Immigration to Berlin from the Former Soviet Union

Photo taken by Rachel Star

Biography

My name is Haley Goldlist. I am 16 years old and live in the San Francisco Bay Area,

California. Born in Toronto, Canada, I immigrated to the United States along with my two

sisters and parents when I was four years old. Judaism has always been central to my

personal identity. Following the tradition of my ancestors, I was raised as a member of the

Conservative Jewish denomination. My ancestors trace their origins back to Poland but all

fled to Canada during World War II to escape the Nazi regime. Their wartime experiences and

colorful stories surrounding their lives in Poland have always been both informative and

entertaining to me. I felt my Jewish identity confirmed when I completed my Bat-Mitzvah at

age thirteen. In an effort to connect and broaden my relationship with my religion, I opted to

attend a pluralistic Jewish high school called Jewish Community High School of the Bay in

San Francisco. I became interested in this expedition to Berlin because it gave me the rare

opportunity to take what I learned at school to a level that would be impossible if I had stayed

on American soil. I was attracted to the idea of being able to trace the steps of my Jewish

predecessors and uncover the current developments in a region of importance to members of

the Jewish Community all over the world. Traveling to Berlin has both emotional and intellectual

significance for me.

Topic Introduction

Over the course of this expedition, I will explore the challenges and benefits surrounding the

integration of Jewish immigrants from the Former Soviet Union into the Jewish Community in

Berlin. As is the case with any large group coming to a new place that has an existing

community with a unique set of traditions, integration may neither be an easy nor a

straightforward process for both the German Jews and the Russian Jews. Unique to migration

trend is that these immigrants have renewed Berlin's Jewish community and given it a new face

for the first time in decades. What was once a small religious community that seemed

irrevocably damaged by the Holocaust has experienced a rebirth that is primarily the result of

this influx in immigration. Through interviewing a variety of people living in Berlin, I will

gain insight into this community and how it is changing. I'm excited that I have the opportunity

to write about these developments and shed light on an issue that is of extreme importance to

both the Jewish population in Berlin and the Jewish community worldwide.

Below are questions I will be asking to understand this topic:

1. What is your name?

2. What is your age?

3. Where were you born? Where did you grow up? What is your family background?

4. What Jewish denomination do you/ your family identify with religiously?

5. What have been the benefits of immigrating to Germany?

6. What challenges have you faced in German society due to your Russian/Former Soviet

Union background? What challenges have you faced integrating into the Jewish Community

in Berlin?

7. To what extent has language been a barrier between German Jews and Russian/ Former

Soviet Union Jews?

8. What has the Community done to make Jews from the former Soviet Union feel comfortable

and welcome in the Community?

9. What efforts does the Community make to preserve Russian/ Former Soviet Union

Jewish traditions?

10. What have you and/or your family done to preserve your identities as well as

your traditions?

11. What accommodations has the Community made to make immigration easier for

Russian/ Former Soviet Union Jews?

12. What are the differences/ similarities between being Jewish in Berlin and being

Jewish in the Former Soviet Union?