History of the Jews in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
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The history of the Jews in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast ( JAO), Russia, began with the early settlements of 1928.
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
and
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
are the two
official language An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...
s of the JAO. According to Peter Matthiessen, The Birds of Heaven,p20-21, “According to local memory, thousands of Jews from Ukraine and elsewhere were transported here during the vast purges and organized famines of the mid-1930s…most of the displaced were city dwellers…a large number of Jews died…”


Early settlement

In May 1928 the first group of
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
settler A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settl ...
s from cities and villages in
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
,
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
and Russia arrived in the region that became the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. These individuals settled in many different areas of the autonomous oblast, some in
Birobidzhan Birobidzhan ( rus, Биробиджа́н, p=bʲɪrəbʲɪˈdʐan; yi, ביראָבידזשאַן, ''Birobidzhan'') is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia, locat ...
and others in various rural settlements. In 1934, the Jewish Autonomous Oblast was formed in the
Russian Far East The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admin ...
to show that, like other national groups in the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
,
Russian Jews The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...
could receive a territory in which to pursue
cultural autonomy Minority rights are the normal individual rights as applied to members of racial, ethnic, class, religious, linguistic or gender and sexual minorities, and also the collective rights accorded to any minority group. Civil-rights movements oft ...
in a
socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
framework. The JAO's capital city was in Birobidzhan, and Yiddish was its official language. Jewish life was revived in Birobidzhan much earlier than in other regions of the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
.
Yiddish theatre Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Central European Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revu ...
s began opening in the 1970s.Fishkoff, Sue.
In Stalin's former Jewish haven, locals say ground is ripe for revival
",
National Coalition Supporting Soviet Jewry The National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry (NCSEJ), formerly the National Council for Soviet Jewry (NCSJ), is an organization in the United States which advocates for the freedoms and rights of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic S ...
, 09-21-2004.


Judaism in the 21st century

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
Efraim Kolpak, the Chief Rabbi of Birobidzhan and
Chabad Lubavitch Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic groups ...
representative of the region, said, "Today one can enjoy the benefits of the
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
culture and not be afraid to return to their Jewish traditions. It's safe without any
antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
and we plan to open the first Jewish day school here." Efraim has been the
rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
of Birobidzhan since 2019. He is also the host of the Russian television show ''
Yiddishkeit Yiddishkeit ( yi, ייִדישקייט ) literally means "Jewishness", i.e. "a Jewish way of life". It can refer to Judaism or forms of Orthodox Judaism when used by religious or Orthodox Jews. In a more general sense, it has come to mean the "Je ...
''. The local Orthodox synagogue opened its doors in 2004.Far East Community Prepares for 70th Anniversary of Jewish Autonomous Republic
",
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS (FJC) is a Jewish organisation dedicated to restoring Jewish life, culture and religion in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the former Soviet Union. The FJC was founded on August 1, 1997 ...
, 08-30-2004.
Rabbi Kolpak says there are 4,000 Jews in Birobidzhan, just over 5 percent of the town's 75,000 population. The Birobidzhan Jewish Community was led by
Lev Toitman Lev Grigorievich Toitman (russian: Лев Григорьевич Тойтман; 1925 – September 11, 2007) was a soldier in World War II. Toitman is known for the "foundation and revival of the local Jewish community" in Birobidzhan.
, until his death in September 2007. Yiddish and Jewish traditions have been required components in all public schools for almost fifteen years, taught not as Jewish exotica but as part of the region's national heritage. The Beit Menachem Synagogue, completed in 2004, is accompanied by a complex housing Sunday School classrooms, a
library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
, a
museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...
, and administrative offices. The buildings were officially opened in 2004 to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. Concerning the Jewish Community of the
oblast An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdo ...
,
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Nikolay Mikhaylovich Volkov Nikolay Mikhaylovich Volkov (russian: link=no, Николай Михайлович Волков) (born 19 December 1951) is a Russian politician. Childhood and education Volkov was born in 1951 in Krasnoye village, in the Shablykinsky district ...
has stated that he intends to "support every valuable initiative maintained by our local Jewish organizations." In 2007, the First Birobidzhan International Summer Program for Yiddish Language and Culture was launched by Yiddish studies professor Boris Kotlerman of
Bar-Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, he, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academi ...
.The First Birobidzhan International Summer Program for Yiddish Language and Culture
In 2004 the Regional Government announced that Chief Rabbi of Russia
Berel Lazar Shlomo Dov Pinchas Lazar (born May 19, 1964), better known as Berel Lazar, is an Orthodox, Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic rabbi. He began his service in Russia in 1990. Known for his friendship with Vladimir Putin, since 2000, he has been a Chief Rabbi ...
has agreed to take part in the 70th anniversary celebration for the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. Rabbi Lazar and Avraham Berkowitz, the Executive Director of the Federation of Jewish Communities CIS will lead a delegation to Birobidjan for the event. The
Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR; russian: Федерация Еврейских Общин России, ) is a Russian religious organization that unifies communities of Orthodox Judaism, mostly of Chabad Hassidic movement. I ...
estimates the number of
Jews in Russia The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...
at about one million, or 0.7 percent of the country's 143 million population. Concerning the status of
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...
in the
Jewish Autonomous Oblast The Jewish Autonomous Oblast (JAO; russian: Евре́йская автоно́мная о́бласть, (ЕАО); yi, ייִדישע אװטאָנאָמע געגנט, ; )In standard Yiddish: , ''Yidishe Oytonome Gegnt'' is a federal subject ...
, Chief Rabbi Efraim Kolpak has stated, "Jewish life is reviving, both in quantity and quality." Rabbi Kolpak visited the villages of Bira, Nayfeld, Londoko, Birakan and
Birofeld Birofeld (russian: Бирофельд; yi, ביראפעלד) is a village ('' selo'') in Birobidzhansky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. It is an early Jewish settlement, which was founded in 1928 when a large collective farm was ...
with the Jewish Community of Birobidzhan. Together they inspected local cemeteries and gathered information about the Jews buried there in the years prior to
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. The names of these individuals are listed in the Memory Book in the Beit Menachem Synagogue Orthodox. The dates of birth and death are written down according to the
Hebrew calendar The Hebrew calendar ( he, הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי, translit=HaLuah HaIvri), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance, and as an official calendar of the state of Israel. ...
as well as the Gregorian. As of 2007, some of the original Jewish settlers were still present in these villages.


Leadership in the 21st century

Jews have historically played a role in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast's Jewish Community, historical narrative and
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
. In 2004 Chief Rabbi of Russia
Berel Lazar Shlomo Dov Pinchas Lazar (born May 19, 1964), better known as Berel Lazar, is an Orthodox, Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic rabbi. He began his service in Russia in 1990. Known for his friendship with Vladimir Putin, since 2000, he has been a Chief Rabbi ...
took part in the 70th anniversary celebration for the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. Rabbi Lazar and Avraham Berkowitz, the Executive Director of the
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS (FJC) is a Jewish organisation dedicated to restoring Jewish life, culture and religion in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the former Soviet Union. The FJC was founded on August 1, 1997 ...
, led a delegation to Birobidzhan for the event. Local Jewish Community leaders;
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
Alexander Vinnikov, Lev Toitman and Valery Solomonovich Gurevich also participated in the opening of the Birobidzhan Orthodox Synagogue, which marked the 70th anniversary of the region.


Beit Menachem Synagogue

The Beit Menachem Synagogue was established in 2004 in the city of
Birobidzhan Birobidzhan ( rus, Биробиджа́н, p=bʲɪrəbʲɪˈdʐan; yi, ביראָבידזשאַן, ''Birobidzhan'') is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia, locat ...
. It was "the first synagogue in Russia to be built partly with state money," according to the
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS (FJC) is a Jewish organisation dedicated to restoring Jewish life, culture and religion in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the former Soviet Union. The FJC was founded on August 1, 1997 ...
.


Beit T'shuva Synagogue

Beit T'shuva is a small Jewish community located in Birobidzhan's old synagogue. The rabbi is Boris "Dov" Kaufman. As of 2005, the religious services have been strictly Jewish and no longer include a blend of Christian and Jewish traditions.


World's largest chanukia

For the
Chanukah or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem) , nickname = , observedby = Jews , begins = 25 Kislev , ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet , celebrations = Lighting candles each night ...
celebration of 2007, officials of Birobidzhan in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast claimed to have built the world's largest
chanukia A Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah,Also called a chanukiah ( he, מנורת חנוכה ''menorat ḥanukkah'', pl. ''menorot''; also he, חַנֻכִּיָּה ''ḥanukkiyah'', or ''chanukkiyah'', pl. ''ḥanukkiyot''/''chanukkiyot'', or yi, ח ...
at approximately tall. It is larger than its counterpart in New York, which is only about tall.


Jewish settlements in the JAO

* Amurzet * Bira *
Birakan Birakan is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Obluchensky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. ...
*
Birobidzhan Birobidzhan ( rus, Биробиджа́н, p=bʲɪrəbʲɪˈdʐan; yi, ביראָבידזשאַן, ''Birobidzhan'') is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia, locat ...
*
Birofeld Birofeld (russian: Бирофельд; yi, ביראפעלד) is a village ('' selo'') in Birobidzhansky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. It is an early Jewish settlement, which was founded in 1928 when a large collective farm was ...
* Danilovka *
Londoko Londoko is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Obluchensky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. Population: Geography The village is located east of Teploozyorsk Teploozyorsk is an urban locality (an urban-type sett ...
* Nayfeld *
Smidovich Smidovich (russian: Смидович; yi, סמידאוויטש) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Smidovichsky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. Population: History It is an early J ...
*
Valdgeym Valdgeym (russian: Валдгейм; yi, װאלדהײם, ; german: Waldheim) is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Birobidzhansky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. Valdgeym was the place where the first collective farm was establ ...


Jewish leaders of the JAO

* Alexander Vinnikov - mayor of Birobizhan *
Valery Solomonovich Gurevich Valery Solomonovich Gurevich, a Russian politicianis the vice-governor of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. Leadership in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Gurevich both organized, and participated in, the 2004 70th anniversary celebrations of the Jewish A ...
- Vice-Chairman of the JAO *
Lev Toitman Lev Grigorievich Toitman (russian: Лев Григорьевич Тойтман; 1925 – September 11, 2007) was a soldier in World War II. Toitman is known for the "foundation and revival of the local Jewish community" in Birobidzhan.
- Chairman for Birobidzhan's 4,500 member Jewish Community (Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS). Died in September 2007 *Rakhmil Leder - succeeded Lev Toitman as Chairman of Brirobidzhan's Jewish Community Freud *
Mordechai Scheiner Mordechai Sheiner ( he, מרדכי שיינר; russian: Мордеха́й Шейнер) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi associated with the Chabad Hasidic movement. Sheiner served as Chief Rabbi of Jewish Autonomous Oblast from 2002 to 2011.
- Chief Rabbi of JAO * Boris "Dov" Kaufman - Native JAO rabbi


JDC work in Birobidzhan

JDC (or the
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, also known as Joint or JDC, is a Jewish relief organization based in New York City. Since 1914 the organisation has supported Jewish people living in Israel and throughout the world. The organization i ...
, the largest Jewish humanitarian organization in the world) is currently providing care for the needy elderly and children of Birobidzhan. They are bringing supplies and basic needs to the poor, and helping the Jewish community to blossom.Taken from th
JDC's field blog


Notes


References


''Birobidzhan from 1929 to 1931'' - photo album (Digitized page images)
at US
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

Jewish resident of Amurzet, Vil Rysin, awarded title 'Honored Resident of the Jewish Autonomous Republic'

Yiddish returns to Birobidzhan


See also

*
History of the Jews in Russia and Soviet Union The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...
* Administrative divisions of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast * Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye railway bridge *
Birobidzhan Jewish National University Sholem Aleichem Amur State University (russian: Приамурский государственный университет имени Шолом-Алейхема), formerly Birobidzhan State Pedagogical Institute, is a university in Russia. Thi ...
*
Birobidzhaner Shtern The ''Birobidzhaner Shtern'' (Yiddish: ; russian: Биробиджанер Штерн ''Birobidžaner Štern''; "The Birobidzhan Star") is a newspaper published in both Yiddish and Russian in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast of Russia. It was set up ...
*
Birobidzhan Synagogue The Birobidzhan Synagogue was established in 2004. The synagogue is in the city of Birobidzhan, which is the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, the only autonomous oblast of Russia. It is "the first synagogue in Russia to be built partly w ...
* David Bergelson *
Mikhail Kalinin Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin (russian: link=no, Михаи́л Ива́нович Кали́нин ; 3 June 1946), known familiarly by Soviet citizens as "Kalinych", was a Soviet politician and Old Bolshevik revolutionary. He served as head of st ...
*
Semyon Dimanstein Semyon (Shimen) Markovich Dimanshtein (russian: Шимон (Семен Маркович) Диманштейн (21 March 1886 – 25 August 1938)) was a Soviet state official, publisher, and leading theorist of national issues in the USSR, and ...
* Beit T'shuva {{DEFAULTSORT:Jews And Judaism In The Jewish Autonomous Oblast Jewish Autonomous Oblast Jews and Judaism in the Soviet Union Yiddish culture in Russia