Dear Chaim,
Would you agree with some people who of course are very pleased with the aliyah of the Soviet Jews and their freeing from brutal communism, but a huge proporation of them were Russians in a secular Israeli society. These Jews were as lost to Judaism, many would argue, as in Russia. In Russo, because of the huge persecution and oppression of Soviet Jews, many due to the anti-semitism, would have kept their Judaism alive.
My view though, is that the majority would have just assimilated out and nothing, no Jews, would have been left - due to the harsh anti-semitic communist aggression. In Israel, however, at least they know they are Jews, and there is a bigger chance of them more becoming Torah observant than in the G-dless, evil and cruel Soviet Union. Thanks, Shalom, Zev.