THE MEMORIAL BOOK OF PÁPA JEWRY - JewishGen

Willner the Pious was shocked to hear this blasphemy. ‘If you offer it for sale, I shall take
it,’ he said, reaching for his pocket. He took a forint out of his flat and shabby wallet, muttering
‘here you are.’
‘Gemacht,’ said Salamon. ‘I take it, it’s a deal!’
‘Wait a minute, I want a written statement about the deal.’
‘If that’s what you want, all right.’ Salamon started to write at once:
I, undersigned Ferenc Salamon, have hereby sold my share in the world-to-come to Pápa
resident Lazar Willner, for the sum of 1 forint, that is one forint, the value of which I have fully
received.
At home, bursting with laughter, Salamon told his family about his great joke.
However, the family considered it a crude one; friends and acquaintances were shaking their
heads in disapproval hearing about this vile chilul Hashem. As a result, Salamon started to feel
remorseful. He could not even sleep at night. Next day he sent for Willner and said to him:
‘Listen, my friend, I have changed my mind. Give the paper back, here’s your forint, if
you want I can double it, on account of the cancelled business.’
‘Oh no, Mr. Salamon. Business is business. I have purchased it, and I won’t return it.’
The case finally ended up at the rabbinical court, which decided that the statement should be
returned for two hundred forints, which Salamon the jeweller had to give in order to marry off the
bride.
This is the story of how Aranka R. became a happy bride!
*
Once Dr. Adolf Schwarcz, Rector of the Rabbinical Seminary in Vienna, came to visit his
relatives in Pápa at Shavuot. Coming out of the temple he went up to Akiva Schreiber, who was
admittedly the most outstanding Talmudic scholar, and greeted him in the traditional way:
- Güt Yontev Reb Kive!
-Ah, Guten Tag, Herr Direktor! was the friendly answer.
The rector was surprised by the way he was greeted and turned to Reb Kive attentively.
This was R. Kive's reply:
-I have been reading recently about the visit of the German emperor Wilhelm to Vienna to
see Franz Joseph. The German emperor put on the uniform of the general of the Hussars from
Székesfehérvár, while His Majesty was wearing the full dress uniform of a German uhlan. I have
learnt that this reciprocity is the highest expression of politeness. So when you greeted me the
way that we traditional Jews greet one another – Güt Yontev R. Kive – I assumed your attire when
in my reply I greeted you like a modern gentleman, Guten Tag, Herr Direktor.
*
When the Jewish higher elementary school was opened in Pápa, many students left the
Talmud-Torah, the small Yeshiva, and enrolled in the new school.
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