Students study the vibrant culture of the Jews who lived in the shtetls in eastern Europe, while also deepening their understanding of prejudice toward minority groups.
Students study the vibrant culture of the Jews who lived in the shtetls in eastern Europe, while also deepening their understanding of prejudice toward minority groups.
A group of friends sledding in the shtetl, January 12, 1932.
This clip from "Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness" covers the advantages and disadvantages of growing up in a shtetl as seen through Sholem Aleichem's story "The Town of the Little People."
Explore the transformation of traditional Jewish life in late 19th- and early 20th-century eastern Europe through the story of renowned playwright and author, Sholem Aleichem.
Shabbtai (Shepske) Sonenson takes one of the shtetl's Hebrew teachers for a ride on his new motorcycle, 1941.
Explore photographs of the everyday lives of European Jews living in shtetls and larger cities before World War II.
This excerpt from "Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness" depicts the various ways Jewish communities responded to economic and social changes.
This excerpt from "Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness" depicts the various ways Jewish communities responded to economic and social changes.
A Jewish family walking down a street in Kalisz, Poland on May 16, 1935. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as more and more countries lifted age-old restrictions on Jews, many modern Jewish families lived urban lifestyles that were in stark contrast to life in a shtetl.
Students learn about pre-war Jewish life and compare it with today’s diaspora in order to reflect on how modernity can impact tradition.
Students analyze images and film that convey the richness of Jewish life across Europe at the time of the Nazis’ ascension to power.
Scholar Donna-Lee Frieze chronicles the life and work of Raphael Lemkin.