History of the Jews in Russia and Poland, Volume 2 [of 3]: From the Death of Alexander I until the Death of Alexander III (1825-1894)Dubnow, Simon
Religion
History of the Jews in Russia and Poland, Volume 2 [of 3]: From the Death of Alexander I until the Death of Alexander III (1825-1894)
Dubnow, Simon
Jews -- Poland -- History; Jews -- Russia -- History; Poland -- History; Russia -- History
In the course of the last twenty-five years a new accusation has
been brought forward against the Jews in Russia and those outside of
Russia. The Jews have been found to form a considerable percentage
among the champions of anarchistic and revolutionary doctrines,
consisting mostly of half-educated youngsters who have drifted away
from one shore and have not succeeded in reaching the other. This
extremely deplorable fact is used as evidence for the purpose of
showing that Judaism itself contains within it a destructive force,
and is, therefore, doubly dangerous to State and society. The Jewish
progressives and socialists are wont to speak of their mission to
reconstruct the world and of their innate love of mankind.... These
statements need hardly be taken seriously, for present-day Jewry, by
the very essence of its nature, professes strictly conservative
principles, which to a large extent are egotistic and have for their
aim the practical welfare of its adherents. The interpretation of
the spirit of Judaism in a directly opposite sense is but an
unsuccessful attempt on the part of Jewish anarchists who wish to
proclaim themselves as the apostles of a new national mission
invented by them. The fact of their forming a large percentage in
the camp of those opposed to the Russian civic order may be
explained by the artificial manner in which vast numbers of pupils
from among the lowest classes of the Jewish population are attracted
into the secondary and elementary educational establishments. These
pupils are without means of a livelihood, and they lack, moreover,
all religious beliefs; they are embittered not only by their
personal unfortunate position but also by the pressure of the
restrictive laws which weigh heavily upon their fellow-Jews in
Russia.
The defects which should be truly combated by Government and society
are: a) Jewish exclusiveness and separatism; b) the endeavor of the
Jews to bring the economic forces of the population, in the midst of
which they live, under their influence (i.e., exploitation)....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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