Russian Jews in America:
The Latest Chapter
Russian-Jewish Immigration to the United
States
History of Immigration
• Started in the late 1960s and early 1970s
• “Samoletnoe Delo”
• Start of the Soviet Jewry movement
• Documentary “Redeeming the Captives”
• “Triumph over Tyranny” by Philip Spiegel
Russian-Jewish Immigration to the United States
Facts and Figures
• Today an estimate of 350, 000 Russian-speaking
immigrants live in New York
• More than 50,000 are in Boston area
• About 750,000 Russian-speaking immigrants live in the
U.S.
• Russian speakers make up 19 % of the Jews in the five
boroughs of New York City [The Jewish Community
Study 2002].
• About a third of the Russian-speaking Jewish population
now living in America arrived during the 1970s [ Election
2000 ].
Story of Success
• Russian immigrants comprise the best-educated
group in U.S. immigration history [Election 2000]
Some 65% have college education and another
10% advanced degrees. 90% of high school
graduates go to college.
• Russian-speaking Jews have succeeded in the
highest-paying professions as doctors, dentists,
lawyers, and accountants.
• A high level of overall satisfaction
- 64% of those who live in America for 9 years or
more are mostly satisfied with life [ Election,
2000,23]
Annual Household Income of the Employed
Population
60%
50%
40%
2000
30%
2008
20%
American Jews
10%
0%
Less than
$30,000
$30, 000 to $60, 000 to
less than
less than
$60, 000
$90,000
$90, 000
and more
A Global Community
• Today, 25% of Russian-speaking Jews still
have relatives in the Former Soviet Union
• 61% of Russian-speaking Jews have firstdegree relatives in Israel and another 20%
have relatives that are more distant.
[Presidential Election 2004]
• About 40% of them have relatives or close
friends in Germany and 25% in Australia.
Identity Challenges
• Heterogeneous community
• Jewish identity does not mean religious identification
or practice
• Only 55% identify themselves as “definitely” Jewish
with another 10% saying they are “partly” or
“somewhat” Jewish.
• Five basic categories of identification:
- General Jewish
- Sub-Ethnic Jewish
- Immigrant identification
- American identification
- Cosmopolitan identification
Examples of Mixed Identities
Percentage said they have mostly this identity
Just Jewish
70%
Russian, Soviet Jew
50%
Ukrainian Jew
22%
Belarusian Jew
8%
Bukharian Jew
8%
Mountain Jew
7%
Jew, New American
29%
American of Jewish origin
14%
American of Russian origin
9%
American
16%
Russian Immigrant
56%
Russian
20%
Religious Challenges
• Religion as a cultural, traditional, or philosophical
concept
• Many Russian Jews combine belief in God with low
religious activity or practice
• They are Jews through ethnicity, memory, culture,
literature, etc. but not through religion
• “In God We Trust”
- belief as a philosophical concept – more than 70%
- “believers”-faith in God has a sacred significance and
place in his heart – 45%
- “religion and morality”- believe that religion and morality
go hand in hand -- 25%
- “religious practice”- religion plays a very important role in
their lives
15%
Religious Challenges
• Reform and Conservative movements have
achieved limited success in reaching out to the
community
• Jewish education for children remains a serious
concern for many Russian-Jewish families.
• There is growing synagogue attendance in
areas heavily populated by Russian-Jewish
immigrants
• “detached affiliation”
Political Involvement, engagement, and
ideology
• Russian Jews are perceived as conservative and
Republican
• Republican candidates appeal strongly due to strong
support for Israel and a tough position against terrorism
• 2004 Elections supported G.W. Bush, 2008 Elections
supported John McCain. President Reagan and the
notion of “evil empire”.
• Conservative on some social issues e.g. 77% in favor of
the death penalty, 81 % are against same-sex marriage,
but liberal on others, e.g. 66% think abortion should be
legal under all circumstances
• Anti-Semitism in Russia and the FSU countries remains
a very serious concern -- 85%, and in Europe -- 83%
Not
registered
10%
10%
0%
0%
50%
Russians
American Jews
New York, 2000
New York, 2004
60%
50%
40%
30%
Russians
20%
American Jews
10%
0%
New York, 2008
Not
registered
50%
Other/do not
remember
60%
60%
Registered
as
Independent
70%
Registered
as
Republican
Registered
as Democrat
Not
registered
Other/do not
remember
30%
Other/do not
remember
20%
Registered
as
Independent
Registered
as
Republicans
40%
Registered
as
Independent
Registered
as
Republican
Registered
as Democrat
20%
Registered
as Democrat
Registered Voters
40%
30%
Russians
American Jews
Voting Patterns 2000-2008
90%
80%
80%
70%
70%
60%
60%
50%
50%
Russians
40%
American Jews
30%
30%
20%
20%
10%
10%
0%
Russians
40%
American Jews
0%
George W. Bush
Al Gore
Undecided
George W Bush
New York, Aug-Sept 2000
John Kerry
New York, Aug-Sept 2004
70%
60%
50%
40%
Russians
30%
American Jews
20%
10%
0%
John McCain
Undecided
Barack Obama
Undecided
New York Aug-Sept 2008
Community Challenges
• Activism, voluntarism, and charity
were unfamiliar to many Russians.
Whom we trust?
• Detached affiliation-establishing and
maintaining a comfortable distance
from major American-Jewish
organizations and their activities
Community Challenges
• “Clash of civilizations” between the AmericanJewish establishment and the Russian-speaking
Jews
• Russian Jews in America are perceived as
indifferent to Jewish heritage and Jewish
communal life
• Protestantism versus Eastern Orthodoxy
Russian Jews influenced by Russian culture,
deeply rooted in Russian Orthodoxy, and the
Soviet communist regime.
• Fundamental cultural differences: Trust and Fear
“The Future Belongs to Me”
• For how long the 1.5 and the second
generations will keep their “Russian”
identity component?
• The global Russian-speaking community
and its political implications
• New developments between the
Diasporas and the governments of Israel,
Russia and other FSU countries.