About this talk

Siberia is a giant region of Russia that extends from the Ural Mountains in the West to the Pacific Ocean in the East. Usually, it is only associated with frost, snow, prisons and forests. But is it really so? In this talk, we'll learn about Jewish life on this vast territory during the last 400 years.

Jews of the Pale of Settlement tried to escape to America, to Palestine - but some of them chose a different route and went to Siberia looking for freedom. Others were forced to go there (as soldiers, criminals or political prisoners). Rulers such as Nicholas I and Stalin had their own plans on Jewish settlement in Siberia.

We'll explore when and how Jews got to Siberia, where they settled, and what they did there while the country and the world went through major changes. I will also take you to Birobidjan – a Jewish Autonomous region located on the Far East next to the border with China. Today it is still a unique place where a visitor may find the street signs in Yiddish. Temperatures in Siberia change from extreme cold to extreme hot, and so does the Jewish life there.

About Evgenia