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Jewish Enclave created by
Stalin
from Doris at Sussex Jewish
News |
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Were you aware that Joe
Stalin created a Jewish homeland, in Siberia in 1934? It was called the
Jewish Autonomous Region of BIROBIDJAN. Uncle Joe persuaded tens of
thousands of poor Jews from Ukraine and Belarus to move there as
farmers. Over the years, ravaged by disease and the Great Terror, as
well as emigration to Israel, this area almost disappeared. A few
thousand hardy souls hung on. About ten years ago, disillusioned Jews
started to return from Israel because of difficulty in obtaining jobs
and the lack of security. Also the gap between their Yiddish cultural
roots and the Hebrew dominated Israel was a very large factor. With
help from overseas, Birobidjan has started to prosper again and they are
building a new Synagogue in time for the 70th anniversary of
the founding of the region. BIROBIDJAN is on the Pacific coast side, a
few miles north of China, about 2000 miles from Lensk. |
