The Future of the Jewish Community in the Republics of the Former Soviet Union

THE FUTURE OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THE REPUBLICS OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION EPHRAIM TABORY, PH.D. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel Focus on the struggle to "let my people go" from the Soviet Union has given way to the need to absorb Russian Jews in Israel, the United States, and other countries and the ex amination of the impact of the Russians (and immigrants from other republics) on the ab sorbing societies. It is now clear that not all Jews from the Commonwealth ofIndependent States (CIS) will leave, even though they have the opportunity to do so. This article ana lyzes the possibility of the development of a dynamic Jewish community in the CIS. Al though much Jewish activity is taking place within the CIS, the demographics of the migra tion movement and the nature of the Jewish identity of those remaining lead to a negative prognosis about the future development of an organized Jewish community in the CIS. he >Mnds of Moscow blow acioss the city economic fortitude of the Soviet Union were Ton a cold, blustery evening. Eight men overrated. and women are making their way by train The newly autonomous republics of the and bus to one of Ihe mass housing projects Former Soviet Union (FSU) or the Com that all look so similar, and that are distin monwealth of Independent States (CIS) are guishable only by the particular street name now struggling with one another for inde and apartment number. In this anonymous pendence, dominance, and security. Ten city, there are no names on the mail boxes or sion between republics spills over to tension on the doors. If you do not know where you between people from different ethnic back are going, you do not belong there. As each grounds. The backlash against Russia in of the men and women make their way to the non-Russian republics leads to antago their apartment, they occasionally see one an nism against ethnic Russians and, more other. There are no greetings or even signs generally, to non-natives. The economic, of recognition, however, precisely because social, and political difBculties encountered they know where they are gomg. It is 1984, on the state level are felt by the local popu and they are Jews on their way to a class on lace, who is now willing to openly express the laws and customs of Pesach. its dissatisfaction. According to a country wide poll conducted in Russia in March country that wished to see its Jews 1993, only 12% ofthe adult population are A disappear has since disappeared itself. satisfied with their lives, 71% find it a fi The collapse ofthe Soviet Union was nancial strain to clothe their own families, thought to herald a new era of world peace. 61% report a deterioration in their living It did not take long, however, to realize that standards over the past three months, 71% the Iron Curtain was not only preventing express little or no trust in the government, Russians from being exposed to the West; it and 53% feel that mass disturbances, anti- also prevented outsiders from looking in. government riots, and bloodshed are likely The facade of the stability of the Soviet to break out (Komozin, 1993). For Jews, Union has been sheared, and it soon became civil strife, physical violence, economic clear that Western estimates regarding the woes, and questions of ethnic identity are always a potent mixture. The disappear ance of the Iron Curtain leaves the Jews on The preparation of this study was supported by the center stage with no cover. World Jewish Congress. 180 Future of the Jewish Community in the Former Soviet Union / 181 The purpose of this article is to analyze the situation in at least some areas of the the impact of this situation on the Jews, and FSU (like Russia) may have stabilized and specifically on the feasibility of developing may even improve, has led hundreds of a vibrant Jewish community in the FSU that thousands of Jews who were expected to can be maintained and perpetuated from leave the FSU and come to Israel (with con generation to generation. sequent implications for absorption budgets, constmction, and other preparations) to re ADJUSTMENT TO DECLINE IN FAILING main (Margulies & Singer, 1993). STATES THE BASIS OF SOCIAL IDENTrTY Two basic options exist when an enterprise fails. One can either try and get out, or one What will happen to the Jewish identity of can try and make the best of the new situa those who remain in the FSU? This ques tion (Hirschman, 1970). The struggle for tion is very egocentric, because it is predi Soviet Jewry in the past was predicated on cated on our desire that they remain Jews. the perception of Jewish and Israeli officials The fact that the Jews have not totally dis that there was no fiiture for the Jews as a appeared can actually be considered a "mis communal group in Russia (as the entire take" of the Soviet authorities themselves. country was known at that time) and that The legal classification that ensured regis the only way of saving Russian Jewry was to tration of "Jews" in internal passports help them get out. Since 1968, over one helped lead to a heightened sense of identity million persons have taken advantage of that took the legal taxonomy as a point of their Jewish ethnic identity (or that of their reference. To be sure. Oriental and relatives) and utilized the privilege it gave Ashkenazic Jews differed in their reaction them to leave the country.' Although the to state persecution (Chlenov, 1994), but the exit papers they received entitled them to go spark of Jewish interest manifested through to Israel only, many of those who left the out the years of oppression was kept aglow, former Soviet Union went instead to the inadvertently, by the Soviet Union. Since United States, Germany, Canada, and other Russia, the "evil empire," did not let them Westem countries. The high "dropout" rate forget they were Jews, they remembered. of persons who left the Soviet Union but did Chlenov (1994) argues that the announce not move to Israel (at times over 90% of ment by the Russian Federation of the deci those leaving) indicates that the factors sion to stop registering nationality in new pushing them to leave were stronger than identity documents, together with a decline the call of Zion pulling them to that coun in state anti-Semitism, will almost certainly try. This is also indicated by current emi lead to an erosion in Jewish identity. gration rates. The migration stream flowed Identity serves as an anchor in society. to Israel when other options were less fea Knowing who we are gives meaning to our sible, but the economic and social absorp tion of Russians in Israel has not been easy. life and helps us in our interaction with oth The result of this difficulty, together with ers. Many of our identities are social, based the perception, whether accurate or not, that on our group memberships. At times we define who we are by who we are not. Thus, the Jew in Russia becomes the Rus sian in Israel. We all have multiple identi 'According to the director of the Israel Population Registry in the Ministry of Interior, as many as 29% ties and can rank them in a hierarchy. of recent immigrants liom the CIS did not succeed in Some are more important than others. proving their Jewish identity, and the "nationality" Some may bring extrinsic gratification and entry in their idaitity card was left blank. This figure rewards. The choice of enacting a particu does not include those who passed as Jews by using false information or forged papers (Yom Le Yom, lar identity may depend on our perception April 25, 1994). of profiting from that identity. The task of WINTER/SPRING 1995 Journal of Jewish Communal Service / 182 organizing multiple identities comes to the one would be employed until one received a fore particularly in times of social change. pension. The bread and food lines were a Identity must remain continuous over time price that had to be paid, but one knew that and space in order to ensure order, respon there would be bread. It might take years, sibility and even sanity (Wegert et al., but eventually one would have some type of 1986). apartment. This situation lasted until the Throughout the years of darkness, Jews 1980s, when a new generation realized that visiting Russia managed to make contact bread and milk and apartments could be at with their co-religionists to reinforce their tained in the West without having to wait Jewish identity. Some visitors conducted forever. The younger Soviet citizens, espe religious classes for them. Some taught cially those who had not experienced the them Hebrew and lectured about Israel. suffering and sacrifices of the Great Patri Many visitors apparently brought with them otic War (World War II), questioned why religious and other, more materialistic items should they be different. that they conveniently "forgot" to take These changes in Soviet life have re home. The manner in which all the books sulted in turmoil. Skepticism characterizes and items on display at the Israel pavilion everyday life. According to Israeli emissar of the International Book Fair "disap ies who have spent a considerable amount peared" was made into a documentary of time in the FSU, particularly in small broadcast on Israeli television. The direct towns and villages, there seems to be little message for the Jews was that a worldwide belief in higher values.

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