Abram Isaakovich Zak ( 1829 , Bobruisk - 1893 , Hesse [1] ) - a Russian-Jewish banker , philanthropist and public figure [2] . Valid state adviser [3] .
| Abram Isaakovich Zack | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1829 |
| Place of Birth | Bobruisk |
| Date of death | 1893 |
| Place of death | Hesse |
| Nationality |  Russian empire |
| Occupation | banker , philanthropist |
| Children | |
Content
Early years
Abram Isaakovich Zak was born in 1829 into a wealthy family in the city of Bobruisk, Minsk province . He received no systematic education and was primarily self-taught - from an early age he showed interest in mathematics, then studied works on economics, and was also interested in Jewish literature and music . In addition, most likely in his youth he fell under the influence of local supporters of the Haskal movement , which advocated the comprehensive education of the Jews of Europe and their integration into European society ..
Career
Zack began his professional career by finding a job with banker Baron Ezel Gunzburg . First, he worked as a clerk in a wine and vodka enterprise, then became the chief accountant of Gunzburg [4] , and later got a job at the Bank of Gunzburg in St. Petersburg. In 1871, Zack became the director of the St. Petersburg Bank for soft loans, owned by Leopold Kronenberg (also a Jew) [5] . Under the leadership of Zack, the bank has become one of the largest in Russia. In addition, Zak took part in the construction of one of the first large railways in Russia - Libavo-Romenskaya , which subsequently had a significant impact on the economic development of the northwestern region of the Russian Empire. Zack had deep theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of economics, so members of the Russian government sometimes consulted with him on various economic issues. For example, on how to prevent a serious financial crisis in the event of war (Zack proposed building up foreign exchange reserves in the state treasury). Zack was invited to the post of Comrade Minister of Finance of the Russian Empire, provided that he converted to the Orthodox faith, but he rejected this proposal [6] .
During the reign of Emperor Alexander III , the laws on Jews ( Jews ) began to be more strictly enforced: after the assassination of Alexander II in 1881, a wave of unrest connected with the presence of Jews living under the Pale of Settlement swept through the government’s concern [7] . In connection with the discontent of part of the local non-Jewish population, the government adopted a number of orders, in particular, the “Interim Rules for Jews” of 1882, aimed at evicting Jews living in such cities and localities: according to the current legislation, they, with the exception of specially designated categories of people, were evicted to the Pale of Settlement [8] . Abram Zack himself, however, expressed his support for government measures: together with Baron Horace Gunzburg and a number of other influential Jews, he was awarded an audience with the emperor, during which Gunzburg expressed "boundless gratitude for the measures taken to protect the Jewish population in the current difficult time" [9] .
Throughout his life, Abram Zack supported various Jewish community organizations in St. Petersburg, primarily an orphanage and a school for Jews. At home, Zach often spent evenings for various literary critics and musicians: his frequent guest was the composer Anton G. Rubinstein (who himself was of Jewish origin). Among other things, Abram Zak also paid for the work of lawyers and other legal costs of Georgian Jews from Kutaisi , who were accused of committing ritual killings in 1878-1879 [6] .
Death
Abram Isaakovich Zack died in the city of Hesse , the German Empire in 1893, where he went for treatment. At the time of his death, he was 63 or 64 years old.
Notes
- ↑ Pauline Wengeroff. Memoirs of a Grandmother . - 2014-09-17.
- ↑ YIVO | Zak, Avraam Isakovich . Yivoencyclopedia.org. Date of appeal February 15, 2017.
- ↑ Hasin Aba. Memory - continued . samlib.ru. Date of treatment August 16, 2018.
- ↑ Yuri Slezkine. The Jewish Century .
- ↑ Studies in Contemporary Jewry: Volume XV: People of the City . Date of appeal February 15, 2017.
- ↑ 1 2 Jonathan Frankel . Prophecy and Politics: Socialism, Nationalism, and the Russian Jews, 1862–1917 . Date of appeal February 15, 2017.
- ↑ Dubnov S. M. From the history of the eighties // Jewish antiquity. - 1915. - Issue. III — IV (July - December). - S. 267-295.
- ↑ Engel V.V. Lecture Course on the History of Jews in Russia . Date of treatment July 2, 2013. Archived July 2, 2013.
- ↑ Cit. by: Dubnov S. From the history of the eighties // Jewish antiquity. - 1915. - Issue. III — IV (July - December). - S. 279.