Special Jewish Issue
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2016 ISSN 1064-7716 SPECIAL JEWISH ISSUE In cooperation with The Livshits and Chechiks Families (Turaŭ, Mazyr district, Paliessie region, 1927). Photo from Leonid Smilovitsky's personal archive follow follow Belarusian.Review @BelarusReview www.ThePointJournal.com BELARUSIAN REVIEW Special Jewish Issue (2016) Editor-in-chief Dr. Kiryl Kascian Editorial team Dr. Kiryl Kascian Dr. Leonid Smilovitsky Prof. Dr. Zachar Shybeka George Stankevich Walter Stankievich Dr. Maria Paula Survilla Dr. Hanna Vasilevich The BR editorial board would like to express our sincere gratitude to Jana Branisa, Maria Kiehn, Dr. Vitaut Kipel, Dr. Alexander Osipov, Prof. Shaul Stampfer, Joanna Survilla, and Dr. Jan Zaprudnik for their valuable comments, corrections, ideas, and suggestions. The BR editorial board also would like to thank Vital Alisiyonak, Serge Tryhubovich, Alaksiej Dajlidau, Ilya Kunitski, Andrei Silvanovich, Andrzej Tichomirov, and Victoria Martovskaya for their assistance in the preparation of this issue. This issue is dedicated to the memory of our long-term editor-in-chief George Stankevich and one of our authors, Dr. Volodymyr Goncharov, who both passed away in 2014 when the preparation of the issue was underway. BELARUSIAN REVIEW (ISSN 1064-7716) is the oldest continuously published journal in English lan- guage fully devoted to Belarus: to its current political and economic situation, culture and history, as well as to Belarusian diaspora. Since 1989 BELARUSIAN REVIEW has been filling the niche of Be- larusian studies, both as a printed journal and since 2011 as an electronic edition made in coopera- tion with THE_POINT JOURNAL, providing a broad audience interested in Belarusian matters with scholarly and analytical texts. Past editors-in-chief: Joe Arciuch (1989 -2001) George Stankevich (2001-2014) © 2016 Belarusian Review © 2016 The_Point Journal © 2016 Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center, Tel Aviv University © 2016 Center for Belarusian Studies BELARUSIAN REVIEW Special Jewish Issue (2016) CONTENTS The importance of scope, breadth, and inclusion in the understanding of Belarusian history Kiryl Kascian and Hanna Vasilevich .................................................................................................................... 4 Jewish studies in Belarus: history, current state, and perspectives Leonid Smilovitsky and Zakhar Shybeka ....................................................................................................7 “Ours” or “foreign”? The attitude of Belarusians toward Jews in the beginning of the 20th century Ina Sorkina ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Jewish agricultural colonies of Belarus and Ukraine in the 19th – beginning of the 20th centuries Volodymyr Goncharov................................................................................................................................ 23 Jews in the economy of Belarus in the 19th – early 20th centuries: economic realities and public reaction Andrei Kishtymov ........................................................................................................................................ 26 Jewish trade in Belarus between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 20th centuries Emmanuil Ioffe ........................................................................................................................................... 43 Mobility as a phenomenon of Jewish culture in the Belarusian part of Jewish Pale of Settlement from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century Olga Sobolevskaya ..................................................................................................................................... 51 A Belarusian who did not fail his humanity Zina Gimpelevich ........................................................................................................................................ 62 Jewish Photographers of the Mahilioŭ region in the 20th century Alexander Litin ............................................................................................................................................ 75 The Holocaust tragedy in the oral history of Belarusians Aleksander Smalianchuk ............................................................................................................................ 84 Memory of the Holocaust and the Jewish identity in Belarus after 1991 Aliaksei Bratachkin ..................................................................................................................................... 90 Gazetteer ..................................................................................................................................................... 98 SPECIAL JEWISH ISSUE 2016 BELARUSIAN REVIEW 3 Belarusian Review, Special Jewish Issue (2016), 4-6 The importance of scope, breadth, and inclusion in the understanding of Belarusian history Kiryl Kascian and Hanna Vasilevich This special Jewish issue of Belarusian Review is the result of a project combining the efforts of “Belarusian Review,” its online platform The_Point Journal, the Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center at Tel Aviv University, and the Center for Belarusian Studies at the Southwestern College in Winfield, KS. The main message of this special issue of Belar- Second, the history of the Belarusian Jews is usian Review is to demonstrate that the explora- still not properly developed, both in Belarus and tion of Belarusian history is impossible without all abroad. This is the case despite the fact that nu- of its ethnic components and that the more inclu- merous archival materials are available. Rather, sive the approach, the more comprehensive the the official historical science demonstrates reluc- picture of the past. For most of the 20th century, tance to explore the Jewish theme. As a result, the natural development of Belarusian historical there are no fundamental works, academic jour- research and discourse has been subordinated to nals, encyclopedias, or state museums dedicated Soviet canons, which has resulted in a repressed to the history of Belarusian Jews. The Jewish histo- version of Belarusian history. Falsifications of his- ry in Belarus remains the purview of a few schol- torical facts as well as their ideologization forced ars and this trend should be changed. people to learn a history that their ancestors never Third, Jewish history is very instructive. Over [1] experienced. Moreover, numerous inalienable generations, it was one of the most discriminated elements of the history of Belarus were deliber- communities of a wider region, significantly limit- ately discarded. In the reclaiming of these compo- ed in its rights and freedoms by the Russian impe- nents, it is necessary to consider that the history rial authorities. Belarusian Jews offer examples of of Belarus should not be approached as exclusive adaptation in the use of limited opportunities un- to ethnic Belarusians. To be per se objective, his- der significant restrictions imposed by the state. tory should take into account the diversity of Be- Thus, over the 19th – early 20th centuries, Jews larus’ society. This task is impossible without the played a dominant role in the development of the presence of the Jewish component, which due numerous sectors of the Belarusian economy and to numerous reasons has been repressed and formed the majority of the local business elites. has been treated inconsistently within the Soviet Fourth, for most of its existence, our journal framing of the history of Belarus. In launching has barely covered Jewish-related issues. This this project our intention was to reclaim a Jewish situation changed significantly in 2010 when our component in the history of Belarus. The impor- journal maintained fruitful cooperation with Dr. tance of this reclamation is multifaceted. Leonid Smilovitsky and Professor Zakhar Shybe- First, Jews have actively participated in all ka from the Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research spheres of public life in Belarus and formed Center at the University of Tel Aviv. Their regular an integral element of its society throughout contributions on the various topics of the history th the centuries. In the early 20 century, one of of Belarusian Jews clearly demonstrated the per- the biggest Jewish Diasporas in Europe lived in spectives of this work. Belarus. Moreover, as one of the leading ex- Thus, this special Jewish issue of Belarusian perts of Belarus’ Jewish history, Professor Shaul Review not only became largely possible thanks Stampfer from Hebrew University in Jerusalem to these two scholars, but is also a logical mani- observes, “almost all of the major movements festation of this cooperation potential. For more in the history of Jews in Eastern Europe either than 20 years Dr. Smilovitsky in Israel has explored took place in Belarus or had strong ties with Be- the history of Belarusian Jews. Professor Shybeka larus.”[2] It is not a coincidence that Belarus was joined him five years ago. Dr. Smilovitsky is known a birthplace of numerous outstanding person- for his numerous works on the history of Jewish alities of Jewish ethnicity who became promi- shtetls, the Holocaust, the partisan movement, nent scientists, businessmen, artists, thinkers, and the history of censorship in Belarus. Professor political, and religious leaders. Shybeka currently focuses on the history of Jews in 4 BELARUSIAN REVIEW SPECIAL JEWISH ISSUE 2016