Jews and Judaism in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Encyclopedia
The history of the Jews
in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
(JAO), Russia
, began with the early settlements of 1928.
Yiddish
, along with Russian
, are the two official language
s in the JAO.
settler
s from cities and villages in Ukraine
, Byelorussia
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
and others in various rural settlements.
In 1934, the Jewish Autonomous Oblast was formed in the Russian Far East
to show that, like other national groups in the Soviet Union
, Russian Jews
could receive a territory in which to pursue cultural autonomy in a socialist
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
. Yiddish theatre
s began opening in the 1970s.
Mordechai Scheiner
, the Chief Rabbi
of Birobidzhan and Chabad Lubavitch
representative to the region, said "Today one can enjoy the benefits of the Yiddish
culture and not be afraid to return to their Jewish traditions. It's safe without any antisemitism and we plan to open the first Jewish day school
here." Scheiner, an Israeli father of six, has been the rabbi
in Birobidzhan since 2002. He is also the host of the Russian television show, Yiddishkeit
. The town's synagogue
opened in 2004. Rabbi Scheiner 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
, 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. Birobidzhan Synagogue
, completed in 2004, is accompanied by a complex housing Sunday School
classrooms, a library
, a museum
, 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
, Governor Nikolay Mikhaylovich Volkov
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
.
In 2004 the Regional Government announced that Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar
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
estimates the number of Jews in Russia
at about one million, or 0.7 percent of the country's 143 million population.
Concerning the status of Judaism
in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
, Chief Rabbi Mordechai Sheiner has stated, "Jewish life is reviving, both in quantity and quality." In 2006, Rabbi Scheiner visited the villages of Bira
, Nayfeld
, Londoko, Birakan and Birofeld
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
. The names of these individuals are listed in the Memory Book in the Birobidzhan Synagogue. The dates of birth and death are written down according to the Hebrew calendar
as well as the Gregorian
. As of 2007, some of the original Jewish settlers were still present in these villages.
and government
. In 2004 Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar
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
, led a delegation to Birobidzhan for the event. Local Jewish Community leaders; Mayor
Alexander Vinnikov, Lev Toitman and Valery Solomonovich Gurevich also participated in the opening of the Birobidzhan Synagogue, which marked the 70th anniversary of the region.
was established in 2004 in the city of Birobidzhan
. It was "the first synagogue
in Russia
to be built partly with state money," according to the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS
.
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.
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Jewish Autonomous Oblast
The Jewish Autonomous Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated in the Russian Far East, bordering Khabarovsk Krai and Amur Oblast of Russia and Heilongjiang province of China. Its administrative center is the town of Birobidzhan....
(JAO), Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, began with the early settlements of 1928.
Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
, along with Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, are the two official language
Official language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
s in the JAO.
Early settlement
In May 1928 the first group of JewishJews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
s from cities and villages in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Byelorussia
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
arrived in the region that became the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. These individuals settled in many different areas of the autonomous oblast
Autonomous oblast
An autonomous oblast is an autonomous entity within the state which is on the oblast level of the overall administrative subdivision. It may refer to:*Autonomous oblasts of the Soviet Union*Autonomous oblasts of Russia...
, some in Birobidzhan
Birobidzhan
Birobidzhan is a town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Trans-Siberian railway, close to the border with the People's Republic of China....
and others in various rural settlements.
In 1934, the Jewish Autonomous Oblast was formed in the Russian Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
to show that, like other national groups in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Russian Jews
History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union
The vast territories of the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest populations of Jews in the diaspora. Within these territories the Jewish community flourished and developed many of modern Judaism's most distinctive theological and cultural traditions, while also facing periods of...
could receive a territory in which to pursue cultural autonomy in a socialist
Socialist state
A socialist state generally refers to any state constitutionally dedicated to the construction of a socialist society. It is closely related to the political strategy of "state socialism", a set of ideologies and policies that believe a socialist economy can be established through government...
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
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Yiddish theatre
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 revues; melodrama; naturalist drama; expressionist and...
s began opening in the 1970s.
Judaism in the 21st century
RabbiRabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Mordechai Scheiner
Mordechai Scheiner
Mordechai Sheiner has been Chief Rabbi of Jewish Autonomous Oblast since 2002.-Background:Mordechai Sheiner came to the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in 2002. He arrived in Birobidzhan as a 30 year old rabbi from Israel. He had never been to Birobidzhan before, but spoke Russian thanks to two years he...
, the Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of Birobidzhan and Chabad Lubavitch
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
representative to the region, said "Today one can enjoy the benefits of the Yiddish
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
culture and not be afraid to return to their Jewish traditions. It's safe without any antisemitism and we plan to open the first Jewish day school
Jewish day school
A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide Jewish children with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full time basis, hence its name of "day school" meaning a school that the students attend for an entire day and not on a part time...
here." Scheiner, an Israeli father of six, has been the rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
in Birobidzhan since 2002. He is also the host of the Russian television show, Yiddishkeit
Yiddishkeit (TV show)
Yiddishkeit is a Russian television show concerning the subject of Yiddishkeit. Since 2005, the show has been hosted by the Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Mordechai Scheiner. Yiddishkeit is viewed in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast and the Russian Far East. The television show is...
. The town's synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
opened in 2004. Rabbi Scheiner 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 Toitman
Lev Grigorievich Toitman, , was a soldier in World War II . Toitman is known for the, "foundation and revival of the local Jewish community" in Birobidzhan.-Jewish Community leadership:...
, 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. Birobidzhan Synagogue
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, an autonomous oblast of Russia. It is "the first synagogue in Russia to be built partly with state money," according to the Federation of Jewish...
, completed in 2004, is accompanied by a complex housing Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
classrooms, a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, 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
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
, Governor Nikolay Mikhaylovich Volkov
Nikolay Mikhaylovich Volkov
-Childhood and Education:Volkov was born in 1951 in Krasnoye village, in the Shablykinsky district of the Oryol Region. In 1973, Volkov graduated from a civil engineer institute in Odessa.-Politics:...
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
Bar-Ilan University is a university in Ramat Gan of the Tel Aviv District, Israel.Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is now Israel's second-largest academic institution. It has nearly 26,800 students and 1,350 faculty members...
.
In 2004 the Regional Government announced that Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar
Berel Lazar
Rabbi Shlomo Dovber Pinchas Lazar, better known as Berel Lazar, is an Orthodox, Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic rabbi. He is presently Chief Rabbi of Russia, and chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities...
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
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS is a Jewish organisation dedicated to restoring Jewish life, culture and religion in the Commonwealth of Independent States , the former Soviet Union...
will lead a delegation to Birobidjan for the event. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia
Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia
Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia — Russian religious organization, unifying communities of «orthodox» Judaism, mostly of Chabad Hasidic movement...
estimates the number of Jews in Russia
History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union
The vast territories of the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest populations of Jews in the diaspora. Within these territories the Jewish community flourished and developed many of modern Judaism's most distinctive theological and cultural traditions, while also facing periods of...
at about one million, or 0.7 percent of the country's 143 million population.
Concerning the status of Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Jewish Autonomous Oblast
The Jewish Autonomous Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated in the Russian Far East, bordering Khabarovsk Krai and Amur Oblast of Russia and Heilongjiang province of China. Its administrative center is the town of Birobidzhan....
, Chief Rabbi Mordechai Sheiner has stated, "Jewish life is reviving, both in quantity and quality." In 2006, Rabbi Scheiner visited the villages of Bira
Bira, Russia
Bira is an urban-type settlement in Obluchensky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. Population: 4,176 ; 4,311 ; 4,111 .-History:The railway station of Bira was built in 1908...
, Nayfeld
Nayfeld
Nayfeld is a village in Birobidzhansky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, located from Birobidzhan. One of the early Jewish settlements in the area, it was founded in 1928....
, Londoko, Birakan and Birofeld
Birofeld
Birofeld is a village 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 established in the area. In 2003, a Jewish Book Festival took place here...
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
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The names of these individuals are listed in the Memory Book in the Birobidzhan Synagogue. The dates of birth and death are written down according to the Hebrew calendar
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...
as well as the Gregorian
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
. 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 narrativeHistoricism
Historicism is a mode of thinking that assigns a central and basic significance to a specific context, such as historical period, geographical place and local culture. As such it is in contrast to individualist theories of knowledges such as empiricism and rationalism, which neglect the role of...
and government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
. In 2004 Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar
Berel Lazar
Rabbi Shlomo Dovber Pinchas Lazar, better known as Berel Lazar, is an Orthodox, Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic rabbi. He is presently Chief Rabbi of Russia, and chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities...
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
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS is a Jewish organisation dedicated to restoring Jewish life, culture and religion in the Commonwealth of Independent States , the former Soviet Union...
, led a delegation to Birobidzhan for the event. Local Jewish Community leaders; Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Alexander Vinnikov, Lev Toitman and Valery Solomonovich Gurevich also participated in the opening of the Birobidzhan Synagogue, which marked the 70th anniversary of the region.
Birobidzhan Synagogue
The Birobidzhan SynagogueBirobidzhan 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, an autonomous oblast of Russia. It is "the first synagogue in Russia to be built partly with state money," according to the Federation of Jewish...
was established in 2004 in the city of Birobidzhan
Birobidzhan
Birobidzhan is a town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Trans-Siberian railway, close to the border with the People's Republic of China....
. It was "the first synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to be built partly with state money," according to the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS is a Jewish organisation dedicated to restoring Jewish life, culture and religion in the Commonwealth of Independent States , the former Soviet Union...
.
Beit T'shuva
Beit T'shuvaBeit T'shuva
Beit T'shuva is a synagogue also known as "Birobidzhan's old synagogue." The structure, located in the Russian city of Birobidzhan, is a Siberian-style wooden house. The Jewish community is led by Rabbi Boris "Dov" Kaufman...
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 celebration of 2007, officials of Birobidzhan in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast claimed to have built the world's largest chanukia at approximately 21 metres (68.9 ft) tall. It is larger than its counterpart in New York, which is only about 9.8 metres (32.2 ft) tall.Jewish settlements in the JAO
- AmurzetAmurzetAmurzet is a village in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia, located from Birobidzhan. It is the administrative center of Oktyabrsky District. The population of amurzet is 5,213 .-History:...
- BiraBira, RussiaBira is an urban-type settlement in Obluchensky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. Population: 4,176 ; 4,311 ; 4,111 .-History:The railway station of Bira was built in 1908...
- Birakan
- BirobidzhanBirobidzhanBirobidzhan is a town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Trans-Siberian railway, close to the border with the People's Republic of China....
- BirofeldBirofeldBirofeld is a village 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 established in the area. In 2003, a Jewish Book Festival took place here...
- Danilovka
- Londoko
- Naifeld
- SmidovichSmidovichSmidovich is an urban-type settlement and the administrative center of Smidovichsky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. Population: 5,720 ; 5,905 ; 6,646 ....
- ValdgeymValdgeymValdgeym , also referred to as Waldheim, is a rural locality in Birobidzhansky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. Valdgeym was the place where the first collective farm was established in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast...
Jewish leaders of the JAO
- Alexander VinnikovAlexander VinnikovAlexander Aronovich Vinnikov is a Russian politician and presently the governor of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.-Political history:Alexander Vinnikov was the mayor of Birobidzhan, the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. The 2004 Birobidzhan mayoral election was held during the same time as...
- mayor of Birobizhan - Valery Solomonovich GurevichValery Solomonovich GurevichValery Solomonovich Gurevich a Russian politician, is the vice-governor of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.-Leadership in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast:...
- Vice-Chairman of the JAO - Lev ToitmanLev ToitmanLev Grigorievich Toitman, , was a soldier in World War II . Toitman is known for the, "foundation and revival of the local Jewish community" in Birobidzhan.-Jewish Community leadership:...
- 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 ScheinerMordechai ScheinerMordechai Sheiner has been Chief Rabbi of Jewish Autonomous Oblast since 2002.-Background:Mordechai Sheiner came to the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in 2002. He arrived in Birobidzhan as a 30 year old rabbi from Israel. He had never been to Birobidzhan before, but spoke Russian thanks to two years he...
- Chief Rabbi of JAO - Boris "Dov" Kaufman - Native JAO rabbi
See also
- History of the Jews in Russia and Soviet Union
- Administrative divisions of the Jewish Autonomous OblastAdministrative divisions of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast*Cities and towns under autonomous oblast's jurisdiction:**Birobidzhan *Districts:**Birobidzhansky ***with 6 rural okrugs under the district's jurisdiction.**Leninsky...
- Amur Bridge ProjectAmur Bridge ProjectThe Amur Bridge Project was announced in 2007 by Valery Solomonovich Gurevich, the vice-chairman of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. He stated that China and Russia might start construction of the first railway bridge over the Amur River at the end of 2007...
- Birobidzhan Jewish National UniversityBirobidzhan Jewish National UniversityThe Birobidzhan Jewish National University is a university in Russia.-Overview:The university works in cooperation with the local Jewish community of Birobidzhan and the Birobidzhan Synagogue. It is unique in the Russian Far East. The basis of the training course is study of the Hebrew language,...
- Birobidzhaner ShternBirobidzhaner ShternThe Birobidzhaner Shtern is a newspaper published in both Yiddish and Russian. in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast of Russia. It was set up in the November of 1930 in Birobidzhan to cater for the newly arrived Jewish immigrants. Henekh Kazakevich was first editor of the newspaper. Emmanuil Kazakevich...
- Birobidzhan SynagogueBirobidzhan SynagogueThe Birobidzhan Synagogue was established in 2004. The synagogue is in the city of Birobidzhan, which is the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, an autonomous oblast of Russia. It is "the first synagogue in Russia to be built partly with state money," according to the Federation of Jewish...
- David BergelsonDavid BergelsonDavid Bergelson was a Yiddish language writer. Ukrainian-born, he lived for a time in Berlin, Germany. He moved back to the Soviet Union when Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany...
- Israeli settlementIsraeli settlementAn Israeli settlement is a Jewish civilian community built on land that was captured by Israel from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and is considered occupied territory by the international community. Such settlements currently exist in the West Bank...
- Mikhail KalininMikhail KalininMikhail Ivanovich Kalinin , known familiarly by Soviet citizens as "Kalinych," was a Bolshevik revolutionary and the nominal head of state of Russia and later of the Soviet Union, from 1919 to 1946...
- Semyon Dimanstein
- Beit T'shuvaBeit T'shuvaBeit T'shuva is a synagogue also known as "Birobidzhan's old synagogue." The structure, located in the Russian city of Birobidzhan, is a Siberian-style wooden house. The Jewish community is led by Rabbi Boris "Dov" Kaufman...