The Activities of the Tomsk Department of the Society for the Dissemination of Education among Jews in Russia during the First World War

Abstract

The article examines the activities of the Tomsk department of the Society for the Spread of Education among Jews in Russia (SEJ) during the First World War. The aim of the study is to comprehensively consecrate the main vectors of the work of the members of the Tomsk SEJ in the context of the global cataclysm. Based on the involvement of a wide range of sources, the article describes the cultural, educational and charitable areas of the department's work. The organization was financed primarily by private donations received from the representatives of the Jewish communities of Siberia through holding charitable events and returning student loans. As a result of the scientific research, it was concluded that the peak of the activity of the Tomsk department of the SEJ was during the war years. The society had to adapt to the realities of wartime, while at the same time accomplishing the main goal of the organization – spreading education among the Jewish population. For a long time being the only SEJ representative in Siberia, the Tomsk department managed to take an honorable place among the educational organizations of the region. Under the influence of the refugee and social movement, the representatives of other Jewish institutions began to appear in Tomsk, which most often consisted of the same people. However, the Tomsk department of the SEJ has managed to maintain its importance and relevance.

Keywords

• jews
• world war i
• siberia
• tomsk
• tomsk province
• refugees
• education
• children's summer colonies
• school
• lectures