NONCONFORMITY IN THE MANCHESTER JEWISH COMMUNITY: THE CASE OF POLITICAL RADICALISM 1889-1939 A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2015 Rosalyn D. Livshin School of Arts, Languages and Cultures TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. 2 ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................... 7 GLOSSARY ....................................................................................................................... 9 ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... 10 DECLARATION ............................................................................................................ 11 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ...................................................................................... 12 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................................... 13 THE AUTHOR ............................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: COMMUNITY, CONFORMITY AND NONCONFORMITY IN ANGLO-JEWRY. ............................................................ 16 1.1 The value of the study of nonconformity ............................................................................... 16 1.1.1 A restoration ...................................................................................................................... 16 1.1.2 A questioning of the images and stereotypes about the Jewish community ......................... 17 1.2 The contribution of this study ................................................................................................ 19 1.3 Defining community, conformity and nonconformity in the Manchester Jewish community ......................................................................................................................................................... 22 1.3.1 A definition of community ................................................................................................. 22 1.3.2 The sources and meaning of conformity in the Jewish community ..................................... 26 1.3.3 Definitions of nonconformity within the Jewish community .............................................. 31 1.4 Historiography ........................................................................................................................ 37 1.5 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 45 CHAPTER 2: THE EMERGENCE OF POLITICAL RADICALISM IN THE MANCHESTER JEWISH COMMUNITY, 1889-1914: ‘PESTILENTIAL OPINIONS’. .................................................................................................................... 50 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 50 2.2 Definition of Political Nonconformity .................................................................................... 51 2.3 Origins of Radical Socialism within Manchester Jewry and Wider Society ........................ 52 2 2.3.1 Within Wider Society ........................................................................................................ 53 2.3.2 The role played by British Socialist Organisations and London Jewish anarchists .............. 55 2.3.3 Establishment of a Radical Socialist Club .......................................................................... 56 2.3.4 Propaganda in the workplace ............................................................................................. 57 2.3.5 The struggle for existence of a radical socialist club within Manchester Jewry ................... 60 2.4 Intervening years, 1894-1902 .................................................................................................. 65 2.4.1 The Unions ........................................................................................................................ 65 2.4.2 Glimpses of radicalism ...................................................................................................... 66 2.5 Renewed radical activity in Manchester ................................................................................ 67 2.5.1 Anarchist Groups ............................................................................................................... 67 2.5.2 Clarion Groups and ILP ..................................................................................................... 70 2.5.3 Jewish Social Democratic Association ............................................................................... 72 2.5.4 Arbeiter Freund and Progressive groups ............................................................................ 73 2.5.5 Militancy in the workforce ................................................................................................. 74 2.6 The state of socialism in Manchester Jewry from 1908 ......................................................... 77 2.6.1 Socialism/radical activity within the workforce .................................................................. 79 2.6.2 An English-born radical socialist, Moses Baritz ................................................................. 81 2.6.3 Eastern European socialists ................................................................................................ 83 2.7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 84 CHAPTER 3: POLITICAL NONCONFORMITY DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR ................................................................................................................ 87 3.1 The nonconformist response amongst English and foreign Jews. ......................................... 87 3.1.1 The case of the Russian Jews ............................................................................................. 90 3.2 The ‘Red Scare’....................................................................................................................... 96 3.3 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 101 CHAPTER 4: POST WAR INVOLVEMENT IN COMMUNISM, 1920-1932: ‘AN UNDESIRABLE BOLSHEVIK’ ...................................................................... 103 4.1 A new phase in nonconformity ............................................................................................. 103 4.2 Jews and Communism .......................................................................................................... 106 4.2.1 The claim of disproportional representation ..................................................................... 107 4.2.2 Explanations for disproportionate representation .............................................................. 108 4.3 Pathways to an ideological route .......................................................................................... 112 4.3.1 Books .............................................................................................................................. 112 4.3.2 The County Forum ........................................................................................................... 113 4.3.3 Stevenson Square and other venues. ................................................................................. 114 4.3.4 The Labour College ......................................................................................................... 116 4.3.5 Rambling ......................................................................................................................... 117 4.3.6 Russian Revolution .......................................................................................................... 121 3 4.3.7 War ................................................................................................................................. 122 4.3.8 Networks ......................................................................................................................... 122 4.3.9 Trade Unions ................................................................................................................... 124 4.4 Types of Jews responding to Marxist ideology .................................................................... 125 4.4.1 A Response to Social and Economic Conditions .............................................................. 125 4.4.2 The girls .......................................................................................................................... 132 4.4.3 Integration Process........................................................................................................... 135 4.4.4 Marginality ...................................................................................................................... 139 4.4.5 Messianic......................................................................................................................... 139 4.4.6 Parental route ................................................................................................................... 140 4.4.7 Anti-Semitism ................................................................................................................