Lesson 13

1. Lesson 13 Lecture Notes

2. East European Jewry Part I

3. Western Europe/Eastern Europe • [insert map of Europe]

4. Historical Background: Poland(13th – 17th centuries) • Jewish Community • Lived separately • Lived according to Jewish law • Economics • Jews prospered • Jews involved in wheat trade • Culture/Governance • Center of Jewish Learning • Council of the Four Lands

5. Historical Background: Cossacks • Cossacks • “free person” • Privileges in return for military svc • Revolt when privileges are threatened • 1648-1650 Chmielnicki Insurrection • Led by Bogdan Chmielnicki • Goal: create independent state • Uprising against landlords and Jewish estate managers • Known as the Deluge Bogdan Chmielnicki

6. Historical Background: Partition • Weaker Kings mean weaker country • No longer saw Jewish advantage • Decline of Jewish community • Partition of Poland • Neighbors (especially Russia) took bites • 1772, 1793, and 1795 • Russia absorbs most of Poland & her Jews

7. Historical Background: Pale of Settlement, 1835-1917 • Pale estb. 1794 by Catherine the Great • 90% Jews already there • Other Jews sent there • Other Tsars expand • 1 mil. Sq. miles in W • Part of larger plan • Undermine Jewish life • Restructure community • Direct into useful, “non-Jewish” occupations

8. Laws Relating to the Jews • Statutes Concerning the Organization of Jews • Alexander I (1777-1825) • Limits Jewish movement • Send children to public schools • Use only Russian, Polish or German • Dress in Russian or Polish fashion • Statutes Regarding the Military Service of Jews • Nicholas I (1796-1855) • Jews serve military for 25 years • Under 18 preliminary service first • Alienate Jewish children Alexander I Nicholas I

9. Religious Life: Hassidic Judaism • Jews searching for something spiritual • Jewish Study until 18th century – Pilpul • Available primarily to wealthy Jews • Recovering from Deluge • Israel ben Eliezer of Miedzyboz • Ba’al Shem Tov • Besht • Taught through folk tales • Hassidism • Religious fundamentalism • Worship through joyous prayer • Find goodness and Godliness in all things

10. Religious Life: Mitnagdim • Many Jews opposed Hassidim • Mitnagdim (those opposed) • Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (1720-1797) • Vilna Gaon (Genius of Vilna) • Leader of Mitnagdim • Pronounced herems (excommunications)

11. Cultural Life: Haskalah I • Definition: The Jewish Enlightenment was known as the Haskalah (from the Hebrew for “Reason”). It was a Jewish secular movement which encompassed education, Jewish literature and culture. Its proponents were known as maskilim.

12. Cultural Life: Haskalah II • Education • Maskalim set up secular schools to help improve future generations of Jews • Curriculum • National language (not Yiddish) • Secular subjects (not Talmud) • New job skills (farming, crafts) – elevate Jews • Dress – like Russians and Poles • Tsar Nicholas I and Maskalim on same page for awhile

13. Cultural Life: Haskalah III • Secular Jewish literature increased • Poetry – in Hebrew and Russian • Judah Lieb Gordon • Awake My People! (1866) • Optimistic • Forward-looking • Take advantage of opportunities • For Whom Do I Toil? (1871) • Despair • Didn’t see results he was looking for

14. Cultural Life: Haskalah IV • Language • Debate • Russian – Arguments For • Yiddish – Arguments For and Against • Hebrew – Arguments For • Debate never really resolved • Haskalah leads to growth of literature in all 3 languages • Modern Hebrew grows out of Haskalah literature

15. Next Class • Preview • Increased Anti-Semitsm • Emigration • Socialism