Szlama Litman and Ryfka Szumerain Lodz, Poland

1934 Marriage Document

1834- In Lodz on 16th July 1834 there was ceremony of marriage between bachelor Szlama Litman, 21 years old who was born in Lodz ( Son of Szmul (who had died before this marriage) and Laia Litman) and virgin Ryfka Szumerain , 22 years old. Daughter of Szlama (he had died before this marriage) and Gitla Szumerian.

The following is taken from the "The Old Cemetery in Lodz: Records and Relic Remains" pages 99 to 101

1851

Year 1851 was - it seems - a year of conflict within the Brotherhood.

Solomon, son of Samuel (Litman), a Levite, was charged that "he boldly opposed the leaders of our community and did not want to hear the admonitions and warnings of the majority of our community members".

A resolution was passed to remove him from the fraternity without the possibility of being re-admitted. But after a few months, the pinax (?) notes an unexpected twist on the whole thing. After the dispute that led to his exclusion Solomon submitted his grievances and complaints to the (rabbinical) court, and it decided that he was free from any guilt. On this basis, members of the fraternity who before had expelled him , resolved to take Litman back and give him 1 year trial period, stating that "the people who were at odds with him (Litman) 'sucked the whole accusation out of their fingers' to discredit him" .

Litman was probably not simply a pawn in the fraternity: he belonged to the local aristocracy; his father more than once held the office of the Elder brotherhood and the Elder Synagogue Supervision.

Solomon Litman was also not convicted of insubordination to the Brotherhood, but of "audacity" towards the Board of the Jewish community.

There is a supposition, especially with regard to the case of Litman and (and others) that in the given cases the brotherhood's judiciary was a political apparatus in the hands of the ruling clique in order to remove or humiliate the leaders of the opposition cliques, rather than insulting the administration of justice.

An interesting disciplinary matter ..... was the .... disciplinary case with SaIomon Litman, who was expelled from the fraternity in 1855 without a dispute and his offspring was forbidden to join the fraternity for eternity, because Litman "chased women out of the mikveh and did not give them (time to ) complete the ritual bath".

In this case, as far as the matter was concerned it clearly had nothing to do with political and internal struggles in the Brotherhood, the Brotherhood showing complete strictness in the administration of justice.