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JewishsocietyinLwówhadsincethe1840sbeenshapedbythestruggleforthepoliti-
calequalityofJews,andbyconflictsbetweenOrthodoxandReformtendencieswithin
theJewishcommunity.Theleaderoftheprogressivetendencywasthecelebratedrabbi
AbrahamKohn,invitedtoLwówfromGermany,whotogetherwithagroupoffollow-
ershadin1846effectedtheopeningofareformsynagogueTempelinLwów.Rabbi
Kohndiedin1848,poisonedbyafanaticaladherentofOrthodoxy.TheGerman-liberal
tendencywasdominantamongtheJewisheliteinLwówinthe1860s,associatedwith
theViennesecentredirectedbythefamouspolitician(andfrom1872headofthecom-
munity)IgnazKuranda.InLwówthistendencywasrepresentedbytheSzomerIsrael
(ShomerIsrael-TheGuardianofIsrael)association,foundedin1868,whoseorgan
wasthejournalDerIsraelit.Ratherearlier,in1860,aJewishclubwasfoundedinthe
Nierensteinhomeat21SykstuskaStreet,firstcalledVereinfürBildungundGesellig-
keit,whosePolishnameŻydowskieTowarzystwoRozpowszechnianiaOświatyiPostawy
ObywatelskiejmiędzyŻydamitranslatesastheJewishAssociationforPromotingEduca-
tionandCivicResponsibilityamongJews.Itsdirectorwasthelawyer,philosopherand
German-languagepoetDr.HenrykGottlieb,arelativeoftheartist.Bothsocietiescon-
ductedextensiveculturalandpopular-scientificactivities.In1876theJewishAssociation
forPromotingEducationinvitedHeinrichGraetztolecturethere,intheyearthathe
publishedthefinalvolumeofhisCHistoryoftheJews)
.
SzomerIsraelinitiallysupportedAustrianpolicies.Towardstheendofthe1870s,
however,tendenciesthatfavouredclosecooperationwithPolishpoliticalgroups,centred
upontheGalicianDietandthePolishCirclewithintheAustrianparliament,gained
superiority.Eventstakingplacepriortoandinthecourseofthe1863JanuaryUprising
influencedthis,servingastheydidtointegratePolishandJewishcircles,includingthe
activitiesoftheWarsawcirclecentredontheReformsynagogueonDaniłowiczowska
StreetandthesalonofHenrykToeplitz,thefuneralincommonofthefivevictimsof
repressionsbytheRussianauthorities,andtheparticipationofJewsinthearmedstruggle
andconsequentforcedexiletoSiberia.TheobituaryforGottliebprintedinDerIsraelit
emphasisedhiscloserelationshiptohis“genialfellow-countryman”ArturGrottger.9
In1869BernardGoldman10settledinLwów-aprominentpolitician,previouslyas-
sociatedwiththeWarsawsalonofHenrykToeplitz,subsequentlyaheroicfighterinthe
1863Uprising,aparticipantinthePolishemigrécircleattheHôtelLambertinParis,
andoneofthefoundersofthePolishHearthinVienna.InLwów,Goldmanmarriedthe
daughterofthewell-knownprogressiverabbiBernardLoewenstein,11earlierassociated
withSzomerIsrael.HewasprobablythemostsignificantfigureinJewishcirclesinLwów.
HissalonbroughttogetherthePolishandJewishelitesofthecity.Hehimselfbecame
amemberofthedietofautonomousGalicia,anadviser,vice-chairmanoftheChamber
ofCommerce,andamemberofthecommunitycouncil.Intheyear1869,duringaban-
quetinhonourofJanMatejkoontheoccasionofhisreceivingthehonorarycitizenship
ofthecityofLwów,BernardLoewensteinproposedatoastinthenameoftheJewish
community.Inthesameyearasolemncelebrationwasheldinthereformsynagogue,
markingthetransitionoftheremainsofKazimierztheGreatandtheirreburialinthe
9KMoritzGottlieb:obituary’,DerIsraelit,25July1879,no.14,pp.2–3.
10W.Bieńkowski:KBernardGoldman’,inPolskiSłownikBiograficzny(KPolishBiographicalDictio-
nary’),vol.VIII,Wrocław1959–1960,p.210.
11ItisworthaddingthatLoewenstein’sotherdaughter,Róża,marriedthepainterAleksanderSo-
chaczewskiin1881.
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paintingandsculpturebypolishjewsinthe19thandearly20thcenturies