JWST327 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Menahem Mendel Beilis, Reform Judaism, Russian Empire

• School: University of Delaware
• Department: Jewish Studies
• Course: JWST327
• Professor: Polly Zavadivker

Document Summary

History of antisemitism in russia trial of beilis. One of the first accusations to arise in a major area prior to wwi. Suspected he may have been killed due to knowledge of the crimes: assumed it was done by jews, and searched for a jew to pin the murder on. Trial lasted over a month, and they ended up acquitting beilis, and agreeing it was ritual murder. Lived as a minority group among other minorities: treatment of jews in the russian empire. Tzars restricted jews to certain professions and living spaces. Tzars wanted to integrate the jews into russian empire through conversion, education, military conscription, assimilation, and religious reform. Seen almost traumatically from a jewish standpoint. A minority of jews appreciated the opportunity to assimilate. Jews organized themselves in public, around organized life like synagogue and markets. Russia began reform of their autocratic society in the late 1800s.