In Soviet Russia, did they close down all synagogues?
Do these people who you work with consider themselves Russian despite the fact that they live in the US and do they consider themselves Bolshevik Russian before Jewish?
1) Yes, Stalin may his name be obliterated raided all the synagagues, closed them all down and instantly shot on the street or sent to Siberian death camps all the Rabbis, Gabbis, Cantors and major officers in each Synagague. My grandfather Zs'l was in Russia at the time and he was a Choir director for a synagague so he was very lucky not to have been killed. He had a cousin who was the main Cantor of one of these synagagues and he fled for his life thousands of miles away by train into a different area of Russia so they wouldn't find him and kill him. Similarly, stalin sent to Siberia or executed anyone who practiced Judaism in public as well as influential Jews like writers and any individual who any person reported to the KGB that the guy was a traitor so everyone was paranoid since whole families would simply disappear and no one would dare menchan their name for fear of being sent to Siberia as well. This guy killed millions of Russians and was probably just as evil as hitler ys. Later on, my father says that a few synagagues were opened but they were fake and used for spying so no Jew went to them bec. they assumed that if they would go they would be sent to a Siberian death camp and lose their job. My father's family and the Jews in his area prayed only on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in secret at someone's house where they would each slowly come in groups of two, close all the windows and hold a secret prayer service and then they would each leave seperately.
My father left in the late 60's so after that I don't know but it probably didn't change much.
2) Each one is different. The good thing about the Russian Jews is in my limited experience is that most tend to marry Jews and consider themselves Jewish even if they are not observant at all.
Topic: Chabad (Read 1833 times)