This book describes the history of Jews in Kiev from the tenth century to the February 1917 Revolution. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Kiev Jewish community was one of the largest and wealthiest in the Russian Empire. This book illuminates the major processes and events in Kievan Jewish history, including the creation of the Jewish community, the expulsions of Jews from the city, government persecution and Jewish pogroms, the Beilis Affair, the participation of Jews in the political, economic, and cultural life of Kiev, and their contribution to the development of the city.
"Victoria Khiterer's latest work uses vivid descriptions and detailed illustrations and mines a rich base of primary sources to explore the life of imperial Kyiv as a Jewish city. . . .the author's use of maps, illustrations, and photographs of imperial Kyiv assists the reader in visualizing the various events that she describes in detail. The maps of Kyiv also help one comprehend the impact of the increasing segregation of Jews in the city. Each of the book's chapters includes its own introduction and conclusion. Thus, each chapter can be assigned separately for undergraduate reading to cover different subjects. Overall, Khiterer's work is a straightforward and engaging read; it can appeal both to experts in the fields of Jewish and Ukrainian studies and to undergraduate students."
