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.
