Presenter Information

Jerzy Mazur, Towson University

Description

Josko of Lviv was one of the most important Jewish entrepreneurs in the late medieval Poland, specifically in the eastern provinces of Polish Kingdom, namely the voievodships of Russia and Lublin. Jossko engaged in the number of profitable commercial activities, but achieved real prominence as the leaseholder of royal customs in such important urban centers as Lviv, Lublin, Chelm and Belz. His successful service to Kazimierz Jagiellon, John Olbracht and Alexander Jagiellon became the point of contention during the session of Polish Diet in Lublin in 1505. In this year Polish parliament demanded that Josko would be removed from his official position in the royal service. Shortly after this dramatic intervention of the Polish noblemen Josko died in Lublin, and left behind his wife Golda and children. One of his sons, Shachna, a pupil of Jacob Pollack, became the foremost rabbinical authority in Poland, and his yeshiva graduated such influential scholars as Solomon Luria and moses Isserles. This presentation will examine the history of Josko and his family in the first three decades of 16th century. It will analyze the importance of Josko as the royal servant and how the fortune he left help his sons, especially Pyessak and Shachno to establish themselves as an important leader of the community in Lublin, and more broadly in eastern Poland. Number of important primary texts, issued mostly by the royal chancellery, will be utilized here, all pertaining to Josko and Shachno.

This presentation is for the following text(s):

  • Court record from Lublin Castle (1533)
  • The Letter (Privilege) with the Royal Seal Presented by Rabbi Schachno from the Lublin's Suburb (1533)

Event Website

http://wesscholar.wesleyan.edu/emw/emw2010/

Start Date

17-8-2010 3:00 PM

Location

Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

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Aug 17th, 3:00 PM

Merchants and Rabbis - The Family of Josko of Lviv

Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

Josko of Lviv was one of the most important Jewish entrepreneurs in the late medieval Poland, specifically in the eastern provinces of Polish Kingdom, namely the voievodships of Russia and Lublin. Jossko engaged in the number of profitable commercial activities, but achieved real prominence as the leaseholder of royal customs in such important urban centers as Lviv, Lublin, Chelm and Belz. His successful service to Kazimierz Jagiellon, John Olbracht and Alexander Jagiellon became the point of contention during the session of Polish Diet in Lublin in 1505. In this year Polish parliament demanded that Josko would be removed from his official position in the royal service. Shortly after this dramatic intervention of the Polish noblemen Josko died in Lublin, and left behind his wife Golda and children. One of his sons, Shachna, a pupil of Jacob Pollack, became the foremost rabbinical authority in Poland, and his yeshiva graduated such influential scholars as Solomon Luria and moses Isserles. This presentation will examine the history of Josko and his family in the first three decades of 16th century. It will analyze the importance of Josko as the royal servant and how the fortune he left help his sons, especially Pyessak and Shachno to establish themselves as an important leader of the community in Lublin, and more broadly in eastern Poland. Number of important primary texts, issued mostly by the royal chancellery, will be utilized here, all pertaining to Josko and Shachno.

This presentation is for the following text(s):

  • Court record from Lublin Castle (1533)
  • The Letter (Privilege) with the Royal Seal Presented by Rabbi Schachno from the Lublin's Suburb (1533)

https://research.library.fordham.edu/emw/emw2010/emw2010/14