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A Yeshiva in Scheveningen

By: Yonason Wiener

On the eve of the First World War, Polish boys fled to Scheveningen, Holland and established a yeshiva there.

List of all the boys and men and what gemora they learned. On the bottom left corner is a stamp imprint saying "Chevra Kinyan Seforim" of the Rav Hatzadik of Scheveningen "Chevra Machzikey Hadas". Not only single boys learned there but also married men. They can be easily identified on the list, as before their names it says ר short for Reb and not הב short for Habochur.

My grandfather Yosef Wiener was born in Krakow (Podgorsh) on 1/12/1898. When he became of age to be conscripted to the Austrian Army (Krakow was under Austrian rule) he fled to Holland. Together with other boys and married men who also feared conscription, they formed a Yeshiva (school for higher Jewish learning) in Scheveningen where they learned until the end of the First World War. They decided on 1 Elul 5677 (1917) that they would finish and make a siyum (celebration marking the finishing of the entire Talmud) on the entire Shas 10 months later on Rosh Chodesh Tamuz 5678 (1918). Yosef Wiener learned the gemoras Megila and Avoda Zora. Another boy called Chaim Shenker learned the gemora Ta'anis. Many years later the grandson of Chaim Shenker, Danny Lanzer married the grand daughter of Yosef Wiener, Vivienne Wiener. She is my sister and they are now living in Melbourne, Australia.

If any one knows some more details about this group could they please contact me.

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