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The population explosion in the Pale of Settlement, coupled with general and Jewish revolutionary ferment at the end of the 19th century, led to the mass migration of Jews to big cities and countries overseas. About 80% of the Jews in that period became city dwellers.
This in turn brought about changes in their lifestyle and occupational structure. Since Jewish workers were not hired by large factories, they tried to eke out a living in small workshops. Around 70% of the Jews living in cities were engaged in petty trade.
The encounter with the city also resulted in changes in Jewish cultural life. In the big cities – Warsaw, Vilna and Lodz – there were vibrant Jewish cultural centers that blended in with the urban landscape.
