Agudas-Jisroel Jugendgruppe Wien

"Section of our Large Lecture Hall"
Sketch of the lecture hall of the Agudas Yisroel Youth Group in Vienna (c.1925)
The Youth Group was closely associated with the Schiffshul
and was very instrumental in preserving Yidishkeit in Vienna

Last week we began reciting ותן טל ומטר לברכה, signifying the start of winter. We are posting a winter schedule of the daily Shiurim that were delivered in the Agudas Jisroel Jugendgruppe in Vienna in the year 1925-1926.

Dally was an active participant in the Jugendgruppe, and definitely attended some of the Shiurim there.

 

Schedule of the winter Shiurim 1925-1926
note that  many of the מגידי שיעורים were בעלי בתים
Although some were established תלמידי חכמים
ביניהם הגאון ר' שלמה בוימגארטן שהיה אז בחור כבן עשרים שנה
והגאון ר' יעקב טייטלבוים אח"כ אב"ד קהל עדת יראים בקיו גארדענס ניו יארק
והגאון ר' שלמה שרייבער בן הגאון ר' יעקב עקיבא שרייבער בנו בכורו של הכתב סופר זצ"ל
Mr. David Bondi who taught סדרה was a son-in-law of Dally's uncle Jacob Stroh

 

 

Winter Schedule 

Agudas Yisroel Youth Group Vienna

location: 69 Obere Donaustrassee II

Open: Saturday and Sunday all day, Weekdays from 6 o'clock in the evening

• Friday 7:30 PM: Social gathering and a מגידות lecture
• שבת קודשy10:30 AM: סדרה by Mr. David Bondy
• שבת קודשy2:30 PM: מגן אברהם by Mr. N. Kohlmann
• שבת קודשy4:00 PM: Lecture
• מש"קy7:30 PM: alternating, Social Gatherings and Evening Discussion 
• Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday 7:30 PM: גמ' ביצה by Mr. Ernst Spitzer
• Thursday 9:30 PM: חנוך by the Honorary Rabbi Yosef Baumgarten
• Monday and Wednesday 7:30 PM: תנ"ךy& קש"ע by Mr. Samuel Stern
• Daily after מנחה a Shiur for businessmen: by Mr. Salomon Schreiber
• Daily 8:00 PM: מס' פסחים Mr. Salomon Baumgarten
• Daily 8:00 PM: דף יומי by Mr. Victor Baumgarten and Mr. Jacob Teitelbaum
• Daily reading hall and library  

    

The schedule is found in a rare calendar booklet, Luach Blatter of the Agudas-Jisroel Jugendgruppe Wien for the Year תרפ"ו.

A rare Luach, Vienna 1925-1926
The calendar contains a schedule of the winter Shiurim
held in the Agudas Yisroel's Youth Group

The Jugendgruppe was open שבת and Sunday the entire day, and during the rest of the week in the evenings from six o'clock p.m. At the bottom of the schedule there is a note stating that the Jugendgruppe also has a library and a reading hall.

A label in one of the ספרים of the Jugendgruppe's library
it is from a copy of the third volume of שולחן ערוך הרב

Title page of the שולחן ערוך הרב
which once belonged to the library
note the stamp and the number in the left hand corner
 128c (c indicating that it is the third volume)
this is probably one of the few seforim in that library that survived the Holocaust

Since the history of this unique institution is not well known, we are bringing a description of the Jugendgruppe written by Mr. Charles Richter. It is part of an article printed in 1967 in the 25th anniversary journal of K'hal Adas Yereim in Brooklyn.

One of the nicest, exemplary institutions of orthodox Vienna was the Youth group of Agudas Yisroel. When we say "exemplary" we mean that it was followed by many other countries. The Youth group was initiated by the Schiffshul, but it soon encompassed the youth of all orthodox circles in Vienna. Young Chasidim, Bochurim who spent most of their day in "Klaus" with learning, would come to play a game of chess with an ordinary business employee; or carry on a discussion with another young man who came from a non-observant home and who sought to acquaint himself Yidishkeit. Young people from Hungary and Slovakia, especially those from the "Sheva Kehilos" would find like-minded friends. This was a factor in their remaining loyal to Yidishkeit in the midst of other distracting influences of the big city. The greater part of the time was spent on various Shiurim, but enough time remained for socializing and for social work.

As time went on the "Jugendgruppe" developed into a great movement in quantity and quality. When the call came to mobilize for Yidishkeit, they gathered as if to military duty. This occurred when it was a matter of giving a worthy reception to the thousands of delegates and guests who came to participate in the "Kenesio Kedolo"; or when it was found necessary to protest with vigor against the Swedish missionaries, who menaced Jewish children. The Shabbos afternoon Droshos by Rabbi Joseph Baungarten, were always a major event which left a deep impression. With the Youth Group in the “Flossgasse” as a model, affiliated groups were established in other Viennese districts as well as in the provinces.

Many former members of the Youth group exert great influence in America, England, Eretz Israel, and other countries. A number of names of devoted adherents of the “Jugendgruppe”, who are not among us any more, should be recorded here: Reb Shimon Schreiber, Reb Jekel Turkel, Reb Alter Fuchs, Reb Moshe Blech, Note Nissan and Shimon Felsenberg, Shmuel Bondi, Noson Adler, Menachem Richter, Shmuel Stern, Chaim Herzog, Benyomin Sev Wiess, Osher Stroh, Chaim Shlome Kraushar, may their memory be blessed.

The Viennese Youth Group took pride in a great many young people whom they had brought into the fold of Yidishkeit. One source of pride was young Matisyahu Gelman, a child of non-religious parents, who gravitated toward the “Jugendgruppe” after his Bar-Mizvah. Against the wishes of his parents he left Vienna and went to the “Yeshiva Chachme Lublin” where he became the favorite of the Lubliner Rav. Later on he became a great Talmid Chocham and a Gerer Chosid and he was known in Ger as “Matis Wiener”. During the war, Matis Wiener became a legendary figure as the leader of a Chasidic underground unit in the Warsaw Ghetto. Bedecked with beard and Peyos, he traveled under the very nose of the Nazis throughout occupied Poland and he organized groups of young Chasidim in the towns and cities, who remained true to learning and Chasidus. Throughout many cities these groups of young men became known under the name of “Matisovzes”. His accomplishments and heroism were recorded in a collection of memorials entitled “Ayle Shelo Nichnio”, by the well known orthodox writer Moshe Prager. The book was published in Eretz Isreal.

Mention must also be made of the orthodox writer Uriel Zimmer, whom we all knew and who died all to young. He can be characterized as a product of the Viennese youth group even though he had left Vienna as a very young man.

A similar role in Jewish life was played by the girls group the “Aguda Isreal Maedchen Gruppe".