Abstract

The article is based on the archived documents, periodic press and monographic literature analysis and deals with the problem of cultural-and-religious development of Jewish society’ public initiative in Ukraine in 1920th. The special features of activity of religiously-elucidative public associations are determined, their relationships with Communist Party organs. Anti-religious work of Communist Party organs is illuminated. At the beginning of 1920th Ukrainian Jewishness actively supported and heard the confession Judaism that remained next to languages Yiddish and Hebrew like instrument for maintenance of jewries national identity in the new soviet state. At the beginning of 1920th the cells of many public associations of religiously-cultural and educational aspiration functioned in Ukraine. Religious organizations developed in Jewish cult buildings. Separately maintenance of national identity of jewries was assisted by educational establishments that were actively helped by religious communities and societies. From the first years the Communist Party organs began active attacks on Jewish religious public motion. Active politics of division of jewries on atheists and believers was conducted. The last was constantly pursued and yielded to the repressions. Active voice in an anti-religious campaign was accepted by Jewish-section at the Central Committee of CPU. For their assistance local authorities closed synagogues, converted them into working clubs, khati-chital’ni. Headers and eshibotes were closed, the retinues of Thora, prayer books and other religious literature were destroyed. During the Jewish holytides and on Saturdays, various atheistic actions, trials of rabbis and Judaism. got organized among the Jewish young people, workers and intelligentsia. With rolling down of New Economic Policy and beginning of mass population sovietization at the end of 1920th pressure on religious Jewish public motion from the side of Communist Party organs and soviet special services increased. Repressions against the clergy and the most active public activists were activated. On the whole, persecutions on Judaism stipulated the mass walking of jewries away from religious traditions and mass destruction of traditional religious life of Ukrainian Jewishness.