We all know the modern state of Israel, which was formed on May 14, 1948. But did you know that, several years earlier, in 1928, the Soviets experimented with the idea of a Jewish state? They created the Jewish Autonomous Oblast (JAO). An oblast is similar to what we would call a province or a state like California or Texas. The JAO is the only other officially Jewish jurisdiction in the world.

The area is located in the Russian Far East, on the border with China. The geography and climate are harsh, with mountains, oak, pine, cedar forests, and swamplands. Settlers were expected to build their lives from scratch. The Soviets conceived of it as a homeland for Jews within the USSR, both to counter growing Zionism and amidst a broader policy promoting national identity among the Soviet Union’s diverse ethnic groups.

Early enthusiasm about the JAO saw several thousand Jews relocate to the region, particularly in its administrative center, Birobidzhan. They built infrastructure, schools, and cultural institutions promoting the Yiddish language and Jewish traditions. In the 1940’s, the Jewish population peaked at 40,000–50,000 people. But after the establishment of Israel, and with emigration restrictions loosened and then removed, the population dropped as most of the Jews moved to Israel or the West. As of 2021, there were 837 ethnic Jews left in the area.

A documentary was made about it called L'Chayim, Comrade Stalin!

*My thanks to Keith Call for pointing me to this interesting historical fact.

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