Search For Identity, Between Assimilation And Immigration

In 19th-century Russia, Jews were considered as "others". While individuals could convert and become part of the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian society, the Jews as a group were outsiders, and many chose to emigrate. Antisemitism and anti-Jewish stereotypes were part of Russian culture; e.g. during the Revolution, anti-tsarist Jews were viewed as being anti-Russian. The communist rulers first saw the Jews as an ethnic group which must assimilate, but then recognized them as a nation. The post-World War II anti-cosmopolitan campaign caused much suffering among the Jews, but was not meant to be specifically anti-Jewish. When the Soviet government finally allowed the Jews to leave the country, they again faced the dilemma of assimilation or emigration; as in the 19th century, many chose to emigrate. (From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism).