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Category: Kalech and Lehrer

In this category I’ll try to write about some people who were memebers of Lehrer, Lerer, Kalech, Kallich, Kalach, Kalish, etc. I am not sure if all of these people are rleated to my Kalech branch, but that is something I’d like to find out sometime in the future.

  • No ordinary clerks

    Recently I went through the alien file from my great-grandfather Gerschon Lehrer, whom I am named after, which I found in the Belgian state archives.

    While analyzing the documents in the file, I came across some letters written between a (Belgian) senator and someone who was working for the Belgian sûreté (State Security). What struck me was that after having checked biographies of these officers (both from the sûreté and the senator), it seemed that they played and important role, if not back then in the 1930´s, then in the future.

    Here under are these letters which I´d like to discuss.

    The first one is a letter from 27 April 1934 by the officer of the sûreté, Mr. De Foy, who´s checking with senator Van Berckelaer whether in the opinion of the latter my great-grandfather should be entitled to get a permit of residence in Belgium. He´s checking whether my great-grandfather´s stay, who was then a merchant in the diamond business, would be beneficial to the Belgium:

    In the next letter, from 11 may 1934, the senator expresses his opinion that (more…)

  • Cantor Kalman Kalich (17 December 1903 in Poland – 25 February 1982 in New York City, NY, USA)

    This post replaces an earlier article on Chazzen Kallich elsewere on this site (see: Kalman Kalich (17 December 1903 in Kalich, Poland – 25 February 1982 in New york City, NY, USA))

    Chazzan Kalman on the cover of ‘The art of Cantor Kalmen Kallich’ released  by The Greater Recording Company in 1976 (GRC298)

    According to the “Extract from the registry of engaged Jews 1885-1937” of Brzozów, Kalman (or Kelman) was born as the son of Mozes Yosef Kalech and Sara Stieber on 4 January 1903 in Brzozów (currently in Poland) as Kelman Stieber.

    The date of birth which is mentioned in this Brzozów document differs slightly with the dates which we find in the the United States Social Security Death Index. In that index 18 December 1902 is mentioned as Chazzan Kalich’s birthdate (which is 17 days earlier than what we know from archives in Poland) and February 1982 as the date he passed away.

    The book “First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Zedek” mentions 17 December 1903 as the date of birth for Kalman Kalich. According to the United States Census of 1910 and 1930 Kalman was born in about 1903-1904.

    This all means that the last sources differs about a year respectively 3 years with the two other versions found in the Polish and the USA archives. It is therefore that I am inclined to believe that Kalman was born in the winter of 1902-1903.

    Kalman Stieber in the “Extract from the registry of engaged Jews 1885-1937” of Brzozów

    Chazan Kalich officiated in a few places, one of these synagogues was the Congregation Ohab Zedek where he officiated for over 40 years. We read the following about (more…)

  • Kalman Kalich (17 December 1903 in Kalich, Poland – 25 February 1982 in New york City, NY, USA)

    Please note that an updated text about Chazzan Kalman Kallich exist elsewhere on this website, this text is now outdated (see: Cantor Kalman Kalich (17 December 1903 in Poland – 25 February 1982 in New York City, NY, USA))

    Cantor Kalman Kalich served among others, as the cantor of the Ohab Zedek congregation in New York.

    From the website of Congregation Ohab Zedek (link):

    Congregation Ohab Zedek (formally known as the First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Zedek), or OZ, as it is fondly known, is more than just a synagogue. Under the leadership of Rabbi Allen Schwartz, the Shul is known for its open doors and big heart.
    […]
    OZ has a proud history. The Shul was founded in 1873 on Avenue B and Houston Street on the Lower East Side as the First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Zedek. After a sojourn on West 116th Street in Harlem, the Congregation moved to its present location at 118 West 95th Street in 1926. Today, as part of a revitalized Upper West Side that has drawn an ever-expanding population of families and young adults, OZ is a vibrant and dynamic Jewish center for prayer, learning and social activities.

    After contacting the congregation, I got the following e-mail on Mon, Aug 22, 2011 from Mr. Chaim Steinberger (ChaiStein-*at*-aol.com) who serves as the archivist of the synagogue:

    […]This is the information that I wrote in the book on the History of the shul (Ohab Zedek), and that’s all the information I have:

    “Cantor Kalich was born in Kalich, Poland on December 17, 1903. He previously served as Cantor of the Arena Synagogue, Budapest, Hungary, and sang in Yossele Rosenblatt’s choir in Pressburg, Hungary. He was honored for his many years of service at Ohab Zedek at a dinner held at the Hotel Olcott, New York City, given in his honor on Saturday evening, March 11, 1961, recognizing his 25 years of dedicated service to the congregation. He died in New York City on February 24, 1982.”

    By the way, he was chazan at Ohab Zedek from 1935 to 1981. I believe his wife’s name was Rose.[…]

    This is the book which (more…)