The Last Years of Polish Jewry

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Ukrainian-born Yankev Leshchinsky (1876-1966) was a prominent analyst of Eastern European Jewish socioeconomic and political life from the 1920s to the 1950s, recognized as “the dean of Jewish sociologists” and “the father of Jewish demography.” He published a series of impactful essays in Yiddish on Polish Jewry between 1927 and 1937. Despite the growing interest in interwar Jewish communities in Poland, these essays have largely remained untranslated into English. This volume aims to address that gap by translating key works of Leshchinsky. A thoughtful Introduction by Robert Brym contextualizes the author's life and contributions. The essays, based on extensive research and firsthand observations, focus on the years 1927-33, examining the rise of militant Polish nationalism, anti-Jewish boycotts, and pogroms; the exclusion of Jews from government and universities; and the resulting destitution, hunger, and despair. They highlight the psychological toll of mass uncertainty and hopelessness on Jewish life. No other English work matches the range and depth of Leshchinsky's insights into the last years of the three million Polish Jews who ultimately fell victim to the Nazi regime. This book will appeal to researchers and students of Eastern European history, particularly those interested in Jewish communities on the brink of the Holocaust.