Missionary and Сharitable activities of the Missionary Society in St. Petersburg among the Jews (1865–1869)

The article presents the activities to support newly baptized Jews by the Missionary Society in St. Petersburg, which functioned between 1865 and 1869. To assess the contribution of the Society to the conversion of the Jewish population to Orthodoxy, the position of the Jewish people in the empire is first briefly characterized in relation to government policy. Then a general view of the scale and characteristics of the conversion of Jews to Orthodoxy is given. After a brief information about the Missionary Society, an attempt is described to establish a special Jewish branch under it, as well as the practical side of its activities among newly baptized Jews. This information is considered in the context of missionary work among Jews in St. Petersburg, as well as in the light of parallel events in the history of the Missionary Society. The reasons for the attention to the “Jewish question” of the Society’s leaders are analyzed. The conclusion is made about the insignificant contribution of the Missionary Society to the conversion of the Jews due to the poor organization of the structure as a whole.