Jews from the former Soviet Union embody one of the best qualified migration groups worldwide. Regardless of their settling in North America, Israel or Europe they are marked by many graduates, professionals, and intellectuals. Dynamic social mobility, cultural assertiveness and a huge degree of politicization are hallmarks of those scientists, doctors, engineers and artists turning away from the country of Tolstoi, Sacharow and Putin. This book provides sociological insights on how immigrated Russian Jewish elites manage their new life in both countries, how they aim for achievements and key...

Europe is in the midst of a rapid political and economic unification. What does this mean for the Jewish minority - numbering less than 2 million people and still suffering from the aftermath of the Shoah? Will the Jewish communities participate in Europe's bold venture without risking total assimilation? Are they vibrant enough to form a new Jewish center alongside Israel and the American Jewish community, or are they hopelessly divided and on a "Road to Nowhere"? Different perspectives are predicted, relating to demographical, cultural and sociological aspects. This volume provides...

Since their recent dispersion from the former Soviet Union, Russian-speaking Jews (RSJ) have become the vast majority of Germany's longstanding Jewry. An entity marked by permeable boundaries, they show a solidarity and commitment to world Jewry, including Israel, but feeble identification with their hosts. The identification with the larger Jewish community leads to a wide consensus concerning the importance of offering Jewish education to the young. The study presented here explores the influence of the RSJ community, their relationship with German speaking Jews, and the ways in which the...