Ukraine has been a center of Jewish life for centuries and the birthplace of major Jewish religious and cultural movements—yet it is also remembered as a site of devastating anti-Jewish violence. Today, as global attention turns to Ukraine, many ask what remains of its Jewish communities. This series traces the rich and turbulent early history of Jews in Ukrainian lands, through the 1917 Revolution, the shifting realities of Soviet rule, the vibrant Jewish revival in contemporary Ukraine, and the profound toll that the current war has taken on Jewish life in the region.
Optional Reading: Jewish Odesa: Negotiating Identities and Traditions in Contemporary Ukraine (2024), Marina Sapritsky-Nahum
This course is funded by the Annual Enid and Irving Kushner Lecture Fund