Dubnow, Simon

Simon Dubnow (1860 Mstislavl – 1941 Riga) was an eminent Russian Jewish historian, publicist, and public activist. He was a well known advocate for Jewish national-cultural autonomy in the diaspora. His views on autonomism were at the center of his historical scholarship and his political activism. Dubnow was sure that large numbers of Jews would never agree to move to Eretz Israel and therefore rejected Zionism as a realistic solution to the suffering of Jews. Neither did he believe in socialism or assimilation. His demands focused on the emancipation of Jews in the diaspora and their autonomy with regard to communal self-government, language, culture and education. As a historian, Dubnow can be regarded as a pioneer in combining Jewish history with general history, introducing a sociological emphasis in the study of East European Jewry, study of Jewish communities, the kahal and Hasidism. Since the late 19th century Dubnow was involved in public and political Jewish life in Saint Petersburg, Odessa, Vilnius and other cities, He was an influential lecturer of Jewish history and an activist in many public, political and cultural organizations including the Society for the Promotion of Enlightenment among the Jews of Russia, the Union for the Attainment of Full Equality for the Jewish People in Russia, and the "Folkist" Party. In 1922 he moved to Berlin and after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, Dubnow settled in Riga. In 1941 Dubnow was murdered in the Nazi-established ghetto in Riga. Various facets and phases of Dubnow’s life and activities are reflected in his personal papers. Some of the materials in the collection include articles written by Dubnow for various journals and newspapers, numerous articles about him and his work, reviews of his works and interviews. Other documents demonstrates Dubnow’s importance as a central figure in the activities of the Union for the Attainment of Full Equality for the Jewish People in Russia (1905-1907) and in the formation and activities of the “Folkist” Party (1907-1918). The collection contains some letters from readers of Dubnow’s essays the "Letters on Old and New Jewry", drafts of Dubnow's works and presentations. The collection also contains Dubnow's extensive correspondence with prominent intellectuals and public figures related to his scholarly and public activities in different periods of his life. In addition, papers related to activities of the World Jewish Congress (1936-1937) are also included in the collection -- Read more