Tag: Former Soviet Union
Soviet Jewish activist and refusenik Ida Nudel dies in Israel at age 90
Ida Nudel, a leading activist and Zionist who sought permission for 16 years to leave the former Soviet Union and move to Israel, died on Tuesday at the age of 90.
Nudel was born in the former...
A Central Asia model for Israel and the Middle East
As the Abraham Accords set in and the ties between moderate Arab states and Israel strengthen, more formalized relationships that tackle crucial regional issues—the Iranian threat, anti-terrorism efforts, and economic development, including desalinization and...
A lesson in Hanukkah miracles from post-Soviet Jews
We Jews are no strangers to miracles, but in the great tales of Divine deliverance, the Hanukkah story feels like the runt of the litter.
Compared to the parting of the Red Sea or the...
50th anniversary of Leningrad trial sparks memories, educational initiatives
On Dec. 15, 1970, a small item appeared at the top of page three of The New York Times under the jarring headline, ‘Soviets Reported Trying 11, Mostly Jews, in Hijacking.’ Few could have predicted that...
Hanukkah candle-lighting on Facebook, events on Zoom to connect Jews worldwide
As a way to connect Jews of all ages during the height of the global coronavirus pandemic, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is inviting people to join on Facebook and unite with...
Netanyahu discusses free-trade measures with Georgia
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with his Georgian counterpart, Giorgi Gakharia, with the two leaders discussing advancing a free-trade agreement.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the leaders “discussed the deepening of bilateral relations...
JDC deploys digital Passover resources to connect global Jewish communities
To connect the global Jewish community for its first Passover in the age of social distancing, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, or JDC, is deploying special online and digital holiday tools to help...
Artist’s series on display for first time in Croatia depicts Holocaust victims, partisans
An exhibition of 30 paintings and graphic works titled “Nazi Occupation in Graphic Works of Meer Axelrod” opened in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia—the first time the artist’s works have been shown in the...
An Esther for our times
“Was it useful?” That was Asya Shmushkevich’s question last spring as I played her the video on my phone.
Two years earlier, I’d interviewed her to spotlight the quiet crisis of tens of thousands of...
Teen meeting of minds to build connections, serve Jewish communities in FSU
For thousands of Jewish teens and young adult leaders in the former Soviet Union, building Jewish life, connecting with one another and serving their communities have become central tenants to their Jewish identity.
That achievement—a...