
A Time to Sow
Refusenik Life in Leningrad, 1979-1989
University of Toronto Press
Published on 15. January 2025
Book
Hardback
324 pages
978-1-4875-5725-6 (ISBN)
Description
A Time to Sow offers a glimpse into the unofficial Jewish life in 1980s Leningrad, shaped by numerous long-term refusals from authorities to grant exit visas to Jews seeking to migrate to Israel. The book reveals how the lives of the "refuseniks" were marked by a continuous struggle for the right to emigrate, as well as by the formation of an informal community. It traces how the community provided mutual assistance in times of distress, particularly offering support to imprisoned activists and their families. The community also maintained contacts with co-religionist supporters visiting from abroad, engaged in Hebrew teaching, facilitated religious revival, celebrated Jewish holidays as a group, disseminated samizdat publications, conducted popular lectures on Jewish history and culture, and pursued Jewish studies. The book divulges how all these activities took place in private, despite the ban and persecution by the authorities.
Drawing from analyses of historical sources, rare archival materials, as well as personal experiences including interviews with activists, the book provides a rich and nuanced understanding of this unique period. Ultimately, A Time to Sow presents a critical, non-apologetic perspective to uncover a distinctive, little-known chapter of Russian Jewish history in Leningrad, one of Russia's most important cities.
Drawing from analyses of historical sources, rare archival materials, as well as personal experiences including interviews with activists, the book provides a rich and nuanced understanding of this unique period. Ultimately, A Time to Sow presents a critical, non-apologetic perspective to uncover a distinctive, little-known chapter of Russian Jewish history in Leningrad, one of Russia's most important cities.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
558 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4875-5725-6 (9781487557256)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Michael Beizer is a retired research fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Ann Komaromi is a professor in the Centre for Comparative Literature and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Toronto.
Ann Komaromi is a professor in the Centre for Comparative Literature and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Toronto.
Content
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Style and Transliteration
Introduction - Leningrad in the Eighties: Cultivating New Jewish Life
1. The Struggle
2. Practical Support
3. National Culture
4. Religious Revival
5. Jewish Studies
Conclusion: A Distinctive Chapter of Russian Jewish History
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
Style and Transliteration
Introduction - Leningrad in the Eighties: Cultivating New Jewish Life
1. The Struggle
2. Practical Support
3. National Culture
4. Religious Revival
5. Jewish Studies
Conclusion: A Distinctive Chapter of Russian Jewish History
Notes
Bibliography
Index