Jews are returning to Russia. For as long as anyone alive can remember, the flow was mostly in the other direction. But Amie Ferris-Rotman and Conor Sweeney in our Moscow bureau have found a return wave, despite a persistent anti-Semitism there:
Around one million Jews fled during the Soviet era and the post-communist chaos. Those returning now from Israel, the United States and Europe hope to use their new skills and old knowledge to do business.
“Now there are services here, like in New York and Paris, but the lifestyle is more interesting than in either of them — it’s easy to understand why thousands are coming back,” said Yevgeny Satanovsky, president of the Russian Jewish Congress.
Hard statistics on Jews returning to Russia do not exist, said Satanovsky, but anecdotal evidence is there. He estimates 80,000-120,000 Russian Jews have returned, plus many more who originated in other Soviet republics.
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6 comments so far
Comments here are supposed to advance a discussion on the topic but several that have come in are just anti-Semitic screed. Only comments that contribute to a reasoned discussion will be posted.
- Posted by Tom HeneghanCouldn´t agree with you more Tom. saw a couple of the comments earlier from soe of these idiots, has everyone forgotten about the holocaust already!?
- Posted by David GoldsteinMaury says - let the jews travel where they may. the promised land we will find
- Posted by Maury IcebergerI must have missed these anti-semitic comments.
Anyway, well done God’s people - we can finally return to the wonderful land of…. Russia. Great.
- Posted by Steve SteinI think its a wonderful thing that the jews are heading back to “mother Russia”. i was in moscow only last year and before that i had not visited for over a decade, the place has changed so much. its now a vibrant exciting place, full of lovely people and so many more speak english now. it was a real delight to see. so i can on that note totally understand the jews migrating back. ive been tempted myself!
- Posted by jack jonesi´ve always wondered what pre ww2 europe was like…maybe in a few years some of the forgotten cultural aspects will be re born… the jews returning to russia would obviously be major example of this….
- Posted by daniel baston