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elz
askovsky (composition, 1922–29). From 1935 to 1948 he taught
composition there. After working at the Minsk Conservatory
in 1949–52 he returned to Moscow and became editor in chief
of the Moscow journal Muzykalnaya Zhizn. He replaced his
early expressionistic style through participation in Prokoll (the
production collective) with poster-like music for revolutionary
masses and then songs for the masses. A vocal piece, Orlyonok
(“Young Eagle,” 1936), was followed by successful war songs,
including a popular “Ballad of Captain Gastello.” His collection
of songs won the Stalin Prize in 1952. Bely was awarded
the titles of Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR and Honored
Artist of the Belorussian SSR.
Bibliography: Yu. Korev, Bely (1962); I. Mangur,Viktor Bely
(1979); Sovetskaya kultura, (17 March 1983).
[Marina Rizarev (2nd ed.)]
BELZ, small town in the Lvov district, Ukraine (between the
world wars, in Poland). The Jewish settlement in Belz dates
from the beginning of the 15th century. About 200 Jews inhabiting
32 houses are recorded in 1550. Two hundred Jews died
during the *Chmielnicki uprising in 1648–49 and 60 children
subsequently during the Swedish invasion (1660). The
community later revived and became famous as a center of
Ḥasidism. The rebbes of the Rokeaḥ dynasty (see next entry)
officiated as rabbis of the community. Other noted rabbis of
Belz include Joshua *Falk, Joel *Sirkes, Zechariah *Mendel,
and Jonah Te’omim. In 1921 the Jews numbered 2,104 (50.7%
of the total population). In May 1942, during the Nazi occupation,
there were 1,540 Jews in Belz. About 1,000 were deported
to the Sobibor death camp via *Hrubieszow. The remaining
Jews were put to work on farms and after the harvest were deported
to Sobibor, also via Hrubieszow. In 1970, Jews were living
in the town and there was one synagogue there, but there
was no community by the early 21st century.
Bibliography: Bleter far Geshikhte, 1–2 (1950), 78, table 5.
Add. Bibliography: PK Ukrainah, S.V.
[Nathan Michael Gelber / Shmuel Spector (2nd ed.)]
BELZ, one of the most important ḥasidic dynasties of Galicia,
so called after the township where it took up residence
(see previous entry). The founder of the dynasty, SHALOM
ROKE’AḤ (1779–1855), came from a distinguished family descended
from R. Eleazer *Roke’aḥ of Amsterdam. Orphaned
as a child, Shalom studied under his uncle, Issachar Baer of
Sokal whose daughter he married. At Sokal he was introduced
to ḥasidic teachings by Solomon of *Lutsk, a devoted follower
of *Dov Baer, the Maggid of Mezhirech. Later Shalom became
a disciple of *Jacob Isaac Horowitz, ha-Ḥozeh (“the Seer”) of
Lublin, Uri of *Strelisk, the maggid Israel of *Kozienice, and
*Abraham Joshua Heschel of Apta. On the recommendation of
Horowitz, Shalom was appointed rabbi in Belz. After Horowitz’
death in 1815, Shalom was recognized as a ẓaddik as his
following increased. He built a splendid bet midrash in Belz.
Thousands of Ḥasidim flocked to him, including rabbis and
well-known ẓaddikim, and Belz became the center of Galician
Ḥasidism. Many legends tell of the miracles he performed.
Shalom was also considered an authoritative talmudist; he
stressed the importance of talmudic study and strengthened
the principle of learning in Ḥasidism. Active in public affairs,
he served as a spokesman for Galician Jewry, taking part in
the struggle to improve the severe economic conditions, and
opposing Haskalah. Excerpts from his teachings have been
frequently quoted. They are collected, with legends and tales
of his activities, in Dover Shalom (1910). Many of Shalom’s
descendants served as ẓaddikim, including his son-in-law
ḤENIKH OF OLESKO and his son JOSHUA (1825–1894) who
succeeded him. The latter provided Belz Ḥasidism with the
organizational framework which maintained it as the focus of
Ḥasidism in Galicia, and ruled his community strictly. One of
the leaders of Orthodox Jewry in Galicia, he was prominent in
the opposition to Haskalah. He initiated the establishment of
the Maḥazikei ha-Dat organization and the Orthodox newspaper
Kol Maḥazikei ha-Dat.. As a result of the cultural and
social tensions in Galician Jewry, the Belz ẓaddikim adopted
an extreme stand and resisted every new idea emanating from
non-Orthodox circles. Some of Joshua’s teachings are published
in Ohel Yehoshu’a (printed with Dover Shalom, 1910).
Joshua’s successor ISSACHAR DOV (1854–1927) was greatly
influenced by Aaron of Chernobyl although Aaron taught a
form of Ḥasidism that differed radically from that of the Belz
school. Issachar Dov was an exacting leader of Galician Orthodoxy
and also headed the Maḥazikei ha-Dat. In particular
he opposed the Agudat Israel and denounced any innovations.
He strongly opposed Zionism in any form. In 1914, when the
war front reached Belz, he fled to Hungary and lived in Újfehértó
where he succeeded in winning many Hungarian Jews
to Belz Ḥasidism. In 1918 he moved to Munkács (*Mukacevo)
and became embroiled in a bitter quarrel with the ẓaddik of
Munkács which gave rise to a voluminous exchange of polemics.
In 1921 Issachar Dov returned to Galicia and settled first in
Holschitz, near Jaroslaw, moving back to Belz in 1925.
His son and successor AARON (1880–1957) deviated little
from the pattern set by his father. He lived an ascetic life, and
instituted a lengthy order of prayers. The influence of Belz
Ḥasidism had considerable impact on Jewish life in Galicia because
its adherents entered all spheres of communal affairs and
were not afraid of the effects of strife within the community.
Many rabbis accepted the authority of the Belz ẓaddikim. In
the parliamentary elections the Belz Ḥasidim did not join the
Jewish lists, but voted for the Polish government party. On the
outbreak of World War II, Aaron escaped to Sokol and then
to Przemysl where 33 members of his family were murdered.
After confinement in the ghettos of Vizhnitsa, Cracow, and
Bochnia, he was sent to Kaschau (now *Kosice), then in Hungary,
at the end of 1942 and subsequently to Budapest. In 1944
he managed to reach Ereẓ Israel. There he revised his political
views and directed his followers to support the Agudat Israel.
He established yeshivot and battei midrash throughout the
country. His home in Tel Aviv became the new center for the
308 ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 3