S.Y. Abramovitsh was an author also often known as "Mendele the Book Peddler". Mendele represented his alter ego. He was the leader of the Haskalah Movement. This movement, also known as the Jewish enlightenment, took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. It originated in Berlin and then moved east. This enlightenment was an attempt at normalization for the Jewish people. The movement strived to reach four different goals of normalization:
1. Education: boys followed a school system that looked like this--- 3-5 years old kheyder, then went on to yeshiva ketana/Talmud torah, and finally yeshiva gedola (high school) or became a tradesman. 2. Marrage and gender roles: currently, educated boys married the daughter of a rich family and lived on kest, which was money from in-laws. 3. Economics: Jews were often known as scheming middle men in the economy. 4. nature- At this time, there were no Jewish farmers. Those involved in the Haskalah movement were referred to as Maskils. |