Berek Joselewicz

Berek Joselewicz (17 September 1764 – 15 May 1809) was a Polish Jewish colonel of the Polish Army during the Kościuszko Uprising. Joselewicz commanded the first Jewish military formation in modern history excluding Prince Potemkin's Israelovsky Regiment. He was also a merchant and financial agent of the Polish magnate Prince Massalski.

Early life Dow Baer (Berek) Joselewicz was born in Kretinga, in the Duchy of Samogitia of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a member country of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He worked as a financial agent for a local Lithuanian magnate, the Lord of Kretinga and Bishop of Vilnius Prince Massalski. Joselewicz often travelled abroad in pursuit of various tasks, during which he learned to speak French. He spent some time in Paris during the beginning of the French Revolution, and it is thought that this may have later inspired him to join Tadeusz Kościuszko, who advocated similar causes of brotherhood and equality.

Kościuszko Uprising Joselewicz initially served in the militia before petitioning Kościuszko for permission to form an all-Jewish unit. On 17 September 1794 Kościuszko officially announced the creation of the unit. Joselewicz, along with another Jew named Józef Aronowicz, issued a patriotic call-to-arms in Yiddish denouncing Russia and Prussia, eliciting hundreds of volunteers, mostly poor trade workers and artisans. Five hundred men were eventually accepted and formed into a cavalry regiment . At Joselewicz's request, they were allowed to keep their religious customs, including access to kosher foods, abstaining from combat on the Sabbath when possible, and growing their beards. Joselewicz's unit was popularly known as "the Beardlings". They took part in the Battle of Praga, in which the unit was wiped out, with only a few men (including Joselewicz) surviving the battle. Joselewicz himself was taken prisoner by the Russians. There are streets named after him in many Polish towns including Warsaw, Kraków, Łódź, Częstochowa, Zawichost, Biłgoraj, Radomsko, Chrzanów, Będzin, Lubartów and Żarki. In Góra Kalwaria, the street is now called Firefighters Street.

Awards He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Virtuti Militari medal and the Legion of Honour with a Golden Cross for his merits.

Family Berek's son, Józef Berkowicz (1789–1846), also fought in the Battle of Kock, and later served as a squadron chief during the November Uprising of 1830, during which he also attempted to convince Jewish soldiers to desert the Russian army and join the Poles. Berkowicz later moved to England and wrote a novel. Berek's widow and son received a pension until 1831.