Where the Jews Aren't

Where the Jews Aren't recounts the ambitious establishment of Birobidzhan in 1929, an autonomous Jewish region in the Soviet Far East envisioned as a cultural haven for Jews. Initially attracting tens of thousands of Jews, both Soviet and from abroad, the settlement faced abrupt state-sponsored repression beginning in the late 1930s, leading to a tragic decline of Jewish cultural life. Following World War II, a second wave of Jews arrived, only to encounter further arrests and a chilling silence that stifled community expression. Masha Gessen’s narrative serves as a poignant exploration of Birobidzhan's rise and fall, reflecting the broader experiences of Jews in 20th-century Russia.