Editing Jewish Shtetl (Town) (section)

== Character of Life in the Towns ==

=== Spiritual Life ===
Nay Shvintsian

The Jewish towns differed from one another in several areas. Towns in Polish and Lithuanian territories were mainly populated by Mitnagdim, disciples of the Gaon of Vilna, while in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine (and only a little in Poland and Lithuania), the towns had a distinctly Chassidic character. Another difference was in the standard of material life; some towns were inhabited by the impoverished to the point of real hunger, while others were developed towns with affluent residents (the phenomenon of affluent towns disappeared during the "Pale of Settlement" decree because of occupational restrictions placed on Jews).

Another difference was in the level of spiritual life. While certain towns had Torah institutions from early childhood to yeshiva, in other towns there was barely a elementary teacher. This character greatly influenced the town's residents, and in towns without Torah institutions, the residents were usually simple Jews who barely knew how to read and write and the form of Hebrew letters. These Jews were characterized by Jewish simplicity and wonderful fear of Heaven.

In contrast, there were towns that served as symbols for Jews who were Torah scholars and respected Chassidim (like Nevyl and Kremenchug).

=== Material Life ===
Typical street in a town (in the town of Lechva)

The Jews of the town were mostly impoverished and earned their living from odd jobs or leasing taverns from local landowners.

Due to the great distance of villages and towns from large cities and in the absence of transportation, the towns served as connecting links between remote villages and district cities, which gave an additional source of income to the town's residents. Once every few days, the villagers would come to the town for the local "market," where they would sell their produce and buy products. The market square was the most important place in the economic life of the town, and around it were built the residents' homes and public institutions.

The language of speech and writing among the Jews of the towns was Yiddish. In towns where children learned in cheder and yeshiva, men knew Hebrew letters and the holy tongue from prayer and studies in cheder, while women did not know the language but recognized the Hebrew letters.

The Yiddish language served as a barrier between the non-Jewish residents and the Jewish residents.