The document below is in Ukranian. This is an approximate translation of it.I would be very grateful if someone who knows Ukranian could help.
Here is some background material on the position of the "Government" Rabbi or "Court" Rabbi, as opposed to the Rabbi of a congregation.
The Russian government decided to leave the keeping of metrical records (birth, death, marriage, divorce) to each religion. Jewish records would be kept by a local person who had graduated from a Russian school, so this eliminated "real" rabbis who then had no secular education. The court rabbi was obligated to register each metrical act in triplicate, then at the end of each month to send one copy to the guberniya government, one copy to the uezd (district) government, and keep one copy himself. These people were elected by the population they recorded from among those the government deemed qualified, and were compensated by recording fees.
Bert Lazerow
A more exact description can be found at the Levanda Index at http://www.angelfire.com/ms2/belaroots/levanda.htm
Go to the "Rabbis" subject, and then click on decree #304, then scan down to
Chapter 5, where the duties of a rabbi are defined.
List of Names of Electors
Elected by the religious community of Kalinovka for 4 years from 1905 to 1909 starting on 25th December 1905.
1. Serko Bazenstein
2. ? Axelrod
3. Yolko Schneiderman
4. Ben Zion Routman
5. Lozo ?
6. Haim Smuklitz
7. Bruria Freidman
8. Alter Velchus
9. Shalma Podgaetz, I belive the father or uncle of my father's childhood boyfriend who immigrated to Mexico.
10. Gdana Klair
11. Gertz Luzker
12. Mosko Sheinfan
13. Nachman Shimonson
14. Leibis Shimonson
15. Jospeh Reznik, I believe my grandmother's brother or uncle.
Signature A. Kliezelnitz
