tkfgen
  • Shtetls
  • Families
  • Recollections
  • Calamities
  • Archives
Recollections > Books

collection of Memoirs "Being a Jew in USSR"

Picture
 Memoirs as a genre of personal recollection shed light on the wide gap between official Soviet ideology, its application to the realities of Soviet life and behavioral patterns of Soviet bosses. Many of such books were self published in small quantities, and they are disappearing rapidly. Our goal is to save those valuable insights for future generations. Digitized books will be accessible online.
Picture
This collection started modestly by books donation from the Foundation members and authors. “Soviet” Jews were employed in many industries, in research and engineering, in health care and art. Their recollections contain wealth of interesting information and unknown details how Soviet system was run.
 Some books provide fascinated details about Stalin’s purges and the atmosphere of terror, which shaped life in USSR from Revolution years till Stalin death.  Authors also convey facts about systemic antisemitism flourishing on all levels of Soviet hierarchy.
Please help us - send copies of published and self-published books and digital files of books and manuscripts.
Location where you can drop off books
Philadelphia: book shop "Knizhnik" call 1-215-969-7082
Fair Lawn NJ:  call  201-398-0469 (Leonid)
Norwood MA: call 203-912-2704 (Galina)
Brooklyn NY:  call  718-714-1779 (Roza)
Chicago land:  call  847 670 8834 (Greg)
Send by mail:  call  215-906-2277 (Sofa)


C
Picture
Chazan, Aaron  "Deep in Russian night"
Lakewood, NJ 1990   ISBN 1-56062-030-7
Historical record of Jewish life from the time of revolution.
English
Book courtesy of Michael Levin.
D
Picture
Draitser, Emil  "Shush! A memoir growing up Jewish under Stalin"
2008 I University of California ISBN 978-0-0520254466
A wonderfully evocative memoir that captures the experience of a Jewish family in Soviet Odessa
(English)
G
Picture
Goldberg, Issai  "Journey of self-discovery"
Jerusalem, “Shamir”,  2002 ISBN 965-293-071-7
Short stories about life of Soviet geologist, portraits of the family and its
roots , account of author experience being a Jew in USSR
Book courtesy of Leon Vayn.
K
Picture
Kantsenelinboigen, Aron  "Memoirs"
Schuylkill Haven, PA 2006   ISBN 1-55779-160-0
The life of soviet economist
(Russian)
Book courtesy of Michael Levin.
Picture
Karlikovsky, Yuri "Small rock on tombstone"
"M+" Tel-Aviv 1999 ISBN 965-7093-11-2
The stories about families from shtetl Faleshty, Moldova
(Russian)
Book courtesy of author.
Index names from this book

Picture
Kitayevich, Yuliy "Almost life"
NY "Slovo-Word" 2003 ISBN 1-930308-79-5
Short stories about family, friends in USSR, Israel, and USA
(Russian)
Book courtesy of Leon Vayn.
Picture
Kuperman, Iser "The fate of  the champion"
Tel-Aviv "Jacob Press" 1983
Memoirs of famous checkers master about his life in USSR. The author provides interesting details about inner working of of Soviet checker field controlled by the State.
(Russian)
Book courtesy of Leon Vayn.
L
Picture
Levenstein, Victor "The story about my father"
Moscow "Argumenty and Fakty" 2001
History and investigation about the persecutions in USSR, including a story about Levenstein family from Novo-Poltavka. 
(Russian)
Book courtesy of Victor Levenstein.
M
Picture
Mendelevich, Yosef  "Unbroken Spirit"
Jerusalem "Novosti"  2012  ISBN 978-965-229-563-7
The story of an extraordinary man, Prisoner of Zion, teaches, that even under difficult conditions man can overcome all obstacles
Book courtesy of Michael Levin.
Picture
Mindlin, Yefim  "40 years in Tupolev's firm"
Philadelphia, PA 2008
Stories about life and work of aviators.
(Russian)
Book courtesy of Mindlin's family.
Picture
Mirkina, Galina "Captured by memory"
ISBN 9781479175482
Story of Jewish family from Khotimsk, written by victim of Holocaust.
(Russian)

Picture
Mulyash, Maria "With love to you"
Moscow "Novosti" 2002
The  famous manager of MosConcert  collected stories about her family, friends and well known actors.
(Russian)
Book courtesy of David Shenker.
O
Picture
Okunev, Yuri  "Saga of the risen from the ashes"
Boston 2007  University of California ISBN 978-1-940220581
Story about lost and discovery Okunev family branch from Vilno
(Russian and English)
Book courtesy of author
S
Picture
Segal, Peter  "You shall not make idols"
Tel Aviv 1995
Family stories from shtetl Krasnostav to Israel
(Russian)
Book courtesy of Segal's family.
Read online
Picture
Svirsky, Grigory  "Hostages"
Paris 1973
The book describe life of particular Jewish family, Svirskiy, in USSR in middle of 20 century. Author telling personal stories about his family and friends deaths and survival during World War II, Stalin repression, and Anti-Semitism after war.
(Russian)
Book courtesy of Leon Vayn.
T
Picture
Talmy, Vladimir  "Full circle"
Moscow "Vozvracshenie" 2014 ISBN 978-5-7157-0296-8
The author was born and died in the USA, yet the greater part of his life was spent in the USSR where he observed the worst events of Stalin's reign.
(Russian, English)
Book courtesy of Inna Talmy.
Picture
Teperov, Philip  "Maraphon on the life"
New York 2005   ISBN 1930308906
Short stories about author's life in different places
(Russian)
Book courtesy of Teperov's family.
Read online

Picture
Teplish, Alex "Aron's story"
2015 ISBN 978-09893972-1-6
The story of Aron Rabinovich written by his grandson about the life of typical Jewish-Soviet boy in Ukraine.
(English)
Book courtesy of author
Z
Picture
Zigman, Naum  "Refuzniks"
Philadelphia, Vital Connection 
A story about life in Ladispoli, Italy, a short stop between a run from Russia to USA
(Russian)
Book courtesy of Vera Lerner.
Picture
Zilber, Yitzchak   "To Remain a Jew: The Life of Rabbi Yitzchak Zilber"
Jerusalem, Toldos Yeshurun  Year 2004 ISBN 965-7275-01-6
"Let you continue to be Jew in this cold condition" -the main idea of rabbi's book.
(Russian)
Book courtesy of Gregory Milstein.

Collection of stories
Picture
"Children of war"
San Diego "Libes" 2015
Recollections of eyewitnesses of the WWII nicknamed "children of war". Disturbing stories.Unique accounts.
(Russian)

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Copyright © 2016-2021  Tsal Kaplun Foundation
  • Shtetls
  • Families
  • Recollections
  • Calamities
  • Archives