A Jewish Journey. Sheldon Cohen
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had hoped, but the psychological impact was great.
As far as the Jews were concerned, Alexander continued with his father’s policy of promoting assimilation. His most important benefit to the Jews was the abolition of the cantonist system. No longer would khapers kidnap Jewish twelve-year-old children for service in the military schools. Also, those Jews classified as “useful” were allowed to leave the Pale. As a result, Jewish communities in some of the larger cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow grew.
The husband of one of Rabbi Shepsel’s daughters was a prominent physician who lived out of the Pale as a respected member of Moscow’s Jewish community.
Shepsel watched his son Jacob grow into mature young adulthood in this changing environment. He was now nineteen years old, much taller then his father and with the same dark complexion. He received a fine Jewish education by attending the modern Jewish school, which Shepsel had organized in the community. He had both Torah and some secular education. He could not attend the schools, which were being set up under the decree of Czar Nicholas I and continued by Alexander II.
Jacob, raised in this milieu was anxious to attend the new seminary established in Vilna and to become a rabbi like his father. This desire on the part of his son to attend the new seminary was anathema to Shepsel, but he realized that the more opposition he offered, the more he would steel Jacob’s determination.
Jacob had grown into a fine religious young man. He was clean-shaven with bright brown eyes. He was respectful of his parents, and had never given them a bit of trouble. He helped his father teach the Torah to young children in the synagogue.
“You’re so old fashioned, father. Don’t you see how Jewish life is changing in Russia? The new Czar is helping our people and giving us opportunities we never had before,” said Jacob.
“I have done all I can to educate you in the Torah, and I’m proud of the result. All I can ask is that you join the ranks of the rabbis throughout history who’ve kept Judaism alive as we wandered the world and were driven from place to place. My only fear is that you become changed by the education you receive and lose that mission.”
“I know how you feel about Haskalah,” said Jacob, “but I see much good in it. I think fears of it ending Judaism will never happen, because we’ve faced much more terror throughout the ages, and yet here we are.”
“Yes, here we are, but all throughout history the threats against us were threats against a single unified religion. We took our beatings, we died, but we persisted. The difference now is that the threats to us are internal and our own people are involved. I fear we’ll be torn apart from within, and if we are divided against ourselves, then we may not survive.”
Jacob listened with a serious, respectful expression. “I know there are divisions between us. Why even in our own family there is my grandfather, of blessed memory, who was a Hasid. You and I are orthodox. Will I stay orthodox? That’s my intention, but I don’t know what might change to move me closer to the Maskilim and the reform movement. I have nothing against the Maskilim. I have spoken with them and I know them and they seem to be as concerned about a Jewish heritage as I know you are.”
The rabbi shrugged as if resigned to his son’s words. He said, “Again, I know you’ll make your own way in life and make your own decisions. But I just want you to be aware that when a people are divided amongst themselves, then the forces against them will have an easier time in dominating them. That’s my fear. Be alert to this and try and be a unifying force for your people. Never let them lose track of the fact that God has kept us together and that belief in Him is paramount. I say this because there’s a disturbing trend I notice. That is that some Jews deny the presence of the Almighty. If they question, there is still hope, if they deny, then they’re lost to us.”
“I think it’s impressive that the Jewish people are willing to change with the times,” said Jacob. “There are religions that refuse to change. They’ve been the same for thousands and hundreds of years. I see that as a source of future trouble as the world modernizes.”
“History may prove you right, Jacob.”
Jacob left for Vilna, and Shepsel and his wife watched him leave with tears of both sorrow and hope.
While Jacob studied, Shepsel continued his mission.
Conditions in Russia had improved since Alexander II became Czar, but in the community of Tiktin, conditions remained the same. The great majority of Jews living there, classified non-useful, were poor trades people, shopkeepers, peddlers, middlemen, and artisans. Few of them enrolled in Czar Nicholas’s schools feeling that all they had left was their Jewish identity and they were not willing to risk that. They were all proud of their beautiful synagogue that constituted the center of their religious life. Jews had been living in Tiktin since 1522 and some of their rabbi’s had been well-known Jewish ethical, legal and scriptural authorities.
CHAPTER 9
The Polish people, living under Russian rule as long as the Jews, never accepted their fate. After being a powerful state for hundreds of years, nationalism remained a significant force. The religious differences increased the separation, as the Russian Orthodox hated the Polish Catholics, and vica-versa. Into this boiling pot stepped Alexander II.
Also, most of the Polish middle class, who felt the Jews were their economic rivals, were opposed to the Czar’s liberal attitude toward the Jews. So again, the Jews found themselves in the middle, as the Poles resented the reforms that Alexander II had put into place for the Jews.
A relaxation of pressure on the Jews from one source only served to promote pressure from a second source.
Through all this, the Jews had to keep a low profile. They continued their process of assimilation. Jacob Tepperovitch was ordained a rabbi. Shepsel Tepperovitch fasted and prayed a full day just as his father had done for him. Jacob married Rachel, a Lithuanian Jewish girl, and had a son named Moritz. They moved to Yelizavetgrad, Ukraine, where there was a Jewish population and where Jacob assumed his role as a rabbi for a congregation. The Jewish population of Yelizavetgrad was increasing because of the settlement of Jews from other areas of the Pale. By the time Jacob took up his duties, the population had reached eleven thousand.
CHAPTER 10
By 1870, Shepsel had reached the age of 77 years. When his wife preceded him in death, he retired from the rabbinate and went to live with his son Jacob.
“Jacob,” he said, “I brought with me my most precious possession.” He opened a leather suitcase and removed the Torah that passed down from his father.
“Your great-great grandfather wrote this Torah with his own hand many years ago. He gave it to his son who gave it to his son, my father, Meir. He passed it on to me before he died. I entrust it to you, my son. I know I place it in dedicated hands. You will guard it and treasure it as we all have before you. It is a symbol of our families fight to keep Judaism alive for future generations. Your great-great grandfather’s signature is at the end of the scroll as is the signature of all of us who will possess this precious heirloom.”
Jacob took the Torah from his father hands, smiled, stared at it in silence and cradled it in his arms.
In 1874, a general military draft required Jews to sign up for four years. Deferments were available for those Jews who went to Russian language schools, so there was an inflow of Jews toward the Russian schools.
The reforms of Alexander II had the effect of allowing the Jews to think that the Russian government was indeed fostering assimilation of the Jewish community into the Russian mainstream. In addition, the Jewish population was rising because of a very high birthrate and lowered death rate. Jews became an important part of the cultural and intellectual life of Russia. They made an impact upon the arts, literature, journalism, the theater, law, and medicine. It became clear over time that their influence far exceeded their numbers. However, the great majority of Jews remained poor and oppressed.
Russian society took note of