Association for the Support of the Poor Jewish Boys in Cracow : a study in the history of the Jewish youth care in the autonomous Galicia

The article focuses on the history of the Association for the Support of the Poor Jewish Boys, which was founded in Cracow in 1867. The aim of this institution was to give Jewish boys from unprivileged families an opportunity to learn crafts. Acquiring a profession was supposed to help the boys in earning the material and financial stability in their future lives. During the period of Galician autonomy, approximately 500 boys learned a profession thanks to the association. The number of association members varied in the discussed period, usually oscillating around 300 (it reached the maximum of 420 members). The majority of the association members were Jews, but also Christians engaged in its activities, among them the city president Józef Dietl. The association was financed from membership dues, donations and subsidies of various kinds (e.g. from the City Council or Cracow Savings Bank), and thanks to lectures and balls organized in its support. The activities of this association gained support among the so-called progressive Jews, praying in the Tempel. The progressives entered the association’s management board (and dominated it in some periods), many representatives of this group became regular members of this association and supported it financially. The association was supported also by the progressive preachers: Szymon Dankowicz, Samuel Landau and Ozjasz Thon. For many years Arnold Rapaport served as the head of the association and supported it financially. Currently we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the existence of this association (it was founded in 1867, its statute confirmed one year later), which might serve as a good opportunity to recall its activities.