Thread by @HistoricalJW

Jewish ethnic divisions - Russian Jews (Thread)

The first Jews to settle in today's Russia region are the Mountain Jews, who lived in the Caucasus region, as they migrated to this area following the destruction of the First Temple.

In the Middle Ages, Jewish merchants came to the Khazar kingdom. According to studies, some of the Khazars and even the king himself converted to Judaism but the claim is controversial.

According to historical studies and records there is currently no trace of Khazar Judaism and the assumption is that even those who converted to Judaism - eventually were assimilated with the locals over the years and converted to Islam.

In 1113, following the Crusades, the Christians looted the homes of the Jews. The Jews, on the other hand, fortified themselves in the synagogues. In the 15th century, Jewish merchants migrated to the area again, and suffered persecution because of their religion.

Until the 16th century Jews could remain in the regions of Russia for trade, afterward, Jews weren’t allowed to enter Russian territory, not even the merchants. Their goods were burned and rumors that the Jews were inciting the Christians from their faith began to spread.

In the same century, they drowned and killed 300 Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. The lives of the Jews continued to deteriorate or improve according to the changing Russian Empires. In 1648, with the Cossack uprising, severe riots broke out.

The Jews were sold into slavery, starved, forced to convert and the number of those killed by the Russians, Cossacks and Poles numbered about 50,000.

As the Russia-Poland War occurred, many Jews found themselves as prisoners, or as murdered victims by the Cossacks. At the beginning of the 19th century the situation of the Jews improved. The Russian Empire tried to integrate them into the country.

The Jews who used to live in isolated villages, dressed in traditional attire had to move to new colonies and change their clothes to a modern attire. But the Russian good will caused to decrees -

Jews were forced to pay taxes if they dressed in traditional Jewish attire and men were forbidden to grow Payot (side curls).

Through the 19th century, the Jews were divided between those educated who studied at universities and ceased to observe most Jewish customs and those who remained traditional and religious.

The "secular" Jews believed that only if they integrated into Russian society they would have equal rights. But it didn’t help stop the anti-Semitism and persecution. As soon as the emperor was assassinated, the Jews were accused of murder.

Their lives in Russia became bitter and tough again. Riots began on Passover, known as the "The storms in the South” and lasted for an entire year. This harmed more than 100 Jewish communities throughout Russia.

About 10 years later, 30,000 Jews were deported. And antisemitic plots of the "Elders of Zion" began to spread throughout Russia and Europe. In 1903, the Kishinev riots broke out following antisemitic propaganda.

700 Jewish homes and businesses were looted, and hundreds were injured. The fate of the Jews in Russia was cruel. Within 30 years, about 2 million Jews fled Russia.

During the period of the Soviet Union (1922-1991), the Jews continued to be a persecuted people, and 250,000 Jews were murdered. With the conquest of the Nazis, millions of Jews were taken prisoner and most of them were murdered in the Holocaust.

Today, it’s estimated that there are currently about 3 million Russian Jews.
Most of them live in Israel and the United States. It’s evident that over the years with the processes of secularization and persecution, they became less and less religious.

About 30% of Russian Jews define themselves as observant Jews. About 27% define themselves as ethnic Jews but atheists. The wisdom and talents of Russian Jews can be found in a variety of professions, mainly in medicine and athletics.

Israel has the largest Russian Jewish community in the world. Despite this, they have suffered harassment from other Jewish communities which saw them as assimilated Jews. According to an Israeli report, discrimination against Russians has diminished over the years.

The percentage of assimilation of Jews in Russia is among the highest in the world where about 75% of Jews marry non-Jews. As reported by demographic research, it seems that in about 20-30 years the Jewish community in Russia will become extinct.