Wojda, Carol Frederick°
WOJDA, CAROL FREDERICK°
WOJDA, CAROL FREDERICK ° (1771–1846), senior official in the senate of the Duchy of Warsaw (see *Poland), and member of the committee for Jewish affairs established in 1808. Wojda presented his proposals for solving the "Jewish problem" to the senate in 1809, recommending changes in the Jewish way of life, abrogation of communal and judicial autonomy, educational reform including the teaching of Polish and German, acceptance of European dress, and prohibition of the sale of liquor by Jews. The changes were to have been effected within ten years, after which emancipation was to be granted to Jews in the "productive" professions and to educated businessmen. To accelerate the process of assimilation, Wojda proposed that Jewish residence in the towns not be restricted to special quarters. He also recommended the establishment of a *consistory on the French model to deal with Jewish affairs. Wojda's program was not even debated. In 1815 he presented to the head of the committee for Jewish affairs a memorandum incorporating this plan.
bibliography:
R. Mahler, Divrei Yemei Yisrael, Dorot Aḥaronim, 3 (1955), 71–79; 4 (1956), 219; Wischnitzer, in: Perezhitoye, 7 (1909), 166–72; Goldstein, in: Yevreyskaya Starina, 12 (1928), 301–14.
[Nathan Michael Gelber]