WWI & The Jews Part II: Jew vs Jew and the Eastern European Exile

As loyal citizens of their respective countries, Jews served loyally in every army and on every front. Very often one encountered the tragic scenario of Jew fighting Jew. Jewish chaplains serviced Jewish soldiers in the German army, and connected with local Jewish communities in areas under German occupation. This enhanced the connection between East and West. Jewish soldiers faced numerous challenges while serving and it became part of the struggle of Jewish identity in modern times.

Jewish communities were exiled across Eastern Europe. With Galicia Jews streaming west towards Vienna, the pace of urbanization quickened. This brought Chassidus and great Rebbes for the first time to the West and to the great urban centers. Meanwhile in Russia, some communities were exiled as a result of the their homes being turned into a battlefield, while others were expelled by the Czar to the Russian interior. This massive exile caused a great upheaval in communal life, and in some instances a complete disintegration thereof. Among the exiled were many of the great Lithuanian Yeshivas. They attempted to relocate and continue their studies under ever worsening conditions.

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