Bárkányi Ildikó – F. Lajkó Orsolya (szerk.): A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve 2017., Új folyam 4. (Szeged, 2018)

Történettudomány

Vera Ábrahám

The Pillitz Case

The Pillitz Case

Chapters from the life of rabbi Dániel Pillitz, with specific regard to his service at Szeged

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Vera Abrahám

Dániel Pillitz (1818.02.01, Veszprém -1895.10.20, Budapest) was the first rabbi of the fledgeling Jewish community at Székesfehérvár. He was called to Szeged in 1843 to be a preacher and an adjuvant rabbi. He succeeded Bak Hirs Cvi, who was a highly valued religious leader of the community for 43 years, until his death. While he was the supporter of the old way - life went on peacefully under his leadership - Pillitz was an advocate of modernization and reforms; moreover, he published a pamphlet under the pseudonym of Theodor Burger, an act which he was attacked for by rabbi with different views,

both nationally and in Szeged. During his service at Szeged the disagreements have escalated to the point where the community split into two parties and the case was discussed on a municipal level. Finally, in 1847, Dániel Pillitz left szeged with his family and retired to his estates at Little Venice, where he conducted husbanding and grape and wine production for about 40 years. He did not sever himself from religious life, he published, translated from Hebrew, he was even a member of the Rabbi seminar’s council of directors. In the twilight of his life he moved to Budapest, he rests in the Jewish cemetery of Salgótarján.

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