The Cantonists: Jewish Boys in the Russian Military, 1827-1856 - Paperback

by Josef Mendelevich (Author), Rachelle Emanuel (Translator)

Aiming to create a homogeneous population, between 1827 and 1856 the Russian government implemented their malicious plan of forcefully converting Jewish children by conscripting them into harsh military frameworks. About 75,000 children were abducted from their parents. However, the Russians failed in their struggle against the children. Despite cruel punishments, 75% refused to convert to Christianity.

Author Biography

Josef Mendelevich was born in Soviet Latvia and pursued studies in communications engineering. A prominent advocate for human rights and Jewish national rights, he was sentenced in 1970 to twelve years in prison for his activism. In 1981, he immigrated to Jerusalem, where he has since dedicated his life to education and Jewish scholarship.

He holds a rabbinic certificate from Israel's Chief Rabbinate and earned an M.A. in Jewish History from Touro College. Josef is an esteemed lecturer on Jewish history, speaking to audiences around the globe, and teaches Jewish studies at Machon Meir in Jerusalem.