The Velizh Affair

  Weinberg, Robert. Blood Libel in Late Imperial Russia: The Ritual Murder Trial of Mendel Beilis. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2014.

  Wengeroff, Pauline. Memoirs of a Grandmother: Scenes from the Cultural History of the Jews of Russia in the Nineteenth Century. Volume 1. Translated by Shulamit S. Magnus. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2010.

  Werth, Paul. The Tsar’s Foreign Faiths: Toleration and the Fate of Religious Freedom in Imperial Russia. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.

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  Williams, Gerhild Scholz. “Demonologies.” In The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America, ed. Brian P. Levack, 69– 83.

  Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.

  Wiltenburg, Joy. Crime and Culture in Early Modern Germany. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2012.

  Wodzinski, Marcin. “Blood and the Hasidim: On the History of Ritual Murder

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  Worobec, Christine D. “Decriminalizing Witchcraft in Pre- Emancipation Russia.”

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  Edited by Wolfgang Behringer, Sönke Lorenz, and Dieter R. Bauer, 281– 307.

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  Zarudnii, Sergii. Bekkariia o prestupleniiakh i nakazaniiakh i russkoe zakonodatel’stvo.

  St. Petersburg: Tipografiia E. I. V. Kantseliariia, 1879.

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  Index

  Note: Page numbers in italics refer to illustrations.

  alcohol: beggar women’s use of,

  Aronson, Mirka: appellate court verdict

  124, 127; implication in Velizh

  and, 28; death of, 61; domestic

  ritual murder case, 72, 73, 74, 75,

  servant of, testimony of, 68– 69;

  76, 122, 124, 129; sale of, Jews and,

  family of, 19, 21; generosity of, 21;

  21, 43, 45, 48, 50

  house of, 19– 20, 20, 35– 38; as

  Alekseevna, Eizabeth, 57

  primary suspect, 23; search of house

  Alexander I (Tsar of Russia): appeals

  of, 19, 28; tavern in house of, 19, 21;

  of Jewish deputies to, 107– 8;

  testimonies against, 16, 17, 22, 62,

  ban on torture, 134; death

  63, 67, 76, 119, 120; testimony of, 26

  of, 60; and Mordvinov’s

  Aronson, Shmerka: arrest of, 161;

  career, 147; restrictions on

  interrogation of, 128

  Jewish activities under, 44– 45;

  Aronson, Slava (Slavka). See

  Terenteeva’s complaint to, 58,

  Berlina, Slavka

  59, 63– 64, 179n2; travel through

  Avdotia (Fedor’s cousin), 1– 2

  Velizh, 57– 58

  Azadkevich, Filipp, 83, 84

  Alexander II (Tsar of Russia), 158

  antimins, 76; theft of, testimony

  Baraduchi, Malka, 25

  regarding, 76, 128– 29

  Baradudina, Malka, 162

  apothecaries, 53– 54

  Baranov, D. O., 44

  Aronson, Basia, 87, 161

  barrel, lined with nails, use in ritual

  Aronson, Iankel’ Hirsh: arrest of, 161;

  murder: literature describing, 141;

  death of, 116; imprisonment of,

  Velizh investigation and testimonies

  113, 115– 16

  regarding, 73, 120, 122, 150

  213

  214

  214

  Index

  Beccaria, Cesare, 148

  interrogation of, 83; testimony

  beggar women: alcohol abuse by,

  against, 73

  124, 127; magic spells cast by,

  Berlina, Slava (Slavka), 19; arrest

  belief in, 29; in Velizh, 1, 16,

  of, 80, 101, 161; and Basia

  21– 23, 25– 26

  Aronson, 87; brother- in- law

  begging for alms: conflict related to,

  of, 108; complaint to governor-

  25– 26, 29, 30; cultural norms

  general, 82– 83; confrontation

  regarding, 29; on Easter, 1, 23

  with accusers, 82; imprisonment

  Beilis, Mendel, trial of, 158, 159

  of, 105, 109; interrogations of, 82–

  Belarus: economy of, 42– 43; Hasidism

  83, 121, 123, 128, 130; as primary

  in, 46; topography of, 32– 33. See

  suspect, 72; testimonies against,

  also East European borderlands;

  72, 73, 98, 120

  specific towns

  besmedresh (communal study hall), in

  Belarusians: belief in Jewish ritual

  Velizh, 39, 50

  murder, 6, 12; poverty among, 48; Bialystok, ritual murder case in, 7

  in Velizh, 35, 50

  blood libel. See ritual murder libel

  Belenitskii, Movsha, 162

  Bogdanovicheva house (Velizh): as

  Beliaev, Itsko, 87

  interrogation and prison facility,

  belief: in Jewish ritual murder, 2, 10,

  79– 80, 90; Strakhov’s move to, 79

  11, 24, 30, 136; in magical cures,

  Brafman, Iakov, 192n31

  54– 55. See also magic, belief in

  bribery: Jewish political action and,

  Bentham, Jeremy, 148

  102, 106; in Velizh prison, 94

  Berlin, Biniamin, 113, 114

  Brouda, Hirsh Berkovich, 108– 10, 114

  Berlin, Hirsh, 27, 83, 161

  Brusovanskii, Zeilik, 124– 25, 162

  Berlin, Meir, 83, 161

  Berlin, Moisei, 52

  Cahan, Abraham, 50, 52

  Berlin, Noson: arrest of, 161;

  cannibalism, investigations of, 3

  interrogation of, 83– 84

  capital punishment, in imperial

  Berlin, Shmerka, 19; appellate court

  Russia, 134

  verdict and, 28; arrest of, 103, 161;

  Catherine the Great (Empress of

  brothers of, 21, 83; complaint

  Russia), 33– 34, 35

  to governor- general, 101– 2, 108;

  Catholic Church: and restrictions on

  confrontation with Terenteeva, 81;

  Christian- Jewish relations, 65;

  death of, 61; emotional toll on,

  and ritual murder libel, 5, 148

  81, 135; and Evzik Tsetlin, 84;

  charity: Jewish community and, 21, 92;

  initial testimonies regarding, 24;

  refusal of, gru
dges based on,

  as primary suspect, 23, 27, 72; in

  25– 26, 29– 30

  prison, 105; tavern of, 21; tenant

  Cherniavskii, Ivan, 136

  of, 96; Terenteeva’s testimony

  Chernomordik, Iankel’

  against, 119– 20; testimony of,

  (Petushok): arrest of, 162; and

  26– 27, 81– 82

  forced conversion to Judaism,

  Berlina, Ryvka, 162

  testimonies regarding, 75– 76;

  Berlina, Shifra: on accusers, 124; death

  interrogation of, 87– 88; letters

  of, 135; imprisonment of, 115, 116;

  from prison, 94– 95

  Index

  215

  Chernomordika, Ester, 162

  conversion to Judaism: fears of,

  Chernomordika, Khaika, 88, 162

  Jewish- Christian domestic

  Chernyshev, Aleksandr Ivanovich, 142

  arrangements and, 65– 66; forced,

  childhood mortality, in Russian

  arguments aiming to disprove,

  Empire, 31– 32, 33

  85, 87; forced, testimonies in

  church robbery: punishment for, 128;

  Velizh ritual murder case, 74– 75;

  testimony regarding, in Velizh

  punishment for, 144

  ritual murder case, 76, 128– 29

  converts, Jewish, and dissemination of

  clothing, Jewish, 42; prohibition

  ritual murder libel, 6, 139– 42

  of, 46; Terenteeva’s testimony

  court(s): civil, use by Jews, 51;

  regarding, 65

  rabbinic, 87

  communication, by Velizh

  Crémieux, Adolphe, 111

  prisoners: emotional toll of

  crimes: committed by and against

  absence of, 135; secret, 90,

  Jews, 51– 52; sensationalization of,

  91, 94– 95

  8, 9, 158– 59

  complaints. See petition(s)

  criminal investigation, in inquisitorial

  confession, in inquisitorial

  process, 27

  process, 71, 100; required for

  criminal investigation, of Jewish ritual

  conviction, 149; techniques used

  murder: earliest known, 3; new

  to extract, 134– 35, 140. See also

  standards of documentation

  confession(s), in Velizh ritual

  and, 4; vs. popular beliefs, 5;

  murder case; written statements

  regional trends in, 6

  confession(s), in Velizh ritual murder

  criminal investigation, of Velizh

  case: need for, 70, 83, 133, 135; by

  ritual murder case: arrests

  prisoners, 96– 99, 145; questioning

  in, 80, 90, 101, 103, 161– 62;

  of veracity of, 149– 50; techniques

  communal tensions during, 25;

  for extracting, 133; by witnesses,

  complaints regarding, 82– 83,

  72– 74, 76

  101– 2, 108– 10, 113; confrontations

  conflicts: communal, Velizh ritual

  with accusers in, 81– 83, 86– 89,

  murder case and, 25; between

  94, 117, 122– 24, 126, 128, 130;

  neighbors, economic activities

  discrepancies in, 147, 149– 50;

  and, 51– 52; and ritual murder

  dossier in, 137, 142– 44; emotional

  accusations, 25– 26, 29, 30, 84, 89;

  toll of, 135– 36; expansion of,

  in Velizh daily life, 21; and

  117– 31, 142; initial, 17, 18– 19,

  witchcraft accusations, 29– 30

  23– 27, 28; interrogation of

  confrontations, with accusers: in

  suspects in, 80– 90, 96– 99, 121– 31;

  inquisitorial process, 81; in Velizh

  interrogation of witnesses in,

  ritual murder case, 81– 83, 86– 89,

  61– 64, 67– 69, 71, 119– 29; material

  94, 117, 122– 24, 126, 128, 130

  evidence collected in, 69– 70, 99,

  conscription: of Jews, 45, 92, 111; of

  185n71; request for extension in,

  state peasants, 13

  116, 118, 119; role of Uniate priest

  conversion of Jews, conscription in

  in, 71, 121, 129; second, 60– 61,

  imperial army and concerns

  66– 77; secrecy of, 9; slowness of,

  about, 45, 111– 12

  119, 142– 43; techniques used to

  216

  216

  Index

  criminal investigation, of Velizh ritual

  Dreyfus affair, 158

  murder case ( cont. )

  Dvorzhetskaia (noblewoman),

  extract confessions in,

  121– 22, 131

  134– 35; textual proof collected in,

  137– 38, 141, 191n17; torture in,

  Easter: begging for alms during, 1, 23;

  allegations of, 109, 110; venue for,

  Christian activities during, 13;

  79– 80; witness testimonies in,

  tales of Jewish ritual murder

  23– 24, 61– 64, 67– 69, 71, 119– 29;

  during, 3, 22, 24, 61, 68, 72

  written statements sought in, 82,

  Eastern Europe: dissemination of

  84, 85, 89

  ritual murder libel in, 5; Jewish

  population in, growth of, 5, 10

  Dal’, Vladimir I., 157; report on ritual

  Eastern Orthodox Church: antimins

  murder, 6– 7, 157, 167n21, 196n12

  in, 76; vs. Uniate Church, 35. See

  Damascus, ritual murder charge in,

  also Russian Orthodox Church

  111, 158

  East European borderlands, 10;

  deaths, in Russian Empire, 52; of

  economy of, 47– 49; ethnic

  children, 31– 32; Jewish ritual

  boundaries and interethnic

  murder as convenient explanation

  relations in, 10– 11; famines in,

  for, 4; during Napoleon’s

  42, 44, 47; Jews in, 40– 42, 45;

  invasion, 43– 44

  mass population transfers in, 48;

  deaths, during Velizh ritual murder

  topography of, 32– 33

  investigation, 61, 116, 135

  emotions: of accused, during

  Decembrist Rebellion of 1825, 60, 155

  interrogation, 81, 82, 83– 84, 86,

  depression, among prisoners in

  87– 88, 89, 126; of prisoners, 12,

  Velizh, 135

  85, 97– 98, 135

  deputies. See Jewish deputies

  Eremeeva, Anna, 21– 22; divination

  Derzhavin, Gavriil, 42– 43, 46

  by, 16– 17, 22; questioning of, 70;

  Devirts, Fratka: arrest of, 97, 161;

  sentencing of, 152

  attempted escape from

  ethnic groups, in East European

  prison, 97; attempted suicide

  borderlands: relations among, 10–

  by, 100; confession of, 98– 99,

  11; in Velizh, 21, 34– 35

  145, 150; testimonies against,

  ethnographic studies, 12, 195n8; role in

  76, 130

  perpetuating ritual murder libel,

  Devirts, Orlik: arrest of, 97, 161;

  156– 57, 158

  confrontation with accuser, 122–

  exile. See Siberia, exile to

  23; interrogations of, 121, 122,

  expert testimony. See medical

  124, 128; testimonies against, 74,

  testimony

  76– 77, 123

  Dillon, Liezer,
107, 108

  false- evidence ploys, 134

  diseases: afflicting imprisoned Jews,

  famines, in East European

  93– 94, 101– 2, 109, 113; blood used

  borderlands, 42, 44, 47

  to treat, testimony regarding, 98;

  Fedor (victim in Velizh

  lack of medical services for, 53– 54;

  case): abduction and murder of,

  magic used to treat, 54– 55; in

  confessions regarding, 72– 74, 76;

  western borderlands, 48– 49, 52– 53

  autopsy report for, 18– 19; clothing

  Index

  217

  of, 1, 24; disappearance of,

  Grudinskii, Anton Vikentiev,

  Terenteeva’s testimony regarding,

  139– 42, 192n31

  17, 23, 61– 63; discovery of body

  of, 2, 17– 18; family of, 13– 16;

  Habad (branch of Hasidism), 46

  moments prior to disappearance

  Hasidim/ Hasidism, 46– 47; activities

  of, 1– 2, 13; probable path of, 14;

  of, 39; branches of, 46; vs.

  search for, 16– 18, 22

  orthodox Jews, 106; Russian

  Fedorova, Efim’ia, 23– 24

  Orthodox schismatics compared

  Feitsel’sonova, Rokhlia, 161

  to, 46; sectarian fanaticism linked

  folklore: and magic, in everyday life, 11–

  to, 158; in Velizh, 39

  12; and ritual murder libel, 5, 12, 56 heresy: inquisitorial procedure used forensic science: role in perpetuating

  for, 9; prosecution in imperial

  ritual murder libel, 156– 57. See

  Russia, 156. See also sectarianism

  also medical testimony

  Hirsh, Iankel’, 98

  fortune- tellers, 55; search for missing

  Hirsh, Lanka, 98

  boy and, 16– 17, 63

  host desecrations: narratives of, 127;

  Frank, Jacob, 138

  testimonies regarding, in Velizh

  Frankists (Jewish sect), 138

  ritual murder case, 126, 127

  Fulda, ritual murder libel in, 3

  Hughes, Langston, 33

  humanitarian intervention, 110– 11

  Gavriil, cult of, 7

  Gechevich, V. I., 147

  Iankeleva, Genemiklia, 162

  gender, and ritual murder libel, 182n5

  Il’inskaia Street (Velizh), 19, 21, 39, 41;

  Georgia, ritual murder trial in, 158– 59

  Aronson’s house on, 19, 20

  German- speaking lands, ritual murder Innocent IV, Pope, 4, 148, 165n10

  libel in, 3, 4

  inquisitorial system, 9; confessions in, 71,

  Glikman, Abram, 68, 69, 76

  100, 134– 35; confrontations in, 81;

  Glikman, Iosel’, 27; arrest of, 162;

  conviction under, requirements

  death of, 61; interrogations of, 87,

  for, 149; emotional toll of, 135;

  88, 130; testimonies against, 68,