Czarist Russia

Jillian Rubin
Jews in the Modern World
Professor Lesses
October 24, 2008

1. The measures that Czar Alexander I enacted for Jews of Tsarist Russia was that he said that Jewish children are only allowed to study in public schools and in secondary schools in the universities in Russia. He also said regarding their religion, that Jewish children will not have to reject their religion, and they will also not be forced to study topics that are against their religion. Czar Alexander went on to say that if Jews still refuse to send their children to public schools that other schools would have to be made by their expense. There would therefore have to be a special tax. The Jews living in the Russian empire, according to Czar Alexander have to use either Russian, Polish, or the German language.

2. Nicholas I legislated military service for Jews in 1827 by saying that when Jews are called to participate in the military, they have to be able to complete their obligation in the same way that other citizens do. Nicholas I also legislated that Jews in the community that are going to serve in the military have to be not younger that twelve years old and no older than twenty five years old. Nicholas I also said that rabbis do not have to serve in the military. Other individuals, according to Nicholas who would be exempt from serving in the military included youths who were in general schools for at least three years who were performing sufficiently and also individuals who were apprenticed to Gentiles.

3. The boundaries of the pale of settlement was that Jews were allowed to live in the provinces of Vilna, Grodno, Volhynia, Podolia, Minsk, Ekaterinoslav. Also, they were allowed to reside in the following districts: Bialystok and Bessarabia. The Jews were also allowed to live in the province of Kiev, however they could not reside in the capital. Likewise, they were allowed to live in Kherson province, however they could not live in the city of Nikolaev. They were allowed to live in the province of Tavaria however they could not live in Sebastopol. This shows that Jews were allowed to live in a variety of provinces in Russia during this time, however there were many restrictions placed on exactly where these individuals could reside within these provinces. (p.379)

4. The May Laws enacted by Alexander III was that it was not allowed for Jews to settle outside the cities and townships (p. 380). The settlements that had been exempted from this were settlements that were a part of agricultural work. Property and mortgages was stopped temporarily. The May laws also stated that Jews were not allowed to take part in commerce on Christian holidays and on Sundays.