Subbotniki
Around the World
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| Russia |
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This page contains Subbotniki-related
content from
the Shavei
Israel web site and articles
contributed by its founder Michael Freund. "This
team of academics,
educators and rabbinical figures "reaches out to 'lost Jews' and
assists them in coming to terms with their heritage and identity in a
spirit of tolerance and understanding."
Much
of
the
content
on
this page highlights the group's advocacy work with the
Subbotniki of Vysokii. The
Shavei content is presented on this separate page so the
organization's
work can all be viewed together.
NOTE: The
views
represented by the content of external links contained or referenced on
this web site are not necessarily those of the Subbotniki.net web site
coordinators but are included only to present the wide range of views
surrounding the Subbotniki so that all this information can be viewed
in context.
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Subbotniks
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"There are still an
estimated 15,000 Subbotnik Jews living primarily in southern Russia and
in Siberia, most of whom wish to return to the traditions of their
ancestors and emigrate to Israel."
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Israel
takes up the repatriation
of "Subbotniks"
News agency Cursor:
News of day Mar. 22, 2005
Израиль
приступает к репатриации
«субботников»
Информационное
агентство Cursor: Новости дня
Обновлено 22.03
20
Subbotnik families from Vysokii will
be
"repatriated" by Israel according to Michael Freund. (See
"Save the
Subbotniks!" above.)
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Russian Runaround
Article by Wendy Elliman, Hadassah
Magazine
May 2006 (contributed
May 2006 by Michael Fruend
of Shavei
Israel
Jerusalem, Israel) Article contains extensive discussion
of history of Subbotniks
and
their relationship with Russian Jews.
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"Until
recently,
Israel made no distinction between Russian Jews and
Subbotniks, and thousands of Subbotniks were among the million-plus
Russians who immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union. ....
{Nowadays} Subbotniks [from
Vysokii,
Voronezh and elsewhere] are denied entry to Israel
because of the ambiguity of their origins."
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Russia's
New
Jewish
Refuseniks
Article by Michael Fruend, The
Jerusalem Post, Oct. 3, 2007
| "Believe
it
or
not,
but
there
are
thousands
of
Russian
Jews
being
denied
the
right
to
make
aliyah.
Only
this time, it
isn't Soviet communists standing in their way, but rather Israeli
bureaucrats who are blocking their path!" Comments
can be sent directly to author Michael Fruend or to
letters@jpost.com
|
More
than
just
Sabbath
Jews
Newspaper Column by Michael Fruend, The
Jerusalem
Post, Nov. 25, 2008
| "Tomorrow may prove to be a fateful day for
thousands of Russian Jews being prevented from moving to Israel by a
cold-hearted bureaucracy. After months of delay, the Supreme Court is
at last due to hear a petition regarding the 20,000 Subbotnik Jews of
Russia, many of whom have found it increasingly difficult in recent
years to get permission to make aliya." Comments
can be sent directly to author Michael Fruend or to letters@jpost.com
|
The Forsaken
Converts of Russia
An account of a visit with the Subbotniki in Vysokii by Eli
Bardenstein, Ma'ariv
(Sof-shavua Weekend Supplement), November 28, 2008 (Translation
courtesy of Michael Fruend)
| "They observe the Sabbath, practice ritual
circumcision, and refrain from eating pork. They survived the
oppression of the czars, suffered persecution by the communists and
were murdered by the Nazis. Alexander Zaid and Rafael Eitan were two of
them. But none of this is enough for the State
of Israel, which
decided to prevent the descendants of Subbotniks - Russians who
converted to Judaism hundreds of years ago from making aliya to
Israel. According to the
Ministry of the Interior: They are not Jews." |
See related Nov
26, 2008 Shavei
Israel press release
and related Israeli newspaper articles:
- The
Plight of Subbotniks Jewish
Russian Telegram, November 25, 2008
- Member
of Subbotnik community appeals to make aliya The Jerusalem Post, November 26,
2008
- The
Jews left behind in Russia: Thousands of Subbotnik Jews being refused
permission to move to Israel
Israel Opinion, November
27, 2008
- Supreme
Court
asks
State
to
reconsider
'Subbotnik'
case The
Jerusalem Post, December 10,
2008
 Item
added December 28, 2008
| "In a
case that could have implications for thousands
of Subbotnik Jews in Russia, the Supreme Court has asked the Interior
Ministry to reconsider the applications of two members of the community
who sought to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return, but were
turned down, ostensibly because they were married to non-Jews." |
Other Specific Shavei Israel content links of interest include:
Personal Stories:
Rabbi David Winitz
Interviews Pavel Kzanichev (Zanin) - a subbotnik living in Zima,
Russia
Articles:
Save the Subbotniks!
Article by Michael Fruend appeared originally in The
Jerusalem Post, Feb. 17, 2005, pg. 15
| VORONEZH,
RUSSIA
"...there
are an
estimated 10,000 Subbotniks
spread throughout several dozen
communities..." Maps added |
Saving
Russia's
Subbotnik
Jews Revised version of article that originally appeared in Jewish World
May
22, 2005 .
| "Dozens
of
Subbotnik
Jews
from
Russia
have
been
allowed
to
move
to
Israel
after
the
Jerusalem-based
Shavei
Israel
(www.shavei.org)
organization
helped
them
overcome
years
of
waiting
due
to
bureaucratic
delays." |
Sharon Orders To Bring Subbotniks to Israel
by Ettan Rabin Mar. 22, 2005
| "Following
the
exposure
in
NRG
Maariv,
the
Prime
Ministers
office
approved
the
immigration
to
Israel
of
about
20
Subbotnik
families
living
in
Russian
villages." |
Russia's New Refuseniks Blog
entry on Think-Israel Blog-eds Posted by Michael Freund, October 3,
2007.
A
Universal
Jew by Eliyahu Birnbaum (not dated)
| "From
the
research
of
Dr.
Zev
Chanin
and
Velvel
Charnin,
we
learn
there are
between
10,000 to 12,000 Subbotniks spread out in over a dozen communities.
Some of them live in their traditional centers, in the
Veronezh area,
the Volga area, eastern and central Siberia and in the Caucasus region."
|
: Thousands of
Subbotnik Jews being refused permission to move to Israel
by Michael Freund Nov 27, 2008 in Israel Opinion Item added November 15, 2009
| "Nearly
20
years
may
have
passed
since
the
fall
of
the
Iron
Curtain,
but
it
appears
that
there
are
still
plenty
of
people
who would like to
continue to apply some of the more dubious policies employed by the
Soviets. Throughout Russia, there are thousands of Subbotnik Jews being
refused permission to make Aliyah. Only this time, it is none other
than the government of Israel that is refusing to permit them to
immigrate."
|
Links to fifty reader comments are appended at the bottom of this
article.
Израильского раввина послали учить
субботников An Israeli
rabbi
has been sent to {Russia} to learn about Subbotniki (link to rough
English translation) Article appearing on izrus.com web site Dec. 17,
2008
| "Rabbi David Vinnits
from Jerusalem the new representative of the
organisation "Shavej Israel" in Russia: he will conduct work with
Subbotniki in settlement Vysokii in the south of the country. He has
been the rabbi of the city of Irkutsk and all Eastern Siberia and
worked as the assistant at Judaism Institute."
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NOTE: The
views
represented by the content of external links contained or referenced on
this web site are not necessarily those of the Subbotniki.net web site
coordinators but are included only to present the wide range of views
surrounding the Subbotniki so that all this information can be viewed
in context.
|
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