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Viewing cable 09VLADIVOSTOK12, DCM DONS A YARMULKE IN BIROBIDJAN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09VLADIVOSTOK12 2009-02-11 05:00 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Vladivostok
R 110500Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1077
INFO MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
UNCLAS VLADIVOSTOK 000012 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM RS
SUBJECT: DCM DONS A YARMULKE IN BIROBIDJAN 
 
1. A highlight of DCM Eric Rubin's trip to the Russian Far East 
was a February 5 visit to the capital of the Jewish Autonomous 
Oblast (JAO), Birobidjan.  The Jewish Autonomous Region was 
established in May 1934 as a homeland for Soviet Jews.  It was a 
social experiment that some historians contend was doomed or 
even designed to fail.  Though remote (5,000 miles from Moscow), 
under-funded, and ultimately subject to harsh communist 
repression, the city and its Jewish culture and religion have 
nevertheless survived, and may be enjoying the best period in 
the Oblast's almost 75 year history. 
 
2. The town initially struggled to attract Jews and many who did 
come to Birobidjan, from Russia and from abroad, left 
disillusioned.  The joke in Soviet times was that the JAO was 
neither Jewish nor autonomous, with Jews outnumbered by Poles, 
Ukrainians, and even indigenous people.  But Birobidjan served 
Moscow's purpose in securing another outpost along Russia's 
thinly populated border with China, and as a Soviet propaganda 
ploy to show the world that socialism was inclusive and tolerant 
of all faiths.  Today's Birobidjan is a mixture of that tragic 
legacy and a much more hopeful future. 
 
3. Ironically, for a city that suffered more than most from 
Stalin, officialdom there maintains many of the Soviet 
trappings.  The DCM's meetings were well-choreographed set 
pieces and the lavish lunch was an over-the-top, old fashioned 
round of toasts with too much vodka.  On a visit to the 
synagogue and Jewish culture center, officials even took pains 
to explain that the renaissance of Jewish culture was real and 
"not just for show."  To be fair, the Mayor was out of town and 
the US delegation was met by a Deputy who stuck to his notes 
during the formal meeting.  Afterwards, however, officials were 
quite open about Stalin's legacy, pointing out in the City Hall 
portrait gallery which city founders were purged in the 1930's. 
Many officials only lasted six months before being executed. 
Beneath the clunky Soviet facade, Birobidjan's officials are 
welcoming and open once the formalities are done with.  The 
Governor's office welcomed contact and partnerships with 
American educational institutions, cultural groups, and 
businesses.  Officials noted that Birobidjan is processing 
timber into products that could be exported directly to the US, 
saving the cost of shipping raw timber for processing in China, 
which stocks many American furniture store shelves with finished 
goods. 
 
4. The JAO has a population of 180,000 and with a huge nature 
preserve just north of Birobidjan, the region has a rural and 
small town feel.  Light industry and agriculture are the bases 
of the economy.  So far, the global economic crisis has not been 
as keenly felt here as elsewhere in the region.  Along with the 
furniture factories are textile plants, a university with 2,000 
students, and a growing service sector.  The JAO budget is a 
healthy 4.5 billion rubles.  Birobidjan is a city with a quality 
of life rich enough to actually attract new residents to a city 
in a region of decreasing population.  Many pensioners prefer 
the JAO's milder climate, clean air and water, and "stable" 
(less corrupt) political situation. 
 
5. The 5,000 Jews of the JAO make up only about two and a half 
percent of the Oblast population, but Yiddish is everywhere in 
Birobidjan, albeit more for cultural and historical pride than 
as a working language.  In Birobidjan itself, the Jewish 
percentage is six percent, with about 2,000 people being active 
in the life of the synagogue and community center.  There are 
anecdotal reports that some elderly people are returning to 
Birobidjan from Germany and Israel, but not enough to make a 
statistical impact so far. 
 
In addition to teaching the language, the cultural center's 
school also includes the study of Jewish culture, history, and 
music. The center arranges popular cultural exhibits to villages 
and small settlements in the JAO, and tourists come from 
Khabarovsk to visit the center on a regular basis.  Jewish 
leaders were justifiably proud of the vitality of the synagogue 
and their wide contacts with Jews around the world who have sent 
contributions and visiting delegations to the "Zion of Russia." 
The Jewish Cultural Center "Freyd" and the synagogue are funded 
by a variety of Russian and international partners from 
government and private sources.  In 2009, the JAO Administration 
promises to provide buses, vacation outings, and dances for the 
center's school children.  The center continues to provide 
assistance to needy pensioners with free breakfasts and lunches. 
 
The head of the center underlined that there are no nationalist 
conflicts in JAO. The synagogue is located close to the Orthodox 
Church and the two faiths enjoy good relations, celebrating some 
public holidays together.  This September a festival of Jewish 
culture will mark the 75-year anniversary of the JAO's 
foundation and organizers said that a US delegation would be 
very welcome.  The synagogue and cultural center are keeping a 
small but steady flame of Jewish life and identity alight. 
 
6. Today's Birobidjan features clean streets, tree lined parks, 
and several furniture factories.  The town is surrounded by a 
nature preserve the size of Belgium that features many 
endangered species and even a tiger in recent years.  At the Far 
Eastern State Academy for Humanities and Social Studies the 
Vice-President for research explained that the institute 
provides 63 different educational programs for 2000 students. 
The Academy has good contacts with the universities in Israel 
which help with teaching materials, books  in  Yiddish, and 
summer schools for students. In the past cooperation with US 
Universities was more active and fruitful than now, and 
currently they have the only one US teacher. The Academy 
administration stressed that they want to re-establish such an 
interaction since interest in the English language continues to 
grow.  Birobidjan has sister city relationships with Beaverton, 
Oregon; Niigata, Japan, several Israeli towns, and Hygan, China. 
 Three checkpoints line JAO's 530 kilometer border with China. 
 
7.  Comment:  The Consulate has long been impressed with the 
level of English from Birobidjan students and will try to 
provide additional English language programming to the 
university.  Students were enthusiastic about the DCM's speech 
on President Obama and the future of US-Russian relations and 
they would benefit from more information about US educational 
opportunities and programs like FLEX, IREX and Summer Work and 
Travel.  Birobidjan is a major cultural and environmental center 
in the Far East and well worth including in Khabarovsk programs 
as it is only a few hours to the West from there.  The DCM's 
February 2-6 Vladivostok and Khabarovsk events and meetings to 
follow septel. 
 
 
ARMBRUSTER