Egzaminy dla rabinów w guberni kieleckiej w latach 1888–1913

Marek Maciągowski (Kielce) Examinations for rabbis in the Kielce Guberniya in 1888–1913 The main focus of the present article is Russian exams conducted in the Kielce Guberniya which had to taken by all candidates for official rabbis since 1885. The issue, which has not yet been discussed in reference books, allows looking at the functioning of rabbi office in Jewish communities of the Polish Kingdom and learning about the attitudes of religious Jews (including candidates for rabbis) to learning Russian and generally to Russian culture. What is more, it sheds light on the relations between Russian administration and Jewish communities in the Kielce Guberniya at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The article was written on the basis of a search query of materials not previously researched, namely the minutes of the Guberniya Board of Examination from the years 1888 – 1913 as well as personal files of the candidates for the position of rabbi stored at the State Archives in Kielce in the division of “Kielce Guberniya Government”. Each candidate for the position of rabbi and lower rabbi had to have the knowledge of Russian certified by an examination taken before a state examination board appointed by Guberniya authorities. Before being granted an official nomination, a candidate had to present a certificate on the knowledge of the Law of Moses, a birth certificate, a photograph, a minutes from the nomination for the position in a given community, a police certificate on the attitude towards authorities, a certificate of permanent residence as well as a Russian examination certificate issued by the Guberniya examination board. The candidates who graduated from secondary and high schools supervised by the Ministry of Education as well as rabbis appointed by the authorities before 15 February 1885 and transferred to other synagogue districts were relieved from the obligation to take such an exam.