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    • Our Mission
    • The Epic of LA Jewry
      • A Pre-History of LA Jews
      • Link :Mapping Jewish LA
      • Hollywood's Start
      • Hollywood's 1st Synagogue
      • HTBE's Movie Studio
      • Escaping the Third Reich
      • The Survivors Rebuild
      • Escape from the Gulag
      • From Tehran to LA
      • Sephardic and Mizrahi Jew
      • Beyond Yiddish and Ladino
      • Present and Future
      • CHRONOLOGY AND FACTICITY
    • A Tool for Rearchers
    • ARTICLES OF NOTE
    • Our Donors
    • News and Analysis
      • Russo-Ukrainian War
      • Israel-Hamas War
      • American Politics
      • The Jewish Question
    • Events

747-348-4430

MEMORY IN ACTION: EMBRACING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE
  • Our Mission
  • The Epic of LA Jewry
    • A Pre-History of LA Jews
    • Link :Mapping Jewish LA
    • Hollywood's Start
    • Hollywood's 1st Synagogue
    • HTBE's Movie Studio
    • Escaping the Third Reich
    • The Survivors Rebuild
    • Escape from the Gulag
    • From Tehran to LA
    • Sephardic and Mizrahi Jew
    • Beyond Yiddish and Ladino
    • Present and Future
    • CHRONOLOGY AND FACTICITY
  • A Tool for Rearchers
  • ARTICLES OF NOTE
  • Our Donors
  • News and Analysis
    • Russo-Ukrainian War
    • Israel-Hamas War
    • American Politics
    • The Jewish Question
  • Events

The Russians Are Coming

West Hollywood Became a popular locus for exiles from the former Soviet Union

  

Introduction by Rabbi Norbert Weinberg to the programs for absorption of Jews from the former Soviet Union

The Jews of the former Soviet Union ( Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia and Central Asia) since the Communist Revolution of 1918, experienced particular hardships from several ends: 

1) A historic resentment of Jews in higher positions, dating back to Tsarist times

2) A political policy eliminating religion from both the public and private sphere, enforced, in some cases by fellow Jews, the Yevsektsia.

3) A policy to disconnect Jews from their fellow Jews worldwide, in particular in regards to Zionism and Israel, and concomitant, the gradual elimination of Jewish ethnic identity, again, a continuation of older Russian Tsarist policies.

As a result, Jews of the pre- WW II Soviet territories, over the course of 70 years, were distanced from contact with Jewry outside, Jewish observance was repressed, resulting in a disconnect between the Jew qua Judaism and the Jew as Soviet citizen. The same happened , but to a lesser degree, to the Jews of the territories absorbed into the Soviet Union after WWII, such as western Ukraine. For a description of Jewish life in the Soviet Union, see the book by Elie Wiesel, Jews of Silence. 

Starting in the late 1960’s, pressure built up, both by Jews inside the Soviet Union, and by Jews outside, to allow Jews to leave. ( Two well known public figures in Los Angeles began their careers in fighting for the rights of Jews in the Soviet Union to leave, former Councilmember of LA City and Supervisor, LA County, Zev Yaroslavsky, and political figure Dennis Prager. The man who pulled it all together in Los Angeles  was Si Frumkin, a Holocaust survivor, who made Soviet Jewry a major cause in Los Angeles). There was a small movement of Jews out, under great difficulty, over the decades leading up to the fall of the Iron Curtain. With that “Tear the Wall Down” moment, the great majority of Jews finally were able to leave, seeking better opportunities. Many came to the USA, and Los Angeles became a favorite destination, with West Hollywood and the area around Hollywood Temple Beth El, becoming a significant hub. 

Hollywood Temple Beth El became one of the hubs of service for these newcomers, and one of the key elements was to help them absorb life in this “ Brave New World” in which one could be free to be a Jew and live as a Jew, without questions asked. Through the portals of the synagogue came former Party officials, former Soviet missile and submarine experts, former Soviet journalists, and former popular Soviet entertainers and movie stars!

These are from my personal records regarding the services Hollywood Temple Beth El provided to the newly arrived refugees from the former Soviet Union. This reflects activities in 1993. The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles allocated a total of $15,000 spread over two years.

Poster for Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry. Public Domain.

Dr Weinberg's Personal records

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How former Soviet Jews found their place in America

Less than a century separated the Soviet  Jews, who had left the same regions as their American counterparts, yet, at the beginning, were worlds apart.

 

 From Tablet Magazine:"A roundtable discussion with Jews from the former Soviet Union about their experience as immigrants..."

Follow the Discussion Here

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An add placed in Panorama, Russian Language Newspaper

  

Rough Translation of Ad:

The Hollywood Temple Beth El Synagogue, located at the intersection of North

Crescent Heights and Fountain streets, has long become a favorite place to

celebrate weddings among Jews - immigrants from Russia, now living in

Los Angeles.

Currently, an educational program for Jews from the former Soviet Union is starting

to operate in the synagogue, the purpose of which is to make it easier for new

immigrants and Jews from Russia who have been living in America for a

long time to adapt to the way of life and culture of American Jews.

This program is carried out with funds of the Council on Jewish Life of the

Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and donations from the Jewish

Community Foundation.

This year, 35 Jewish children aged 5 to 12, who recently arrived from Russia

and Ukraine, studied Judaism for the first time in a special Sunday

morning school (Mechina).

The sponsor of this school was the department for carrying out programs for

emigres, the Bureau of Jewish Education at the Hollywood Beth El synagogue. 

The seven-month course includes both academic disciplines and training

in various art forms. 

In preparation for the bar- or bat mitzvah, which the synagogue is engaged

in for the third year, there is a new six-month program for children

of newly arrived immigrant boys and girls aged 12-13 years.

Co-sponsors of this program are the Bureau of Jewish Education

and Synagogue. 14 students celebrated a ceremony of Bar or Bat Mitzvah.

For young people who want to continue Jewish education, the Hollywood

Beth El synagogue provides an opportunity to study Judaism. Classes include Torah, Hebrew, history of the Jewish people its holidays and  Jewish philosophy. Special attention is given in

class and encouraging awareness of your Jewish origin, include optional

subjects ,among them drama, music, video, newspaper, cooking food.

The duration of each course is approximately eight weeks.

In the present time, there is registration in the school for the future school year, 1993/94.

Hollywood Beth El Synagogue offers a full selection of different programs

from preschool to youth, as well as religious, cultural and educational

programs for adults. New membership is possible at affordable prices.

Hollywood Beth El provides an opportunity to engage in

various activities, including art. Organized classes in the musical drama

club and in the interest clubs for older people. Information regarding

membership, as well as registration in kindergarten and school,

can be obtained by phone. 213/656-3150.

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Meet the Russian-language speakers of West Hollywood

 When the City of West Hollywood first incorporated, it became home to a significant number of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, mostly Jewish who escaped Soviet oppression. Many were  survivors of the Holocaust, and many others had fought against Nazi tyranny in the Soviet armed forces.  In 2015, the City of West Hollywood celebrated their 30th Anniversary of cityhood and created this video for the occasion.


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