Russia: Current information on the situation of Jewish mixed families
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RUS17665.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Russia: Current information on the situation of Jewish mixed families, 1 June 1994, RUS17665.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac1750.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Little information specific to the situation of Jewish mixed families in Russia is currently available to the DIRB in Ottawa.
Monitor reports that some families with Jewish fathers register their children under the mother's Russian name in order to protect children from anti-semitic discrimination (15 Apr. 1994). This source indicates that in Russia there is still a "fear of being identified as a Jew or a Jew-lover" (ibid.).
A spokesman for the Union of Councils in Chicago indicated that he was unaware of reports of anti-Semitic acts specifically aimed at mixed families (14 June 1994). He also indicated that the police usually take action in cases of anti-Semitism, although they prefer to pursue investigations without regard to the motivation of racial hatred.
Country Reports 1993 indicates that anti-Semitic acts such as vandalism and verbal assault continue to occur in Russia, and that anti-Semitism is no longer condoned by the government (1994, 1032). The source further indicates that in certain cases of anti-Semitic acts, the authorities were unwilling to take action (ibid.).
According to the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), the situation of the Russian Jewish community has improved with regard to opportunities for Jewish cultural expression and religious practice, although reports indicate an increase in the incidence of anti-Semitic acts (Jan. 1993, 39). This source states that Jews in Moscow have experienced difficulty regaining permanent possession of buildings that were seized from them in the 1930s and 1940s (ibid., 40).
For further current information on anti-Semitism in Russia, please consult the attached documents.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). January 1993. Human Rights and Democratization in the Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. Washington, DC: CSCE.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993. 1994. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
Monitor [Washington, DC]. 15 April 1994. Vol. 5, No. 8. Kate Braithewaite. "To Be or Not to Be, Jewishness in the Ex-USSR."
Union of Councils, Chicago. 14 June 1994. Telephone interview with representative.
Attachments
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). January 1993. Human Rights and Democratization in the Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. Washington, DC: CSCE, pp. 39-40.
Monitor [Washington, DC]. 15 April 1994. Vol. 5, No. 8. Kate Braithewaite. "To Be or Not to Be, Jewishness in the Ex-USSR."
. 16-23 July 1993. Vol. 4, No. 24. "Behind the News: Rise of Neo-Fascism in Russia," pp.2-3.
News Bulletin. January 1994. "Jews in the CIS & Baltic States." New York: Consulate General of Israel, p. 14.