Jewish Diaspora: From Ancient Times to Expulsion and Exile
Explores the Jewish Diaspora from ancient times, including the Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah, Roman Empire influence, and subsequent dispersion leading to assimilation and anti-Semitism. Highlights significant events such as the division of the Kingdom, exile from Spain, and the plight of Jews in Europe and Asia post-476 CE.
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The Pale of Settlement Brookline Home School Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Part I: The Jewish Diaspora (2000 BCE-476 AD) Diaspora: Dispersion or Exile
Kingdom of Israel ~2000 BCE: According to Bible, Abraham leaves Ur in Mesopotamia for Canaan (modern- day Israel) to west By 1000 BCE, King David ruled Kingdom of Israel He and son Solomon rule until 922 BCE
Division 922 BCE: Kingdom splits Northern = Israel, led by Jeroboam Southern = Judah, led by Rehoboam Capital city = Jerusalem Kingdom of Israel conquered by Assyrians in 722 BCE Deported to Assyria Those Jews = Lost Tribes of Israel
Kingdom of Judah King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers in 586 BCE But in 538 BCE, King Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon Jews allowed to return to Judah, but many stayed End of Jewish empire begun by David
Roman Empire By 1stcentury BCE, 40% of Alexandria, Egypt Jewish Palestine (what Israel/Judah now called) spiritual center for Jews Most lived outside: 5 million scattered through Empire In 70 AD, Jerusalem destroyed
Part II: From Rome to Russia (476 to 1881) Assimilation and Anti- Semitism
An Empire Ends After 476 CE, Jews scatter throughout Europe and Asia Two paths: Many lived in peace near or with Gentile neighbors Others suffered brutal anti- Semitism No permanent homeland
Late 15thCentury: Exile Spain expels all Jews on March 31, 1492 Some convert to Catholicism 40-100,000 flee many north, east Russian Empire expels its Jews at same time Travel west to modern-day Poland, Baltics, etc.
Russia Expands East 1772: 1stPartition of Poland Millions of Jew reabsorbed into Russian Empire Encouraged to settle in newly- acquired Turkey 1795-1835 3rdPartition of Poland Other territories added/subtracted
Worlds Largest Ghetto Named Pale of Settlement under Czar Nicholas I (1825-55) 386,100 square miles North: Baltic Sea South: Black Sea East: Modern Russian Federation West: Modern western Poland, western Ukraine, Moldova
Life in the Pale 1897 Russian Census 94% of Russian Jews = 4,899,300 12% of total Pale population 99% spoke Yiddish 76% worked commerce/crafts Typically tailoring, shoemaking Could not trade in Russia proper This & competition underclass Jewish
Highly Literate Newspapers circulated widely Literature in Yiddish, Hebrew, Polish, Russian (Sholom Aleichem) Kids taught in cheder, yeshivah Other movements thrived Chasidism Zionism Socialism despite illegality
Czar Alexander II: 1855-81 Wide-reaching reforms Abolished serfdom in 1861 For upper-SES Jews loosened residency, travel restrictions Assassinated March 13, 1881 Revolutionary People s Will Sparked harsh backlash against Jews
Part III: Leaving Russia (1881-1918) Pogroms and Mass Emigration
May 1881 Temporary Laws Jews could only live in Pale marketing towns called shtetls Gentile peasants could demand removal of neighboring Jews Brutally enforced by local authorities Paid to ignore horrific attacks on shtetls called pogroms 1881-84, 1903-06
Exodus 1891-92 expulsion 20,000 from Moscow 2,000 from St. Petersburg All resulted in mass emigration 1881-1914: 3 million Jews leave Pale Prior to 1918, most went to United States No passport, visa, other government documents required
East End of London Very poor, densely populated 100,000 Jews welcomed at first Soon majority area of intersection Commercial Road, Commercial Street East, Whitechapel High Road Traditional synagogue every corner Established British Jews wary High anti-Semitism Fall 1888 Was Jack the Ripper Jewish?
Germany Called Ostjuden (eastern Jews) Tension w/more-established Westjuden (western Jews) Profound impact on generation of Jewish filmmakers Starting late 1920s, many moved to Paris then Hollywood where they helped launch film noir.
United States Only 2% Jews turned away Better experience here Ethnic, political pluralism Philadelphia founded 1683 by William Penn Promote religious freedom City of Brotherly Love Jewish area South Philadelphia Berger, Caesar, Cohen, Gurmankin, Koslenko, Rugowitz, Shore, Zinman
