Description
Book SynopsisIn less than a century, Jews in Russia have survived two world wars, revolution, political and economic turmoil, and persecution by both Nazis and Soviets. Yet they have managed not only to survive, but also transform themselves and emerge as a highly creative, educated entity that has transplanted itself into other countries. Revolution, Repression and Revival: The Soviet Jewish Experience enhances our understanding of the Russian Jewish past by bringing together some of the latest thinking by the leading scholars from the former Soviet Union, Israel and the United States. The book explains the contradictions, ambiguities and anomalies of the Russian Jewish story and helps us understand one of the most complex and unsettled chapters in modern Jewish history. The Soviet Jewish story has had many fits and starts as it transfers from one chapter of Soviet history to another and eventually, from one country to another. Some believe that the chapter of Russian Jewry is coming to a close. Whatever the future of Russian Jewry may be, it has a rich, turbulent past. Revolution, Repression and Revival sheds new light on the past, illustrating the complexities of the present, and gives needed insights into the likely future.
Trade ReviewThe finest international scholars examine some of the most intriguing, yet under-researched aspects of Soviet Jewish experiences, ranging from the Jewish participation in civil war and social and demographic trends of Soviet Jewry during early and late Soviet periods. The most interesting parts of the volume deal with post-Soviet experiences. For the first time, the issues of Jewish demographics in post-Soviet space, the relationship between Vladimir Putin and Russian Jewish community, as well as post-Soviet Jewish Diaspora in Israel are discussed in the context of Soviet Jewish history. The editors did a wonderful job in putting the essays together, and opening new horizons in the field of Russian Jewish history and society. This is a true tribute to the spirit and finest quality of Mordechai Altshuler's works. -- Anna Shternshis, University of Toronto
The essays are scholarly, informative, and readable. Recommended. * CHOICE *
A valuable collection. It will be of use to those who wish to sample some of the most important work being done on the Soviet and post-Soviet Jewish experience. * East European Jewish Affairs, November 2009 *
Gitelman and Ro'i have brought together some of the most well established and up-and-coming scholars in this wonderful tribute to Mordechai Altshuler. The authors reveal exciting new material about Soviet Jewish history from newly mined archives. They explore everything from how Zionism survived so long in the early Soviet state to the intricacies of Putin-era Jewish politics. -- David Shneer, University of Denver
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction Part 3 Jews and the Soviet Regime: Encounters and Interactions Chapter 4 The "Jewish Battalions" in the Red Army Chapter 5 Zionism in the Early Soviet State: Between Legality and Persecution Chapter 6 Jewish Agricultural Settlement in the Interwar Soviet Union: The Black Sea Littoral Chapter 7 The Struggle for Survival in the Belorussian Shtetl in the 1920s and 1930s Chapter 8 The Jews of a Soviet Metropolis in the Interwar Period: The Case of Leningrad Chapter 9 Social Trends among Jews in the Post-Stalin Years Part 10 Antisemitism in War and Peace Chapter 11 Jewish Refugees and Evacuees under Soviet Rule and German Occupation: The North Caucasus Chapter 12 The Genesis of Establishment Anti-Semitism in the USSR: The Black Years, 1948-1953 Chapter 13 Attitudes towards Jews in Post-Soviet Russia and the Problem of Anti-Semitism Part 14 Reconstructing Jewish Communities in the USSR and its Successor States Chapter 15 The Jewish National Movement and the Struggle for Community in the late Soviet Period Chapter 16 The Problematics of Jewish Community Development in Contemporary Russia Chapter 17 Putin & the Jewish Oligarchs: Prejudice or Politics? Chapter 18 Major Trends in Post-Soviet Jewish Demography, 1989-2004 Chapter 19 The Demography of Post-Soviet Jewry in its Global and Local Contexts Part 20 The New Russian-Jewish Diaspora: Reception and Adaptation Chapter 21 The "Russian" Aliya in Israel: Community and Identity in the Second Decade Chapter 22 Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in the Israeli Population and Labor Force 23 Looking into the Future
