Danon Dr Jakov - Jadovno 1941.

THE DOBOJ JEWISH COMMUNITY
The history of the Jews from Doboj region has never been thoroughly researched.
Some texts that speak about the Jewish people settled in this region were the result of some
historians (i.e. Professor Avram Pinto) who wrote about the Jews from this region as well as
stories that were passed from generation to generation within the Jewish families and some of
these families still live in Doboj. This research is purely based on the writings of researchers,
journalists, and stories of children and relatives of those that will be mentioned here. New
inhabitants from the Ottoman Empire came to a small town Doboj.
Up to the sixteenth (XVI) century, Doboj was a classic Turkish town at the junction of
roads that lead from central Bosnia to Pest and Vienna. The Sephardic Jews moved from the
direction of Sarajevo, Bijeljina and Derventa due to the further development of trade and trade
routes. The names of the Jewish tradesmen and craftsmen dated from the time of the Ottoman
Empire but after the year of 1840, together with Sultan Abdul Mejid’s legislative on reobtained
civilian rights to non-Muslims related to permits for construction of churches and
synagogues and building religious/confessional schools, the Jewish names were mentioned
more as of 1850. With the arrival of the Jewish families who settled in this small town which
became a modern town with all its accompanying elements because of the development of
trade routes and its geostrategic position. Immigration of the Sephardic Jews mostly in Doboj
from mentioned directions was slow which was partly caused by the poor communication i.e.
the roads that caused slow economic development of the town but such situation didn’t
prevent the Jews from Doboj to build their first Synagogue in their municipality in 1874. The
Synagogue was destroyed in 1941 and was located in the old Town (Čaršija in Doboj). The
service was made by the Rabbi Juda Mačoro who was also taking care of kashruth (set of the
Jewish dietary laws). His grave has still located in the old Jewish cemetery Bare near Doboj.
The Synagogue was the second prayer place after the Temple which gave a picture of power
of the Jewish merchants and craftsmen in the old Town/Čaršija in Doboj; it was also the
reflection of harmony and unity among all members of the Doboj Jewish Community.
Just before the occupation of Austria-Hungary in 1878 (specifically - much more after
the occupation), the Austrians, the Hungarians, the Checks and the Polish were coming as
well as the group of the Ashkenazi Jews who were small tradesmen, experts and educated
professionals; at that time the staff with very specific occupation was required; the clerks and
the officials of the Dual Monarchy were also coming together with the big capitalists who
managed the share holder companies especially in wood and iron industry and also the capital
of monetary units, banks. At that moment they were all coming from another world, the world
of the capital and the capital mode of earning and living; that world was significantly different
from the way of living and earning than it had been during the last centuries of the Ottoman
Rule. Through the historical development of Doboj, the Jews left an indelible track of their
life and work. They gave a significant contribution to the economic development of culture,
health, trade and handicraft activities. The first Sugar Factory was founded by the Jewish
investment on the Usora in 1891god; the first Physician in Doboj was the Jew Doctor - Simon
Levi; Doctor Rihard Skuteski founded the first Choir Association in Doboj in 1927 and his
wife was the first nurse in Doboj. The first veterinarian mentioned in Doboj’s history was
Leopold Kalc as of 1920. The brothers Pesah Jozef and Albert Pesah in Doboj were
representatives of the big family Pesah from Derventa. The property of the rich brothers was
the biggest when talking about the rich Jewish families in Doboj. The first tradesmen in
Doboj who opened the department store were the Jews and they were also the owners of the
first Bank of Doboj and the printing office. The first lawyer in town was the Jew - Emil
Rubinštajn.
The number of the Jews was increasing slowly and such growth was mostly quantified
in the period from the year of 1910, where there were 101 members in Doboj up to the year of
1930 with the growth of 23 members. At the dawn of the World War Two, the number
136