Alexander Sender Bloch

Sender BLOKH's Factory

The first and most distinguished son-in-law of Itshe ZABLUDOWSKI was one of the great aristocrats from Vilna. His grandfather, Reb Noakh bmohr'r[1*] Shrage Fajwish, was one of Vilna's greatest rich men and philanthropists.[23] His mother, Dworya, who is buried in the local cemetery, had an extensive rabbinic ancestry. He, himself, was also

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a Jew, a scholar and a generous benefactor. He was a significant Moscow merchant and wood trader.In 1841, he founded a large self-contained factory in the Nowi (Mitskewicze today) that existed until the 1860's. His wife, Malka-Reyzl, the oldest daughter of a wealthy man, who was an active and clever woman and renowned in the Bialystok commercial world and in her environment, helped him in his business.Sender BLOKH died young (in 1849) at the age of 39. His wife, Malka-Reyzl, carried on his business; she had branches of her business in Zelwe, as well as Bordiszew, but in the end, she had to close the factory. As was said, a wealthy man helped her with 40,000 rubles (that was transferred from her share of the inheritance).[24]

Malka-Reyzl had a large family: she and Reb Sender had 15 children; of them only two died. She arranged great aristocratic matches for her children; her sons-in-law were the largest merchants and manufacturers in Bialystok, who greatly helped the development of manufacturing and trade in Biaylstok.How important a personality Sender BLOKH was in Bialystok is seen by the great dirge entitled Merirei Yom [Poor Souls – those who suffer daily bitterness] that his brother-in-law, the Hebrew poet Eliezer HALBERSTAM, wrote at his death on the day when he was brought to his grave (published by Rom publishing house, Vilna, in the year 5609 [1849], 11 pages; he describes his large funeral, where his casket was taken to the Great Synagogue and he was carried inside and there three funeral orators eulogized him. He describes how he was mourned by all of the orphans who lost a father in him and all of the widows who lost a source of support in him, his beloved wife, sons and daughters, as well as the sick in the hospital they he founded and supported. All lamented and wailed for him.

The Rabbi, Reb Moshe Josef, head of the religious court of the holy community, Kanishin Jedwabna, talks about him and his death in his book, Mate Yosef [Joseph's Staff] or Hotam Tochnit [Seal of the Design], commentary 10, point 9: This beautiful town, the famed Bialystok, where there were many dead would cry out in sorrow for this tragedy, since its mighty have fallen as well: The rabbi, famous, respected and generous, of good counsel, pious and God-fearing, a great treasure of Torah, scholarship and good deeds, supporter of the needy and helper of the poor, our master and teacher Alexander Sender Bloch. His memory is cherished by many to this day, in their hearts they weep for him,

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for he is missed by all. The most respected members of the community remembered and praised his piety, righteousness and generosity.

Malka-Reyzl[25] died in Tevet 5638 (1878), 29 years after her husband's death. Her brother-in-law, HALBERSZTAM, in his Alei Higayon Bekhinor [from Psalm 92:4 – “On the Strings of the Harp”] mourned her:

A woman of valor, more precious than pearls, beautiful and wise, of a righteous soul, her generous charity is known by all, her words were pleasant to the ears; rest in peace among thousands of women, until the day will come [an allusion to the day of the resurrection of the dead – tkhies-hameysim].

Malka-Reyzl's factory was later sold to the German manufacturer, Rudolf KOMIKHOV, who became the well-known blanket manufacturer and from him to the manufacturer, HENRICKS-IZENBEK. Today it belongs to two small Jewish manufacturers who work for payments. Her large locations were parceled and sold through them.