Irina Magid

Thoughts about Passover

Every Jewish person is glad to celebrate Passover. At that time I try to imagine myself that I went out from Egypt, from suffering. The former Soviet Union in my imagination is the same as Egypt for the Jewish people 3300 years ago.

Jewish people made great wonderful, and unique things for the Soviet Union in different fields of industry, science, cosmos, art and also a lot of Jews defended the country at the time of the Second World War. Many Jewish people became heroes of the Soviet Union.

However, the USSR and Russia, which became the successor of the USSR, were never thankful to the Jews. The Jews in the USSR and Russia were most insulted group. Most important for Russians was that there would always be clarity of Russian nationality without any Jewish roots.

Such indoctrination all children received everywhere; at home, at school, in the street. Anti-Semitism was a very much alive feeling throughout all generations of Russians.

It is the main reason why Jews leave the Russian homeland. My experience of emigration was very difficult and resistant, but I finely went out from my former Motherland with pleasure, and I am glad to live in America.

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