Page 366 - להפוך לבולגרים / קונפורטי

Yossef Conforti

Becoming Bulgarians

Bulgarian Jewry in 1878—1918

This book reviews the history of Bulgaria’s Jewry, examining
the formation of their national identity throughout the period
under discussion. The introduction and first chapter present the
historical background of the Bulgarian people and the Jewish
communities of the central Balkan region in the final days of
Ottoman rule. The second and third chapters examine the ways in
which Jewish society dealt with regional changes during the shift
from empire to the nation-state: the aspiration to resemble the
Jewish communities in Central Europe, and the establishment of
new institutions. The fourth chapter explores modern antisemitism
in Bulgaria, and the appearance of the Zionist movement in the
late nineteenth century. The final two chapters trace the incessant
battle in the Jewish community between the Zionist movement
and the old establishment, headed by the community’s wealthy
men, the Notables.

The rise of nationalism among the Bulgarian people in the final
days of Ottoman rule, and their struggle for national independence,
are described in the introduction. In 1878, the Berlin Congress
established the Bulgarian nation-state as a constitutional monarchy,
but not all Balkan Bulgarians resided within the borders of the young
state. During the period discussed in this book, the Bulgarian state
waged three wars, striving to annex areas populated by Bulgarians.
All of these attempts failed. Despite the crises suffered by the

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