Lenin's Jewish Question

In this first examination of Lenins genealogical and political connections to East European Jews, Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern reveals the broad cultural meanings of indisputable evidence that Lenins maternal grandfather was a Jew. He examines why and how Lenins Jewish relatives converted to Christianity, explains how Lenins vision of Russian Marxism shaped his identity, and explores Lenins treatment of party colleagues of Jewish origin and the Jewish Question in Europe. Petrovsky-Shtern also uncovers the continuous efforts of the Soviet communists to suppress Lenins Jewishness and the no less persistent attempts of Russian extremists to portray Lenin as a Jew. In this fascinating book, Petrovsky-Shtern expands our understanding not only of Lenin, but also of Russian and Soviet handling of the Jewish Question.