1572), statute ad bonum ordinem of Stephan Batory (1576 – 1586) and other privileges, contracts, antisemitic assaults and internal Jewish organisation. The last chapter deals with the Jewish professional brotherhoods (Jewish artisan and tailor fraternities), their emergence, organisation and their role played. The author also notes Jewish religious societies, such as the Society of Psalms Readers (whose task was gathering in synagogue each day before sunrise to recite the psalms), or Chevrah Kadisha (Holy society) with the purpose of burying the dead, whose members were divided into “seniors” and “juniors” being obliged to perform certain functions and accompany every burial in ceremonial order. Schorr explores the pinkasim of the brotherhoods and having found the pinkas of the
PrzemyślPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 2006, it became part of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
guild of Jewish artisans that existed there in the 17th and 18th centuries, he was the first to claim the existence of Jewish artisan brotherhoods in that period. The wide usage of pinkasim in this scholar’s historical studies was innovational for that time.
Among the wide range of sources presented in the second part of the book we find the first fundamental privilege given by king Sigismund II August to the Jews of
PrzemyślPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 2006, it became part of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
in 1559, allowing them to live in
PrzemyślPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 2006, it became part of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
with the same rights and freedoms as other townsmen (no. 1); the Order of Sigismund August to Przemyśl mayor and counselors regarding the attack on the Jews in 1561 (no. 2); the contract of 1595 between the town hall and Jewish elders on the matter of Jewish participation in the fortification of the city (no. 20); the protest of town pharmacists against the Jewish elders for the production of medical items by the Jews in 1677 (no. 121); the order of the governor of Rus’ lands Jabłonowski allowing a free election of rabbi after the ardent requests of “unfaithful” Jewish elders and the whole synagogue of Przemyśl (no. 130). Several Polish sources from 1759 published in this edition (nos. 143 – 144) deal with the charges in the supposed ritual Easter murder against the Jews of Stupnica, their tortures and refusal of the charges and the consequent execution of the accused. A similar Polish document (no. 76) is from the year 1646 and deals with the same ritual child murder charges against Przemyśl Jews Berko, Mendl, Jelenia, Ryfka, goldsmith Lewko, synagogue sexton Tobiasz, tanner Boruch, stall-keeper Izak, Jakòb Żelaznik, certain Stryjska with her sons and
JelonkaJelonka is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Dubicze Cerkiewne, within Hajnówka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus. It lies approximately south of Dubicze Cerkiewne, south-west of Hajnówka, and south of the regional capital...
who have been freed from the charges by the royal decree, while the accuser, certain Sienko got punished. Schorr preserves the archaic form of the old
Polish languagePolish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions...
in the documents which gives a special taste of the those times to the documentary accounts.
Work on Jewish laws and privileges
Schorr published also The Cracow code of Jewish laws and privileges in Poland having written another article about its significance and contradictory questions regarding the main privileges.
Schorr is the author of a large article about the
Hebrew languageHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Culturally, it is considered a Jewish language. Hebrew in its modern form is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel while Classical Hebrew has been used for prayer or study in Jewish communities around the world for over...
in the Encyklopedja Polska (Polish Encyclopeadia, vol. III, 1915). One of his last works in the field of Jewish history in Poland, is Rechtsstellung und innere Verfassung der Juden in Polen (The legal situation and internal organisation of Jews in Poland), research published in German in
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
and
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
in 1917.
Schorr as Orientalist
The second major stream of Schorr's scientific activity concerns primarily Bible studies (in particular the researches of Biblical Law), Assyriology and the history of the Ancient Orient in general. Starting from 1904 onwards, all of Schorr's works are mainly focused on these subjects. Schorr’s switch to Oriental studies was caused also by professional circumstances. Polish historian Krzysztof Pilarczyk notes that Schorr could not be assured of a professorship in the field of Jewish history in Poland. Because of that, after completing his historical-philosophical studies and the defence of his doctoral dissertation, "Organisation of Jews in Poland from the earliest times until 1772", and his years of work as a gymnasium teacher in Lwów, in 1902 Schorr became interested in the newly discovered Hammurabi Code and thus in the laws of Ancient Babylon and Assyria. Schorr's interest was rooted in his religious beliefs and came through his early fascination with the Bible, and Oriental and Egyptian mythology; as well as his gymnasium and university studies, when he thoroughly studied Hebrew, Assyrian and Babylonian languages.
The first works in this field of Oriental studies were published early as he began studying the Hammurabi Code. One of the first was a paper on the Tell-Amarna findings and excavations (1900), followed by the investigation of "Starożytności biblijne w swietle archiwum egipskiego" (Biblical antiquities in the light of the Egyptian archive). This was published in the magazine
Przewodnik naukowy i literacki in 1901 and separately as well. In 1903 Schorr commented extensively on a respected and famous book by his former German tutor Friedrich Delitsch,
Babel und Bibel (Babylon and Bible). Schorr's commentary is named "Kultura Babilońska a starohebrajska" (Babylonian and Hebrew culture), which appeared first in Lwów’s
Kwartalnik historyczny, and later in a separate edition.
Kwartalnik Historyczny was the major forum of Lwów historians at that time and Schorr was one of its regular contributors.
As noted earlier, some of Schorr's works were written and published in German, his second native language; German was then the official Habsburg language in Eastern Galicia along with Polish and Ukrainian. One such study is "Die Kohler-Peiserische Hammurabi Übersetzung" (The Peiser-Kohler translation of the Hammurabi Code), in which Schorr gives detailed analyses of the translation.
Research on Babylonian history
Schorr dedicated himself to the study of Babylonian history, as well. His main work on this subject is
Państwo i społeczeństwo babilońśke w kresie t.zw. dynastyi Hammurabiego (The Babylonian state and society at the time of the Hammurabi dynasty); this first appeared in a separate edition in 1906 in Lwów and afterwards was published also in
Kwartalnik historyczny. Another highly respected work by Schorr is
Eine Babylonische Seisachtie aus dem Anfang der Kassitenzeit, ende XVIII vorchristl. Jahrhunderts (The Babylonian Seisachtie of the times of the Kassites dynasty, the end of 18th century B.C.). In this research Schorr discusses and presents one of the newly discovered old Babylonian texts, which were published and investigated by Oxford Assyriologist Langdon.
He also conducted research on the history of the social and commercial life of the Ancient Orient, and particularly the trade movement in the ancient Babylon. The work's title is
Ruch handlowy w Satorożytnej Babilonii (The trade movement in old Babylon). It was published in 1911 in a commemorative book while celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of Lviv University.
Schorr had also translated and systematised the old Babylonian legal documents, having written an extensive commentary. This work, entitled
Altbabylonische Rechtsurkunden aus der Zeit der I -ste Babylonische Dynastie (Old Babylonian legal documents from the First Babylonian dynasty). The legal issues and the legal history of the laws were the main subjects of Schorr's research. That is not surprising, since the scholar was a rabbi himself. He did significant research in the comparative studies of the legal systems of Babylon and the surrounding cultures of that time, in particular the Hebrew legal system.
Among them:
Kodeks Hammurabiego a ówczesna praktyka prawna (The Hammurabi Code and ancient oriental legal practices) which first appeared in
Rozprawy (Studies) of the historical department of Cracow Academy of Sciences; in 1907 this was published separately .
Schorr's
Urkunden des altbabylonische Zivil- und Prozessrechts (The documents of the Old Babylonian civil and criminal law) is considered to be his greatest scholarly achievement in the the oriental field. This is an edition of sources with extensive comments by Schorr.
Publications in Zionist daily "Chwila"
For a long time Schorr actively cooperated with Lwów Zionist newspaper Chwila (the wave), published in Lwów in the inter-war period. In his numerous publications he popularised his old and initiated the new themes and ideas. Those articles in their larger part, were neither examined nor included in his bibliography. The set of newspapers for 1918-1939 had been reviewed, which is kept in the Scientific Library of Lwów University. The most important among them are: Palestyna a Babylon w świetle najnowszych wykopalisk (
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
and
BabylonBabylon was a city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
in the light of recent archaeological excavations, 1923);
Samuel Hirsch MarguliesSamuel Hirsch Margulies Dr., Orthodox rabbi and scholar. He was born in Berezhany, western Ukraine , and studied at the Breslau Jewish Theological Seminary and at the universities of Breslau and...
(1922), which is dedicated to the outstanding personality of
Italian JewryItalian Jews can be used in a broad sense to mean all Jews living in Italy or in a narrower sense to mean the ancient community who use the Italian rite, as distinct from newer arrivals who use the Sephardi or Ashkenazi rite.-Divisions:...
, a native of Galicia
Samuel Hirsch MarguliesSamuel Hirsch Margulies Dr., Orthodox rabbi and scholar. He was born in Berezhany, western Ukraine , and studied at the Breslau Jewish Theological Seminary and at the universities of Breslau and...
(1858-1922), who became later the leader of Italian Jewry. This publication is in commemoration of the scholar due to his death in the same year. In his obituary, Schorr writes:
"Italian Jewry has undergone a great loss in the death of the Rabbi of
FlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence...
and rector of local rabbinical seminary Dr.
Samuel Hirsch MarguliesSamuel Hirsch Margulies Dr., Orthodox rabbi and scholar. He was born in Berezhany, western Ukraine , and studied at the Breslau Jewish Theological Seminary and at the universities of Breslau and...
(died on March 12), who had been the Rabbi for more than three decades leaving a strong footprint on a life and culture of the Jews of whole Italy. Margulies was of Polish origin…In 1890 he was called for the position of the Rabbi of
FlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence...
, where he managed to became the leader of whole Italian Jewry. He became the spiritual leader in all the spheres of the civic life, on account of his deep Judaic knowledge, organisational abilities and personal favourite pursuits in the subjects of spirit and heart. Thanks to him the indifferent religious life of Italian Jews started to be a live artery filled with strong native Jewish traditions and culture. He also initiated the centralized unification of all Jewish communities which created a new Collegio rabbinico italiano…in
FlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence...
...This seminary produced an array of young Rabbis, who started the spiritual renaissance of Italian Jewry."
Schorr's interest in spiritual subjects and religious life was his distinct trait and attribute, for he himself was the main Rabbi of
WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2009 was estimated at 1,709,781, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000...
and the first rector of the Institute of Jewish Sciences (Rabbinical seminary), deeply sympathising the personality of his friend S. Hirsch Margulies, so alike to his own.
Schorr’s broadest article in Chwila is extensive "Prawo Mojżesza na tle poròwnawczem prawodawst Starożytnego Wschodu" (The Moses' law in the comparative perspective with the laws of the Ancient Orient). This is the large series of articles in several newspaper issues, where Schorr continues and develops his previous studies drawing comparisons between the Biblical and Babylonian laws in the first part of the publication, following with the comparison with the Assyrian and Hettite legislatures in the second and third sections. Here Schorr is also referring to his previous work about the Hettites Problem Chettòw (The Hettites' problem), published seven years before in
Kwartalnik historycznyKwartalnik Historyczny is a Polish history journal. Established in 1887, it is the oldest extant national journal for history. The founder of "Kwartalnik Historyczny" was Ksawery Liske....
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Furthermore, a few others newly discovered publications of Schorr should be mentioned. Some of them deal with the history of the Polish Jewry as: "Kwestya żydowska w dobie Sejmu Wiekiego" (The Jewish question at the time of the Great Sejm).
Some are of the reliogious and teaching content like "Radosna Chwila" (The joyful moment) and Pesach Micarim - Pesach le Atid on the occasion of the Easter celebration. The latter one is the series of articles of the religious – historical character, where the author talks about the Haggadah and the Exodus of Jews from Egypt, through the prism of this legendary collection of the legends and tales of the Jewish people. He starts it with the words from Mishna (Pesach X.5) : In every generation and age a man must be considered as a member of the Exodus from Egypt... - the sublime flash in the mind of deep historiosopher, who as intuitively grasped the greatness of this episode on the eve of Israel's history…continues Schorr. Summarising the biography and the scientific legacy of Schorr, we may surely talk about him as the outstanding personality and famous historian, the person of wide outlook and versatile interests, whose scientific heritage is deserving the most serious attention and study.
Publications by M. Schorr
- Prof Dr. M. Schorr na nowej placówce pracy (Prof. Dr. M. Schorr at the new place of work). Chwila, 18 November, 1923.
- Schorr, M. Kwestya żydowska w dobie Sejmu Wielkiego, (Jewish question at the time of the Great Seim). Chwila, 13-24 July, 1920.
- Schorr, M. Palestyna a Babylon w świetlie najnowszych wykopalisk, (Palestine and Babylon in the light of new archeological excavations,) Chwila, 27, 28, 30 January1922; 1-6 February 1922.
- Schorr, M. Prawo Mojżesza na tle porównawczem prawodawstw Starożytnego Wschodu (Moses' Law in comparative perspective with the legislatures of the Ancient Middle East: Assyrian, Babylonian and Hittite) Chwila, 3-7, 13, 17, 19-22, 24-29 November 1923.
- Schorr, M. Radosna Chwila (Joyful moment,) Chwila, 9 December 1923;
- Schorr, M. Pesach Micraim - Pesach le-atid. Haggadah do użytku Chwili (Haggadah for the use of Chwila) Chwila, 14 , 15, 17 April 1922;
- Schorr, M. Samuel Hirsch Margulies, 1858-1922, (Samuel Hirsch Margulies, 1858-1922). Chwila, 13 May 1922.
- Schorr, M. Archiwum żydowskiej kolonii wojskowej w Egipcie z V w. (Archive of Jewish military colony in Egypt of 5 th century). Lwów, 1912.
- Schorr, M. Aus der Geschichte der Juden in Przemyśl (History of Jews in Przemysl). Vienna: Verlag von R. Lövit, 1915, 28 p.
- Schorr, M. Żydzi w Przemyślu do końca XVIII wieku (Jews in Przemyśl until the end of the 18th century). Lwów, 1903. VIII + 294 pp.
- Schorr, M. Żydzi w Przemyślu do końca XVIII wieku. Jerusalem: Israeli Academy of Sciences – Art-Plus, 1991.
- Schorr, M. Pomnik prawa staroassyryjskiego z XII w. przed Chr. (Monument of Old Assyrian Law of 12 th century B.C.). Lwów: Archiwum Towarzystwa Naukowego we Lwowie, 1922.
- Schorr, M. Problem Chettytów z powodu najnowszego odkrycia lingwistyczno-historycznego (Problem of the Hittites due to the newest linguistic-historical discovery) in Kwartalnik Historyczny, Lwów, 1916.
- Schorr, M. Przyczynki do frazeologii psalmów biblijnych a babilońskich (Articles concerning the phraseology of Biblical and Psalms), in Rocznik Orientalistyczny, Cracow, 1914 -1915.
- Schorr, M. Język hebrajski w Polsce (Hebrew language in Poland), Encycopedya Polska (Polish encyclopaedia), Vol. 3 (1915).
- Schorr, M. Kultura babilońska a starohebrajska (Babylonian and Hebrew culture). Lwów, 1903, 28 pp.
- Schorr, M. Państwo i spoleczeństwo babilońske w okresie t. zw. dynastyi Hamurabiego okoŀo 2500 - 2000 pr. Chr. (Babylonian state and society in times of Hammurabi dynasty of 2500 - 2000 B.C.). Lwów: Drukarnia Ludowa, 1906.
- Schorr, M. Organizacja Żydów w Polsce od najdawniejszych czasów do r. 1772
(Organisation of Jews in Poland since the earliest times till 1772). Kwartalnik Historyczny, 1899.
- Schorr M. Kazanie inagauracyjne wygŀoszone w Wielkiej Synagodze na Tŀomackiem dn. 7. 12. 1923. (Inaugurative speech presented at the Great Tlomacka Synagogue on 2.12.1923). Warsaw: Druk. Kupenztocha i Kramaria, 1923, 28 p.
- Schorr M. Kodeks Hamurabiego a ówczesna praktyka prawna (Hammurabi Code and the Ancient Middle Eastern legal practice). Cracow, 1907;
- Schorr, M. Die Kohler-Peisersche Hammurabi Übersetzung (Kohler-Peiser’s translation of the Hammurabi Code) Vienna, 1907;
- Schorr, M. Ważniejsze kwestyi z historyi semickiego Wschodu (The Important Issues on the History of the Semitic Orient) Lwów: Druk. Związkowa, 1907, 60 p.
- Schorr, M. Starożytnosci biblijne w świetlie archiwum egipskiego z XIV w. przed Chrystusem (Biblical Antiquities in the Light of Egyptian Archive of 17th cen. B.C.) Lwów: Druk. Związkowa, 1901, 34 pp.
- Schorr, M. Tell-Amarna. in Welt, October,1900.
- Schorr, M. Ruch handlowy w Starożytnej Babilonii (The trade movement in the Ancient Babylon) in "Księga pamiątkowa ku uczczeniu zaŀożenia Uniw. Lwowskiego", Lwów, 1911;
- Schorr, M. Urkunden des albabylonischen Zivil- und Prozessrechts (Documents of Old Babylonian civil and criminal law) Leipzig: Vor der Asiatischen Bibliothek, 1913;
- Schorr, M. Zur Geschichte des Don Josef Nasi in Monatschrift für Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judenthums, 1897, p. 169 – 237.
- Schorr, M. Krakovskiy Svod evreyskikh statutov i privilegiy (Cracow Collection of Jewish statutes and privileges) in Evreyskaya Starina, 1909, vol. III, No. 1. pp 247 – 264 and No. 2, pp. 76 – 94, 223 – 245.
- Schorr, M. Hauptprivilegien der polnischen Judenschaft in „Festschrift Adolf Schwartz zu siebzigsten Geburtstage 15. Juli 1916“, Berlin – Vienna, 1917pp. 519 – 538.
- Schorr, M. Rechtsstellung und innere Verfassung der Juden in Polen – Ein geschichtlicher Rundblick in „Der Jude“, 1917, No. II (Reprint), pp. 1 – 36.
- Schorr, M. „Staatsseher und Statslehrer – Ein Beitrag zu Biographie Theodor Herzls“ in Festschrift zu Simon Dubnows siebzigsten Geburtstag, Berlin, 1930, pp. 262 – 265.
- Schorr, M. Prof. Dr. Majer Balaban – Z powodu 60-lecia Jego urodzin, 20 lutego 1877 r. (Prof Dr Majer Balaban – on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his birth) in Nasz Przegląd 21.2.1937.
- Schorr, M. Idealy Zakonu B’nei B’rith, a dostosowanie ich do realnych warunków życia (Ideals of the Order B’nai Brith and their application in real life conditions). Typescript. Archiwum Państwowy w Krakowie / Polish State Archives in Cracow, B’nai Brith 351.