Jewish Education and Culture in Ukraine

Soviet Action and Resistance Strategies through Education

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35699/1982-3053.2025.58468

Keywords:

Education, Jewish Institutions, Soviet Union, Ukraine

Abstract

Education, since the beginnings of pedagogy, has been seen as an instrument of moral and spiritual formation. Thinkers like Comenius, Rousseau, and Pestalozzi approached education as an essential tool for human development, uniting intellectual and spiritual aspects. Comenius believed that education was essential for the integrity of the being, being influenced by religion and morality. Rousseau and Pestalozzi also emphasized the importance of respecting religious identity and the formation of the individual within a balanced society. This study aims to analyze the impact of Soviet repression on Jewish educational institutions in Ukraine during the 1920s and 1930s, seeking to understand how Soviet educational policies shaped education and affected the religious and cultural identity of the Jewish community. The focus is on the resistance strategies adopted by this community against the eradication of its educational and cultural practices. The research adopts a qualitative and historiographical approach, using Hegelian dialectics to analyze primary and secondary sources. The study seeks to establish critical counterpoints between historical and ideological interpretations, exploring the effects of Soviet educational policies on Jewish education in Ukraine. Soviet repression of Jewish educational institutions aimed not only to eradicate religious education but also to destabilize the cultural and spiritual identity of the Jewish community. The yeshivas and cheders were closed, and many educators were persecuted. Despite this, underground cultural and educational resistance practices ensured the preservation of Jewish identity, demonstrating how education can be both a tool of domination and resistance.

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Author Biographies

  • Carlos Alberto Póvoa, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso

    Doutor em Geografia (Geografia Humana) pela Universidade de São Paulo, Professor do Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação (PPGE/ UFTM).

  • Rodrigo Elias Cardoso, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso

    Mestrando em Educação pela Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM). Membro do Grupo de pesquisa da CAPES Educação Integrada: Ensino, Religiosidade, Identidade e Territorialidade no âmbito do Geoparque Uberaba (2024).

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Published

2025-06-10

How to Cite

Jewish Education and Culture in Ukraine: Soviet Action and Resistance Strategies through Education. (2025). Arquivo Maaravi: Revista Digital De Estudos Judaicos Da UFMG, 19(36), 149-163. https://doi.org/10.35699/1982-3053.2025.58468