May is Jewish American Heritage month

Marina Berkovich, JHSSWF President

Russian? Ukrainian? Same oldcountry antisemitism migrated to Southwest Florida.

In late 2021, in one of the many Russian language social media groups covering Southwest Florida, an ethnic Russian (judging solely from his last name) posted antisemitic replies to another comment-maker, a Jewish Russian (obvious last name), who was responding to the request to compare Sarasota to Naples.

A huge migration of “Russian Americans” to Southwest Florida is underway and we all try to be helpful in these Russian-language, interspersed with a rare English word or two, exchanges.

This ethnic Russian commented, “Who needs your Hebrew here?” An intense exchange between them followed to the morbidly silent approval of a more than 500-member group. Its two administrators, non-Jews, were pressed by this Jewish person to step in and concluded the incident was not antisemitic. Yet, they removed the “bully” from the group — a stereotypical Soviet-style admission-bydenial reaction.

Those who grew up in the antisemitism of the USSR, and successfully escaped into the relative safety of the U.S., are pained whenever ethic non-Jewish Russian speakers bring it with them to wherever they move. And it’s rapidly escalating since the war started.

Hatred of all Russian speakers, including locals, has taken a toll on businesses and friendships. Akin to the political division of the U.S., there were already many hot positions regarding the Crimea Grab of 2014 and the Donbass region 8-year war that destroyed and displaced its people. If they live through it, one-tenth of residents’ lives were spent under fire. And now, much of Ukraine is in ruins.

Sadly, the Jew remains the stereotypical scapegoat for some. Since Feb. 24, there have been several instances of Ukrainian- Russian-Jewish verbal and nonverbal altercations, online and in person, along the west coast of Florida. It is very unfortunate that this centuries-old problem is resurging in our little Southwest Florida enclave, spoiling its tranquility.

I cannot escape drawing parallels to various times of Ukrainian history. Most of the Ashkenazi Jews who hail from the Pale of Settlement seek deeper understanding, so we want to share some of our knowledge of Ukraine and Russia and its history with The Society’s audience, focusing mainly on history of Jews in Ukraine. The fact that it is regrettably marred by antisemitism is widely known, but Jews are an inseparable part of Ukrainian history, culture, music and art.

Anecdotally, in 2004, the greatest Ukrainian theatrical actor of all times, Bogdan Stupka, delivered the modern version of Gogol’s “Inspector General,” with the cast he brought from Kiev to a grateful NYC audience. The Inspector’s lines were delivered in Russian to underscore the “eternal” conflict. At the post-performance party at a Russian restaurant, where about 20 of us broke out into Ukrainian singing, Bodgan and I were the last two knowing more songs, when he took my hand, kissed it and whispered, “I always knew that only a true Jewish woman can preserve true Ukrainian culture.” That remains the biggest social compliment of my life.

Please join us Sunday, June 12 at 11 a.m. on Zoom and/or at Jewish Federation of Greater Naples for History of Jews in Ukraine. Check our website for times as the information becomes available and to register.

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Join The Jewish Historical Society of SWFL. Family membership is $54; individual membership is $36; student membership is $18; and corporate sponsorship is $300.

Join us online by entering the appropriate amount or mail a check to The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida, 8805 Tamiami Trail North, Suite # 255, Naples, FL 34108.

We can be reached at 833-547-7935 (833-JHS-SWFL), www.jhsswf.org or office@jhsswf.org. The Virtual Museum of SWFL Jewish History is located online at http://jewishhistorysouthwest florida.org/.

The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida is a section 501(C)(3) charitable organization. Contributions are deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.