The Kishinev Pogrom

When two young Christians were murdered in Kishinev, the heart of Moldova, in 1903, popular journalist Peva Krushevanl seized the opportunity to blame the Jews for their deaths. 

Using his daily newspaper as a personal soapbox, he riled up thousands of Kishinev’s civilians to take revenge against the Jews in a deadly pogrom which killed 49 people. 

This attack inspired Jewish poet Chaim Nachman Bialik to publish works to awaken the Jewish spirit and successfully invoked Jews across the world to take action against the rampant antisemitism in Europe.

Big Ideas

1. Key moments that aren’t the most well known can have profound impact on Jewish history.
2. The media can play a powerful role in shaping public perception and opinion.
3. The Kishinev Pogrom and its aftermath had a profound impact on the development of Zionism and Jewish self-defense groups.

Essential Questions

1. How do we identify and understand the "moments that change everything" in Jewish history?
2. How can we prevent and address antisemitism in society?
3. What was the impact of the Kishinev Pogrom on modern Jewish history?