New Books in History Elissa Bemporad, "Jews in the Soviet Union: A History: Revolution, Civil War, and New Ways of Life, 1917–1930, Vol. 1" (NYU Press, 2025)
Oct 30, 2025
Elissa Bemporad, a renowned expert on East European Jewish history and author of a groundbreaking new history, delves into the complexities of Jewish life in the Soviet Union from 1917-1930. She discusses the critical turning points of this era, explores how Soviet institutions transformed diverse Jewish identities, and uncovers the coexistence of repression alongside moments of emancipation. Bemporad also sheds light on the Judeo-Bolshevik myth’s origins and the tensions between Jewish leaders and Soviet power. Her insights promise a fascinating journey through a pivotal period.
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Author's Personal Scholarly Path
- Elissa Bemporad grew up in Italy and later became a New Yorker and historian of Eastern European Jewry.
- Her prior work on Minsk and pogroms led her to write this synthetic history of Soviet Jews.
Violence Made Jews Soviet
- The Civil War's pogroms pushed many Jews to side with the Bolsheviks as a survival strategy rather than pure ideology.
- Violence during 1919–1921 transformed Jewish victims into political actors and forged Soviet Jewish identities.
Archives Break The Lachrymose Narrative
- Archival access after 1991 revealed nuance beyond a Cold War-era victim narrative of Soviet Jews.
- New documents show complex choices, preservation efforts, and gray categories within Soviet Jewish life.
