The establishment of the Soviet Union led to the eventual stifling of Jewish cultural and religious life. Its Communist government significantly curtailed Jewish educational and religious life, resulting in a Jewish population eager to connect with its roots. The collapse of the U.S.S.R. in 1991 resulted in a rebirth of Jewish life in these communities, as well as waves of emigration to the United States, Israel, Germany, and all over the world.

L.A. LOCALS

ALEX

“My family left Belarus in part because of how hard it was to be Jewish there. Growing up, I knew we were Jewish, of course, and so I’d often ask what that meant to us, and how did they feel about us being Jewish? My parents rarely had much to say on the subject that wasn’t related to hardships faced back in the former Soviet Union. The one time of year they would open up to me was around the High Holy Days. That was when we’d get together with tons of family and share dishes like vorschmack. That dish, those times—I feel nostalgic when I think about it. My parents would talk about their experience back in Belarus, and I was soaking up time around my grandparents. Just this overall feeling of family and home.”

ALEX’S VORSCHMACK

1 teaspoon sugar  / 4 tablespoons vegetable oil  / 1 tablespoon vinegar / 2–3 hard-boiled eggs, yolks and whites separated / 1 sour apple, peeled and cored / 2–3 pieces white bread, soaked in water or milk (squeeze out the liquid before using) / 2 nicely sized herrings, fillets separated / a few scallions, chopped

1. In a food processor, blend the fish fillets, apple, egg whites, and bread. Add the oil and vinegar, mix thoroughly, and place the mixture in a dish. 2. Crumble the egg yolk and scallions on top. Refrigerate before serving.

ANASTASIA’S TZIMMIS

“Tzimmes is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish side dish eaten on Rosh Hashanah, and it’s commonly made in many Jewish households in the F.S.U. Why? Well, there’s the sweetness factor. We try to eat sweet foods to symbolize our wish for a good, sweet year ahead. And once cut the carrots look like coins—meant to represent bringing more financial security and wealth into one's life for the following year.”

¼ cup oil  / 1 lb. carrots, sliced in ½-inch rounds / 10 prunes, diced / 10 dried apricots, diced / 3 tablespoons of raisins / 1½ cups orange juice / ½ cup honey / ½ tsp. cinnamon / ½ tsp. salt 

1. Cook the carrots in the oil and orange juice over medium heat for about 20 minutes. 2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 1 hour, until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally. Serve warm and enjoy.

MORE HISTORY from JDC

Though JDC was officially banned from the Soviet Union in 1938, its clandestine work continued in the ensuing decades. Through a complex network of donors, volunteers, and shipping routes, JDC anonymously sent packages and supplies to Jews in the Soviet Union. The final collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991—after seventy years of repression—left a Jewish community in need of rebuilding. JDC went to work immediately, training educators, religious leaders, and communal professionals and building Judaic libraries and Jewish schools. JDC continues to help elderly and impoverished Jews through the Hesed system—a network of centers that offer social services throughout the F.S.U. Hesed work has also inspired a deep culture of volunteerism in the region.