Life of the Jewish People in the Soviet Union. Part 1

Being Jewish in the USSR. How was life of the Jewish people in the Soviet Union?
My books about arriving in America is available on my site:
"Ushanka Show" is a collection of stories about life in the USSR.

[UshankaShow]

Thank you for watching the Ushanka Show!
My name is Sergei. I was born in the USSR in 1971. Since 1999 I have lived in the USA.
The Ushanka Show was created to share stories as well as my own memories of everyday life in the USSR.
Fan Mail:
Ushanka Show
P.O. Box 96
Berrien Springs
MI 49103, USA
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Ushanka Show merchandise:
If you are curious to try some of the Soviet-era candy and other foodstuffs, please use the link below.

[tingting]

If we have no one to tell us their experiences then we will never know. So don't worry about those who hate others. I have been using your videos to teach my children about the former USSR. Thank you very much for making these videos. Have Great Day^^

[ivarkich]

Radio Yerevan was asked:
- What is the ethnic composition of population in Odesa?
Radio Yerevan aswered:
- 10% Ukrainians, 10% Russians, 80% local population.

[chucksteak]

Jewish and Ukrainian here. You're clearly not the antisemitic type, and I actually appreciate the unfiltered stories you tell. It brings a realness to the events that actually happened, and in this context I'm not offended at all!

[IrishPartizan]

"They don't punch the passport, they punch the face". I laughed out loud there.

[Japinglish]

History and the first hand experiences of others, no matter how ugly. Should never be censored. Thank you for sharing.

[Svetlana-says-it-as-it-is.]

A lot of children don’t pay attention if other children are different, they just want to play.

[wolfeinhorn]

Thanks so much man for all your broadcast! This one is very close to my heart though.

[AB-otbm]

A Priest walks up to a Rabbi and asks “Is it true that Jewish people often answer a question with a question?” And the Rabbi responds “What’s it to you?”

[maria.]

My grandmother was a lecturer at the Food Industries Institute in Kiev in the 70s, and she told me how they were instructed to limit admission of Jews. At the entry exams they had to give them more difficult tests than others.

[arieplatnik]

If you want some more material for part 2 you're always welcome to mail me 😁 my mother will love to tell everything about being Jewish in the USSR (Kiev specifically). It's also worth mentioning the immigration waves from the USSR. At certain point my mother told that in her comunalka (Where 90% of the families were Jewish) started leaving during the 1970s until my family was the last one to leave on August 1990.

[SgtRocko]

Had to laugh - In Yiddish we said "Ivan won't punch your passport, he'll punch your skull" (Ivan vet nit zetz deyn pass, er vet zetz deyn sharbn"). In Jugoslavija, they downplayed religion, but to promote "Bratstvo i Jedinstvo" (Brotherhood & Unity), Muslims & Jews were encouraged to wear red skullcaps for photos and during public occasions. When I went to live with my uncle in Birobidzhan, I was wearing my Pioneer Uniform... with a red skullcap... Crossing the Soviet border was... NOT exactly a joy... and at Jaroslawsky Station in Moscow, some Jews pulled me over and read me the riot act "ARE YOU INSANE?" (Of course I replied "You grab a stranger, pull him into a men's room, and I'M insane?... question with a question. YES WE DO THAT ALL THE TIME)...

[jamallabarge]

I went to university with Refusedniks. They were the first Soviet people I ever met.

Brezhnev died in the fall of 1982. We knew a brother and sister from the Union. The sister's name was Larisa. I don't remember his name.

He was playing Chess in the student commons. Time Chess, with the little clocks.

We said to him, "Hey what do you think of Brezhnev dying?"

He made his move, slapped the clock then said, "Another dead Communist? Who cares?"

We thought it was funny.

[PanikGrafik]

I found your channel only a few days ago (I think, at least got stuck on it :) ) and I have watched/listen to many of your videos for an entire work day! Amazing!

[onerva.]

the girl with the patterned dress looks so much like my grandmother it's eerie

[roykeller]

My former coworker grew up in Leningrad in the 50’s-70’s. I told him I knew a little about Soviet history and he then asked me a question. Why was there a statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky. ( I don’t recall if it was Leningrad or Moscow where the statue was located) I replied without hesitation “Because he died before Stalin could purge him”. My friend replied “you understand Soviet history” lol

[PbFoot]

thank you for this topic! myself being a jewish person also born in kiev (in the soviet era), i really hope your future videos on this topic will include babi yar. my dad and aunt (his sister) often told stories about the difficulties of being jewish and applying to university, or problems with teachers and grades because of it. i can definitely relate to the dangers of being openly jewish in kiev, because the first time i went back to visit with my sister in the late 90s, she told me not to wear or show the star of david on the chain around my neck, because it would lead to "unpleasantries." lol but like you said, i never had any issues when i went to school there. our friends knew we were jewish and no one really cared.

[douglaswaggoner]

Your videos are exceptionally informative.

[siemprerosso]

My father used to work abroad in USSR in the late 80ies. He was located in Leningrad. One day he was walking by this huge cemetery, when he ran into his landlord, an old small lady who always used to smile was so nice and polite to him and spoke in soft and calm manner. He asked about the cemetery, not knowing for sure what it is, as it is surrounded by high trees so it looks like a park.
"What is located here", he asked.
"Oh, its just a jewish cemetery."
Its huge.
"Not nearly huge enough", said the old lady with a smile.

[kabardinka]

Kamenev's father was Jewish (but had converted to Russian Orthodoxy), his mom was slavic Russian. According to Judaism, he wasn't Jewish. According to Russians, he was. Funny how people don't say "he was 1/2 Russian" but are quick to point out he was Jewish. The only Jew who was prominent in the Soviet Union after Stalin's purges was Kaganovich (who was certainly a murderous bastard), all the other Jews high up in the communist party had been murdered and their histories purged. I also find it interesting how Slavic anti-semites are always obsessed with Jewish conspiracies yet Zinoviev and Kamenev were largely responsible for removing Trotsky from power. Also, no mention of Jewish participation in the Russian Revolution can neglect how there were hundreds of anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian empire (many in Ukraine) and how the Orthodox Church and Okhrana were directly connected to many of them.