Jewish Population in Biała Podlaska in the Years 1918-1939

500 lat osadnictwa żydowskiego na Podlasiu. Materiały z konferencji międzynarodowej, Białystok, 14 - 17 września 1987 r.500 Years of the Jewish Settlement in Podlasie. Popers From the International Conference, Białystok, September 14 - 17, 1987.First references to the Biała Podlaska Jews come from 1621. At the beginning of the studied period, in 1921, Jews constituted 66% of nearly 13 000 population of the town. In 1938, with the increase of population up to over 20 000, Jewish inhabitants made only 36%. This situation occurred as a result of Jewish emigration to Palestine and USA, as well as urban advancement of the town (an important contributing factor was the creation of the Podlaska Airplane Factory in 1924). Apart from the town itself, in the surrounding administrative district (powiat) there were 6 religious communities with about 14 000 Jews. Jewish population was usually involved with trade, running agencies and crafts. The majority of them weire poor. The religious community of Biała Podlaska administered a synagogue, four temples, six houses of prayer, one bathhouse and three cemetaries. Within its managemeni there were also, a school and a 20 bed hospital. The Jewish community in Biała Podlaska in the studied period was undergoing a crisis, manifested, among others, by finacial difficulties. Religious disputes, as well as extreme political differences disorganized the activities of the community. The Jews of Biała Podlaska mostly followed orthodox religion while „Szlojmej Emunej Israel" (Aguda) had the greatest influence among them. Practically every Jewish organization existing in Poland had its sections in Biała Podlaska. Three organizations reached main significance in the town: the already mentioned Aguda, Zionist Organization and Bund. Four journals were published: ·„Bialer Wochenblat" (partly in Polish), „Podlasjer Lebn", „Naj Podlaisjer Lebn" and „Podlasjer Sztyme". They all were appearing in the thirties. In the studied period the relations between Poles and Jews in Biała Podlaska never entered the phase of an open conflict, even though mutual prejudices and antagonisms were strong.271-286227128