Busk

Their hands pointed at a gently sloping ביסק .Ukr. Буськ, Yid rock: It is here! Georges Clemenceau, Busk, in: Au pied du Sinai (Fr.: At the Foot of Mount Sinai), Paris 1898

The Venice of ¶ Busk is of urban infrastructure. This was also located at the place where the Poltva, strategically important due to the town Solotvyn, and Rokitna rivers flow into location at the so-called Black Trail, an the Bug, dividing the town into several ancient trade route used by merchants parts. In the past, the town was sur- travelling from Crimea to as well rounded by ponds and bogs, and the as by the during their raids. numerous rivers and brooks contributed From 1540, the position of the head of to the creation of a unique landscape. the palatinate belonged to one of the That is why, in the 18th and 19th centu- Górkas, Polish Calvinist family. Thanks ries, Busk was often called the “Venice of to the Górkas, Busk became one of the Galicia”. Today, the town looks com- first centres of Calvinism in Ruthenia pletely different. The brooks have dried (Galicia). The town expanded signifi- up and the division of the town into cantly in the 16th century: in addition to separate parts has disappeared. Only the the Old Market square, two more were bridges and wooden footbridges con- established, the Central Market and the necting the banks of former riverbeds New Market. These new market places stand as a reminder of this characteristic divided the town into three parts: old, feature. ¶ The medieval Primary Chroni- new, and central. Paper mills were built cle mentions Busk (Buzhesk) as a forti- in 1539–1541, they produced paper for fied town reporting to the counts of the printing presses in eastern until Duchy of Kiev (Kievan Rus) as early as 1788; the first printer of Slavic books, 1097. From 1100, Busk was the capital the famous Ivan Fedorov (Fedorowicz) of an independent palatinate included printed his Ostrog Bible on Busk paper in in the Principality of Galicia-; 1581. This was the first complete edition the palatinate and the principality were of the Bible in Church Slavonic language. incorporated into the Polish Crown in ¶ Towards the end of the 18th century, the late 15th century. In 1411, Busk was Józef Mier of Scottish origin became the granted the Magdeburg rights, which town owner, and due to his mercantile

Busk significantly boosted the development of interests and protectionist trade policies,  town trades and crafts and the creation the town began to develop dynamically Market square in Busk, , collection of the National Library, Poland (www.polona.pl)

as the industrial centre. Mier ordered the this day. Busk remained in the hands establishment of sawmills and glass- of the Mier family until 1879, but the works and invited Czech and German town experienced a devastating fire in craftsmen to settle permanently in town. 1849 and subsequently lost its economic In 1810, his son Count Wojciech Mier significance. After the Mier family, Busk built a palace which has survived till was ruled by the Badenis noblemen.

Count Kasimir Felix Badeni (–) became the Governor of Galicia in , and in –, he served as the Austro-Hungarian prime minister. After he retired, he settled in Busk, where he lived permanently until his sudden death on a train a few kilometres from Busk while returning from Karlsbad, the famous mineral waters spa west of Prague. He was buried in his family crypt in Busk, which was destroyed during the Soviet times. Ludwik Józef Badeni suc- ceeded his father as the owner of the estate. The Badeni family was favourably disposed towards the . Stories are told about Kasimir Badeni speaking to local Jews in and supporting poor Jews by exempting them from taxes.

The Jews of Busk ¶ In 1454, Jews before the Polish Crown were concerned. were first mentioned as living in Busk. In 1518, the king exempted Jews from tax In 1510, Jews were obliged to pay 20 gold for one year due to a Tatar raid that dev- florins to the Royal Treasury through astated the town. Later, Jews had to pay the kahal of Lviv, which means that they their taxes in state-approved coins (30 were submitting to the authority of the groszy for one florin), not in gold. In 1564, Lviv Jewish community, as far as their King Sigismund Augustus confirmed the financial relations with and obligations 1550 privilege granted to the Jews of Busk  Lviv; still, it maintained its own inde- pendent communal institutions such as a cemetery and a . The serving in Busk included Aaron (1540–1560) and Rabbi Isaac ben Abraham Hayes; the latter worked here in 1564–1568 and was then invited to become the Rabbi of Prague. At the beginning of the 18th century, the posi- tion of the rabbi of Busk was held by Tzvi Hirsch ben Moshe from (then Żółkiew). About 100 Jews died during A view of Busk, and further expanded their privileges. the Cossack wars in 1648–1649, but by . Photo by Viktor Zagreba, digital collec- He allowed Jews to purchase plots of land the late 1650s, the community revived tion of the “Grodzka and construct houses anywhere in town, afterwards and rebuilt itself. Gate – NN Theatre” Centre (www.teatrnn.pl) build new buildings, deal in real estate, and carry out business anywhere in The Old Cemetery ¶ The old Jewish Jewish cemetery in Busk, . Photo Ruthenia (Galicia) and , including cemetery in Busk is believed to be the by Wioletta Wejman, a privileged trade in meat. In short, Jews oldest Ashkenazi cemetery in digital collection of the “Grodzka Gate – NN enjoyed all municipal and state privileges and one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries Theatre” Centre (www. and exemptions on an equal footing with in Central and East Europe. Located on teatrnn.pl) other Gentile residents. Nonetheless, in several hills, it boasts the oldest surviv- 1582, King Stefan Báthory declared Busk ing matzeva in the Shtetl Routes area, a free royal town which implied also that dated to 1520, with an epitaph read- the town was granted De non tolerandis ing: A garland instead of ashes (Isaiah Judaeis privilege. The full consequences 61:3). Here lies an honest man, r. Yehuda of this innovation are not exactly clear, son of r. Jacob, called Judah. He died on since Jews continued to live within the Tuesday, on the 5th day of Kislev in the town walls, in the New Town, as if the year 5281 from the creation of the world privilege stipulating the banishment of (23.11.1520). May his soul be bound in Jews was not enforced. ¶ From the legal the bond of life [together with the souls]

Busk standpoint, the Jewish community of of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all God-  Busk continued to be part of the kahal of fearing people. The Frankists and the Hasidim Rabbi Nachman, who took the name ¶ In the 18th century, Busk turned into of Piotr Jakubowski. Due to the strong a centre of the Frankist movement that support Frank received from the Jews of galvanized Podolia and Ruthenia and Busk, King Augustus III recognised Busk was led by the ambitious schismatic as one of the Polish main towns inhabited Jacob Frank. The leader of the movement by Frankists and designated it as a place considered himself a reincarnation of the where the adherents of the sect should 17th-century pseudo-Messiah Sabbetai settle. The Jews of Busk sometimes were Tsvi (who ended up converting into referred to as bisker szabsecwijnikes, from Islam) and preached salvation achieved the twisted name of Sabbetai Zevi, Jacob through sexual orgies involving Jews Frank’s pseudo-Messianic predeces- and non-Jews and licentious behaviour sor. ¶ Rabbi David Pinkhas of Brotchin that broke all the barriers of the Judaic (Bohorodchany) actively opposed Frank, commandments. This was the new avatar whom he considered a traitor of , of the concept “redemption through sin” a schismatic, a charlatan, who exploited previously advanced by Sabbetai Tsvi. the gullibility of his Jewish followers Frank based it on his perversive read- not able to make sense of the sophis- ing of the kabbalistic which he ticated kabbalistic texts. Rabbi David claimed allegedly supported the idea of Pinkhas represented traditional Judaism, Trinity. Several hundred Jews, even the defended rabbinic Jewish authorities, then Rabbi Nachman Samuel ha-Levi of and emphasized the key role of Talmudic Busk joined the sectarians Jacob Frank. education. He participated in the defense To ensure the sect has an upper hand of Judaism at the second disputation in the larger Jewish community, Frank with the Frankists in Lviv in 1759, while orchestrated a disputation between the Frank facing a growing opposition to his traditional rabbinic Jews and himself, messianic craze preferred to stay in Busk. a new Jewish Messiah. The disputation ¶ The conversion of the Frankists and took place in Kamianets-Podilskyi in a subsequent imprisonment of the leader 1757 under the supervision of Bishop of the movement made the converted Dembrowski and was attended by 19 Frankists move into central Poland. The Frankists, four of whom – led by rabbi remaining void was soon filled by the Nachman – came from Busk. Having new movement of religious enthusiasm, rejected the reasons and traditions of Hasidism, and its adherents, Hasidim. in public, Jacob Frank The Hasidic movement enjoyed mass fol- brought his Jewish followers to Catholi- lowing in Busk which coexisted with the cism. Among those baptised after the traditional (Lithuanian) Jews associated second disputation that took place in with mitnagdim (anti-Hasidic minded Lviv two years later, there were 103 Jews). people from Busk, including the former

THE HASIDIC DYNASTY (named after the town of , located  km from Busk) represents a branch of Busk Hasidism. The founder of the dynasty, Rabbi Hanoch Henikh Dov Majer (–) was also known under  the title of his work Lev sameach (Heb.: A Happy Heart). He was a son-in-law of the tsaddik Rabbi Sholom Rokeakh, the founder of the Hasidic dynasty in . As a child, Majer visited the Seer of and became a disciple of famous Hasidic rabbis such as Uri of Strelisk, Naftali Tzvi of Ropshitz, and of his father-in-law Sholom Rokeakh. The leaders of the Hasidic dynas- ties such as , , Stanislov, , Malin, and Radomishl were all Synagogue in Busk, related to the Alesk dynasty, which after  relocated to , NY (USA). . Photo by Viktor Zagreba, digital collec- tion of the “Grodzka From the mid-19th century, the position window-openings and one circular Gate – NN Theatre” Centre (www.teatrnn.pl) of the town rabbi in Busk was held by opening. The western podium was members of the noted family of Babad: divided into two levels. In the part, in Rabbi Yaakov – son-in-law of Eliezer a small nave, the holy ark was placed, Ettinger of Zhovkva, his son Avrom (d. decorated with a two-level classicist 1905), and his grandson Issachar Ber. portal topped with an archivolt. On These rabbinic authorities defended non- both sides of the holy ark, there were Hasidic traditions yet were much more two rows of columns with Corinthian tolerant toward the Hasidic-minded pop- capitals, imitating the entrance into the ulation, which enjoyed both charismatic Holy of Holies of Jerusalem Temple. Hasidic masters and the legal advice of ¶ During World War II, parts of the the traditional rabbinic scholars. interior of the synagogue’s main room were used for building purposes. In The synagogue ¶ The stone syna- Soviet times, the synagogue housed gogue, which has survived to this day, a gym, later a warehouse, and then one was built in 1842–1843 next to the part of the synagogue was transformed market square, as most merchants into living quarters, and the other, into were traditional Jews. Its construc- a garbage dump. The synagogue building tion was co-financed by Jacob Glazer, was slowly but steadily falling into ruin. an influential merchant from Lviv. At the beginning of the 21st century, in The synagogue rested on a rectangular order to preserve this precious monu- foundation with a square-shaped prayer ment, a decision was made to transfer room. Built of hewn stone, the walls its uninhabited part to the community were plastered both inside and outside. of Evangelical Christians, who partially The building was topped by a high attic renovated the building. decorated with brass spheres. The walls of the prayer room were decorated Emigration ¶ In 1884, some 5,297

Busk with a cornice, and the room received people lived in Busk, including 2,001  light through its two semi-circular Latin-rite Catholics (37.8 percent), 1,640 The Busk Branch of the Hatikva Society, –, reproduction from Sefer Busk, ed. by Avraham Shairi, Haifa 

Greek Catholics (31 percent), 1,566 Jews unemployed left for the USA. Most of (29.6 percent), and 86 Protestants (1.6 them took to the road, making good use percent). In the early 1900s, the town of the railway junction located in the experienced a big wave of emigration. nearby town of Krasne. Many Jewish craftsmen, traders, and

One of the famous people of Busk origin was the Austrian journalist and political activist Morris Scheps (–), the son of the physician Dr. Leo Scheps, the owner and publisher of the Viennese newspapers Morgen- post and Wiener Tagblatt. He was born in Busk in , and attended a sec- ondary school and the university in Lviv (then Lemberg). In , he began his medical studies in Vienna but was captivated by journalism. Scheps was criticized by Vienna conservatives and xenophobes (who called themselves anti-Semites) for his pro-French liberal views. Scheps befriended many French writers and cultural figures including Georges Clemenceau, subsequently the French senator and prime minister, who even once accompanied Mor- ris Scheps when he travelled back to Busk to visit his father’s gravesite.

During , from August 1914 their hometown) that helped new Jewish until July 1915, Busk was occupied by immigrants from and those Jews who Russian forces. Most Busk Jews fled to remained in Busk; about 1,460 Jews lived Vienna, Bohemia, or seeking to in Busk in 1921. ¶ In November 1918, escape the Russian invasion, and most of Busk was incorporated into the West them never returned to their hometown. Ukrainian People’s Republic, which cre- In , Massachusetts (USA), the ated an air force base there. In May 1919, Jews of Busk established a philanthropic Busk was captured by the Polish Army, diaspora lansdsmanschaft organisation and in August 1920, during Polish-Rus- (bringing together the émigrés from sian War, it was briefly occupied by the  Busk, a memorial to a cultural and educational centre reach- the Jews murdered in –, . Photo ing out to the poorest members of the by Viktor Zagreba, Jewish community. The club was named digital collection of the “Grodzka Gate – NN after Arnold Toynbee (1889–1975), Theatre” Centre (www. English economist and philanthropist, teatrnn.pl) an ardent proponent of social reforms. The Zionist Hatikvah society, also estab- lished in Busk, ran cultural programs for the Jews of Busk, sponsoring a library, reading rooms, and a lecture room. A Jewish sports club “Bar-Kochba” enjoyed popularity among young people. Busk had a Jewish orphanage for 40 children, which was financially sup- ported by the Boston-based landsman- Cavalry Army under the command of schaft which also sponsored free meals Semion Budenny. Until 1939, Busk was for those in need during winter time. In part of the Republic of Poland. 1921, there appeared in Busk a Hebrew school of the educational network “Safa Education, culture, Berura” (Heb.: Clear Language), indicat- ¶ In the early 1900s, Busk had two ing politization, secularization, and elementary schools (Heb.: hadarim) nationalist proclivities among local Jews. for boys and girls, but there was no ¶ The Jews of Busk actively participated school for teenaged children. Wealthier in various Zionist organisations. At the parents sent their children to schools in beginning of the 20th century, a volun- Kamianka Strumilova, , , tary association Ahavat Zion (Heb.: Love or Lviv. Those who could not afford of Zion) was established. There emerged bed-and-board for their children taught branches of Zionist youth organisations them at home. Busk had no , but such as Hashomer Hatzair, Gordonia, any teenager eager to continue religious Betar, and some others. Political parties studies after finishingcheder could study and groupings ranging from the Popular in hevruta (peer-learning) at the local Zionists to Hitachdut to Poale Zionto beth . In 1908, a Hebrew school Yad Harutsim were fighting for votes of the Zionist Tarbut school type for and followers with one another. Several adult learners was established. Its first chalutzim (agricultural pioneers-settlers teacher was Israel Baruch, who later, in Palestine) from Busk joined the Third when living in Haifa, wrote a memoir Aliyah to Palestine. One of them was about the first Hebrew school in Busk. Majer Dror (Schor), the founder of the Many young people continued to learn Busk branch of Hashomer Hatsair, boy- Hebrew in Lviv (Lemberg) at the teacher scout Zionist youth organization. training institutions and at other Jewish ¶ Busk schools. In 1911, the Toynbee-Halle World War II and  club appeared in Busk. It functioned as ¶ In 1939, some 8,000 people lived in Busk, including 4,000 Poles, 2,500 Jews, concentration camp in Lviv. That sum- and 1,500 . In September mer, the Nazis discovered six large 1939, the town was captured by the underground bunkers in town with 140 Soviet army, which established a POW Jews hiding in them. The armed escapees concentration camp in the stables of tried to resist but without success. the Badeni Estate. About 1,000 Polish prisoners of war worked in Busk on the Memorial sites ¶ During the German construction of the Lviv–Kyiv road. After occupation, Busk was devastated. The Germany attacked the in occupying forces destroyed a mill and June 1941 , the local NKVD unit killed 35 factories, the telegraph and the tel- prisoners. ¶ In late June 1941, German ephone office; they disrupted the opera- troops entered the town. At that time, tion of almost all industrial enterprises 1,900 Jews resided in Busk. On August and demolished dozens of residential 21, 1942, local Jews together with Jews buildings. After the war, newly resettled from Kamianka Strumilova were trans- people and the surviving Busk dwellers ported to the Bełżec death camp. Then, began gradually to rebuild the town. on September 21, 1942, the Nazis killed Busk became the district administrative 2,500 Jews from Busk and Kamianka in centre. Today about 8,000 people live a single extermination action in a for- in town but there is no Jewish com- est near Kamianka Strumilova. In late munity. ¶ Near the old Jewish cemetery 1942, the Nazis established a ghetto and (between the cemetery and the flood- a forced labor camp for surviving Jews plain of the Solotvyn River), there is from Busk and nearby towns. In Spring, a place where, according to residents’ 1943, some 3,000 people – including testimonies, mass executions of the people transported from liquidated ghet- Jewish population took place. The site tos – were confined there. In the first half and the cemetery are used today as of 1943, ghetto inmate Jacob Eisenberg a pasture. In 2004, representatives of organised the ghetto underground resist- the Jewish Agency for Israel (Sokhnut) ance movement. Its activists were able to erected a memorial to the victims of the amass firearms, but they were betrayed, Holocaust, and in the summer of 2006, caught and executed by the Nazis. Most excavation works were conducted near of Jews remaining in Busk were killed the cemetery, at the site of executions, on May 21, 1943. Only a small group where the remains of 1,750 victims with of survivors were sent to the Janowska traces of violent murder were uncovered.

Father Patrick Desbois, the president of the “Yahad-in Unum” organiza- tion, initiated the search for the places of mass executions of the Jews who had been murdered during the Holocaust in East Europe. Father Desbois dedicated his life to fighting anti-Semitism and establishing religious recon- ciliation between Jews and Catholics. By today, his organization identified about  mass graves and recorded more than , testimonies of the witnesses of mass murders. Father Desbois crossed the breadth and width of Ukraine looking for the places of mass murders of the Holocaust victims. Before  filling back the pits, – he explained in his book The Guardian of Memories: the Blood Traces of the Holocaust – I leased a helicopter so that we would be able to make photos demonstating the magnitute of the murder.

Worth Jewish cemetery (16th c.), Shevchenka St. ¶ Former synagogue (19th c.), Shkilna St. ¶ seeing Wooden Church of St. Paraskeva (1708), 56а M. Shashkevycha St. ¶ Wooden Orthodox Church of St. Onuphrius (1758) and a chapel carved in the trunk of a millennial oak tree (1864), Khmelnytskoho St. ¶ Palace of Count Badeni (19th c.), 12 J. Petrushevycha St. (not open to public). ¶ Church of St. Stanislaus (1780), Parkova St.

BUSK

Surrounding Olesko (22 km): (16th c.), currently a branch of the Lviv National Art Gallery; area ruins of the synagogue (18th c.); the former Church of the Holy Trinity (16th c.); the former Capuchin monastery (18th c.); a Jewish cemetery (with an ohel and several matzevot). ¶ Zolochiv (33 km): a former synagogue (1724); a Jewish cemetery; a defense castle (17th c.), currently a museum. ¶ (36 km): (1635–1640); a Basilian monastery. Busk 