On Sunday, June 6, at 10 am, Congregation Beth Hatikvah in Summit will host a brunch and unique discussion opportunity featuring two Russian Jewish writers Emil Draitser, Professor of Russian at Hunter College, who has won praise for his memoir, SHUSH! Growing Up Jewish Under Stalin, and playwright Jennie Staniloff-Redling, whose musical, The Harvest, depicts the life of 17 year old World War II heroine Masha Bruskina. Both authors provide a new look at Soviet anti-Semitism and will discuss their works.
Professor Draitsers memoir is a compelling account of mid-twentieth century life in Russia, as the author struggles to reconcile the harsh values of Soviet society with the values of his working-class Jewish family. Lively, evocative, and rich with humor, the story presents a sweeping panorama of two centuries of Jewish history in Russia.
Many years after making his way to America from Odessa in Soviet Ukraine, Emil Draitser made a startling discovery: every time he uttered the word “Jewish”even in casual conversationhe lowered his voice. This behavior was a natural by-product, he realized, of growing up in the anti-Semitic, post-Holocaust Soviet Union, when “Shush!” was the most frequent word he heard: “Dont use your Jewish name in public. Dont speak a word of Yiddish. And dont cry over your murdered relatives.”
The Harvest by Jennie Staniloff-Redling is a musical about the life of Masha Bruskina, one of the first Russians killed by Nazis. Her image was made famous by a series of photographs depicting her death. The photographs, on display at the Minsk war museum in Belarus, clearly identify those executed alongside her, but consider Masha Bruskina “Nietzvisnaya” or “Unknown,” despite dozens who knew her and a decades-long campaign to grant her recognition. Ms. Staniloff-Redlings work has been aided by Holocaust scholar, Professor Nechama Tec of the University of Connecticut (book and motion picture “Defiance”), Dr. Daniel Weiss, President, Lafayette College, journalist Judith Miller (“One by One by One; Facing the Holocaust”), and others.
The June 6 event will include a video screening of a portion of a 2008 workshop production of The Harvest. The discussion event is open to the public and begins at 10 am. A light brunch will be served. Please RSVP to (973) 361-9025, or ecorbman@verizon.net For more information about Congregation Beth Hatikvah, please call (908) 277-0200. The congregation is located at 36 Chatham Road in Summit.