A Jewry Reborn tells of the Jewish renaissance that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the abolition of Communist-era policies aimed at eradicating Jewish life. It is related in a series of first-hand, real-time accounts of the author’s encounters with one of the world’s largest concentration of Jews at that time who, out of choice or necessity, remained in what became known as the Former Soviet Union (FSU), while many of their brethren emigrated. It is also a tale of the historic but little-known effort mounted by world Jewry to help the FSU’s Jews reconnect with their heritage and their people, while dealing with the aftermath of an empire’s collapse. The vignettes that make up the book are drawn from regular updates from the field written by the author during the 22 years he led the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s massive and sustained initiative of material relief and cultural renewal, first in the Soviet Union itself, then in its successor states. A Jewry Reborn offers unique insight not only into a pivotal moment in world history, but also into the durability of Jewish civilization, the power of Jewish solidarity, and the resilience of the Jewish spirit.
