The Cantonists: The Jewish Children's Army of the Czar

by Larry Domnitch

The Cantonist era was a terrifying episode in Jewish history, and one that is etched in the collective memory of the Jewish people. Tsar Nicholas of Russia conscripted thousands of Jewish children – some as young as 6 years old – into his army for up to 25 years! The Tsar's declared goal was nothing less than to convert these children to Christianity; for him, their baptism was of the highest priority. This book reveals the struggle of these youngsters to maintain their Judaism against impossible odds. Many failed. But some, like Golda Meir's grandfather, succeeded in reclaiming their heritage and reconnecting the chain of Jewish tradition. Today, thousands of Jews are descendants of those stalwart Cantonists.

Genres: History

152 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Matty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. Personal accounts from different spectrums of society. Entire era covered up to today.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Russian Empire completed its annexation of Poland in 1795, it added more than one million Jews to its population. This led to a government call for ways to limit the ever growing Jewish community and/or find ways to turn those who were seen as primitive into modern, productive members of the country. In his “The Cantonists: Jewish Boys in the Russian Military, 1827-1856” (Touro University Press), Josef Mendelevich explores not only the reasons behind the decisions made by the tzarist government, but those of the Jewish population.
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...