Berek Joselewicz | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lithograph (publ. in 1904) | |
| Born | (1764-09-17)17 September 1764 |
| Died | 5 May 1809(1809-05-05) (aged 44) |
| Cause of death | Killed in action |
| Other names | Dow Baer Joselewicz |
| Awards | Virtuti Militari |
Berek Joselewicz (17 September 1764 – 15 May 1809) was a PolishJewish colonel of thePolish Army during theKościuszko Uprising. Joselewicz commanded the first Jewish military formation in modern history excluding Prince Potemkin'sIsraelovsky Regiment.[1][2] He was also a merchant and financial agent of the PolishmagnatePrince Massalski.
Dow Baer (Berek) Joselewicz was born inKretinga, in theDuchy of Samogitia of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania, a member country of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He worked as a financial agent for a localLithuanian magnate, the Lord of Kretinga andBishop of VilniusPrince Massalski. Joselewicz often travelled abroad in pursuit of various tasks, during which he learned to speak French. He spent some time in Paris during the beginning of theFrench Revolution, and it is thought that this may have later inspired him to joinTadeusz Kościuszko, who advocated similar causes of brotherhood and equality.
Joselewicz initially served in the militia before petitioning Kościuszko for permission to form an all-Jewish unit. On 17 September 1794 Kościuszko officially announced the creation of the unit. Joselewicz, along with another Jew named Józef Aronowicz, issued a patriotic call-to-arms inYiddish denouncing Russia and Prussia, eliciting hundreds of volunteers, mostly poor trade workers and artisans. Five hundred men were eventually accepted and formed into acavalry regiment (The Old Testament Light Horse Regiment [pl]). At Joselewicz's request, they were allowed to keep their religious customs, including access tokosher foods, abstaining from combat on theSabbath when possible, and growing theirbeards. Joselewicz's unit was popularly known as "the Beardlings". They took part in theBattle of Praga, in which the unit was wiped out, with only a few men (including Joselewicz) surviving the battle. Joselewicz himself was taken prisoner by the Russians.[1]
After the defeat of theKościuszko Uprising, Joselewicz left forGalicia and then forItaly. There he joined thePolish Legions underHenryk Dąbrowski. As a commander of a sabre company in Polish cavalry units, he fought in various battles of theNapoleonic Wars period. Among them were the battles ofTrebbia,Novi,Hohenlinden,Austerlitz andFriedland.
He remained in the army as a squadron leader in the5th Mounted Rifles Regiment [pl] following the creation of theDuchy of Warsaw in 1807. From 1807 he fought in various battles in Poland.
He was killed in theBattle of Kock in 1809 during an encounter with a unit of Austrianhussars, and today his grave has become a popular tourist attraction.
The historicalPolish proverb "Perish like Berek at Kock" ("Zginął jak Berek pod Kockiem.") describes someone disappearing without a trace. Another historical folk song describes Berek:
"This was Berek, famous Jew, Man of duty, righteous Pole. Not with wine, not with swindle but with blood he paid for glory!"
Original text: "Był to Berek, sławny Żyd, Człek sumienny – Polak prawy. Nie kwaterką – ni szacherką, Lecz się krwią dorobił sławy!".
He was honored by a postage stamp as "A Jewish Fighter for Polish Freedom", issued jointly by Polish and Israeli postal services.
According toDerek Penslar, Berek was not a Polish patriot but rather "an adventurer and activist".
"Berek was not so much a Polish patriot as an adventurer and activist who sought to enhance his own personal honor as well as that of the Jews under his command. Although Berek is most famous for his service for Poland, in 1796 he proposed to the Habsburg emperor the raising of a corps of six thousand to eight thousand Jews who would be divided into cavalry and infantry units to fight against the French.”[3]
There are streets named after him in many Polish towns includingWarsaw,Kraków,Łódź,Częstochowa,Zawichost,Biłgoraj,Radomsko,Chrzanów,Będzin,Lubartów andŻarki. InGóra Kalwaria, the street is now called Firefighters Street.
He was awarded the Knight's Cross of theVirtuti Militari medal and theLegion of Honour with a Golden Cross for his merits.
Berek's son,Józef Berkowicz (1789–1846), also fought in the Battle of Kock, and later served as a squadron chief during theNovember Uprising of 1830, during which he also attempted to convince Jewish soldiers to desert the Russian army and join the Poles. Berkowicz later moved to England and wrote a novel. Berek's widow and son received a pension until 1831.
Berek was not so much a Polish patriot as an adventurer and activist who sought to enhance his own personal honor as well as that of the Jews under his command. Although Berek is most famous for his service for Poland, in 1796 he proposed to the Habsburg emperor the raising of a corps of six thousand to eight thousand Jews who would be divided into cavalry and infantry units to fight against the French.
