136 Jewish religious books were reflected in the interwar period in “Bibliografijos žinios”. Analysis of their bibliographical information revealed that Movšovičiaus and Kagano printing house in Kėdainiai had produced most of the Jewish religious books, while the temporary capital Kaunas with Joselevičiaus and other printing houses remained in second place.
http://www.zurnalai.vu.lt/knygotyra/article/view/4006/2768_
http://www.zurnalai.vu.lt/knygotyra/article/view/4006/2768_
The Hebrew printing press in Keidan
After World War I, when the Jews of Keidan began to return from their places of exile, two Torah students decided to set up a small printing press to serve needs of the community. They were Alter Movshovitz and Mottel Kagan, who had previously been a teacher in Keidan. Indeed, even before the war, there was a machine used by the owner of the stationery shop to print greeting cards, invitations and notices which were ordered from him. The shop owner set the type manually and operated the printer by himself.
This was not the intention of our two partners. They began seeking clients who were interested in printing Biblical books and commentaries. For this purpose they purchased a printing press and typesetting systems.
The two worked not only as typesetters and printers of their compositions. All the work of installation, editing, and proofreading for typographical and author errors fell on the heads of these Torah students. They were sometimes forced to travel the rocky road of reading existing works of literature and Torah commentary in order to check the written materials which they received, and to correct what they deemed to be errors.
The reputation of the Keidan printing press was very high among scholars and writers throughout Lithuania, as well as in other countries. The story was told of the rabbi of Vekshne, who later became rabbi of Keidan. He was the late Rabbi Shlomo Feinsilber, who traveled to Kovno to find a printer for a manuscript in his possession. In Kovno, he was told that if he wanted to publish a Torah commentary, he should go to the Keidan printers. He indeed had his manuscript printed in Keidan and, while he was there, he was invited by the Keidaners to apply for the position of chief rabbi.
The print shop developed and grew, and even employed many workers. The press' manual typesetting system could not keep up with the increased demand for printing. So Mottel Kagan traveled to Kovno to buy a used typesetting machine from one of the larger printers. There, he was told by a friend and former student from his teaching days, that if the printing press had enough work to require a typesetting machine, they should try to purchase a new American Linotype machine.
The owners of the Printing Press did buy the first Linotype machine, and the Keidan printers grew as producers of both religious and secular literature. An extensive list of books were printed there during the press' life, and it became a great source for lovers of Hebrew literature.
Written by adv. Shimon Shibolet
Shared by Andrew Cassel
After World War I, when the Jews of Keidan began to return from their places of exile, two Torah students decided to set up a small printing press to serve needs of the community. They were Alter Movshovitz and Mottel Kagan, who had previously been a teacher in Keidan. Indeed, even before the war, there was a machine used by the owner of the stationery shop to print greeting cards, invitations and notices which were ordered from him. The shop owner set the type manually and operated the printer by himself.
This was not the intention of our two partners. They began seeking clients who were interested in printing Biblical books and commentaries. For this purpose they purchased a printing press and typesetting systems.
The two worked not only as typesetters and printers of their compositions. All the work of installation, editing, and proofreading for typographical and author errors fell on the heads of these Torah students. They were sometimes forced to travel the rocky road of reading existing works of literature and Torah commentary in order to check the written materials which they received, and to correct what they deemed to be errors.
The reputation of the Keidan printing press was very high among scholars and writers throughout Lithuania, as well as in other countries. The story was told of the rabbi of Vekshne, who later became rabbi of Keidan. He was the late Rabbi Shlomo Feinsilber, who traveled to Kovno to find a printer for a manuscript in his possession. In Kovno, he was told that if he wanted to publish a Torah commentary, he should go to the Keidan printers. He indeed had his manuscript printed in Keidan and, while he was there, he was invited by the Keidaners to apply for the position of chief rabbi.
The print shop developed and grew, and even employed many workers. The press' manual typesetting system could not keep up with the increased demand for printing. So Mottel Kagan traveled to Kovno to buy a used typesetting machine from one of the larger printers. There, he was told by a friend and former student from his teaching days, that if the printing press had enough work to require a typesetting machine, they should try to purchase a new American Linotype machine.
The owners of the Printing Press did buy the first Linotype machine, and the Keidan printers grew as producers of both religious and secular literature. An extensive list of books were printed there during the press' life, and it became a great source for lovers of Hebrew literature.
Written by adv. Shimon Shibolet
Shared by Andrew Cassel