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416 Bacau

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Bacharach

and education; for three years

nity,

it

maintained a

modern lines. The first modern school was opened in Bacau in 1863, but it was not maintained longer than two years; reopened in 1869, it was closed again a little later, and again reopened; it numbers now between 200 and 300 pupils. Among the benefactors of the community were Leib sin Iancu, who in 1815 bequeathed it two houses, the revenues from which were to be devoted to purchasing fireschool on

"wood for the poor; Iancu Folticheneanu, who left a house for a "hekdesh" (hospital), transformed later into a shelter for Jews passing through the city {"haknasat orehim"); Phineas Edelstein, who in the first half of the nineteenth century left 500 ducats for a hospital, which is still standing. The communal bath house, said to be one hundred and forty years old,

was

recently closed for sanitary reasons.

Jewish artisans were always numerous in Bacau. In 1832 a society, Poale Zedek, was formed, composed entirely of Jewish craftsmen, and in 1851a society of Jewish shoemakers. There is not a trade which the Jews of Bacau have not Trades. followed or do not follow to-day they were alwajr s the most skilful artisans,

notably as jewelers, tinsmiths (exclusively Jews), lace-makers, wood-carvers, and manufacturers of tobacco-pipes. The pharmacies of the place are conducted b}' Jews only the first vaccinating physician in the town was a Jew, who practised from 1828 to 1866. Among its best-known physicians were Zurach Chan, who practised medicine before 1800: Dr. Torcenau, who was employed b} the state from 1848 to 1866 Dr. Meisels, distinguished as a physician and philanthropist, and Adolph Barder. At the present time (1901) Bacau has six Jewish physicians. In the world of music the orchestra conducted by Wolf Lemisch, member of a highly gifted musical family, enjoys a wide reputation. All branches of commerce are almost exclusively in the hands of the

r



Jews. In manufactures, too, they have occupied themselves from the earliest days in various industries, such as distilling, brewing, wood-turning, and the manufacture of wagons and lamps. The Jews of Bacau are the principal, if not the exclusive, stewards of estates, foresters, lake-wardens, and general

contractors of all kinds. The accusation of ritual murder has also been heard in Bacau; that of 1824 was attended with serious consequences for the community, and that of 1838 had similar results. Since 1866, hatred of the Jew has penetrated among Christian circles, and repeated disturbances have broken out. The district of Bacau contains other large Jewish communities, such as those of Tirgul-Ocna, Moineschti, Adjud, Caiutz, Parincea, etc. In former times the small villages also contained many Jews, but they have been frequently expelled and live in a state of poverty. The former town of Tirgul-Trotush, near Tirgul-Ocna, has lately sunk to a village owing to the departure of the Jewish population; its cemetery contains tombstones dating back more than 140 years. The little town of Tirgul-Parincea was founded by Jews. The Jews of Ocna and Moineschti

were formerly well-to-do, but now they have

fallen

into a state of utter penury.

Bibliography:

S.

D. Birnberg,

Mnricul Communitatei din

416

Bacau (manuscript); Dr. E. Schwarzfeld, Crnnica Israelite, Romania, in the Amiarul Pcntru Israeliti, 10th year.

w

M. Schw.

D.

BACCHIDES:

Syrian general; friend of the Syrian king Demetrius; and "ruler in the country beyond the river " Euphrates. Demetrius sent him in 161 B.C. to Judea with a large army, in order to invest the recreant Alcimus with the office of high

—

The peaceable Assideans priest (I Mace. vii. 8, 9). credulously expected friendship from him; but, contrary to oath and covenant, he cruelly slew sixty of them (ib. vii. 16). Leaving Jerusalem, he made a slaughter-house of Bezeth (Bethzecha), and after handing the country over to Alcimus, returned to When, however, another the king (ib. vii. 19, 20). Syrian army under Nicanor suffered defeat at the hands of Judas Maccabeus (ib. vii. 26-50), Demetrius again sent Bacchides and Alcimus to Judea, this time with an army of twenty thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry. At Eleasa (Laisa) he met Judas, whose three thousand soldiers had dwindled Judas, though he put to flight to eight hundred.

wing of the S}Tian army commanded by Bacchides himself, and pursued it to Azotus, was totally defeated by the left wing, and killed (ib. ix. 1-18). Bacchides now established the Hellenists as rulers in Judea; and the persecuted patriots (ib. ix. 25-27), under Jonathan, brother of Judas, fled beyond the Jordan. Bacchides came upon them there on a Sabbath, and again suffered defeat, losing one thousand men (ib. ix. 43-49). He returned to Jerusalem, and, in order to subdue the Jews, fortified not only the Aero, but also Jericho, Emmans, Beth-horon, Beth-el, Thamnata (Timnatha), Pharathon, Tephon, the right

Beth-zur,

Alcimus

and Gazara (ib. ix. 50-52). Soon and Bacchides, having made a

died,

after fruit-

attack upon Jonathan, returned to the king. At the instigation of the Hellenists, he moved a third time against the Jews. Only after he had been defeated several times by Simon, brother of Judas less

and Jonathan, did he conclude an enforced treaty of peace with Jonathan, and depart into his own land (ib. ix. 58-73; Joscphus, "Ant." xii. 10, § 13; xiii. 1).

The representation

of Bacchides by Josephus as barbarous by nature, and the statement that he was slain by Mattathias, are both erroneous. In the Syriac translation of the Book of the Maccabees, Bacchides, through an error in transcription, is called " Bicrius " instead of " Bacdius " and in the Jewish version of the Hanukah story (" Megillat Antioclms ") he is called Bagris, or Bogores (see Gaster's edition of the Megillah); forms

("B. J."

i.

1,

§S

2, 3)

corrupted, according to Bacher, from D'lJO-

Bibliogeapht

Schiirer, Gesch. i. 168, 169 et al.; Griitz, Gcxch. der Judert, 4th ed., iii. 2, 7, 13, 15 Jellinek, B. H. i. 142, vi. 4 Payne-Smith, Thesaurus St/riacus, col. 518; Rev.Et.Juives, xxx. 218, note 6.



g.

S.

BACH, EMILIE:

Kr.

and journalist; born at Neuschloss, Bohemia, July 2, 1840; died at Vienna April 29, 1890. She was directress of the royal school for artistic embroidery, and published on this subject two works: "Muster Stilvoller Handarbeiten flir Schule und Haus," in two volumes (Vienna) " Neue Muster im Alten Stil. " She contrib;

Artist