Blog Oct 28

1.      How and why did the Jewish population increase so rapidly in the 19th century?

During the 19^th century Jewish population experienced exponential growth due to the assimilation into the middle class. In 1800, the Jewish population was estimated to be 2.7 million, but by 1910, the population rose to over 12 million. Entering the middle class was so important during this time period because of the massive gap in standard of living. Those that lived in the low to very poor class were at much higher risk of death due to various reasons. The standard of living for middle class people included higher amounts of income, better overall hygiene, and higher birth rates. Jews specifically were hygienic which allowed them to maintain health. Part of this can be attributed to the Alliance Israelite Universelle who preached this standard of living. Number of pregnancies per family shrunk, but the survival rate of those children rose greatly.

2.      Why did Jews move to cities and which cities became large Jewish centers?

There are various reasons for why the Jews moved into cities because of the many factions within Judaism, especially with geographical differences in mind. Jews have been ostracized many times throughout history, like their expulsion from Spain. This caused many Jews to move into the cities, sometimes unwillingly. Jews had difficulty defining their roots to land because of their disbursement all over the world. Some of the largest cities that held significant Jewish populations included Salonika, Amsterdam, and St. Petersburg. These hubs were centers for Jewish culture and religion, in which the lives of various kinds of Jews and non-Jews intertwined with each other creating an incredibly intricate and sophisticated society