The Departure of Jews from Russia

                                                                                   Marc Chagall 
 

We know that in the past six months the Russian invasion of Ukraine has created havoc in that country. The nations of NATO, including Canada, have supported Ukrainian sovereignty and provided aid in many forms, including military ordnance. 

At the beginning of this illegal war, with the accompanying atrocities, thousands of Russians slipped out of their own country, seeing no future for themselves there.

A few days ago I read in the BBC that there has been a substantial exodus of Jews from Russai as well: 

Russia is facing the mass migration abroad of large numbers of its Jewish population, with at least one in eight leaving the country since its war with Ukraine began.

The Jewish Agency helps Jews around the world move to Israel. It says an astonishing 20,500 of Russia's estimated total of 165,000 Jews have gone since March. Thousands more have moved to other countries.

Undoubtedly the spectre of historical Jewish persecution has loomed large in the minds of many of those who are a part of this sudden mass migration and those still trying to get out of Russia.

In Moscow, there had been a huge effort to develop the Jewish community since the fall of Communism. Among those at the forefront was Pinchas Goldschmidt, the city's chief rabbi since 1993.

"We started from scratch with synagogues, schools, kindergartens, social services, teachers, rabbis and community members," he says of the vibrancy that was created. But just two weeks into the war this year, Rabbi Goldschmidt and his family left Russia, first to Hungary and then to Israel. He then stepped down from his position and spoke out against the war.

"I felt that I had to do something to show my total disassociation and disagreement with this invasion of Ukraine, but I would have endangered myself if I had done that staying in Moscow."

The Choral Synagogue of Moscow 

There is a long and terrible history of Jewish persecution in Russia with the term pogrom used to describe what transpired. This cloud of unwarranted violence rises in Fiddler on the Roof. The artist Marc Chagall portrayed the pogroms in a number of his paintings. During visits to Jerusalem more than 30 years ago I ws impressed by the remarkable street musicians. It turned out that some had been Jewish members of Russians orchestras but had emigrated to Israel because they felt unsafe in their homeland

The news of the departure of Jews from Russia is so discouraging. Will this persecution ever end? But so much about this war is tragic.