The Jews of the Soviet Union

Download or read book The Jews of the Soviet Union written by Benjamin Pinkus and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ch. 1 (pp. 1-48) deals with the period before 1917, discussing Church-inspired anti-Jewish policies from the 15th century onwards, the ban on Jewish settlement up to the 18th century, and restrictions on the Jews under Tsarist rule, culminating in a series of pogroms. Distinguishes three stages in Soviet Jewish history, with a section on antisemitism in each period. During 1917-1939, "the years of construction, " antisemitism was officially outlawed, yet it persisted due to a deep-rooted tradition and the need for an outlet for resentment against the regime. During 1939-1953, "the years of destruction, " Soviet Jews were victims of the Nazi extermination policy and Stalin's campaign against "Jewish cosmopolitanism" and Zionism. In the post-Stalin period, 1953-1983, antisemitic propaganda appeared in the mass media and in literature, expressing traditional stereotypes as well as anti-Zionism. Mentions also discrimination in education and employment.