Zichronoth R. Dov Ber Me’Bolechow.

Rabbi Dov Ber Bolochower (a.k.a. Birkenthal which remained his adopted German name in accordance with the decree of Joseph II in 1772) was one of the most important Hebrew memoirists of his time. He was a traditional Jewish scholar and leader of the Bolechow community. His father, an international wine dealer, had contact with Polish and Hungarian nobles and priests who taught Polish, Latin, German and French to his son. As a result, his affinity with language enabled him to serve as interpreter and advisor to Rabbi Chaim Hakohen Rapaport, Chief Rabbi of Lemberg, during the famous debate with the followers of Jacob Frank in 1759. These memoirs contain many economic and social details invaluable for the study of 18th century Eastern European Jewish history. They include information about the Va’ad Arba Aratzot- the Council of the Four Lands, the Polish Jewish census (1764) and many other interesting historical, social and financial details pertaining to the commerce and politics of his social milieu. The text is divided into two parts, the first is his autobiography and memoirs and the second containing Hebrew translations of various historical, geographical and ethnographical works pertaining to the nations of the Middle East and their relations with the nation of Israel. The autobiographical part was eventually published and translated into Yiddish and English with a scholarly introduction and notes by Marc Wischnitzer in Berlin, 1922. The second section has never been published. Wischnitzer states in his introduction (p.15) that had Rabbi Dov Ber published his translations, they would have helped the development of Hebrew writing, especially in the fields of science and geography. “As the author’s Hebrew style is concise, scientific and flowing, unlike the empty flowery language used in the 18th century.” Included is the book Relazioni Universali by Giovanni Botero of which Bolochow translated sections concerning Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. He also translated sections of “Old and New Testament Connected to the History of the Jews and Neighboring Nations”, London, 1716-18 by the English scholar, orientalist and Hebraist Humphrey Prideaux (1648-1724). Rabbi Dov Ber was also familiar with the works of Flavius Josephus, the Church Fathers, Grotius,Herodotus and many other historical and political works. He sometimes included his own comments on the “lies of Chrtistian writers.”