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I grew up in the 90s and wondered why every single Russian person I knew was Jewish. The wikipedia link is interesting. [1] One non-Jewish person claimed there

I grew up in the 90s and wondered why every single Russian person I knew was Jewish. The wikipedia link is interesting. [1] One non-Jewish person claimed there was no anti-Semitism. Everyone wanted to escape the Soviet Union and people just resented Russian jews because it was easier for them to leave. So I thought maybe anti-Semitism is so engrained that they didn't even notice it. Kind of like how some white Americans don't believe racism exists. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Russia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Russia

thriftwy 9y ago
Wasn't that also true, though? In the 90's, most of jews packed their things and promptly moved out. Same for a million "germans" who last were to Germany five generations ago. But russians were stuck, nobody wanted russians (other "mundane" people of Russia, too). I wonder if that's also racist.
- kelukelugames 9y ago
  1. It is possible both are true. But my problem with him is that he denied discrimination also existed. 2. I suspect it is due to the US government. We really don't want communists in our country. Source: my partner and I immigrated from different "communist" countries.
  - myegorov 9y ago
    From what I observed (and learned from others), state sanctioned discrimination against Soviet Jews did not exist at the time of the last wave (say, 1989 onwards). Don't have an axe to grind as I came around that time to the US as a Jewish refugee myself. PS: To put the OP in context (not to condone the practice in any way), the discrimination was directed not just against the Jews, but more generally against any graduates of a select few top specialized physics/math schools (most had over 50% Jewish students). From what I understand, the driving factors behind the discrimination were along the lines of: These schools at the time (70s through mid-80s) were viewed as disloyal; their graduates likely to emigrate to Israel/US post-graduation, overrepresented at top programs etc.
    - player2121 9y ago
      and before 70s there were other reasons for this sort of discrimination. As most of the Jewish kids were much better prepared for entrance exams than the kids from rural areas (90% of Soviets at that time were coming from peasant families) - the state had to limit the number of Jewish students to give others a shot.
walshemj 9y ago
No its a long standing prejudice against Jews in Russia even post revolution eg the Doctors plot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors%27_plot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors%27_plot
player2121 9y ago
It depends on what part of the Soviet Union he was from. If he was from the place with low Jewish population then what he said is actually true. I am originally from central Russia and I've learned about anti-Semitism in Soviet Union only after moving to US. Yap, never heard or witnessed anything like that while living there. Another interesting thing is that several of my Jewish friends told me that their parents asked them to lie about anti-Semitism when they were interviewed at the US embassy in Moscow in the late 90s.
- kelukelugames 9y ago
  >Another interesting thing is that several of my Jewish friends told me that their parents asked them to lie about anti-Semitism when they were interviewed at the US embassy in Moscow in the late 90s. Sorry, there is so much racist astroturfing that I cannot believe anything of this sort from a green account.
  - player2121 9y ago
    that's the same reason why I posted it from a new account. Do not want to be claimed as one of the anti-Semitism deniers.
rat87 9y ago
See https://www.hias.org/lautenberg-amendment https://www.hias.org/lautenberg-amendment
- LyndsySimon 9y ago
  That was confusing for a moment - the "Lautenberg Amendment" with which I'm familiar is an ex post facto ban on firearms ownership for those convincted of crimes of domestic violence.

thriftwy 9y ago

Wasn't that also true, though? In the 90's, most of jews packed their things and promptly moved out. Same for a million "germans" who last were to Germany five generations ago. But russians were stuck, nobody wanted russians (other "mundane" people of Russia, too). I wonder if that's also racist.

kelukelugames 9y ago
1. It is possible both are true. But my problem with him is that he denied discrimination also existed. 2. I suspect it is due to the US government. We really don't want communists in our country. Source: my partner and I immigrated from different "communist" countries.
- myegorov 9y ago
  From what I observed (and learned from others), state sanctioned discrimination against Soviet Jews did not exist at the time of the last wave (say, 1989 onwards). Don't have an axe to grind as I came around that time to the US as a Jewish refugee myself. PS: To put the OP in context (not to condone the practice in any way), the discrimination was directed not just against the Jews, but more generally against any graduates of a select few top specialized physics/math schools (most had over 50% Jewish students). From what I understand, the driving factors behind the discrimination were along the lines of: These schools at the time (70s through mid-80s) were viewed as disloyal; their graduates likely to emigrate to Israel/US post-graduation, overrepresented at top programs etc.
  - player2121 9y ago
    and before 70s there were other reasons for this sort of discrimination. As most of the Jewish kids were much better prepared for entrance exams than the kids from rural areas (90% of Soviets at that time were coming from peasant families) - the state had to limit the number of Jewish students to give others a shot.

walshemj 9y ago

No its a long standing prejudice against Jews in Russia even post revolution eg the Doctors plot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors%27_plot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors%27_plot

player2121 9y ago

It depends on what part of the Soviet Union he was from. If he was from the place with low Jewish population then what he said is actually true. I am originally from central Russia and I've learned about anti-Semitism in Soviet Union only after moving to US. Yap, never heard or witnessed anything like that while living there. Another interesting thing is that several of my Jewish friends told me that their parents asked them to lie about anti-Semitism when they were interviewed at the US embassy in Moscow in the late 90s.

kelukelugames 9y ago
>Another interesting thing is that several of my Jewish friends told me that their parents asked them to lie about anti-Semitism when they were interviewed at the US embassy in Moscow in the late 90s. Sorry, there is so much racist astroturfing that I cannot believe anything of this sort from a green account.
- player2121 9y ago
  that's the same reason why I posted it from a new account. Do not want to be claimed as one of the anti-Semitism deniers.

rat87 9y ago

See https://www.hias.org/lautenberg-amendment https://www.hias.org/lautenberg-amendment

LyndsySimon 9y ago
That was confusing for a moment - the "Lautenberg Amendment" with which I'm familiar is an ex post facto ban on firearms ownership for those convincted of crimes of domestic violence.