Jews, You Should Fight to the Bitter End: Bogoraz's Literary Response to the Gomel' Pogrom

Racolin Lecture

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Nadja Berkovich, University of Illinois

In 1904, Russian Jewish writer-ethnographer Vladimir Bogoraz went to Gomel’, a city in present-day Belarus, to document the trial regarding the 1903 Gomel’ pogrom. Bogoraz wrote a book based on the testimonies given by the accused, as well as confessions and interviews. As a result, the Gomel’ trial became famous due to the publicity surrounding Jewish self-defense efforts, as well as the acquittal of the majority of the Jewish victims and defenders.