Jewish history in Belarus is rich, tragic and little spoken of. This cultural project has the potential to connect communities and create valuable dialogue around identity and heritage.
In this blog, we will be exploring the Jewish heritage of Belarus and its peoples. During the course of this blog, we will build a cultural trail that, in time, may become a certified route on the European Routes of Jewish Heritage.
The Early Years
The Jewish people in Belarus have been an important part of the country’s history since the Middle Ages. During that time, Jews have played a pivotal role in the development of the country and its culture.
In the Middle Ages, the region of modern-day Belarus was ruled by rulers from neighboring Lithuania and Poland. One of these rulers, Jogaila (later King Wladyslaw II Jagiello), was known for welcoming Jews into his territory.
Jews inhabited Belarus for many centuries, and in the 16th century they were a large presence in the city of Minsk. Their presence was characterized by religious diversity, with both Orthodox and Reform Jews making up a significant portion of the population.
During the 19th century, Jews began to make an increasingly large contribution to the economy of Belarus. They dominated trade and artisanry, and their numbers increased with the advent of industrialization.
The Jewish community in Belarus grew as a result of its geographic position as an entry point into the Russian Empire for Jews from Eastern Europe. According to the 1926 census, 407,000 Jews constituted 8.2% of Soviet Belorussians.
However, this demographic change was halted by the Nazi invasion of 1941. During the war, Belorussian Jews were murdered en masse by both SS troops who fought in Soviet Russia and by local Belorussian police.
The Holocaust killed about 148,000 Jews in Belarus. As a consequence, Belarus today is home to fewer than 30000 Jews. Despite this, Jews remain an important part of the community and there are a number of communities in the country that have been revived.
The Middle Ages
In the middle ages, Jewish history in Belarus was a vibrant and complex one. Several major political changes occurred during this period, and Jewish communities in Belarus faced challenges as a result of these changes.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, Belarus became an important center of Jewish learning. This was partly due to the efforts of Menahem Mendel of Vitebsk and Shneur Zalman of Liady, who were both influential in the development of Hasidism. In addition, there were many notable yeshivas in the region, including those of Volozhin and Mir.
Jews also made an impact on the country’s politics. When King Stephen Bathori died, two factions fought over who should be his successor. In the end, Prince Radziwill suggested that they crown Shaul, a Jewish man who had studied in some of the most famous yeshivas in the area.
Although it was an audacious move, the nobles followed his suggestion and made Shaul king of the land. This demonstrates the extent to which Jewish leadership was valued by the nobility in Belarus during the middle ages.
While the middle ages of Belarus Jewish history was relatively peaceful, there were some violent times. These were often caused by anti-Semitism. In response, some Jews sought a new way of life and eventually moved to Israel.
The Renaissance
Belarus is located in Eastern Europe, bordering Poland and Lithuania on the west, Russia on the north, Ukraine on the east, and Kazakhstan on the south. Its population was estimated to be 10,366,719 in 2000.
Despite the political and cultural oppression faced by Belarusian Jews, they have managed to form a variety of national and local organizations and activities. The Jewish community in Belarus is represented by the Union of Religious Jewish Congregations, which had 20,000 members in 2000. It has twelve regional offices and supplies humanitarian aid to Jewish communities around the country.
The Belarusian government has consistently limited freedom of speech and religion, a fact that has been blamed for anti-Semitism in the country. However, the President, Alexander Lukashenko, has given amnesty to individuals who were convicted of crimes against Jews.
As a result, many of the historic Jewish sites have been restored and rebuilt, such as synagogues and cemeteries. These structures were used for Jewish religious services in the past and are now being converted to museums or other public spaces.
Art is a major part of the Belarusian culture. Decorative and applied arts are prevalent in Belarusian society, with ceramics, glass, batik, and tapestry being popular. Performance arts are also growing in popularity.
During the nineteenth century, many of Belarus’s Jewish communities had a strong presence in music and dance. These influences can still be seen in the compositions of many amateur musicians and in folk music festivals that take place throughout the year.
In addition, Zionist and Bundist groups spread throughout Belorussia during the nineteenth century. They created small defense armies to combat the numerous pogroms that took place in the region. Both of these parties became active in government leadership during the twentieth century.
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a movement that changed the way that people thought about society. Many philosophers developed new theories of human behavior and a more naturalistic view of the world around us. They also formulated new ways to approach political questions.
Although the Enlightenment was a great movement for the advancement of ideas, it came under attack from authoritarian governments around the world. Some of these nations stifled civil rights, ignored the principle of separation of church and state, and suppressed democratic freedoms.
In the 18th century, a number of Jewish communities formed in Belorussia. The most significant ones were in Brest, Grodno, and Pinsk.
Despite the Enlightenment’s influence, traditional Jewish practices were maintained in Belorussia. Some of these traditions were based on medieval sources, while others were influenced by contemporary Jewish thinkers.
Spinoza, for example, was an important figure in the Enlightenment because of his use of scientific reasoning to deconstruct traditional religious beliefs. His writings helped to establish the foundation for a more naturalistic understanding of religion and a more secular view of human nature.
A significant number of the Enlightenment’s most renowned writers and thinkers also rejected traditional morality. This led to a culture of ethical self-questioning and criticism.
These trends are reflected in the work of authors such as d’Alembert, Diderot, and Voltaire. In their philosophical texts, they criticized traditional morality and defended their own views of the good.
However, the Enlightenment’s most enduring legacy was its optimistic views of human progress and development. This optimism still exists in some parts of the world today. It is particularly prevalent in authoritarian countries, where leaders quash civil liberties and stifle democracy. In these instances, the Enlightenment’s ideals of freedom and equality come under threat.
The Holocaust
The Holocaust was a devastating time in Belarus Jewish history, and it is the only major tragedy in the country’s history to have directly affected its Jewish population. Its Jews were among the most targeted by the Nazis, and tens of thousands of them did not escape the genocide.
Western Belorussia, which had been annexed by the Soviet Union two years before, was much more resistant to the Nazis than the eastern part of the country. Despite their relative poverty, Jewish communities in the western region were lively with culture, including underground choirs, Talmudic study, Zionist organizations, and theater.
In Eastern Belarus, on the other hand, Jewish communities had been wiped out, and many Jews were left in ghettos where they were subjected to extreme violence from the Nazis. Some escaped to the countryside, but others were murdered by local people.
A remarkable family in Nowogrodek – the Bielskis – led by their eldest son, Tuvia – set up a makeshift camp where they took shelter from the war. There, they began to grow food, and by the end of the war, they were able to save the lives of over 1,230 Jews.
Those who survived were either mobilized into the military, joined partisan groups, or lived in family units with other Jews. Some managed to obtain non-Jewish documents or found shelter in Russia.
Since 2002, several organizations in Belarus have worked to restore and preserve the country’s Jewish heritage. They have been working to reclaim synagogue buildings and other Jewish cultural property that was confiscated by the Nazis. While this is a slow process, it is vital for the preservation of the nation’s Jewish history. The government has also designated some sites of Jewish annihilation for historical and cultural preservation.