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At the end of the First World War, Jewish national councils emerged in nearly every successor state to the multinational empires of East-Central and Eastern Europe. In the wake of war, revolution, and the formation of new nation-states, as well as unprecedented waves of anti-Jewish violence, they sought acceptance as representatives of the Jewish population. The councils fought for equal rights, Jewish autonomy, and the recognition of the Jews as a nation. Additionally, they worked to curtail anti-Jewish violence, organized relief for victims of war and pogroms, and supported Jewish refugees. Furthermore, the councils formed a transnational network in order to present the demands of Eastern European Jewry at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 with one voice. By presenting original documents on the Jewish national councils throughout East-Central and Eastern Europe for the first time, this edited volume opens up new perspectives on the history of the Jews at the end of the First World War, the history of Zionism, and the history of East-Central and Eastern Europe.
About the author
Dan Diner ist Professor emeritus für Moderne Geschichte an der Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Von 1999 bis 2014 war er Direktor des Simon-Dubnow-Instituts für jüdische Geschichte und Kultur und Professor am Historischen Seminar der Universität Leipzig.Marcos Silber is an associate professor in the Department of Jewish History at the University of Haifa, where he also serves as Director of the Interdisciplinary Unit for Polish Studies and as Vice Dean for Teaching & Learning in the Faculty of Humanities.
Summary
At the end of the First World War, Jewish national councils emerged in nearly every successor state to the multinational empires of East-Central and Eastern Europe. In the wake of war, revolution, and the formation of new nation-states, as well as unprecedented waves of anti-Jewish violence, they sought acceptance as representatives of the Jewish population. The councils fought for equal rights, Jewish autonomy, and the recognition of the Jews as a nation. Additionally, they worked to curtail anti-Jewish violence, organized relief for victims of war and pogroms, and supported Jewish refugees. Furthermore, the councils formed a transnational network in order to present the demands of Eastern European Jewry at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 with one voice. By presenting original documents on the Jewish national councils throughout East-Central and Eastern Europe for the first time, this edited volume opens up new perspectives on the history of the Jews at the end of the First World War, the history of Zionism, and the history of East-Central and Eastern Europe.
Foreword
This edited volume presents sources on the Jewish national councils that emerged at the end of the First World War throughout East-Central and Eastern Europe to fight for the rights of the Jews.
