Man of Ethics
Gold Member
- Feb 28, 2021
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- 248
I have briefly seen two of my great-grandmothers in my childhood. None of my great-great-grandparents were alive when I was born. Even though I do not know my great-grandparents and earlier generations personally, I am proud of the ideals they have set. Paradoxically, different generations had different ideals and values.
All of my great-great-grandparents and my grandfather's parents were strictly observant Jews. My grandfather's grandfather knew Torah by heart. He studied Talmud many hours each day and scrupulously kept all Commandments of the Torah. The generation of my great-great-grandparents continued the tradition of millennia of deeply observant and G-d fearing Jews.
One thing which I know almost certainly is that there was a significant generational rift between the older generations and the younger generation in early XXth Century. In 1917, my great-grandparents were in their 20-s. They were devoted to the new Communist ideals of Fairness, Freedom, and Equality. My great-grandmothers worked for Soviet Russia and my great-grandfathers fought for Soviet Russia in the Civil War.
Lenin and Trotsky started to build a society based on Freedom, Equality, and Positive Rights. In 1917, many working families in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other Russian cities lived in abject poverty and most had less then one room per family. Rich families had multiroom apartments. In 1918, Bolsheviks confiscated most property of rich people. Now, each working family had a room in an apartment formerly belonging to nobles. In 1920, the rest of rich people's property was confiscated.
In 1922, Communists won the Civil War. Lenin and Trotsky started rebuilding Soviet Russia. They started building a New Society. This Society was based not only on Freedom and Equality, but also on Positive Rights -- the right to employment, the right to food, shelter, and medical care. Sadly in 1924, Vladimir Lenin died. By late 1920s, Leon Trotsky lost all power to Joseph Stalin and was exiled from USSR.
The decade of 1930s was the decade of quiet despair and disappointment for my great-grandparents, millions of other Jews, and tens of millions of Classical Liberals. Jews were pushed out of the ruling elite. Freedom was gone. Repressions escalated and reached their peak in 1937.
All of my great-great-grandparents and my grandfather's parents were strictly observant Jews. My grandfather's grandfather knew Torah by heart. He studied Talmud many hours each day and scrupulously kept all Commandments of the Torah. The generation of my great-great-grandparents continued the tradition of millennia of deeply observant and G-d fearing Jews.
One thing which I know almost certainly is that there was a significant generational rift between the older generations and the younger generation in early XXth Century. In 1917, my great-grandparents were in their 20-s. They were devoted to the new Communist ideals of Fairness, Freedom, and Equality. My great-grandmothers worked for Soviet Russia and my great-grandfathers fought for Soviet Russia in the Civil War.
Lenin and Trotsky started to build a society based on Freedom, Equality, and Positive Rights. In 1917, many working families in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other Russian cities lived in abject poverty and most had less then one room per family. Rich families had multiroom apartments. In 1918, Bolsheviks confiscated most property of rich people. Now, each working family had a room in an apartment formerly belonging to nobles. In 1920, the rest of rich people's property was confiscated.
In 1922, Communists won the Civil War. Lenin and Trotsky started rebuilding Soviet Russia. They started building a New Society. This Society was based not only on Freedom and Equality, but also on Positive Rights -- the right to employment, the right to food, shelter, and medical care. Sadly in 1924, Vladimir Lenin died. By late 1920s, Leon Trotsky lost all power to Joseph Stalin and was exiled from USSR.
The decade of 1930s was the decade of quiet despair and disappointment for my great-grandparents, millions of other Jews, and tens of millions of Classical Liberals. Jews were pushed out of the ruling elite. Freedom was gone. Repressions escalated and reached their peak in 1937.