The Mission of the Zionist Group in Tbilisi in the 1920s-1930s

The study was carried out within the framework of the project Jewish Identity in Georgia: Soviet Transformation (1921-1941) (FR 23-8490) financed by the grant of Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia.

Abstract

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Jewish community of Georgia underwent a fundamental transformation. Previously, important settlements for Georgian Jews included Kutaisi, Oni, Surami, Tskhinvali, and Akhaltsikhe. However, during the 1920s, many Georgian Jews began migrating to Tbilisi, which became the center of the Jewish community's renaissance. The Soviet government, in its efforts to combat those involved in trade and commerce and to transform unreliable "elements" into reliable workers, established collective farms, special labor schools, and cultural associations for Georgian Jews. It is   noteworthy that Rabbi David Baazov and his group played a key role in initiating the establishment of schools, cultural associations, and the allocation of agricultural lands to Jewish citizens of Soviet Georgia. They requested the Soviet government to take measures for the cultural and economic revival of Jewish families. These mutual efforts were driven by different motives: while the Soviet government sought to mold all ethnic and national groups into a unified mass of workers, David Baazov aimed to make Jews politically active, educate them (especially by promoting Hebrew language and Jewish history), and encourage Aliyah to Eretz Israel. This context explains why, in the 1920s and 1930s, Georgian Jews enthusiastically engaged in or led new initiatives. The Jewish cultural union Tarbut was founded in 1923, and the Jewish drama troupe Kadima was formed based on the 102nd Jewish Labor School. In 1924, the newspaper Makaveeli (named after the Maccabees) began publication, but only three issues were released before the fourth volume was banned by state censorship. In 1927, Soviet officials declared war on David Baazov and "Baazovism." The Soviet government persecuted Baazov and his associates for their efforts toward the cultural and economic renewal of the Jewish community. Gertzel Baazov, a novelist and playwright and the son of David Baazov, was executed in 1938. David Baazov himself was sentenced to death, though his sentence was commuted to exile in Siberia until 1945. Other members of the Zionist group also faced repression. The fear of Soviet persecution shaped the lives of Georgian Jews. This paper seeks to address three key questions: (1).How did the formation of the Zionist group occur within the Soviet context? (2). What was the program of the Zionist group? (3). To what extent did the group's activities contradict Soviet ideology? The goal of this research is to understand how the texts of interest were created within a specific social context, how they were used in everyday interactions, and how they influenced the formation of the reader's identity. Qualitative content analysis is the most appropriate method for carrying out the research objectives. This method allows for a detailed and systematic analysis and interpretation of texts to reveal specific content, themes, or trends. Texts gain meaning in relation to a particular context, discourse, or purpose. We always read texts with a certain aim in mind, seeking ways to uncover and explore specific issues. In this research, different types of narratives concerning the identity of Georgian Jews (including newspaper publications, literary texts, and memoirs), as well as Soviet national, economic, scientific, and cultural policies and their influence on the newly formed Jewish identity, have been identified and studied.