“An impressively researched and surprisingly accessible portrait of
Jewish life in the mid-19th century.” — Kirkus Reviews Set in
Ukraine and Crimea, this unique autobiography offers a fascinating,
detailed picture of life in late nineteenth- and early
twentieth-century Tsarist Russia. Goldenshteyn (1848-1930), a
traditional Jew who was orphaned as a young boy, is a master
storyteller. Folksy, funny, streetwise, and self-confident, he is a
keen observer of nineteenth-century Eastern Europe, both Jewish and
non-Jewish. His accounts are vivid and readable, sometimes stunning in
their intensity. The memoir is brimming with information; his
adventures shed light on communal life, persecution, family
relationships, religious practices and beliefs, social classes, local
politics, interactions between Jews and other religious communities
(including Muslims, who formed the majority of Crimea’s populace),
epidemics, poverty, competition for resources, migration, war,
modernity and secularization, holy men and charlatans, acts of
kindness and acts of treachery. In chronicling his own life,
Goldenshteyn inadvertently tells a bigger story—the story of how a
small, oppressed people, among other minority groups, struggled for
survival in the massive Russian Empire. Until now, only a small circle
of Yiddish-speaking scholars had access to this extremely significant
primary source. This translation is a game-changer, making this
treasure trove of information accessible to academics and ordinary
readers alike. Informed by research in Ukrainian, Israeli, and
American archives and personal interviews with the few surviving
individuals who knew Goldenshteyn personally, The Shochet is a
magnificent new contribution to Jewish and Eastern European history.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9798887193021
Publisert
2024
Utgiver
Vendor
Academic Studies Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter