Jews in Trans-Baikal: Chita

JEWS IN TRANS-BAIKAL

According to an encyclopedia article, (by M.V. Zaytsev and Elena Shvets) “Jews in Transbaikalia” at: http://ez.chita.ru/encycl/person/?id=1943, the first Jewish settlers were merchants, farmers, and convicts. Information is based on memoirs of the Decemberists (participants in an army-led revolt in Imperial Russia that occurred in December, 1825).  The area was attractive to Jews because of the “…absence of anti-semitism, liberal laws and benefits in the trading activities in contrast to life in the European part of Russia….”

Some of the prominent individuals from Chita were:

Kitayevichi

 Samsonovichi

 Novomeysky

Kleimany

Zazovsky

Schlesinger/Shlezingery

Pomusy

Israel/Izrailevy

Andoverovy

Lieberman

Rify

J.D. Frizer

I.M Itskovich

J.E. Gobernik (a community leader)

On the right side of the page , one of the photos is of  S. Zeitlin, 1986 (the man with the cap).