You are head of a wealthy European Jewish family in late 19th century. Your country just "liberated" Jerusalem area (modern Israel & Jordan) and slaughtered all Arab population there, and are now looking for volunteer for repopulation. As a Jew, you are looking forward to do so. Your government does not wish Jews to "pollute" the holy city again, but it would be bad for reputation to ban them altogether, so they set up some ridiculous condition specifically for Jews. Any Jewish individual that wish to migrate to Jerusalem area need to turn in 80% of their wealth in order to do so. The reason behind is because the government wish to reduce the economical influence of Jewish people, seize their property and give it to credible aristocrats. As such, they have already limit the emigration of wealthy Jews to other countries. Despite the ridiculously unfair terms, to the government's suprise, there are already thousands of Jews turned in their property and migrate to Jerusalem. As a Jewish person that wants to return to your long lost homeland but are not happy with the terms, what would you do? The government are too bound by reputation to force you into any choice.
Knowing history, I would run for the bloody hills, even if they wanted 95% of my income. However, since you postulated that this particular Jewish person is living in the late 19th century, with no knowledge of the atrocities to come, I would stay. I already have wealth and privilege in Europe, right? Wouldn't want to give that up.
I would convert all my assets into portable wealth, such as gemstones (easy for a jew, even today), then under-declare my wealth and/or bribe an official for permission to go.
I think it would depend on how much you value what you have vs how badly you want to return to the holy land. I imagine it'd be very dependent on the individuals circumstances. In that time in history, Jews had some power. In the Middle Ages most of the population was only literate enough to read the Bible but Jews held onto their educational standards. This made them literate and able to do math, exactly the skills needed to handle money. The stereotype that Jews are good with money probably stems from this time, and did give them an advantage in certain countries where their religion was tolerated. Germany, ironically was one of these countries.
First of all, I would question the reliability of a country who thought it was okay to slaughter tons of Arabs then send out a notice to Jews for re-settlement into that war torn area. By this, I mean I would question everything - even the belief that this was the absolutely true location of Old Jerusalem.
Yeah, I know, health and safety in mines wasn't up to today's standards but mining still took place. What's a little anachronism between posts. Yeah too, fess to skimming OP, was blind and only saw 'Modern Israel' oops. My bad.
Also on a general note for much of the 19th century the palestine area was ruled by the ottoman empire - excepting the period when it was ruled by Egypt. The chances of 'your country' having the capability and the political will to take on the ottoman empire is pretty small - and the chances of the various surrounding Islamic states accepting a total genocide of the arab population without relatiating is pratically nil.
I'd rally the Jewish people, occupy ancient homelands entirely on our own terms, spend my millions on ships crammed full of ammunition, undermine this so-called 'state' of yours. My plucky network of intelligence agents/bombers are zealous and brilliant. Given time, after founding my agency 'Mossad' I would naturally serve - as some kind of leader of the nascent Jewish state nation - my charisma makes this inevitable. Deal with it on my terms.
What many people don't realize also, is that professions such as doctors & lawyers were not high status or high paying positions. Throughout Europe and Russia, there were places where Jews weren't allowed to join the guilds for high paying smithing jobs. As to the OP, any government that was okay with slaughtering people would be one I'd stay far away from. But then again, I'm only Jewish by birth and care nothing about returning to some patch of dirt half the religions of the world want to squabble over.
Sure, why not? Mining can be done with paper and pencil. Just think of how simple the equations would have been back then.
Ottoman is basically dead, they are lucky the genocide did not occur on much of the turkish population. And what Islamic states? Persia are on our side when beating up Ottoman, small arab states won't dare to take up arm for this, Egypt belongs to british. Not really want to talk about much of this but basically: False flag operation to slander Ottoman with genocide christians in balkan -----> Call for a tenth crusade -----> Half of Europe come to beat up Ottoman (plus persia) -----> Body count racked up skyhigh, people got bloodthirsty, blinded by hatred -----> Simultaneous genocide of Turkish and Arab in constantinople/jerusalem -----> Liberate entire balkan from Ottoman, and partitioned all non-turkish part of the empire.
Well, the state just aquired Jerusalem is common knowledge, not really a lie, and despite the state's history of brutality on muslim population (huge mistake, they are getting flak from all over the world, and trying hard to justify it.) , they does have not any history on oppressing Jews other than the time standard.
In that scenario if I was Jewish I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole - move to a new country populated by extremist Christians who probably blame the Jews for killing Christ , who already have the blood of thousands on their hands , and who are about to get into a massive fight with the surrounding arab world ? - No I think I'll pass Me and my portable wealth are off to america instead..
Let's remember that there are different types of Jews. There are the Jerry Seinfeld Jews that are basically just like everyone else and integrate with them easily, just with a different religion. Then there are the Orthodox Jews which tend to isolate themselves into small communities. The orthodox ones would be more likely to move to Jerusalem despite the risks in my opinion.
I understand; However, common knowledge is not always the truth. Thus, at least for me, I do not believe there exists enough archeological evidence to really support the idea that this location is indeed Old Jerusalem. I think a whole lot of people want it to be there for a whole lot of reasons but unfortunately there are lots of holes in the archeological record. And yes, I think history will speak for itself in regards to the reality of the oppression of Jewish people.
IDK what I would do. If you are basing the alt history on real history, you need to work Russia into it somehow, that is where a lot of the jews were at that time. My relatives were part of the mass exodus shortly after that time.
Ah, the late 19th century, a time when a newly-united Germany was trying to gain an empire to rival Britain's, and building a fleet to give themselves the military muscle to do so. So, no Europe united by a common religion against Islam in the Ottoman empire - especially as Catholicism and Protestantism were still at each other's throats. In fact, Europe was so far from united against Islam that Turkey allied themselves with Germany in WWI...remember the Dardanelles campaign? Not what I'd call a genocide of the Turkish people!
Well, that's why I don't really want to talk too much about this, because It's impossible for me to explain it in a few paragraph. About protestant vs catholic, that's where "half of europe" comes in. Really, trying to explain this make others feel like my history were taught by my PE teacher.
You do see the contradiction in the suggestion that a government that commits genocide against Arabs might be too bound by reputation to force Jews into a "decision"? Yeah, have to say it's bad for your reputation to give the Jews a choice when you could put that practice run at genocide to good use.