Committee of the Orthodox Jewish religious community in Galanta
This photograph shows the committee of the Orthodox Jewish religious community in Galanta in the year 1920. My grandpa Moshe Cvi Pressburger is in the first row, second from left. Besides him, his son Max Pressburger is also in the photo. He's the tall man in the back row, sixth from the right.
Galanta was a very Jewish town, I don't know if it's true, but my father used to tell me that up to World War I, Jews made up more than half of the town's population. When I was a child there were two Orthodox communities - kehilot there. One had a head rabbi by the name of Buxbaum, the second a head rabbi named Seidl. Each of them had a large, beautiful synagogue and courtyard with Jewish and educational institutions. Both of them placed an emphasis on religious education. There were three levels of education. The basic level, which was named Yesoide Toire, an intermediate level, which was named Talmud Torah, and advanced education, which was named Yeshivah. I think that Seidl was a little more progressive, and my family belonged to him. Buxbaum was the bigger, recognized theological expert, according to my father.
Max Pressburger, whose Jewish name was Mordechai ben Moshe Cvi, was born in the year 1879. He lived his whole life in Galanta. He was the town's chazzan, shochet, plus he was also on the board of a large insurance company. He had a very beautiful and richly furnished house.