![]() ![]() ![]() One was a Jew by the name of Shmuel BenIsrael of Lachowitz. Everybody ran away, including the ruler.īefore he ran away for his life, the Duke's representative elected two de facto rulers. The taxes were divided among the Jews of Lithuania as follows: Usterkhi 600 Stroja 600 Luck 550 Ludmir 500 Trakai 376 Brisk 264 Grodno 200 Kremenets 140 Tykocin 100 Dvorets 60 Nowogrodek 30 Lachowitz 30 Kletzk 15. In 1563 a special tax was levied on the Lithuanian Jews 4,000 groszy. In 1563, the communities of Usterkhi, Dvoretz, Lachowitz, and Turets were founded. The Jews were concentrated onto a specific street in Nowogrodek as well. In 1560, there were three streets in Grodno that were designated for the settling of Jews: Street of the Jews, Street of the Synagogue, and Narrow Street of the Jews. ![]() This street belonged completely to the Jews and the Christian citizens were not allowed to build houses there. In 1556, Jews were permitted to reside only on one street that was reserved for them in the city of Kowel. The Jewish communities of Lithuania paid about a quarter of the total taxes collected from all of the cities of Lithuania. The Jews of Pinsk founded the community of Kletzk. The same difficulties and obstacles were met by Jews in Kovno.Īfter a while, Jews were permitted to come and settle in the city on condition that they would live in houses that were purchased by members of the Duke's Council, because the citizens and guild members did not want to give the Jews the opportunity to freely set foot wherever they wanted in their rich city. The right to live in Vilna and build a community was not granted to the Jews because of Vilna's importance as a capital city. That same year, permission was granted to two wealthy Jews from Krakow to rent stores and houses in Vilna and to conduct business there as guest businessmen, but not to reside there. In 1551, we find communities in Slonim, Mstibovo, and Kremenetz. In that year, 1550, the number of Jews in Lithuania grew to about 10,000. Around 1550, approximately four years after the Chumash was released, a kind of Yeshiva was formed in the town. A Jewish printing house was established, and the Chumash was published in 1546. In 1529, there were communities in Pinsk, Grodno, Brisk, Trakai, Tykocin, Nowydwor, Kobrin, Kletzk, and Ludmir.īrisk, the first and oldest of the communities, became the center of Torah from which Gd's word went forth to all of the cities of Lithuania. They yearned for independence in terms of community affairs. They wanted to recognize a leader that was foisted on them by the government of the land. ![]() In 1525, the Grand Duke granted the wealthy Jew, Michael Josepowicz of Brisk. The Jews of Grodno established two more communities in 1522 one in Tykocin and one in Nowydwor. Jews received the same rights that the community of Brisk enjoyed. In 1506, three years after the cancellation of the expulsion edict, a community was formed in Pinsk. The Jews of Brisk, Grodno and Trakai returned and reestablished their communities according to their previously received bill of rights. However, after eight years transpired, in 1503, the Jews returned to their places in Lithuania. In April 1495, the Jews of Lithuania were expelled, and their property was confiscated. They received full autonomy in accordance with the Magdeburg charter. In 1441, the Jews of Trakai were granted a bill of rights. Karaites taken as prisoners of war were separated from the other Jews and settled them in Trakai, which, after a while, became the spiritual center of Karaism. In 1399, Witold brought prisoners of war, amongst them Jews, from southern Russia and the Crimean Peninsula. They dealt in agriculture and engaged in all kinds of craftwork and artisanry as detailed in the bill of rights. The Jews of Grodno used the rights that were given to them. They are as follows: freedom to engage in business and trades, to work the land, to make and sell alcoholic drinks, to perform shechita (ritual slaughter) on cattle, and to sell meat wholesale. On June 18, 1389, the Jews of Grodno received the same rights that the Jews of Brisk enjoyed. The community has a cemetery and a synagogue. In 1389, we find a Jewish community in Grodno as well. One of the rights the Jews received exempts them from the duty to harbor Christians in their houses. The bill of rights of Lwow was given by the Grand Duke Witold (Vytautas). Smorgon, like the district of Vilna, was considered to belong to Lithuania, without precise consideration of the geographical location.Īlready in the year 1388, we find a considerable Jewish community in Brisk (or Brest Litovsk) that received a bill of rights similar to the bill of rights that had already been granted to the Jews of Lwow. ![]()
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