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A review by aegagrus
Pogrom: Kishinev and the Tilt of History by Steven J. Zipperstein
3.75
Pogrom: Kishinev and the Tilt of History provides a lucid and valuable account of the anti-Jewish violence which occurred in that city in 1903, and of the event's subsequent impact in the public sphere. It is the latter which receives the bulk of this work's attention, and rightly so. Kishinev is somewhat overshadowed in a post-Holocaust world, but Zipperstein does an excellent job conveying just how influential Kishinev became, describing its effects on Jewish emigration patterns, the development of modern antisemitism (including the writing of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion), the canon of Hebrew poetry and notions about Jewish masculinity, the eventual triumph of Zionism, and even the emergence of the American NAACP. These narratives are enhanced by a studied attention to the fascinating personalities involved -- Pavel Krushevan, Hayim Bialik, and Emma Goldman among others.
Zipperstein does an adequate job setting up the context for these stories, a difficult task considering the complexity of late imperial Russia and Ashkenazi political/cultural life at the time. Still, this book is quite focused, mainly discussing Kishinev's aftermath in the decades immediately following 1903. A reader might reasonably wish that one or more of these stories were continued a little further -- although the name Kishinev certainly became less ubiquitous as time went on, the processes that had been set in motion kept churning, and it does feel like an opportunity is missed (in a final chapter or afterword, perhaps) to direct readers towards further investigations of later developments. A reader might also wish that more attention had been paid to setting up the context behind each of Zipperstein's essay-like chapters, but I am less inclined to endorse this criticism. Zipperstein is honest about what he intends to cover and what he does not, and it is not as though his work here is too dense or too technical to be useful without the more elaborated backstory which could be found in other books.
Overall, this is a well-written, well-researched, and timely piece of history. Those new to the study of early 20th century Jewry may benefit from pursuing some background reading first, while those already acquainted with the details of Kishinev itself may wish for more elaborate detail worked into the stories told here. Any reader, though, will find compelling, original, and thoughtful scholarship, told simply and with evident humanity.
Zipperstein does an adequate job setting up the context for these stories, a difficult task considering the complexity of late imperial Russia and Ashkenazi political/cultural life at the time. Still, this book is quite focused, mainly discussing Kishinev's aftermath in the decades immediately following 1903. A reader might reasonably wish that one or more of these stories were continued a little further -- although the name Kishinev certainly became less ubiquitous as time went on, the processes that had been set in motion kept churning, and it does feel like an opportunity is missed (in a final chapter or afterword, perhaps) to direct readers towards further investigations of later developments. A reader might also wish that more attention had been paid to setting up the context behind each of Zipperstein's essay-like chapters, but I am less inclined to endorse this criticism. Zipperstein is honest about what he intends to cover and what he does not, and it is not as though his work here is too dense or too technical to be useful without the more elaborated backstory which could be found in other books.
Overall, this is a well-written, well-researched, and timely piece of history. Those new to the study of early 20th century Jewry may benefit from pursuing some background reading first, while those already acquainted with the details of Kishinev itself may wish for more elaborate detail worked into the stories told here. Any reader, though, will find compelling, original, and thoughtful scholarship, told simply and with evident humanity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Rape, Antisemitism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Blood