Photograph: Participants of a meeting of the Society for the Promotion of Culture among the Jews of Russia.

Jews

Russia, city St. Petersburg

1904

Gelatin silver printing with chemical development (DOP)

26,5 x 34; 34,5 x 43

РЭМ 12839-1

Glued to the top edge on the reverse of the passe-partout is a small piece of paper with the note in black ink: “March 29, 1904. First row: N. R. Botvinnik, A. V. Kyshtalo, S. L. Kamenetsky, F. E. Lander, S. M. Ginzburg, Ya. B. Eiger, L. M. Bramson Second row: A. I. Kongisir, A. M. Bramson, Yu. D. Brutzkus, G. A. Goldberg”. Among those captured in the photo are prominent public figures who made a great contribution to the development of Jewish education and promotion of the Jewish culture and language. The Society for the Promotion of Culture among the Jews of Russia (abbr. OPE) started its activity in St. Petersburg in 1863, and saw the main lines of its activity in spreading the knowledge of the Russian language among Jews, and publishing literature in the Russian and Jewish language with educational goals and for financial support to young scientists. In the early 20th century, OPE branches were opened and worked actively in many cities of the Russian Empire: in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Riga, Kiev, Odessa etc. In 1913, 30 branches of OPE were active in Russia with seven thousand members (in 1864, OPE numbered only 175 persons). Discussed at the sessions of OPE were issues of Jewish education, culture, and library services.