The Velizh Affair
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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,