All of my ancestors came to the conclusion that coming to America was a moral imperative. For many of them, their specific personal reasoning is unknown to my family. I can only speculate by matching their arrivals in America with historical events taking place in Europe. My only relative whose decision to emigrate is known to my family was my great-great-great grandfather Samuel Dillman. Sam was born in Litin, Russia, (in the Podolia region) in what is modern day Ukraine. Upon close inspection of the history of Litin I discovered that in 1827 conscription of Jews into the Russian army became law. My mother learned that Sam received a conscription notice for a third tour of duty. With a bullet forever lodged in his back from a previous tour, Sam had had enough. He would leave Russia for a better life for himself and his family in America.
Besides forced conscription into the army, Jews met many challenges and difficulties in Eastern Europe. Jews were scapegoated when the economies of the peasants of Europe faltered. Such was the case in 1881-1882 when pogroms in Russia became commonplace. Pogroms are defined as “an outbreak of mass violence directed against a minority, religious, ethnic, or social group” (yivoencyclopedia). Local governments allowed this violence against the Jews to proceed. The film, "Fiddler on the Roof", adapted by the story by Shalom Aleheim is a good indication of the plight of the Jews during times of pogroms. In one scene, homes of Jews are attacked, and the police stood by and watched. Often property was confiscated and families were moved to live within the boundaries of 'The Pale'. During the pogroms of 1881 and 1882 in Russia, “violence was largely directed against the property of Jews rather than their persons. In the course of more than 250 individual events, millions of rubles worth of Jewish property was destroyed” (yivoencyclopedia). Pogroms of 1903-1906 created another wave of immigration. These pogroms caused the death of many Jews. It was during this period that the Dillman Family made their way to America. Sam arrived in New York on June 4, 1907 at the age of 28. My family was already in New York when on March 14, 1919 pogroms in the town of Litin, the town that my family came from, caused the murders of ten Jews (kehilalinks).
In May of 1882 Russia enacted the ‘May Rules’ which confined Jews to towns dictated by the government in an area called ‘The Pale.’ By trapping Jews within this specific area, trading and the economy of the Jews suffered, creating poverty amongst the Jewish populations in the 19th century (yivoencyclopedia). Searching for economic freedom was an important reason for the ‘Great Migration.’
Anti-Jewish violence was a constant concern and pogroms that followed took the lives of many Jews. It is no wonder that with anti-Semitic sentiment and economic hardship from being forced to live within the confines of The Pale, European Jews decided between the years of 1881-1921 to migrate to America. The “Great Migration” brought more than 2 million Jews to America (yivoencyclopedia).
Besides forced conscription into the army, Jews met many challenges and difficulties in Eastern Europe. Jews were scapegoated when the economies of the peasants of Europe faltered. Such was the case in 1881-1882 when pogroms in Russia became commonplace. Pogroms are defined as “an outbreak of mass violence directed against a minority, religious, ethnic, or social group” (yivoencyclopedia). Local governments allowed this violence against the Jews to proceed. The film, "Fiddler on the Roof", adapted by the story by Shalom Aleheim is a good indication of the plight of the Jews during times of pogroms. In one scene, homes of Jews are attacked, and the police stood by and watched. Often property was confiscated and families were moved to live within the boundaries of 'The Pale'. During the pogroms of 1881 and 1882 in Russia, “violence was largely directed against the property of Jews rather than their persons. In the course of more than 250 individual events, millions of rubles worth of Jewish property was destroyed” (yivoencyclopedia). Pogroms of 1903-1906 created another wave of immigration. These pogroms caused the death of many Jews. It was during this period that the Dillman Family made their way to America. Sam arrived in New York on June 4, 1907 at the age of 28. My family was already in New York when on March 14, 1919 pogroms in the town of Litin, the town that my family came from, caused the murders of ten Jews (kehilalinks).
In May of 1882 Russia enacted the ‘May Rules’ which confined Jews to towns dictated by the government in an area called ‘The Pale.’ By trapping Jews within this specific area, trading and the economy of the Jews suffered, creating poverty amongst the Jewish populations in the 19th century (yivoencyclopedia). Searching for economic freedom was an important reason for the ‘Great Migration.’
Anti-Jewish violence was a constant concern and pogroms that followed took the lives of many Jews. It is no wonder that with anti-Semitic sentiment and economic hardship from being forced to live within the confines of The Pale, European Jews decided between the years of 1881-1921 to migrate to America. The “Great Migration” brought more than 2 million Jews to America (yivoencyclopedia).