Kiev, Jewish Metropolis

Populated by urbane Jewish merchants and professionals as well as newarrivals from the shtetl, imperial Kiev was acclaimed for its opportunities foreducation, culture, employment, and entrepreneurship but cursed for the oftenpitiless persecution of its Jews. Kiev, Jewish Metropolis limns the history of KievJewry from the official readmission of Jews to the city in 1859 to the outbreak ofWorld War I. It explores the Jewish community's politics, its leadership struggles, socioeconomic and demographic shifts, religious and cultural sensibilities, andrelations with the city's Christian population. Drawing on archival documents, thelocal press, memoirs, and belles lettres, Natan M. Meir shows Kiev's Jews at work, at leisure, in the synagogue, and engaged in the activities of myriad Jewishorganizations and philanthropies. von Meir, Natan M.