Dr. Samuel Weszel

Abstract

Dr Hinko Urbach napisao je dirljiv tekst o nadrabinu aškenaske opštine u Sarajevu dr Samuelu Weszel-u koji je iznenada preminuo 1928. godine. Dr Weszel je poticao od pobožnih i učenih roditelja - Mojsija Weszela i Sare Hirschfeld. Rodio se u Vacz-u (Mađarska) 25. maja 1871. U sedmoj godini ostao je siroče zbog čega je njegov životni put bio veoma težak. Uprkos tome posvetio se nauci. Sa 10 godina čitao je "maftir" (počasno čitanje poslednjeg odlomka Tore u javnom bogosluženju), sa 13 je davao "seder" i išao u veliku "ješivu" u Bonybad, sa 16 je podučavao mladiće mnogo starije od njega. Sa 18 godina već je držao predavanja u hramu. U Bernu i Minhenu je studirao filozofiju i semitsku filologiju kod poznatih profesora i promovisan je za doktora filozofije. U praktičnoj pedagogiji usavršavao se u Hamburgu, Beču i Bazelu, odakle su ga pozvali za rabina u Roterdam, a potom u Sarajevo. Službu rabina aškenaske opštine u Sarajevu započeo je 1. novembra 1898. godine a 1900. godine se oženio Paulom, kćerkom naučnika Isaka Robinšona iz Šarlotenburga. Svoj poziv dr Weszel je veoma voleo i postigao je značajne uspehe. Na početku svoga delovanja pokazao je veliko razumevanje za instituciju "Hevra Kadiše" koja ga je izabrala za počasnog člana. Osnovao je prvo "Židovsko Omladinsko Društvo" u kome je uspeo da okupi sefardsku i aškenasku omladinu u zajedničkom radu. Iz ovog društva se kasnije, 1912. godine razvilo "Židovsko Nacijonalno Društvo", čiji je on bio prvi član osnivač. Zajedno sa svojom suprugom osnovao je 1901. godine "Židovsko aškenasko gospojinsko društvo". Svojim neumornim radom doprineo je da opština sagradi impresivan hram, koji je posvetio 1902. godine. Velike zasluge imao je oko osnivanja i delovanja "Ahdusa", društva Jevreja sa Istoka, i omladinskog društva "Makabi". Ogroman doprinos dao je na polju veronauke: izradio je "Nastavni plan za jevrejski vjeronauk", koji je tadašnja Zemaljska vlada uvela u škole Bosne i Hercegovine. Bio je član uprave Saveza rabina i Glavnog odbora Saveza jevrejskih veroispovednih opština. Dr Weszel je bio odličan govornik, govorio je blago, toplo i ubedljivo, sa posebnom personalnom notom. Bio je impresioniran Prvim cionističkim kongresom u Bazelu 1897. godine na kome je imao lične kontakte sa svim velikanima nacionalnog pokreta. Nikad nije izgubio zanos i oduševljenje i neumorno je radio na obnovi Jevrejstva u dijaspori i Erec Izraelu. Njegovo delo "Das Targum zuni Buche Ruth" u kojem je obradio aramejsku parafrazu ove biblijske knjige izašlo je u Berlinu 1898. godine na nemačkom jeziku i ima naučnu vrednost. Za "Jewish Encyclopedia" napisao je istoriju jevrejskih opština u Bosni i Hercegovini: u Sarajevu, Travniku i Mostaru. Napisao je brojne naučne članake i predavanja, koji su, nažalost zbog njegove skromnosti, ostali u rukopisima. Povodom 25-e godišnjice njegovog službovanja 1923. godine kralj Aleksandar ga je odlikovao ordenom Svetog Save IV stepena. Na kraju teksta o životu i radu dr Weszela objavljen je govor koji je Vrhovni rabin dr Isak Alkalay iz Beograda održao na njegovoj sahrani.

Dr. Hinko Urbach wrote a touching text about the senior rabbi of the Ashkenazi community in Sarajevo, Dr. Samuel Weszel, who died suddenly in 1928. Dr. Weszel came from religious and scholarly parents - Moses Weszel and Sarah Hirschfeld. He was born in Vacz (Hungary) on May 25, 1871. When he was seven, he has left an orphan, which made his life very difficult. Despite this, he devoted himself to science. He dedicated all his strength to science. At the age of 10, he read the "maftir" (honorary reading of the last passage of the Torah in public worship), at the age of 13 he gave "seder" and went to the big "yeshiva" in Bonybad, at the age of 16 he taught young men much older than him. At the age of 18, he was already lecturing in the temple. In Bern and Munich, he studied philosophy and Semitic philology with famous professors and was promoted to doctor of philosophy. He studied practical pedagogy in Hamburg, Vienna and Basel, from where he was invited to become a rabbi in Rotterdam, and then in Sarajevo. He began his service as a rabbi of the Ashkenazi community in Sarajevo on November 1, 1898, and in 1900 he married Paula, the daughter of the scientist Isaac Robinson from Charlottenburg. Dr. Weszel loved his invitation very much and achieved significant success. At the beginning of his career, he showed great understanding for the institution "Hevra Kadisha", which elected him an honorary member. He founded the first "Jewish Youth Society" in which he managed to gather Sephardic and Ashkenazi youth in joint work. Later, in 1912, the "Jewish National Society" developed from this society, of which he was the first founding member. Together with his wife, he founded the "Jewish Ashkenazi Lady's Society" in 1901. With his tireless work, he contributed to the community building an impressive temple, which he dedicated in 1902. He had great merits for the founding and operation of "Ahdus", the Society of Jews from the East, and the youth society "Maccabi". He made a huge contribution in the field of religious education: he developed the "Curriculum for Jewish Religious Education", which the then Provincial Government introduced in schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was a member of the board of the Federation of Rabbis and the Main Board of the Federation of Jewish Religious Communities. Dr. Weszel was an excellent speaker, he spoke softly, warmly, and convincingly, with a special personal note. He was impressed by the First Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897, where he had personal contacts with all the giants of the national movement. He never lost his enthusiasm and worked tirelessly to restore Judaism in the Diaspora and Eretz Israel. His work "Das Targum zuni Buche Ruth", in which he processed the Aramaic paraphrase of this biblical book, was published in Berlin in 1898 in German and has scientific value. For the "Jewish Encyclopedia", he wrote the history of Jewish communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina: in Sarajevo, Travnik, and Mostar. He wrote many scientific articles and lectures, which, unfortunately, due to his modesty, remained in manuscripts. On the occasion of the 25th on the anniversary of his service in 1923, King Alexander honored him with the Order of Saint Sava IV degree. At the end of the text about the life and work of Dr. Weszel, a speech was given by the chief rabbi Dr. Isak Alkalay from Belgrade at his funeral.