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R. Moyshe Yitshak Kagan
R. MOYSHE YITSHAK KAGAN
By Shabtai Langer (z"1)
R. Moyshe Yitshak
Kagan, the director of
the town's Talmud Torah,
was a wonderful
man and, without a
doubt, is still remembered
by those of his
Torah students who
still remain.
His influence on
his students was trem
en d o us . He was
among the first to
teach his students Hebrew
in a modern
method, speaking the
language with them.
He also taught his pupils the history of the Jewish
people. It is therefore no wonder that most of his
students later joined the various Zionist movements.
R. Moyshe was born in the village of Opalin.
He came to Luboml while still a young man and
sank roots there. He was a very gifted man, and
his specialties were poetry and recitations. Whenever
he prayed before the Holy Ark in the Great
Synagogue, crowds would come to listen to him,
for he had a sweet and strong voice. He was a very
good reader at the altar and his pupils had learned
well the cantillation used in prayer.
R. Moyshe Yitshak continued to keep in touch
with his pupils even after they reached maturity.
Everyone paid him great tribute as an illustrious
and beloved teacher.
THE FIRST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN LIBIVNE
By Boruch-Mendl Frechter
In Libivne, as in the other Polish shtetlech, there instruction was much better, because all of the
was a Talmud Torah that poor children attended children were in one place. It was easier to keep an
because their parents could not afford to pay their eye on them and therefore to take better care of
tuition. The shtetl had a Talmud Torah Society, them.
which collected donations to maintain the school Moyshe Afeldman, a cultured man, felt that
and to pay the salaries of its three teachers. the Talmud Torah alone was not enough and that
The trustees of this committee were R. Yakov there was a need for secular studies, too. He
Yeshayahu Erlich, Moyshe Afeldman, Yudl Tsvik, therefore began a correspondence with the fa-
and Naftoli Gedalyes (Naftoli Merin). The chilmous Society for the Propagation of Culture among
dren did not study in one place but went to the the Jews, which had its quarters in St. Petersburg.
homes of their teachers and studied there. He asked their help in turning the Talmud Torah
On the initiative of Moyshe Afeldman, the into a public school for both Jewish and secular
society rented a large hall from Shamai Zaydl and
moved the Talmud Torah there. From then on, the
subjects.
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