The Russian Pogroms:

The Rights of Jewish Citizens and the Responsibility of the Czarist Government

Timmy Gee, Patrick Mulligan, and Jason Wang

Junior Division

Group Exhibit

NHD 2003

 (Single space the group/ individual identification)

 (Title Page - no folder - staple in upper left corner only)

 (Process paper - no label in upper right hand corner needed - no title since have title page - should be double spaced - only 2 pages long)

          “Of some 130,000 prewar Polish citizens, who were evacuated from the USSR by the Polish authorities, Jews numbered about 8,000.  They made up about 30 per cent of the deportees, but only about 6 per cent of the evacuees.” – The Holocaust in the Soviet Union.  This fact is one of many that first got us interested in doing our NHD project on what happened to Jews in Russia.  We had already decided on doing something about the Holocaust but knew that it wasn’t very original.  We wanted something different to catch the judges’ attention.  Timmy’s sister, Marion, who is a history major in college, suggested the Russian pogroms.  At first, we were reluctant, but once we got into the research, we found that there was a great deal of information on the topic.

            We began thinking of doing a website, but when we realized how little time we had to actually get together and work, we settled on an exhibit.  We divided all the research and writing equally, even the number of sources for the annotated bibliography.  The Internet and the library were good informational resources about our topic.  Even though the library had nearly everything we needed, the Internet was still a great source for primary sources, photographs and other important sources.  We would like to thank Mo Mulligan for taking the team to the LA Museum of Tolerance and hosting popcorn and “Fiddler on the Roof.”  Also Timmy’s parents were helpful in letting us work on the exhibit there and adding the finishing touches.

            What we found was, that many of the rights of the Jews were taken away as well as many restrictions placed on their daily lives.  The Jews had to live in certain places, were taxed higher than other Russians, were limited to certain business and education.  As citizens, they should have been able to be treated equally by the government and to be protected.  Instead, the government not only treated them as not being equal, but may have even encouraged the hate crimes or pogroms.  The czar did little to protect these subjects and even created laws that discriminated against the Jews.

            This year’s National History Day theme is “Rights and Responsibilities” can be easily seen in the violations of rights for the Jewish citizens of Russian and the blatant discrimination by the Czarist government in ignoring the basic function of any form of government: the safety of its citizens and fair and equal treatment.  The pogroms of Russia, which started in the 1890s and lasted into the next century, are examples of how precious these rights are for the people and how a government must be obliged to act to better life for all its people.

          (page 3 - whatever should be your annotated bibliography - see example below - list primary sources in the first section and secondary in the second section)

Annotated Bibliography

  Books

Antin, Mary. The Promised Land. Penguin Classics. 1997

          This is a personal account of a survivor of the 1880 Russian pogroms.   She mentions the before and after of the incidents as well as the world reaction to and response to the Russian government promoting or turning a blind eye to the incidents.  

Ehrenburg, Ilya, and Vasily Grossman.  The Complete Black Book of Russian Jewry. New  Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 2002.

          This is a collection of different diaries and letters from the Jews in the Soviet Union.  There are also Soviet depositions, letters, diaries, and transcribed acounts.

Leskov, S. Nikolai , and Harold Schefski, The Jews in Russia: Some notes on the Jewish Question.  1986.   Kingston Press Inc. New Jersey

             Good primary source.  Includes notes of Leskov’s adventures, and from a meeting.  Notes show what Jewish lifestyle was like in Russia, and includes notes from the 1800’s.  This book gives primary sources from all time periods.  

Nekrich, Aleksandr. Forsaken Fear.  1991.  Unwin Hyman, Inc.  Cambridge, MA.

            This primary source is an excellent example of what the Jews lifestyle was like.  Primary sources are written by the person that was there, and they first-hand experience the ways the Jews lived, and their rights and responsibilities.  

Websites

 Articles in Jewish Chronicles (London)  May 1880. http://www.wzo.org.il/home/politic/d132.htm

          This is an original document recording the events in Russia.  It has details as to the where and when.  It also has facts and it will be helpful on the website as an original document.

Broadsheet by Rabbi Issac Ruelf of Memel

http://www.wzo.org.il/home/politic/d133.htm

          This was an appeal for help in a German newspaper.  It documents the events in German.  This will be a good piece of original document to use in the website.

J. Kniesmeyer and D. Brecher Beyond the Pale, http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/beyond-the-pale/english/guide-cond.html

            Has a link to Middle Ages, which has very good information on the Jews in the Middle Ages.  This site also has lots of pictures that could be used.  There is a section about the Russian Holocaust as well as Life as a Jew.  This was a very good site.

“Jews in the Russian Empire”  http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/beyond-the-pale/eng_captions/33-5.html

          These are photographs of Jews before the pogroms.  What their life was like in Russia.  There is mostly photographs with some captions and information.

Map of Pale Settlement 1835-1917. http://www.wzo.org.il/home/politic/d128.htm

            This is an original map of the Pale Settlement where thousands of Jews were killed.  It would be good to use in the website along side a map of Russia to shoe where it was loacated.

Heritage. PBS. 12 December 2002. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/heritage/timeline6.html

          I like how this site is formatted.  Whatever you click on in the timeline, it will bring you to that date and different information about it.

 “Modern History Sourcebook: Mary Antin: A Little Jewish Girl in the Russian Pale, 1890”  http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1890antin.html

          These are excerpts of Mary Antin’s novel about her experiences in Russia during the pogroms.  It is filled with information and original eye witness accounts.

Photographs of the Russian people involved with the programs http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/beyond-the-pale/eng_captions/42-1.html

          These are useful photos of the people involved in the actual pogroms.  There are captions and brief information.  This would be useful in showing the type of people and even the pride they took in these awful deeds.

Photographs of the Dead killed during the pogroms http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/beyond-the-pale/eng_captions/42-2.html

          These are graphic photographs of the dead lined up to be photographed.  The Russians blamed the Jews for the economic and political problems.  They mistakenly believed that killing them would change things for the better.

Radiszlow Family Album and Oral History about the Pogroms

http://www.radzilow.com/radzilovers8.htm

Photo album and family interviews about the pogroms.  There are several members of the family with diary entrees about experiences and actual photos.

Records of the Soviet of People's Commissars from April 17, 1918, concerning measures against anti-Jewish           pogroms. Special Jewish combat organizations were considered undesirable. Beyond the Pale: The History of         Jews in Russia  This exhibit is copyright © 1995 J. Kniesmeyer and D. Brecher http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/beyond-the-pale/eng_captions/42-7.html

          This was from an exhibit about the investigation into the pogroms.  There are photographs and analysis of the incidents as well as original photographs and accounts.

Rueters.  Telegram.  April 20.  “Outrages Upon Jews in Russia”. Jewish Chronicle.  http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1881JC-pogroms.html.

          These telegrams describe what is happening in Russia.  It is a day-to-day informal of the Jewish upbringings and riots.

Russian Political Cartoons about 1880 Genocide of Jews http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/beyond-the-pale/eng_captions/23-2.html

          These are political cartoons from Russian that speaks to the ill feelings towards the Jews.  The exaggerations and depictions were used to get the public even more upset at the Jews.

  Books

Berk, Stephen.  Year of Crisis, Year of Hope: Russian Jewry and Pogroms of 1881-1882.  Greenwood Publishing Group.  1985

          This is a scholarly book that goes into the years of mistreatment of the Jews that lead to the pogroms.  The pogroms were not the first time Jews were killed or mistreated, but it was the start of widespread incidents.

Debroszycki, Lucjan, Jeffrey S. Gurock, and Richard Pipes.  The Holocaust in the Soviet Union.  1933, M.E. Shappe, Inc.  New York

             It talks lots about post-World War II Jews in Russia, which brings out the difference between the rights and responsibilities since the 1770’s.  Is a good book to compare the modern Jews in Russia with the older Jews in Russia.  Talks about the rights Jews had during the holocaust in Russia.

Dubnow, S.M. History of the Jews in Russia and Poland.  USA: KTAV Publishing House, Inc., 1975.

          This describes how the Jewish came to be in Russia and the effect of having Jews in Russia.  

Gitelman, Zvi Y. Jewish Nationality and Soviet Politics. 1972. New Jersey. Princeton University Press.

            This book describes how the Jews came to live in Russia and what they did in Russia.  This describes how important Russia was and why Jews came to Russia.

Goldberg, B.Z. The Jewish Problem in the Soviet Union. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1961.

          This book summarizes how important Russia and the Jews are.  This is an analysis and detailed summary of everything that happened.

Gurevitz, Baruch. National Communism in the Soviet Union 1918-28. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, 1980.

          This book is an overview of what happened during the time period indicated.  This describes the Soviet’s responsibilities and the Jews rights to live in freedom.

Klier, John Doyle. Pogroms. Cambridge University Press. 2002

          This is a book that uses original photographs and documents to show the events that led up the pogroms and what happened in Russia afterwards.

Israel, Gerard.  The Jews in Russia.  1975.  Charles Knight and Co. Ltd. Sovereign Way, Tombridge, Kent. 25 New Street Square, Fleet Street, London ECHA 35A

            This was a good book because of the chapters about the Jews in wars, which talk about their rights and responsibilities.  The part about Lenin: Jewish Nationality and the counter-revolution was good also.  This book had good details about Jews life.

Levitats, Isaac.  Jewish Community in Russia 1772-1844.  1970. Octagon Books, New York

            This book had excellent historical references.  This book clearly stated things about the rights in the early years the Jews were in Russia.  Goes all the way back to biblical times and talks about Jews.

Pinkus, Benjamin. The Jews of the Soviet Union. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988.

          This book analyzes the approach to Jewish nationality from the Soviet Union.  This uses a lot of high vocabulary.  

Schechtman, B. Joseph. Star in Eclipse: Russian Jewry Revisited. 1961. A.S. Barnes and Company, Inc. New York.

             This book refers to the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel coming from all different places in Russia.  These were the Russian Jews that had the limited rights and weren’t allowed to have responsibilities.  This book talks a lot about the Israeli rights.

Article

Reddaway,Professor Peter, “At Least One Million Convicts in a Thousand Soviet Forced Labour Camps.”, Forced Labour Camps in the U.S.S.R. Today (Conference)

            This primary source is a list of reports and conferences that took place regarding the Jews and their rights.  It talks about the rights in a series of quotes, reports, and interviews, but compiled all into a book.  This has lots of information that has to do with the theme.

Websites

“Campaign to End Genocide: Soviet Union”  http://www.endgenocide.org/genocide/Soviet.html

            This is website devoted to revealing the truths about the Russian pogroms in the hopes of ending genocides like this.  It has information about the events leading to the pogroms.  It also discusses the government’s response.

Boruch Chaim (Alter) Cassel The City of Keidan: An Historical Memoir April, 1996. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/acassel/keidan/history/cassel_ch9-10.html#9

            This web site talks about the rights of the Jews, as well as what they could and could not do.  It shows examples of these things, and some jobs that Jews had in Russia, and also what Jews did when Russia was in war.

 Cousins Plus.  http://www.cousinsplus.com/families/CousinsPlus/History/golden-            age.htm#space-at-top

            This site talks clearly about the life in a Russian Jewish point-of-view.  This has wonderful information on the Golden Age in Poland, and the Polish Jews in Russia talking for a long period of time.  This was an excellent source of research.

Crozier, William, Clarke Chambers, Patrick Costello, Chad Gaffield, and Beverly          Stadium Russian Jews as Desirable Immigrants, St. Mary’s University of     Minnesota, http://www.mnsmc.edu/HISTORY/VANETTEN.HTML

             Lots of good information about Polish Jews and Russian Jews.  Also talks about the Jews going over to Europe, and making that transition.  The good thing about this site is that it talks about Polish and Russian Jews and how they were similar with their rights and responsibilities.

Enlightenment of the Holocaust ,The. Alacritude, LLC.            http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/antisemi_theenlightenmenttotheholoc aust.asp

            This reference has lots of things about the 18^th century Orthodox Jews.  This encyclopedia also mentions how and why the Orthodox Jews merged to Russia.  This was an okay site for the rights and responsibilities of the Jews when they merged to Russia.

History of the Russian Federation. “Jewish History of the Russian Federation”  http://www.heritagefilms.com/Russian1.htm

          This is an interesting site with films and photographs about the incidents in Russia.  Some but not of the photographs and background information will be useful.

Lecture 3-GIS 101. James J. Messina, Ph.D. & Constance M. Messina, Ph.D. 12 December 2002. < http://www.coping.org/courses/gis101/lectures/lecture3.htm>

          This is a whole collection of notes on the Jews and Russia.  This summarizes everything that happened since 135 B.C.

“Open Directory”.  12 December 2002. http://dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Judaism/History/

            There are many links to different things about the Jews and Jewish history.  It would have taken too long to list out all of the different sites.

Petrov, Sergey. Interview with Yonya Gorin.

http://www.ripnet.org/strategies/religions/gorinmulls.htm

          This is a interview of an important person discussing what happened during the late 1800’s with the Jews in Russia, however, this is not a primary source.  

Rosenthal, Herman. Jewish Encyclopedia.com. “Alexander III, Alexandrovich, Emperor of Russia” <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1132&letter=A>

            This site describes what the Russians and Alexander III would do.  Alexander III would allow anti-Jewish riots.  He created the May Laws and the Temporary Laws.

“Russia, 1905, hundreds of Jews are killed in Anti-Jewish riots”.  October 21, 2002.  December 3, 2002.  <http://www.factsofisrale.com/blog/archives/00418.html>

          This is a good website for maps and the descriptions of what happened.  This website gives reasons for the riots and all of the different ones.

“Russia and the Jews”. 12 December 2002 http://theoccident.com/Occident/volume4/apr1846/russia.html

            I like how the author of this page uses a lot of quotes.  The information, however, is not perfect.

Since the Holocaust. Alacritude.  LLC, http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/antiSemi_SincetheHolocaust.asp

            This site shows very good facts about anti-Semitism about rights and responsibilities and everyday life.  This reference shows the impact wars had on the community of the Jews.  This reference talked about the Palestinian Jews too.

Zionism and Mass Migration.  The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia,             http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0859041.html

            This reference had few, but good information.  This site was good for the facts about the Russian Jews.  This site also included Anti-Semitism which was helpful.  Also, this reference talks about the wars that the Russian Jews were involved in.