Description of the Kalarash Pogrom
1906 - 1907
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In 1906, the U.S. Government sent immigration inspector Philip Cowen on an undercover mission to the Pale of Settlement in Russia (St. Petersburg, Kief, and Odessa) to discover the cause of increased Jewish immigration from Russia to the United States.
His findings revealed appalling and unremitting persecution of Russian Jews. Since 1882, the May Laws forced Jews out of their homes and required them all to live in the Pale of Settlement. Crowded into this small area of Russia, the Jews struggled to find jobs and pay rising rent prices.
Most tragic of all is Cowen’s description of the 637 pogroms—targeted attacks on Jews—committed against the Russian Jews. This is one section of Cowen’s report. It describes the Kalarash pogrom of 1905.
During these pogroms, entire Jewish cities were ransacked and destroyed while hundreds of Jews were brutally murdered. Cowen writes of these attacks based on stories of eyewitnesses who survived the pogroms.
Additional sections of the report use poignant pictures and narration, to tell about difficult living conditions and economic hardship for Jews in Russia, and describe other pogroms. To escape such persecution, Jews sought to immigrate to America. But by accompanying Jewish immigrants on their journey to escape Russia, Cowen found out that Jewish persecution did not end with their departure. Jews were repeatedly charged double or triple the cost of passports and boat tickets to America.
His findings revealed appalling and unremitting persecution of Russian Jews. Since 1882, the May Laws forced Jews out of their homes and required them all to live in the Pale of Settlement. Crowded into this small area of Russia, the Jews struggled to find jobs and pay rising rent prices.
Most tragic of all is Cowen’s description of the 637 pogroms—targeted attacks on Jews—committed against the Russian Jews. This is one section of Cowen’s report. It describes the Kalarash pogrom of 1905.
During these pogroms, entire Jewish cities were ransacked and destroyed while hundreds of Jews were brutally murdered. Cowen writes of these attacks based on stories of eyewitnesses who survived the pogroms.
Additional sections of the report use poignant pictures and narration, to tell about difficult living conditions and economic hardship for Jews in Russia, and describe other pogroms. To escape such persecution, Jews sought to immigrate to America. But by accompanying Jewish immigrants on their journey to escape Russia, Cowen found out that Jewish persecution did not end with their departure. Jews were repeatedly charged double or triple the cost of passports and boat tickets to America.
Transcript
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KALARASH [underlined]
Kalarash is a city in Bessarabia between Kishineff and Jassy. It had 8,000 population, of which 7,500 were Jews.
There was a pogrom there in October-November, 1905, following the Czar's manifesto. So thoroughly was the city devastated that it has been unable to recover itself, so that when I visited it in October I found the trail of the pogrom as fresh as at Siedlce which had suffered but a month before. In consequence the population was about a thousand less than before the pogrom.
As the question will be asked of this as of other place who made the pogrom, I will say that as I was told it came about thus:
About twenty members of the League of True Russians, otherwise known as the Black Hundreds, came from Kishineff, the home of Krushevan, the instigator of the pogroms in that city. They had evidently arranged with a lot of Moldavian laborers engaged among the farmers a short distance up the road, for 100 came fully equipped for looting, having with them horses and wagons.
The prefect of Police , who was friendly to the Jews and still retains his office, is a simple minded Russian who had evidently been convinced in some way, just as was the case elsewhere, that it was the wish of the Czar, that a paper had come from him he said [handwritten, added later] to plunder and murder the Jews and therefore dared not interpose his power. The day I was Kalarash I heard a discussion between him and some Jews about the pogrom-- it is the one topic there still and everything dates from it. As translated to me, he
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tained that he was powerless to act otherwise than he did, for "the Czar had commanded it."
550 homes representing 2,300 persons, were burned or plundered and the loss was over a million roubles. As the immediate result of the pogrom 100 families went of themselves to the United States, and 31 to Argentine and Canada, 150 houses were burnt, representing the best in the place, 75 were directly killed, 200 wounded, of whom 25 died subsequently, and 70 were rendered incapable of self-support. The only non-Jew hurt was a German who had sought to defend the Jews. For his pains his home, one of the finest in the place, was burnt to the ground. He was given a little financial relief by the Jewish committee, but is ruined and cannot rebuild. Picture 1 shows the ruins. [faded]
The foremost merchant in the place lost 150,000 roubles. The leading clothing manufacturer, who lost 5,000 roubles, is now located in a hut less than 8ft square [handwritten].
No. 4 shows a group of houses where 17 were burned to death. [faded] Not seeing a single store of any ambitious appearance I questioned if there had been any large businesses places there, when some of the above facts were given me and I was told that there were many fine ones. They had all been on one side of the street. These were plundered and burned. The other side was simply wrecked, even the stock of an iron merchant being destroyed, for the men came armed with powerful crowbars and other instruments. The only decent store in sight was the apothecary shop, which
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was a thoroughly up to date establishment for a country store.
The people fled to the cellars, which are about 8 or 9 feet square, damp and dark, no flooring, and there they were compelled to stay, suffering severely for water.
The poor section was not troubled. For two reasons no doubt. It is on top of the hill, and so utterly impoverished are these poor that nothing but their lives could be taken from them.
Dr. Chassilefsky, the only physician in the place, labored for 72 hours alone and single-handed tending the injured, for no person was allowed to come in from the outside for three days.
An incident that came under my observation is worth recording here. While I was there quite a number of people were getting ready to go to Argentine and Canada. As they were being helped by the Jewish Colonization Association, there was the fear that they might be deported from the United States as assisted immigrants, though only men with trades were sent forth.
Many people however were sent for by friends and one family had received tickets from a son in Philadelphia, and was to proceed the next week. But she got a letter from her son saying that there had been a pogrom in Philadelphia, so she mustn't go, for he was going to return, as if there were pogroms in America they might as well stay in Russia.
I understand that during last fall there was a clash between workmen in a Philadelphia factory which gave this newcomer a twisted idea of American life.
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This primary source comes from the Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
National Archives Identifier: 602984
Full Citation: Cowen Report - European Investigation Entry No. 9; 1906 - 1907; File No. 51411/056; Subject and Policy Files, 1893 - 1957; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 85; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/kalarash-pogrom, March 27, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
