The Cantonist era was a terrifying episode in Jewish history, and one that is etched in the collective memory of the Jewish people. Tsar Nicholas of Russia conscripted thousands of Jewish children some as young as 12 years old into his army for up to 25 years! The Tsar's declared goal was nothing less than to convert these children to Christianity; for him, their baptism was of the highest priority.

This book reveals the struggle of these youngsters to maintain their Judaism against impossible odds. Many failed. But some succeeded in reclaiming their heritage and reconnecting the chain of Jewish tradition. Today, thousands of Jews are descendants of those stalwart Cantonists.

         Here, for the first time, are dozens of previously untold accounts gleaned from the recently revealed records of that tragic era. They include true stories of parents who had their sons' maimed to avoid the draft, of  families betrayed by people they trusted, and of sons lost to their
families and their communities, forever.

         In a short appendix at the end of the book, the author has included a number of important documents of that tragic period, including "The Imperial Command for Baptism," "Penalties for the Family and Community of a Self-Mutilator," and "The Inductee's Oath."

        Larry Domnitch has degrees in both political science and Jewish history. He writes extensively for newspapers and journals throughout the United States and Israel, especially about this unique period of history.

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