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Auspitz

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

The

relations existing between Jews and Chriswere at all times friendly. During the Hussite movement, which in 1550 had its headquarters at Austerlitz, no change in the friendly relations between Jews and Christians had occurred; at least the movement was not provocative of any ill-feeling toward the Jews. A striking testimony of this friendly feeling even at a mucli later date is the fact that on the occasion of the closing of the monasteries by Joseph II. (1780-90), an abbot deposited his valuables with a poor Jew, who later, on finding with no little difficulty the dwelling of the depositor, returned to him intact all he had received from him. The main occupation of the Jews was trading, and the chief articles sold by them were starch and lime. In connection with this fact it Known as is interesting to note that in Jewish the records still extant Austerlitz is called " 'Ir Laban " (the White City). White The City." Jewish inhabitants numbered about 445 individuals, occupying thirty -four houses, one of which bears the inscription " Moses

tians

'

'

Abraham

in the year 1523.

Australia,

that all the persons so named belong to one family. It denotes that an ancestor of the person came from that place or was for some time a resident there. In the tombstone inscriptions of the old cemetery at Prague this name occurs after 1620. The name is also found in Prague among those of Jews banished from Vienna in 1670, and in other localities in Austria and Hungary. Of the members of this family known in literature and communal life, the following may be mentioned Aaron to. Meir Austerlitz Secretary to the rabbinate of Berlin, 1775. Baruch b. Solomon Austerlitz Rabbi in Cologne and preacher at Prague at the beginning of the eighteenth century grandson of Baruch, an exile from Vienna. He was son-in-law of the " primator " (president of the congregation), Samuel Tausk, or Taussig, of Prague. He wrote approbations (" haskamot ") to an edition of the Midrash Rabbat printed at Prankfort-on-the-Oder, 1705, and to the 'Aruk ha-Kazer, Prague, 1707. One of his sermons was.





published in Prague, 1713. His daughter became the second wife of R. Moses Harif (Brandeis).

Maria Theresa issued the edict restricting of Jewish families in the province of Moravia to 5,100 (later to 5,400), Austerlitz was permitted to shelter 72 Jewish families. Charitable societies for the sick and needy, and schools, established about that time, are still in existence. According to manuscripts left by R. Josef Weisse,

Hirschel Austerlitz A communal leader exiled from Vienna in 1670. In 1675 he, together with Hirz Coma, Max Schlesinger, Solomon Wolf, and Solomon Auspitz, signed a petition to Emperor Leopold I., praying that the Jews might be allowed to

the following ministers officiated at Austerlitz as rabbis: in 1560, R. Lob, a contemporary of R. Moses

gary

When

number

the

whom

he was in correspondence for some time; in 1570, Jacob, son of Moses, a contemporary of Rabbi Loewe ben Bezaleel in 1594, Hayyim Meling, son of Rabbi Isaac Meling, of Prague in 1620, Baer Eilenburg; in 1643, Joel Glogau; in 1659, Mordecai in 1690, Abraham, son of the author of " Bet Yehudah " in 1703, Nathan Feitel in 1770, Simha Leipnik in 1780, Elijah Hirsch Istels in 1790, Jacob Gleiwitz; in 1811, Gerson Buchheim, greatgrandfather of Dr. Gustav Karpeles, editor of " Die Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums " at Berlin; and in 1845, Hirsch Duschak, who had received a thorough rabbinical training, and possessed wide secular knowledge. In 1662 and in 1724 Jewish synods held their sessions at Austerlitz, passing the important resolutions now embodied in the niJpD H"" ® (311 Isserles,

with













1

Jewish Synods Meet at

A

Institutions). noteworthy incident took place in 1805, regulations)

(see

when a French officer of high rank Austerlitz. asked the rabbi to summon ten Jews that he might say " kaddish " for a deceased

member

of his family.

Bibliography N. Briill, Zur Geseh. der Juden in MUhren, in Wiener Jahrbuch der Israeliten, 1867 David Gans, Zemah David JDepping, Die Juden im, Mittelalter, Stuttgart, 1834 Joseph von Hermann, Gesch. der Israeliten in BBhmen,





Vienna, 1818 Hieronymus von Scan, Systematische Darstellung der Gesetze fur die Juden MUhrens und Schlesiens, Brunn, 1835 G. Wolf, Die Allen Statuten, 1880 Wolny, Die





Marlqjrafschaft Mdhren, Brunn, 1836; private sources communicated by R. Josef Weisse and S. Diamant, Austerlitz.

D

E. Ba.

.

AUSTERLITZ Name

is

of a Jewish family.

As

the case with all names derived from places, the " Austerlitz " does not necessarily signify

surname



resettle in

Vienna.

Austerlitz Now rabbi in Eperies, Hunwas one of Hildesheimer's earliest pupils. A scholar and Moses b. Joseph Austerlitz

Mayer







promoter of Jewish learning; lived in Vienna, but when the Jews were expelled from that city and from Lower Austria (1669), he removed to Nikolsburg, Moravia. His house was the resort of scholThus ars, especially after the fire of Prague in 1689. he helped to support the cabalist Moses ben Menahem Graf, author of "Wa-Yakhel Mosheh" (And Moses Gathered); Judah b. Nisim, author of "Bet Yehudah " (The House of Judah) and Isaac Zoref, author of "M'ozene Zedek " (Just Scales), all of whom speak highly of him.

Bibliography Kaufmann, Die Letzte Vertreihung der Jtidenaus Wien, Vienna, 1889; Steinsclmeider, Cat. Bodl. col. 772 Hock, Die Fam Men Pray's, ed. D. Kaufmann, Pres:



burg, 1892.

d.

M. Ba.

AUSTRALIA:

The island-continent between the Indian and Pacific oceans. In more senses than one it has been a land of sunshine to the Jews. Nurtured and reared on British traditions, Australia has inherited the national characteristics of the mother-country. The spirit of democracy, so strong in Australia, has always manifested itself as a unified current that absorbs in itself all the varied elements of race and religion. Religious freedom accordingly has always been granted in full measure as soon as the colonies received legislative independAmid such conditions it was only natural that ence. the Jews who settled there should find a cordial welcome and a hospitable home. Australia offered its great undeveloped resources who were willing to develop them. Many Jews embraced the opportunity and prospered. Though the Jews of Australia have never aggreto all