Date: July 29, 1881 (3 Av, 5641)

With the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881, the Jews of the Russian Empire were assaulted by a massive wave of attacks called "pogroms" that devastated hundreds of villages.

Although the human impact of the pogroms would be very small in comparison with the greater violence of the pogroms in the first two decades of the 20th century, nevertheless Jews realized that their future in the Russian Empire was threatened by anarchy, and as a result hundreds of thousands emigrated to the United States, Europe, Canada, South America, Israel, South Africa and elsewhere.

This video briefly describes the pogroms and their impact on the Jews of the Russian Empire.