Overview

In this innovative study, Eli Lederhandler explores the previously ignored antecedents to the political awakening of Jewish intellectuals and their break with the traditional, religion-centred culture in Tsarist Russia. Only in the last few years have scholars begun to consider the place of politics in pre-modern Jewish society, and then only from a purely theoretical point of view. Lederhandler's work will be the first to examine in depth the actual political functioning of a Jewish community in its relations with the non-Jewish state and with its own citizens.

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9780195058918

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Reviews

With this study, Lederhendler has not only traced, carefully and successfully, the evolution of Jewish political thinking and behavior in the premodern era but also shed light on the background of that sudden eruption of Jewish consciousness and political activity that burst forth in the aftermath of the pogroms of 1881....Important and effective. His study presents students of both the Jewish and the Russian experiences with a varity of new questions worth pursuing. --American Historical Review This bold and provocative book is a highly original and astute study of the roots of modern Jewish politics in tsarist Russia.... Intelligent, challenging and enlightening. --Slavic Review Clear, concise, and scholarly....The author's unique focus is on the changing relationship of Jewish political representatives with higher non-Jewish authorities and on political conflicts within the Jewish community itself....The book should provide useful to a variety of social scientists interested in Jewish political life. --Choice Lederhendler's book should be read by every student of Russian Jewish history. The virtues of his basic argument are supplemented by his useful inclusion of lists of Jewish shtadlanim, censors, and learned Jews. --The Slavonic Review A well-written, well-researched book. L'Eyelah With this study, Lederhendler has not only traced, carefully and successfully, the evolution of Jewish political thinking and behavior in the premodern era but also shed light on the background of that sudden eruption of Jewish consciousness and political activity that burst forth in the aftermath of the pogroms of 1881....Important and effective. His study presents students of both the Jewish and the Russian experiences with a varity of new questions worth pursuing. --American Historical Review This bold and provocative book is a highly original and astute study of the roots of modern Jewish politics in tsarist Russia.... Intelligent, challenging and enlightening. --Slavic Review Clear, concise, and scholarly....The author's unique focus is on the changing relationship of Jewish political representatives with higher non-Jewish authorities and on political conflicts within the Jewish community itself....The book should provide useful to a variety of social scientists interested in Jewish political life. --Choice Lederhendler's book should be read by every student of Russian Jewish history. The virtues of his basic argument are supplemented by his useful inclusion of lists of Jewish shtadlanim, censors, and learned Jews. --The Slavonic Review A well-written, well-researched book. L'Eyelah This valuable contribution to Jewish political historiography enables the great upheavals in Jewish life in this century to be understood as being derived from the activities of the various East European kehillot, themselves legally autonomous Jewish structures. --Glasgo Jewish Arts Anthology A brilliant synthesis of the political life of the Eastern European Jews before the rise of Zionism. He has successfully challenged the widespread assumption that Jewish life in Eastern Europe was devoid of political vitality and has restored the political dimension to our understanding of Jewish history. --David Biale, Graduate Theological Union

'illustrates graphically the history of Jewish life around the world in the past two centuries ... Graphs, charts, illustrations and diagrams are employed to describe every conceivable aspect of Jewish life and activity: from community size and birthrate to migration patterns and inter-marriage. There is much here of great interest and significance ... No aspect of Jewish life in Israel or in the diaspora is too unimportant to be covered and use of this atlas will enable the student to understand the processes of change and the transformation of the jewish world in the last two centuries ... the truly awesome scope of this book ... All of Jewish history, geography, sociology, demographics and politics is here and it is not hard to see why the original Hebrew edition was so successful.' Kenneth Collins, Jewish Arts Anthology 'Lederhendler's book should be read by every student of Russian Jewish history. The virtues of his basic argument are supplemented by his useful inclusion of lists of Jewish shtadlanim, censors, and learned Jews.' John D. Klier, University College, University of London, The Slavonic Review 'well-written, well-researched book' Sharman Kadish, L'Eylan

With this study, Lederhendler has not only traced, carefully and successfully, the evolution of Jewish political thinking and behavior in the premodern era but also shed light on the background of that sudden eruption of Jewish consciousness and political activity that burst forth in the aftermath of the pogroms of 1881....Important and effective. His study presents students of both the Jewish and the Russian experiences with a varity of new questions worth pursuing. --American Historical Review This bold and provocative book is a highly original and astute study of the roots of modern Jewish politics in tsarist Russia....Intelligent, challenging and enlightening. --Slavic Review Clear, concise, and scholarly....The author's unique focus is on the changing relationship of Jewish political representatives with higher non-Jewish authorities and on political conflicts within the Jewish community itself....The book should provide useful to a variety of social scientists interested in Jewish political life. --CHOICE Lederhendler's book should be read by every student of Russian Jewish history. The virtues of his basic argument are supplemented by his useful inclusion of lists of Jewish shtadlanim, censors, and learned Jews. --The Slavonic Review A well-written, well-researched book. --L'Eyelah This valuable contribution to Jewish political historiography enables the great upheavals in Jewish life in this century to be understood as being derived from the activities of the various East European kehillot, themselves legally autonomous Jewish structures. --Glasgo Jewish Arts Anthology A brilliant synthesis of the political life of the Eastern European Jews before the rise of Zionism. He has successfully challenged the widespread assumption that Jewish life in Eastern Europe was devoid of political vitality and has restored the political dimension to our understanding of Jewish history. --David Biale, Graduate Theological Union

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Managing Editor of the annual ""Studies in Contemporary Jewry"" (OUP USA)

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