Summary: What drove Jews to have a participatory voice in modern society? How did they respond to new ideas from within and without? Which laws misfired on the Jews’ path to civil integration? We explore these questions with a focus on Galicia, home of the largest Jewish community within the Austrian Empire. Passing through European capitals, we witness the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskalah) and the controversies it provoked. Back in Galicia, home-reared intellectuals challenged the traditional community, while increasingly diverse cultural identities were embraced by 19th-century Jews. As part of the continuum, the next century brought pressure to emigrate, World War I, and the collapse of the old order. The course is illustrated with unique records, maps, and documents.

Class 1: Looking Far Back

The big picture: Jews under Muslim rule (from the Middle East to Spain) versus Jews under Christian rule (Europe). Ashkenazi Jews, from Hebrew manuscripts to modern genetics. Jewish migrations in medieval Europe and Jewish communal autonomy in Poland. The Partitions of Poland and their consequences on the Jewish civilization in eastern Europe.

Class 2: Discovering Austrian Galicia

Traveling with the Habsburg emperor through Austrian Galicia in 1773, stopping in several towns, meeting the countess, and visiting synagogues. The transformation of Jewish communities, from the adoption of new names to military service, marriage laws, and much more.

Class 3: The Jewish Enlightenment (Haskalah)

Brave Jewish students in Padua before the Haskalah. The Jewish Enlightenment in Berlin and Vienna: how a thin pamphlet unleashed fury in eastern Europe. A Jewish school superintendent arriving in Galicia and provoking a cultural clash. The Haskalah movement in Galicia: Jewish students, vocal maskilim, and a debate over language.

Class 4: Jewish Political Emancipation

Unrest in the streets of Vienna and Lemberg in 1848: the Polish-Jewish dialogue, the first elections, and Jewish petitioners from Galicia. The impact of the emancipation of 1867 on education and Jewish political associations. Pioneering women exploring new opportunities, from Austria to Switzerland, America, and Palestine.

Class 5: From the End of the Long Century to the Beginning of the Next

How new inventions changed Jewish lives in Galicia. The rise of ethno-nationalism, pogroms in Russia, the Jewish press, and pressure to emigrate. The forgotten World War I in Galicia. Galician Jews in Vienna. The collapse of Austria-Hungary, the loss of belonging, and local national conflicts.

Class 6:  Between the Wars, Polish Jews under the Soviets During WWII

The contribution of Galician Jews to the revival of Poland (1918–1939). The rise of antisemitism in the 1930s—boycotts and unrest at universities. The outbreak of World War II, with Germany and the Soviet Union dividing Poland. Jewish refugees under Soviet rule: their experiences illustrated through material in the Soviet archives. Untold personal stories, pictures, and letters.

Course Organization

Classes will be offered via Zoom, with a recording of each module available for viewing for one week. Participants are encouraged to join each session live for optimal educational benefit. Course attendees will receive reading material. Although not required, participants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the recommended reading.

During each module, the following course structure is envisioned:

• Introduction of the learning objectives (15 min)
• Review of illustrated didactic material (60 min) with a break (10 min)
• Discussion and the participants’ questions (20 min)
• Recap of the major themes covered and the objectives for the next module (15 min)

Registration

Course tuition for non-members: $195; tuition for Gesher Galicia members: $145. Registration is not open yet. This course usually sells out.