Židovi u Križevcima: povijest, značaj i nasljeđe

Abstract

Povijest razvoja grada Križevca zasigurno ne bi bila cjelovita kado u nju ne bismo ubrojili doprinos Židovo koji su Križevce nastanjivali gotovo jedno cijelo stoljeće, sve do tragičnog holokausta. Najstariji Križevčani još uvijek u svojim sjećanjima imaju poznata židovska prezimena koja ih podsjećaju na ugledne trgovce, poduzetnike, Ijekarnike ili liječnike kod kojih bi išli zajedno s roditeljima, a ponekad i sami ako je trebalo nešto donijeti iz dućana. I danas govore s poštovanjem prema ljudima koji su bili navitalniji dio gradskog poslovnog i društvenog života i koji su činili Križevce gradom u njegovom punom značenju. A kada bismo se zapitali šta znamo o tim ljudima, koje su bile njihove kuće, gdje su im bile trgovine, čime su zadužili ovaj grad - onda bismo se brzo uvjerili da nam je znanje krhko. Znamo li šta o njihovom prvom dolasku u Križevce, o njihovim običajima, o židovstvu u širem smislu, o značajnim pripidnicima njihove zajednice i njihovom nasljeđu? Naravno da je odgovor negativan!

The history of the development of the city of Križevac would certainly not be complete if we did not include the contribution of the Jews who inhabited Križevac for almost a whole century, until the tragic Holocaust. The oldest residents of Križevac still have famous Jewish surnames in their memories that remind them of respectable merchants, entrepreneurs, pharmacists or doctors to whom they would go together with their parents, and sometimes alone if they needed to bring something from the store. Even today, they speak with respect for the people who were a vital part of the city's business and social life and who made Križevci a city in its full meaning. And if we were to ask ourselves what we know about these people, what were their houses, where were their shops, what this city they owed - then we would quickly realize that our knowledge is fragile. Do we know anything about their first coming to Križevac, about their customs, about Judaism in a broader sense, about significant members of their community and their heritage? Of course, the answer is negative!