The "r" in these cases is an abbreviation for the Latin "Recte,"
which means correctly. >from this information, we cannot determine
whether the actual record was written in Polish or German, the
two languages used by Jewish vital record registrars in 19th
Century Galicia.

In your case, ISMACH r. SPRITZER means that Isak may use ISMACH
as his surname, but correctly should use SPRITZER. This situation
is usually the result of the parents of Isak not having
registered a Civil marriage. In this case, the Austrian
authorities consider Isak's birth to be illegitimate and "assign"
the mother's surname to the child. If Isak "wrongly" uses the
father's surname, this may be corrected in the record of the
birth of Isak's children.

Jewish vital records registrars in Galicia applied the laws and
regulations on illegitimacy inconsistently, so more research is
required to confirm the assumption that Isak's father's surname
was ISMACH and his mother's surname was SPRITZER.

Mark Halpern
JRI-Poland AGAD Archive Coordinator