This is a text that was published on the eve of Passover 1969 asking people to mention the struggle of Soviet Jews at their Seders and to set aside matzah, “the bread of affliction,” as a tangible reminder of the suffering of the Jews of the Soviet Union who were prohibited from learning about their religion, their history, and their language. It also asks them to leave an empty chair at the Seder table. The text ends with the words “Let my people go” (taken from Moses’ command to Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt), which became the slogan of the struggle for the Jews of the Soviet Union.
This was a part of a larger international campaign to support Soviet Union Jews who were denied the freedom to practice Judaism and were prevented from leaving the country despite the desire of many to immigrate to Israel and elsewhere. Jews within the USSR attempted to fight against the authorities and applied for visas to immigrate. When their application was refused, they were nicknamed “refuseniks” and were often dismissed from their jobs. Others were put on trial and imprisoned for learning Hebrew or practicing Jewish traditions. The plight of the Soviet Jewry became known around the world, and many Jews and non-Jews protested and campaigned to free the Soviet Jews under the slogan from the book of Exodus: “Let My People Go!”
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Jews in the Soviet Union – The communist ideology of the Soviet Union demanded all Soviet minorities and nationalities to merge into one Soviet entity. While the Jews were not allowed a Jewish identity or to practice their Jewish tradition, they were nonetheless forced to have the word “Jewish” printed on their identity cards during Stalin’s rule. The combination of wiping out national and religious identity and yet singling out Jews created a difficult situation for Soviet Jews. With the creation of the State of Israel, their situation became even more complex. Despite voting in favour of the establishment of the State of Israel, the Soviet Union rejected Zionism in principle and prohibited any activity of a national or Jewish nature. In the 1960s, and especially after Israel’s success in the 1967 Six-Day War, Soviet Jews felt tremendous pride in Israel and empowered to request exit visas to leave the Soviet Union for Israel. However, most applicants for exit visas were “refused,” which led to them being known as “Refuseniks.” Some Refuseniks were fired from their jobs and even arrested and charged with activity against the government and the Soviet people. The plight of Soviet Jewry aroused international Jewish activity and pressure from the United States and Europe on the Soviet Union to open their gates. As a result of this activity, the Soviet Union changed its policy and enabled hundreds of thousands of Jews to leave for Israel.
Soviet Jewry Movement - The Soviet Jewry movement refers to the activities of Jews around the world, in the United States, Europe, and Israel, to pressure the Soviet Union to allow Jews to immigrate to Israel. Started as a grass-roots movement in the United States, led by students and housewives, the Soviet Jewry movement succeeded in enlisting western governments to add the plight of Soviet Jews to their agenda, as a human rights issue, whenever they met with Soviet officials. The movement’s slogan, taken from the book of Exodus, was “Let My People Go”. Demonstrations and rallies took place around the world, culminating in the 1987 March on Washington when a quarter of a million people marched and rallied in Washington, DC before the Reagan-Gorbachev summit. Throughout this period and continuing after the collapse of the Soviet Union, over a million Russian Jews left the Soviet Union, with most of them immigrating to Israel. Some well known Russian emigres are Natan Sharansky and Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
Seder – Seder night is a special evening on the first night of Pesach (and the second night in the Diaspora). The Seder is often celebrated in large groups and with extended families and involves the telling of the story of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and their delivery from slavery. The story is detailed in the Haggadah which includes quotes from the biblical narration of the Exodus and from other Jewish sources, many of which are sung using traditional melodies. The Seder includes drinking four cups of wine, eating traditional symbolic foods such as matzah and charoset, and playing games that are directed to helping the children present understand the story. Towards the end of the Seder a festive meal is served, usually with foods that are kosher for Pesach and do not include hametz (leavened foods). The Seder has evolved throughout history, and many new traditions have been added, for example, keeping a seat empty for persecuted Jews, interfaith Seders, and special feminist Seders.
