Jewish Ethnographic Expedition

The Jewish Ethnographic Expedition (1912–1914) was a project to document and preserve the traditional Jewish culture of the Pale of Settlement, a region in the Russian Empire where Jews were legally restricted to live. Led by the writer and social activist S. An-sky, the expedition was motivated by concerns that the modernization of Eastern European Jewish life was rapidly erasing centuries-old customs, folklore, and religious practices. The Pale of Settlement, home to millions of Jews, was seen as a critical area for capturing authentic Jewish traditions that had been largely insulated from the influences of urbanization and assimilation.

The expedition, funded primarily through Jewish philanthropic efforts, sought to create a comprehensive ethnographic record. An-sky and his team, which included musicians, photographers, and students, traveled across Ukraine, visiting approximately 60–70 shtetls (small Jewish towns). They collected thousands of artifacts, including ritual objects, manuscripts, and photographs, and made over 500 recordings of Jewish folk music using a phonograph. The team also documented folk tales, legends, and songs, and recorded traditional healing practices and magical rituals performed by local women.

An-sky's ethnographic methodology combined scientific approaches such as the use of questionnaires and measurements with a deep personal connection to the communities he studied. His goal was not only to preserve these cultural elements but also to use them as a foundation for a future Jewish national revival. The expedition had a lasting impact on the study of Eastern European Jewish history, folklore, and identity, even though its materials were thought to be lost. Much of the material collected during the expedition is now housed in various archives and museums, with some of it forming the basis for later research in Jewish ethnography.