Soviets created ‘Jewish homeland’ in 1934

By JEWISH REVIEW

article created on: 2010-12-12T00:00:00

In 1934, the Soviet government established a Jewish homeland in Siberia. Officially called the Jewish Autonomous Region, many referred to it by the area’s capital city, Birobidzhan.

About 18,000 Jews moved to the JAR from other parts of Russia, and from Lithuania, Argentina and the United States. The Association for Jewish Colonization in the Soviet Union (ICOR) promoted awareness and raised funds for the project. One hundred ICOR chapters organized throughout the United States.

According to Oregonian newspaper accounts, the Portland chapter of ICOR met regularly during the mid-1930s. They held meetings at the Linath Hazedek Synagogue, B’nai Brith Building and the Neighborhood House.

The earliest reference we found was in the December 1933 Oregonian. “The Portland ICOR organization,” the article said, “being an international association for assisting Jewish pioneers in Biro-Bidjan, Jewish colonization project in Soviet Russia, discussed the world Jewish situation and the colony at a recent mass meeting.”

ICOR held picnics and annual balls. In 1934, Linath Hazedek exhibited “the first machinery which is to be sent from Portland to the Jewish pioneers in Biro Bidjan.”

For more information on Birobidzhan, see Stalin’s Forgotten Zion, An Illustrated History atswarthmore.edu/Home/News/biro/.