Former Soviet Union

Dnipro chief rabbi: Joy in being Jewish restored post-Soviet Dnipro Jewry

When Kaminetsky arrived in the Closed City in 1990, the years of pogroms, Nazi conquest, and Soviet oppression had reduced almost fifty synagogues to one small house of worship.

Dnipro, Ukraine in January 2026.
One of the Jewish soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

The war in Israel is in a lull, but Jewish soldiers are still fighting in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Kazbek Kokov, head of the North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria, in Moscow, Russia December 16, 2025.

Putin establishes Soviet genocide memorial day, erasing Jewish victims of Nazis

 FILE PHOTO: Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, in Istanbul, Turkey, October 2, 2022.

Protests shake Iran: The US must choose its next move wisely - opinion


Wars on two fronts: Russian-speaking olim on making aliyah during wartime - opinion

I am privileged to have gotten to know hundreds of Russian-speaking olim in their 20s and 30s through my work over the past 15 years.

 NEW RUSSIAN-SPEAKING olim celebrate Independence Day in the Jerusalem Hills this past year.

The enigma of Nikita Khrushchev: Unravelling the Soviet leader's views on Israel, Zionism

The story of the Soviet leader’s time in power, his policies against Jews, and his relationship with Israel and Zionism

 NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV (R) and Leonid Brezhnev wave from Lenin’s Tomb in Moscow after announcing that Khrushchev was resigning as first secretary of the Communist Party and Brezhnev was taking over the role, 1964.

Aliyah committee will be ‘home’ for non-Orthodox Jewish denominations, Kariv says - interview

The committee would also examine the issue of people emigrating away from Israel, which Kariv claimed the government was not concerned about.

 MK Gilad Kariv attends a National Security committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament on October 15, 2024.

From Sinai to daily life: How small actions create lasting holiness - opinion

BEYOND THE HEADLINES: How parashat Mishpatim and mothers of hostages highlight the power of small actions in creating lasting impact

 Lena Troufanov (R) and Rabbanit Bazak (L)

Putin says ignoring Soviet role in liberation of Nazi death camps is shameful

As Soviet forces pushed back Nazi troops in Europe in 1944 and 1945, they liberated a number of death camps, including Majdanek, Auschwitz, Stutthof, Sachsenhausen, and Ravensbrück.

 THE FRONT GATE of Auschwitz carries the infamous phrase: ‘Arbeit macht frei.’ The writer states: ‘Perhaps we as Jews are less alone in our grief than we may fear.’

A direct glance from painter Asya Lukin within the Israeli art scene

Her work has just reemerged for broad attention in a current exhibition at Rothschild Fine Art Gallery in Tel Aviv.

A PAINTING by Asya Lukin from an exhibition based around a single theme: hospital life.

Following Kuznetsov's example: Resist those trying to strip Jewish ties to Israel - editorial

The courage of those young Soviet Jews who risked everything for their identity is a powerful example for Diaspora Jews today.

 Man carrying a Soviet Union flag.

Love, faith, and unity amidst war: A rabbi’s unexpected wedding tale – opinion

A rushed wedding, strangers uniting, and a rabbi's journey reveal the power of faith and resilience across divides.

 The writer conducts a wedding ceremony.

New theatre production ‘Collective Phenomena’ reveals story of defiant Soviet-Jewish scientists

The director of Collective Phenomena, Semion Aleksandrovskiy, shared a little of this complex history via his own family story.

 ‘COLLECTIVE PHENOMENA’ director Semion Aleksandrovskiy.

'Not just a physical space': Activity center for new immigrants from FSU opens in Tel Aviv

Over Sukkot, over 150 young Russian-speaking immigrants gathered to celebrate the opening of the center, SSY stated. 

 New immigrants, many from the Former Soviet Union, gather to celebrate Sukkot and the opening of "the Dacha" activity center in Tel Aviv.