Imperial Russia's Jewish Question, 1855–1881 (Cambridge Russian, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies, Series Number 96) - Hardcover

"Klier's analysis is enlightening...well written and well argued...[his] extensive research and deep knowledge of Russian history has enabled him to demonstrate and contextualize the remarkably wide range of views expressed by different sections of Russian public opinion...Students of Russia's attitute towards its nationalities problems in general and of modern Jewish history in particular will greatly benefit from reading this book." Ezra Mendelsohn, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, American Historical Review "John Klier again proves that he is the leading expert in the English language on the plight of the Jews in Russia prior to the 1917 revolution. In a meticulously researched work, Klier has rummaged through the archives, the newspapers, and the thick journals of Imperial Russia to produce an imposing study of Russian attitudes toward Jews during the reign of Alexander II...Russian anti-Semitism remains a problem even today, and this work will provide the most important study of its origins for some time to come." Slavic Review "...a very valuable addition to this literature and it will be required reading for anyone dealing with the history of Jews and Russia during this period...Klier's approach is to concentrate on attitudes about Jews as expressed in the newspapers. Throughout the book there are exhaustive references to articles about Jews in the periodical literature. He thoroughly surveys both the journals of the intelligentsia and the yellow press...this will long be the standard study. It is very readable, no mean achievement for such a topic, and attractively produced." The Russian Review "Klier's new book is an excellent sequel to his earlier work... Recommended for all libraries." Choice "...John Klier brings to this tragic story not just great knowledge but also a clear and lucid style and admirable fairness." Times Literary Supplement "Based on an enormous amount of reading in periodicals of the time, supplemented by Russian archival sources, this book will be the work to defend or argue against for years to come. It is truly a milestone in the history of Russian Jewry in the nineteenth century." Theodore R. Weeks, Canadian Review of Studies in Nationalism "Klier is to be congratulated on a book that will permanently change our view and expand our knowledge of Russian Jewish history in the mid-to-late 19th century." Steven Cassedy, The Jewish Quarterly Review

The reform era in Russia (1855–1881) witnessed the emancipation of the serfs, economic and social change, the reform of all imperial institutions, and the growth of national identity among Russians and the Empire's expanding Jewish population. Consequently, the 'Jewish Question' became one of most hotly debated topics in Russia. Attitudes toward the Jews which evolved during this period persisted up to the Revolution and beyond. This book, based on exhaustive archival research of materials published during the period, studies the interplay of public opinion and official policy. The author examines the attitudes of all sectors of Russian educated society towards the Jews. He also explores how a new group, the Russian Jewish intelligentsia, sought to define a modern Jewish identity in the midst of a multi-ethnic Empire.