Oto Šilinger

Abstract

Pismo koje je Oto Šilinger (Schillinger) iz Zagreba napisao 1984. godine namenjeno je Jakiru Eventovu koji ga je zamolio da zabeleži istoriju porodice Schillinger iz Osijeka. Zbog toga je svakako zanimljivo objasniti razloge i angažovanje Jakira Eventova (1901-1984) kome je pismo i namenjeno. Rođen u Zagrebu po imenu Drago Štajner, J. Eventov završio je Trgovačku akademiju (1914-1917), i zapooslio se kao bankarski službenik u zagrebačkoj podružnici "Wienerbankvereina" (1917-1934). Bio je izraziti je jevrejski aktivista. Sarađivao je u literarnoj grupi koja je ostavila značajan trag u razvoju cionističkog pokreta u Jugoslaviji. Za vreme Prvog svetskog rata bio je suosnivač udruženja "Dror", a potom suosnivač Saveza židovskih omladinskih udruženja. Od 1923. godine bio je član radnog odbora Saveza cionista Jugoslavije kao potpredsednik "Palestinskog ureda", a zatim i kao sekretar. Bio je saradnik jevrejskog omladinskog časopisa "Gideon" i urednik zagrebačkog jevrejskog lista "Židov" (1927-1934). 1933. godine preveo je "Antologiju novohebrejske književnosti", a sa gimnastičkom sekcijom "Makabi" sudelovao na Prvom omladinskom sletu u Osijeku. Sa porodicom je 1934. godine iselio u Palestinu gde nastavlja aktivan rad. Bio je jedan od osnivača haifanske podružnice "Hitahdut ole Jugoslavija" (Udruženja Jevreja poreklom iz Jugoslavije). Aktivno je učestvovao u prihvatanju novih imigranata, a posebno onih iz velike alije iz Jugoslavije 1948-1949 i 1951. godine. Njegova posebna zasluga i razlog zbog koga je upamćen zajedno sa svojom suprugom Etelkom (rođenom Gorjanić) je osnivanje Istorijsko-muzejskog odbora Arhiva Hitahduta (HOJ) 1955. godine. Bračni par Eventov je punih 30 godina vredno prikupljao građu iz istorije Jevreja sa prostora bivše Jugoslavije, sa posebnim osvrtom na istoriju cionističkog pokreta. Ovaj obimni Istorijski arhiv jugoslovenskih Jevreja, par godina posle njegove smrti, 1986. godine, prenesen je u kampus Givat Ram Hebrejskog univerziteta u Jerusalimu, gde mu je ime promenjeno u "Arhiv Eventov". Zbog toga je pismo Ota Šilingera sa iscrpnim informacijama o istoriji njegove porodice koje datiraju još od prve polovine 19. veka, upućeno Jakiru Eventovu, vredno i interesantno. Pismo je kucano na pisaćoj mašini i deo je privatne kolekcije Otovog posinka Aleksandra Ajzinberga iz Beograda.

The letter written by Otto Schillinger from Zagreb in 1984 is intended for Jakir Eventov, who asked him to record the history of the Schillinger family from Osijek. That is why it is certainly interesting to explain the reasons and the engagement of Jakir Eventov (1901-1984) for whom the letter is intended. Born in Zagreb by the name of Drago Štajner, J. Eventov graduated from the Trade Academy (1914-1917) and got a job as a bank clerk in the Zagreb branch of the "Wienerbankverein" (1917-1934). He was a prominent Jewish activist. He cooperated in a literary group that left a significant mark on the development of the Zionist movement in Yugoslavia. During the First World War, he was a co-founder of the "Dror" association, and then a co-founder of the Federation of Jewish Youth Associations. From 1923, he was a member of the working board of the Federation of Zionists of Yugoslavia as vice president of the "Palestinian Office", and then as a secretary. He was an associate of the Jewish youth magazine "Gideon" and the editor of the Zagreb Jewish newspaper "Židov" (Jew) (1927-1934). In 1933, he translated the "Anthology of New Hebrew Literature", and with the gymnastics section "Maccabi" he participated in the First Youth Rally in Osijek. In 1934, he moved with his family to Palestine, where he continued his active work. He was one of the founders of the Haifa branch "Hitahdut ole Jugoslavija" (Association of Jews from Yugoslavia). He actively participated in the acceptance of new immigrants, especially those from the Great Alija from Yugoslavia in 1948-1949 and 1951. His special merit and the reason why he is remembered together with his wife Etelka (born Gorjanić) is the founding of the Historical-Museum Board of the Archives of Hitahdut (HOJ) in 1955. For a full 30 years, the Eventov couple diligently collected material from the history of Jews from the former Yugoslavia, with special reference to the history of the Zionist movement. This valuable Historical Archive of Yugoslav Jews, a few years after his death, in 1986, was transferred to the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where its name was changed to the "Eventov Archive". That is why Otto Schillinger's letter with exhaustive information about the history of his family, which dates back to the first half of the 19th century, addressed to Jakir Eventov, is valuable and interesting. The letter was typed on a typewriter and is part of the private collection of Otto's stepson Aleksandar Ajzinberg from Belgrade.