Aknowledgments Rules for transliterating words and names from Hebrew, Turkish and Bulgarian Foreword Introduction Chapter I THE JEWS OF BULGARIA AND THEIR PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLEChapter II THE TOWN OF RUSE (RUSÇUK) UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY Chapter III - EMERGENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF RUSÇUK Chapter IV RETURN OF JEWS TO RUSÇUK AND THE REHABILITATION OF THE COMMUNITY (1812-1839) Chapter V FROM THE ASCENDANCE OF SULTAN ABDÜLMECID TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DANUBE DISTRICT (1839-1864) Chapter VI - THE RUSÇUK COMMUNITY – FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DANUBE DISTRICT TO THE WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE (1864-1877) Chapter VII EDUCATION AND CULTURE IN THE RUSÇUK COMMUNITY Chapter VIII - THE WAR OF 1877-1878 AND THE RUSÇUK COMMUNITY SUMMARY APPENDICES A – Maps and Documents B – Tables and Sources to Chapters 4 -7 Appendices A – Maps and Documents Appendix 1 - Map of Rusçuk Suburbs (Mahalle) in the 1860s Appendix 2 - Map of Notable Sites in Rusçuk (see legend on opposite page) Appendix 3 - Public buildings, shops, factories, schools and places or worship in Rusçuk Appendix 4 - Governors of the danube district (1864-1878) Appendix 5 – Bill of sale for RaΩel NaΩmias’ courtyard Appendix 6 – Two letters from Barukh Chiprut to alliance headquarters after the war Appendix 7 - Letter of thanks written by ºaim Bidjerano on behalf of the community to alliance in Appendix 8 – Tombstone of Avraham Rosanes Appendix 9 – Jews as the embodiment of sin — judjment day mural in the monastery church at Trojan Appendices B – Chapters IV – VII Chapter IV, Appendix 1 Chapter IV, Appendix 2 Chapter V, Appendix 1 Chapter VI, Appendix 1 Chapter VII, Appendix 1 Chapter VII, Appendix 2 Chapter VII, Appendix 3 Chapter VII, Appendix 4 BIBLIOGRAPHY1. LIST OF ABBREVETIONS 2. SECONDARY SOURSES INDEXNames of Persons Geographical Names Subjects