SUMMARY:

The article presents research into the emergence and development of the image of “Siberian Jew”. According to the author, specific conditions of Siberia provided the context for a perception of the Jews as rational, entrepreneurial, and energetic, which made them more acceptable for the local community at large. Active Jewish economic life and participation in charities and social events (not necessarily specifically Jewish) helped to blur traditional lines of division between the Jews and the Gentiles. At the same time, the local bureaucracy often pursued policies that were influenced by European Russian perceptions of the Jews. Moreover, these policies followed the generally increasingly reactionary views of the authorities with respect to the Russian Jews and often led to persecutions of the Jews in Siberia.