Anti-Jewish Riot’s Legacy of Fear

The plain fact is this, that life for the Jew in Russia, as well as for the Jew in Romania, has passed beyond the enduring point.

Continuing A Russian Pogrom Against the Jews.
Today is our final installment from Richard Gottheil and then we begin the second part of the series with Vladamir Korolenko. For works benefiting from the latest research see the “More information” section at the bottom of these pages.

Previously in A Russian Pogrom Against the Jews.

Time: 1903
Place: Kishineff (modern Chișinău), Moldovia

At all events, no denial has been made to the circular of the same minister, issued on May 17th, in which the attempt is adroitly made to excuse whatever further troubles may arise and to lay them at the door of the activity of the Jews in their self-defense. This circular closes with the words: “In informing your Excellency of the monarch’s will (to suppress all disorders) I feel obliged to state for your guidance that no sort of associations for self-defense can be tolerated.” Let those who blame the Jews for not defending themselves more vigorously ponder over these words, and let them remember that in Russia fear of the Government is even greater than fear of the mob.

It is true that, when the worst was over, the St. Petersburg authorities did step in. Despite the watchfulness of the Kishineff authorities, a Dr. I. S. Mutschink succeeded in sending a telegram to St. Petersburg; but it was not until Wednesday afternoon that the orders came for the rigorous suppression of the riots. The Government also sent M. Lopuchine, the Director of Police at the Ministry of the Interior, to open up an investigation. The value of such an investigation may be gaged by the fact that the Jews of Kishineff wished to make a statement to him, but were not permitted to do so. When he returned to St. Petersburg, he is reported to have said that “Krushewan (the editor of the Bessarabetz) is the only man in Russia who has not been bought by the Jews” — a sorry commentary on the venality of Russian officials, if there were a word of truth in what the statement implies. De Plehve also dismissed the Governor of Bessarabia, Lieutenant-Governor von Raaben, though the reactionary party at the capital strongly fought for his retention. In how far this was a disgrace remains doubtful, as he was given a place in the Ministry of the Interior. A similar fate overtook the chief of police; and the sale of the Znamya was forbidden. It is well to note these events; for every Jew will wish, if he can, to explain away the evidence in the case against the Russian Government. In receiving a deputation of Kishineff Jews, the Minister of the Interior refused to modify his original and one-sided communique on the disaster; but he promised to show in other ways the sympathy of the Government.

Even if he should decide to do so, what is to be the result? The plain fact is this, that life for the Jew in Russia, as well as for the Jew in Romania, has passed beyond the enduring point. What country will open its doors for these refugees of the world over do to provide a home for the oppressed of their people? The solution must come in one of these two ways. Has Israel preserved sufficient manliness and sufficient spiritual power to decide, and, having decided, to take a bold step forward? I still have faith in my people. Tried in the fire of misfortune, with their faith in God and in their own future deepened, they must find their way out of the wilderness into the land of a brighter promise. “Then shall Judah be saved and Israel dwell in safety.”

Vladamir Korolenko

Now we begin the second the second part of our series with our selection from House No. 13 by Vladamir Korolenko. The selection is presented in 5.5 easy 5 minute installments.

Vladamir Korolenko (1853-1921) was a Russian writer, journalist, and human rights activist.

I arrived at Kishineff two months after the massacres had taken place, when the echo of those horrors was still freshly thrilling and reverberating throughout the whole of Russia. The Kishineff police had taken the most drastic measures, but in spite of their zeal it was difficult to efface all traces of the deeds of blood. Even in the principal streets broken doors and windows were still to be seen; while in the outskirts of the town there were still more traces of the same sort. At St. Petersburg a Jew, Daschefsky, struck Mr. Krusheewan with a knife; but, strange to say, another Jew came forward prepared to give first aid to the wounded man. Krushewan repelled this proffered aid with a movement of disgust, and wrote later that “Daschefsky ‘s soul was forfeit to him.” Together with Mr. Koumaroff he demanded that sentence of death should be passed on Daschefsky, for the specific reason that he, Mr. Krushewan, was not a private person, but a “man representing a principle of State.” Two or three days after my arrival at Kishineff, three unknown young men attacked a Jewish youth returning from school, one of them stabbing him in the side with a dagger. The dagger was better aimed than was the knife of Daschefsky, and though the blow was weakened by the weapon coming in contact with a book, tightly buttoned up inside the boy’s jacket, he did not escape unwounded. This Jewish youth, returning from school, could not of course be said to represent “a principle of State,” and consequently neither Koumaroff, nor Krushewan, nor the editor of the local paper of Bessarabia took any notice of the occurrence (at least, during my stay at Kishineff), though the Jews of the town discussed the matter with a sense of uneasiness which may well be understood. Among other things it was reported that the blow struck at the student was a reply to the outrage committed by Daschefsky. Foolish as this may seem, it may possibly be the truth. Anything may hap pen in the town of Kishineff, where the moral atmosphere is still surcharged with fiery animosity and hatred. The ordinary life of the town is at a standstill; building operations have stopped; the Jewish inhabitants are tense with fear, and with uncertainty about the morrow.

It was while things were in this condition that I arrived at Kishineff. Bent on attempting to find some explanation for the horrible and incomprehensible drama which had unrolled itself but a few weeks before, I wandered through the town, its suburbs, streets, and markets, interrogating both Jews and Christians on the subject of the recent events. I can not, of course, pretend to give any complete explanation, in the following short account of this terrible affair, of the incidents which resulted in the rapid, almost immediate, disappearance of the ordinary restraints of civilization, so that there unexpectedly burst forth something bordering on elemental bestiality.

Richard Gottheil began here.

More information here and here, and below.

The Kishineff Pogrom of 1903 [IN HEBREW]

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