Society for the Promotion of Culture among the Jews of Russia
Encyclopedia
The Society for the Promotion of Culture among the Jews of Russia was a Learned society
founded at Saint Petersburg
, the Capital city
The Russian Empire
, in December 1863, by some of the most prominent Russian Jews, among which were Joseph Yozel Günzburg, who became president; his son Horace Günzburg
, first vice-president; Rabbi A. Neumann, second vice-president; Leon Rosenthal, treasurer
; Abraham Brodski; I. Brodski; and others.
The aim of the society as set forth in its constitution is as follows:
, which was founded in 1860. The time was ripe for such an organization in Russia, inasmuch as the awakening of the Jews
of that country to their cultural needs was in progress. There were, however, some drawbacks, on account of which the society was unable to carry out its program in its entirety. Its scope of activity was necessarily limited by the disabilities
of the Russian Jews; and there was, moreover, a lack of interest on the part of the intellectual
Jews themselves, the greater number of whom strove to shake themselves free from everything Jewish. The society thus had to struggle on for some time and to satisfy its ambition with minor achievements. For several years the number of its members was less than 250, and in 1880 it was not quite 350; the annual income was less than 12,000 ruble
s. From that year onward, however, the interest in the society increased. The anti-Jewish riots
, on the one hand, and the restrictions imposed by the government, on the other, impelled the Russian Jews to trust to self-help and to take thenceforth more interest in their own institutions. In the next year (1880) the society inaugurated a branch, with a special fund
, for the promotion of agriculture
and industry
among the Russian Jews. The number of its members increased to 552, and its yearly income was more than doubled (28,246 rubles). But here, again, the attitude of the Russian government toward the Jews checked the society's operations, the prohibition against Jews engaging in agriculture having become more stringent with the accession of Alexander III
., thus defeating the object of the new agricultural section. In the other branches, however, the activity of the society was considerable, the report of its twentieth anniversary (1884) showing an expenditure from the foundation of the society of 78,788 rubles for the support of student
s at universities
, academies, and industrial institutions, and for the maintenance of private
and public schools; in addition 35,556 rubles were expended in connection with useful publications issued by the society itself or on its initiative. At the same time, a greater interest in Hebrew literature
began to manifest itself among the members, and a special fund for its promotion was voted in 1884.
, which issued and maintained the newspaper Den ("The Day"). Other branches were later established at Moscow
, Riga
, and several other cities; but the most effective work hasbeen done by the Odessa branch. The chief lines of the society's activity are the following:
Unfortunately, the society has to struggle for existence. Its educational work is being rendered less important in proportion as education progresses among the Russian Jews generally. Moreover, the society having been founded at a time when the idea of assimilation
with the Russians
was prevalent among the cultured Jews, and having, more or less, retained this spirit, it has now to face an internal conflict
with the Jewish national tendencies that have recently been awakened in Russian Jewry, and with which many of the members of the society are strongly imbued.
Learned society
A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...
founded at Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, the Capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
The Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, in December 1863, by some of the most prominent Russian Jews, among which were Joseph Yozel Günzburg, who became president; his son Horace Günzburg
Horace Günzburg
Baron Horace Günzburg was a Russian philanthropist. He received his education at home in Zvenigorodka...
, first vice-president; Rabbi A. Neumann, second vice-president; Leon Rosenthal, treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
; Abraham Brodski; I. Brodski; and others.
The aim of the society as set forth in its constitution is as follows:
- "To promote culture among the Russian Jews and to infuse into them love therefor. To this end the society will endeavor to spread the knowledge of the Russian language among them; it will publish and assist others in publishing useful works and journalAcademic journalAn academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
s in RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, as well as in Hebrew, that will aid in carrying out the purposes of the societySocietyA society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
; and it will, further, assist the young in devoting themselves to the pursuit of knowledge and of the scienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s."
Branch Societies
The idea of establishing such a society in Russia may have been suggested by the Alliance Israélite UniverselleAlliance Israélite Universelle
The Alliance Israélite Universelle is a Paris-based international Jewish organization founded in 1860 by the French statesman Adolphe Crémieux to safeguard the human rights of Jews around the world...
, which was founded in 1860. The time was ripe for such an organization in Russia, inasmuch as the awakening of the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
of that country to their cultural needs was in progress. There were, however, some drawbacks, on account of which the society was unable to carry out its program in its entirety. Its scope of activity was necessarily limited by the disabilities
Disabilities (Jewish)
Disabilities were legal restrictions and limitations placed on Jews in the Middle Ages. They included provisions requiring Jews to wear specific and identifying clothing such as the Jewish hat and the yellow badge, restricting Jews to certain cities and towns or in certain parts of towns , and...
of the Russian Jews; and there was, moreover, a lack of interest on the part of the intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
Jews themselves, the greater number of whom strove to shake themselves free from everything Jewish. The society thus had to struggle on for some time and to satisfy its ambition with minor achievements. For several years the number of its members was less than 250, and in 1880 it was not quite 350; the annual income was less than 12,000 ruble
Ruble
The ruble or rouble is a unit of currency. Currently, the currency units of Belarus, Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria, and, in the past, the currency units of several other countries, notably countries influenced by Russia and the Soviet Union, are named rubles, though they all are...
s. From that year onward, however, the interest in the society increased. The anti-Jewish riots
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
, on the one hand, and the restrictions imposed by the government, on the other, impelled the Russian Jews to trust to self-help and to take thenceforth more interest in their own institutions. In the next year (1880) the society inaugurated a branch, with a special fund
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
, for the promotion of agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
among the Russian Jews. The number of its members increased to 552, and its yearly income was more than doubled (28,246 rubles). But here, again, the attitude of the Russian government toward the Jews checked the society's operations, the prohibition against Jews engaging in agriculture having become more stringent with the accession of Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
., thus defeating the object of the new agricultural section. In the other branches, however, the activity of the society was considerable, the report of its twentieth anniversary (1884) showing an expenditure from the foundation of the society of 78,788 rubles for the support of student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s at universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, academies, and industrial institutions, and for the maintenance of private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
and public schools; in addition 35,556 rubles were expended in connection with useful publications issued by the society itself or on its initiative. At the same time, a greater interest in Hebrew literature
Hebrew literature
Hebrew literature consists of ancient, medieval, and modern writings in the Hebrew language. It is one of the primary forms of Jewish literature, though there have been cases of literature written in Hebrew by non-Jews...
began to manifest itself among the members, and a special fund for its promotion was voted in 1884.
Chief Lines of Activity
The operations of the society have since extended far beyond Saint Petersburg. As early as 1865 a branch had been founded at OdessaOdessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, which issued and maintained the newspaper Den ("The Day"). Other branches were later established at Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, and several other cities; but the most effective work hasbeen done by the Odessa branch. The chief lines of the society's activity are the following:
- Assistance of Jewish students at the Russian universities;
- Maintenance of general and industrial schools for Jewish children;
- Aid to Jewish librariesLibraryIn a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
; - encouragement of Jewish authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
s and publicationPublicationTo publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...
of works (in Hebrew and Russian) pertaining to JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, prizePrizeA prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people to recognise and reward actions or achievements. Official prizes often involve monetary rewards as well as the fame that comes with them...
s being offered for the same; and - Promotion of a knowledge of Jewish scienceJewish studiesJewish studies is an academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and Judaism. Jewish studies is interdisciplinary and combines aspects of history , religious studies, archeology, sociology, languages , political science, area studies, women's studies, and ethnic studies...
by series of lectureLecturethumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
s, particularly in Saint Petersburg.
Unfortunately, the society has to struggle for existence. Its educational work is being rendered less important in proportion as education progresses among the Russian Jews generally. Moreover, the society having been founded at a time when the idea of assimilation
Jewish assimilation
Jewish assimilation refers to the cultural assimilation and social integration of Jews in their surrounding culture. Assimilation became legally possible in Europe during the Age of Enlightenment.-Background:Judaism forbids the worship of other gods...
with the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
was prevalent among the cultured Jews, and having, more or less, retained this spirit, it has now to face an internal conflict
Group conflict
Group conflict, or hostilities between different groups, is a pervasive feature common to all levels of social organization .. Although group conflict is one of the most complex phenomena studied by social scientists, the history of the human race evidences a series of group-level conflicts that...
with the Jewish national tendencies that have recently been awakened in Russian Jewry, and with which many of the members of the society are strongly imbued.