One memoirist of the early 19th century recreates in his "Notes..." a characteristic dialogue: “– And who is this Peretz?” – “Peretz is a wealthy Jew who has huge businesses in various tax farming and contracts, especially in the transportation and supply of salt to the state stores.” – “Well... this must be the very one they say about: where there is salt, there is also pepper.” This text is about the Russian-Jewish public figure, prominent banker, and tax farmer Abram Izrailevich Peretz (1771–1833).

The son of a rabbi in Lyubartov, where he was born, he married Sara, the daughter of Iosiah (Joshua) Tseitlin, a leading authority in Talmudic literature, a commercial agent, and manager for His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Potemkin. An interesting fact: Tseitlin dreamed of the restoration of Israel and inspired this idea in Potemkin, who even developed a plan: after victory in the war against the Turks, gather all Jews together and settle them in the liberated territory of Palestine. And these were not just words – His Serene Highness the prince, to bring this daring plan to life, began forming the Israelite Cavalry Regiment composed entirely of Jews and even assigned a special officer for its training.

Abram’s affairs in the Northern Palmira prospered greatly: helped by his father-in-law’s old connections with Prince Potemkin and, of course, his sharp mind and business acumen.

In the late 1790s, Peretz emerged as a shipbuilding contractor. On March 6, 1799, together with the Kherson merchant Stieglitz, he signed a contract with the government for the tax farming of Crimean salt, which gave rise to the saying “where there is salt, there is Peretz.” On March 4, 1801, just days before the coup d’état, Paul I granted him the rank of Commercial Counselor.

On the last day of Paul I’s reign, March 11, 1801, by Senate decree, “conditions” were adopted granting Peretz and Stieglitz the exclusive right for 8 years to supply Crimean salt “instead of the previously borrowed from foreign places” to the Podolsk, Volyn, Minsk, Lithuanian, and Belarusian provinces. In St. Petersburg, Peretz had extensive connections in the highest circles of Russian society; he was especially close to Speransky. The latter even lived for some time in his house at the corner of Nevsky and Bolshaya Morskaya (now the building of the Barricada cinema). “Speransky,” writes the senator and anti-Semite G.R. Derzhavin, “was completely devoted to the Jews through the well-known tax farmer Peretz, whom he openly considered a friend and lived in his house.” It is said that Peretz kept an “open house,” receiving and treating “the whole city,” regardless of rank, origin, or tribe. The few years he spent in constant contact with his Jewish friend generated not just one but a whole stream of ideas. Among them was the financial reform of 1810–1812, which was believed to owe much of its success to the “instructions of banker Peretz” (he developed its main plan).

In St. Petersburg, Peretz kept an “open house,” receiving and treating “the whole city,” regardless of rank, origin, or tribe.

Therefore, when in 1802 a committee was formed in St. Petersburg to draft legislation on Jews, Peretz was probably one of the main consultants to the committee members.

In 1803, he moved his eldest son Hirsch (Grigory), a future participant in the Decembrist movement, from his grandfather’s estate Ustye (Mogilev province) to St. Petersburg, accompanied by his teacher.

During the war of 1812–1814, Peretz invested large sums in organizing the food supply for the Russian army. Since the treasury, exhausted by the war, delayed payments and failed to fulfill its contractual obligations, Peretz suffered serious losses and was forced to declare bankruptcy. Peretz’s property was sold for one and a half million rubles, while his claims against the treasury amounted to four million.

In 1813, Peretz converted to Lutheranism. The reason for this dramatic step is primarily attributed to his disappointment with the Regulation on the Jews issued by the Jewish Committee, where, as a result, not Speransky’s project but the same coercive and restrictive measures prevailed. However, it is possible that Abram Izrailevich was baptized to marry for love a Christian maiden, Karolina de Lombor. In any case, the marriage took place immediately after his baptism, and from this marriage, he had four sons and five daughters.

The morals prevailing at that time are best illustrated by contemporaries’ recollections. Here is what the writer Grech wrote about Peretz’s relationship with Bezak: “...The wealthy tax farmer Peretz, a Jew but a kind and truly noble man, knowing Bezak’s mind, abilities, and experience, offered him the position of assistant in the office with a salary of 20 thousand a year, and, in addition, gave him a stone house. Bezak decided to accept this position, improved his situation, and ruined his entire career with the title of Jewish clerk. Imagine how unfair the judgments of society are! What is wrong or reprehensible about this? But it is not accepted, and the matter is finished.” Paradoxically, Bezak was labeled a “Jewish clerk” in 1815, that is, at a time when Peretz had already adopted Christian rites and was formally no longer a “Jew.”

Tseitlin did not break ties with his former son-in-law even after his baptism and second marriage. He even mentioned Abram in his will.

There is no information about Peretz’s last years; it is known that he was impoverished. In a letter written in 1822, Abram complained: “My affairs are in terrible condition, and I can rely on no one except our Heavenly Father, who provides sustenance to everyone and all of us. I hope He will not leave me to be mocked by my enemies.”

Abram Izrailevich Peretz died in St. Petersburg no earlier than 1833. He is buried in St. Petersburg at the Volkovo Lutheran Cemetery.

Sources:

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peretz,_Abram_Izrailevich

https://eleven.co.il/jews-of-russia/history-status-1772-1917/13186/

https://lechaim.ru/ARHIV/192/BERDNIKOV.htm