Investor Presentaiton
CHAPTER II
Starting with the creation of the Soviet Union and running until the Soviet Union's
involvement in World War II, this second chapter covers an important era of growth and revival
for many Jews within the Soviet Union. During this era of approximately a decade and a half, the
Jewish revolution, as noted by Slezkine, did not die out but evolved to fit the growing political,
cultural, artistic, and educational trends of the day. Where the Jewish revolution from 1905 and
1917 was based on leaving behind Jewish roots and transitioning to a secular lifestyle amidst
modern realities, the Jewish revolution which continued into the 1920s and 1930s primarily
involved the assimilation of Jews into Soviet life, politics, and culture. While Kaganovich's
success in Soviet politics at first seems like a strong example of Slezkine's assimilation
argument, Kaganovich actually rose far above the model Slezkine presents of being,
"consistently and by a substantial margin, the most literate group in the Soviet Union” and
making incredibly high portions of white-collar workers. 142
Kaganovich was not only educated and engaged in "white collar work," but he was a
leading member of the government. Kaganovich, through becoming a Bolshevik in 1911 and
rising quickly through the ranks of Party power, left behind the Jewish revolution. Thus, the
question is now about Kaganovich's experience in Party life as a Jewish Bolshevik.
Specifically, what became of Kaganovich's Jewishness when he achieved political power?
Through this question I seek to highlight another aspect of the main context of the overall
142 Slezkine, The Jewish Century, 222, 247.
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