History of the Jews in 19th-century Poland
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The history of the Jews in 19th-century Poland covers the period of Jewish-Polish history from the dismemberment of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (see also: Partitions of Poland), until the beginning of the 20th century.
Jews of Poland within the Russian Empire (1795–1918)
Official Russian policy would eventually prove to be substantially harsher to the Jews than that under independent Polish rule. The lands that had once been Poland were to remain the home of many Jews, as, in 1772, Catherine II, the tzarina of Russia, instituted the Pale of Settlement, restricting Jews to the western parts of the empire, which would eventually include much Poland although it excluded some areas in which Jews had previously lived. By the late 19th century, over four million Jews would live in the Pale.
Initially, Russian policy towards the Jews of Poland was confused, alternating between harsh rules and somewhat more enlightened policies. In 1802, the Tsar established the
One of the most important events of that period was the establishment of the
In four school years the following subjects were taught: Old Testament, Midrash (commentaries on the Holy Scriptures), Talmud, general history, history of Poland, mathematics, geography, Hebrew, Polish, German and French. The graduates from the School were members of the Jewish intelligentsia related with the assimilation movement.[1]
Only a few graduates dedicated themselves to the profession of rabbi. Supplementary classes were planned for them. Most of the graduates formed Warsaw's progressive Jewish elite: entrepreneurs, merchants, scientists, journalists, artists and patrons of the arts.
The founding committee appointed by the government of Congress Poland consisted of three Poles, including Stefan Witwicki. The rabbinical school was headed by Antoni Eisenbaum from its founding until his death in 1852, then by Jakub Tugendhold until its closure in 1862. Jews and Christians worked as teachers. Altogether about one thousand Jews graduated from the rabbinical school. The school inspired patriotic attitudes. Some students, like Stanislas Hernisz, took part in the November Uprising of 1831.
The Warsaw Rabbinical School was bitterly criticized by the
Though the Jews were accorded slightly more rights with the
Pogroms
The assassination prompted a large-scale wave of anti-Jewish riots, called
An even bloodier wave of pogroms broke out from 1903 to 1906, including the
Haskalah
The Jewish Enlightenment,
Politics in Polish territory
By the late 19th century, Haskalah and the debates it caused created a growing number of political movements within the Jewish community itself, covering a wide range of views and vying for votes in local and regional elections.
Jews joined also Polish struggles for an independent Poland. Many Jews participated in a number of Polish insurrections against the
See also
- History of the Jews in Poland
- History of the Jews in Poland before the 18th century
- History of the Jews in 18th-century Poland
- History of the Jews in 19th-century Poland
- History of the Jews in 20th-century Poland
- Jewish-Polish history (1989–present)
- Hasidic Judaism in Poland
- Timeline of Jewish-Polish history
References
- ^ a b c "History". Virtual Shtetl.
- ^ ISBN 9780875803524.
- ISBN 1-886223-11-4.
- ISBN 9780765760005.
- ^ Opalski, Magdalena; Barṭal, Yiśraʼel. Poles and Jews: A Failed Brotherhood. University Press of New England. p. 44.