Jewish Russian Cultural Alliance

10 wonderful years

By Marina Berkovich

We are a group of people who were born under an oppressive tyrannical Soviet Socialist regime and, making a life-altering decision to emigrate, found a new home in the free world. Deprived of the ability to become truly Jewish, we faced antisemitism throughout our USSR lives, often since as early as four or five years of age.

Our members come from different former Soviet Republics, including Moldova, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Ukraine, Lithuania and Russia.

We are proud members of the Jewish community of Greater Naples, which, for some of us, is our first ever Jewish roof. Our group has been part of Jewish Federation of Greater Naples since September 2015. We have grown, celebrated, commemorated and gotten together for 10 wonderful years — usually, four times a year for Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, Purim and Victory in Europe/ Israel Independence Day — and are about 200 members strong.

As far as we know, there is not a Federation-affiliated group like ours anywhere else in the country, but then, this is a very special community, comprised of Jewish migrants from many states. Add to that a change of language and culture and you will know some of our story, sort of.

Though we typically take the summer off, with so many newcomers and fulltimers, we added a summer social this year to honor our most favorite American holiday, July 4. Independence Day to us is always about freedom. Our survival stories may be more akin to your parents’ or grandparents', but we have experienced the evils and hardships in our former land first hand, and we love and support United States of America for giving us a much-appreciated lifeline.

Regrettably, our event this year was bittersweet, as we tragically lost one of our beloved members just days before. Gregory’s Law in NJ is named after the youngest of the Katsnelsons. Many memories were shared within our group, as our circle further bonded through this loss.

As we look forward to our next scheduled get-together for Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 21, we inevitably recall the devastatingly tragic fact of the first largest mass murder of Jews on Nazioccupied lands — the slaughtering of 33,771 women, children and elderly by bullets in Kiev’s Babi Yar ravine from Sept. 29 to 30, 1941, which was that year’s Yom Kippur. The deafening silence of the world followed. And though Babi Yar remains, to this day, a humanitarian tragedy of unsurmountable proportion, so few teach it. Too few remember who fired the shots and why. Those of us from the former USSR, especially those from Kiev, never forget.

We are honored to be joining The Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida (JHSSWF) on Monday, Sept. 29 from 3 to 4 p.m. at Nina Iser Cultural Center to bring you an impactful presentation, Antisemitism: From Babi Yar to Our Backyards (www.jewishnaples.org/BabiYar25).

“Killing a Jew was an insignificant, legitimate, authorized and encouraged act that conformed with the directives of the Reich. Protecting a Jew led to capital punishment. It is not enough to affirm or declare the truth; one must really commit oneself to the endeavor of developing a deep conscience, because, clearly from my own experience, a conscience is a fragile entity.” ~ Patrick Desbois, "The Holocaust by Bullets."

In the world of escalating antisemitism, let us gather together to ensure that we commemorate that tragedy, educate the unknowing, and go forward, armed with wisdom in our Jewish heads and love in our Jewish hearts. Let us invite our neighbors to join us, as our strength is in unity and understanding of purpose.