A Time to Sow

Refusenik Life in Leningrad, 1979-1989

Michael Beizer, Ann Komaromi

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Hardback

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English

University of Toronto Press
16 May 2025

A Time to Sow offers a glimpse into the unofficial Jewish life in 1980s Leningrad, shaped by numerous long-term refusals from authorities to grant exit visas to Jews seeking to migrate to Israel. The book reveals how the lives of the 'refuseniks' were marked by a continuous struggle for the right to emigrate, as well as by the formation of an informal community. It traces how the community provided mutual assistance in times of distress, particularly offering support to imprisoned activists and their families. The community also maintained contacts with co-religionist supporters visiting from abroad, engaged in Hebrew teaching, facilitated religious revival, celebrated Jewish holidays as a group, disseminated samizdat publications, conducted popular lectures on Jewish history and culture, and pursued Jewish studies. The book divulges how all these activities took place in private, despite the ban and persecution by the authorities.

Drawing from analyses of historical sources, rare archival materials, as well as personal experiences including interviews with activists, the book provides a rich and nuanced understanding of this unique period. Ultimately, A Time to Sow presents a critical, non-apologetic perspective to uncover a distinctive, little-known chapter of Russian Jewish history in Leningrad, one of Russia's most important cities.

By: Michael Beizer, Ann Komaromi
Imprint: University of Toronto Press
Country of Publication: Canada
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 159mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 540g
ISBN: 9781487557256
ISBN 10: 1487557256
Pages: 277
Publication Date: 16 May 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Style and Transliteration Introduction – Leningrad in the Eighties: Cultivating New Jewish Life 1. The Struggle 2. Practical Support 3. National Culture 4. Religious Revival 5. Jewish Studies Conclusion: A Distinctive Chapter of Russian Jewish History Notes Bibliography Index

Michael Beizer is a retired research fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ann Komaromi is a professor in the Centre for Comparative Literature and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Toronto.