Birobidzhan: The Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Contrary to popular belief, Israel was not the first designated Jewish homeland.
Who knew?
Stalin and his "comrades" had the Zionists beat by about twenty-one years. As an answer to "The Jewish Problem" a brainchild called Birobidzhan--the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Region/Oblast, was spawned by the Soviet powers that be (or were).
Poor Stalin was a paranoid sort, and became convinced that Jewish doctors were out to kill him. This, he banned Yiddish language and synagogues in the Soviet Union--which prompted (forced?) even more Soviet Jews to make the trek.
Birobidzhan is inconveniently located at the marshy convergence of the Bira and Bidzhan rivers (hence the name) in the far eastern corner of Russia, near Mongolia. It's a tough area in which to live, as the summers are humid and mosquito-ridden while winters, as one might imagine, are pretty darn cold.
Today, there are about 4,800 Jews living in Birobidzhan, which equates to 5% of the city's population of 75,000.
According to Lonely Planet, there are two tourist attractions in Birobidzhan: a regional museum and a Jewish cultural center.
Image via Wikipedia
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