Contents

Preface

List of Map and Figures

Map

Notes on Transliteration, Abbreviations, Acronyms and Citations

Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

Introduction

Chapter 1

“The Wastelands”: The Jews of Central Asia

Changes in the Legal Status of Jews in Central Asia

Jewish Community Organization

How Many Jews Were There?

Indexes of Literacy among the Jewish Population

Characteristic Occupations and Livelihoods

Chapter 2

“We’ll Change Henceforth the Old Tradition”: The Bolshevik Revolution in Central Asia

Incorporating Community into State Institutions

Liberating the Women

Competing Religion and the Religious Establishment

Dealing with Antisemitism in Central Asia

Chapter 3

“Workers of the World Unite!”: Central Asia and the Nationalities Question

The Nationalities Question and Communist Doctrine

The Nationalities Question and the Jews in the Soviet Union

The Nationality Theory in Practice: The National Delimitation of Central Asia

National and Jewish Sections Activities in Communist Party of Uzbekistan

The Governmental Committee for National Minorities in Uzbekistan

Establishment of the Komzet Committee and the Ozet Society in Uzbekistan

The Turning Point

Implementation of Governmental Decisions on the Issue of the Jews

Approval for the Establishment of Komzet in Uzbekistan

The Establishment of the Ozet Association in Uzbekistan

Chapter 4

The Hungry Steppe – The Plans

Types of Agricultural Settlement

Establishment of the First Jewish Agricultural Artels

The Government and Incentives for Settlers

Activities of the Komzet Committee: Planning and Implementation

Operations of Ozet in Uzbekistan, 1926–1930

Settlement Plans for Jews of Uzbekistan

The Turksib Plan

The “Tajikistan Plan”

The Hungry Steppe – Mirzo-Chul – “Zelenski” Plan

Chapter 5

The Hungry Steppe (Mirzo-Chul): The Implementation

Funding the Kolkhozes

Buildings Planned for Construction in Jewish Kolkhozes

Enrollment and Settlement Rates

Everyday Life in Jewish Kolkhozes

Health and Security

Facing Social Disputes

Women in the Fields

Interactions with Local Populations and Rural Authorities

Summing up the Achievements of Jewish Settlement

Chapter 6

Not Only in the Steppes: Building an Urban Proletariat

Organization of Small Producers into Industrial Artels

“Socialist” Enterprises

Between Equality, Internationalization and Discrimination

Women in Industry

Training for Industry

Chapter 7

Reclaiming the Cultural Wastelands

The Jewish-Bukharan Language

The Jewish-Bukharan Press

Soviet Publishing Enterprises

Development of Soviet-Jewish School System

Cultural Socialist Education

The Museum

The Jewish Theatre

End of an Era and an Epilogue

Bibliography

Index