THE MEMORIAL BOOK OF PÁPA JEWRY - JewishGen

10. Kalo Association (Helping brides.)
It was also carrying out a sacred mission, helping to marry off poor girls. The association
was founded in 1862, and the members paid weekly membership fees. In addition to that, they
collected money on the occasion of weddings. On an annual basis, they provided financial aid to
marry off about 15-20 poor girls. Mrs. Zsigmond Steiner née Ilka Lőwenstein headed the
association for decades with great zeal.
11. Shiur Association
It was a highly popular association, located opposite the temple. At all hours they were
busy, either praying or learning. The glowing iron stove made it a warm and cosy place where on
Saturday afternoons they devotedly listened to lectures on the Torah by the maggids.
They learnt mishnayot for deceased relatives of their members during the year of
mourning, and commemorated the names of the dead on memorial tablets on the wall.
12. Association Tiferet Bachurim
It was the association of religious Jewish youth, aiming at broadening the knowledge of
young tradesmen and artisans in religious studies. They got together in the evening to study
Torah and on Shabbat to listen to lectures. The lecturers were householders advanced in their
scholarly studies or guest preachers. The lectures of David Breuer, a guest preacher from Sopron
always raised public interest. Whenever he came to visit his grandfather, the highly respected Reb
Yosef Leb Neuman, he always gave a lecture at the Association Tiferet Bachurim, telling about
his several trips to the Holy Land in a Zionist spirit and describing the current situation in
Palestine.
The annual Purim spiel, staged by the youth, was extremely popular as it was interlaced
with local references. And of course, there was the paper Pápai Purim or Pápa Purim, the witty
remarks of which remained the talk of the town for a long time. Only insiders knew that the credit
for editing it was due to the teacher Károly Láng. It must be stated with regret, however, that the
idea of Zionism was a taboo among young members of the association. They started to make
friends with the idea only when dark clouds were already gathering…
13. Association of Pápa Jewish Students
Its members were high school students, who got together on Saturday night to get a bit of
Jewish culture. Religious education teacher Ig. L. Marton gave them lectures on the Bible. The
members read out their essays on Jewish subjects. The association was headed by Artur Linksz, a
tireless youth, who later became a doctor, a renowned eye specialist in the USA. The Association
was run without properly approved statutes, on account of which it was banned by the authorities
at the end of 1918. In spite of this, it continued its activities underground until 1924. Surviving
members of the association remembered happily the good old days; it was a nice experience for
them to participate in the meetings on Saturday night.
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