Soviet Jews: Between the Shtetl and the Metropolis

The interwar period was a time of unusually high social mobility of Soviet Jews, who surpassed the surrounding population by many indicators. This phenomenon was caused by a whole series of political, social and economic factors and emerged so strongly because of the cultural models that had formed among Jews. These changes to a great extent were connected with the mass migration of Jews from the shtetl to the city, especially the new Soviet megacities. The question arises: what was the nature of these migrations, and in what way did they affect the socio-economic and demographic profile of Jews, both those who moved to the large centers and those who stayed in the towns.

Lecture is a part of the Third Annual Summer School in Jewish History and Culture.