A shattering book that is filled with lessons.

As a history enthusiast, I have particularly appreciated this book, especially on this rather unknown period, unfortunately.

This book offers a unique perspective and delves deep into the details of that era, providing valuable insights and knowledge.

It allows readers to gain a better understanding of the events, people, and circumstances that shaped that particular time in history.

Moreover, the author's writing style is engaging and captivating, making it a truly enjoyable read.

Whether you are a history buff or simply interested in learning more about different periods, this book is definitely worth checking out.

For more information, visit http://lesen-leben.tumblr.com/.

This is a captivating family history that delves deep into the lives of a father and son, set against the backdrop of the former USSR, spanning almost the entire 20th century. The father, who was born Jewish, gradually drifts away from his Jewish identity. He becomes involved in the Bolshevik revolution and, unfortunately, even participates in the persecution of Jews in his own country.

The son, on the other hand, grows up completely oblivious to his Jewish heritage. However, as time passes, he slowly begins to become aware of it. This newfound awareness prompts him to embark on a journey to regain that lost identity. His determination leads him to ultimately make aliyah to Israel.

The book does have a tendency to jump around quite a bit through the various historical aspects. This can sometimes make it a bit challenging to follow. Nevertheless, overall, it is a very good book that offers a unique perspective on family, identity, and history in the context of the former USSR. It provides valuable insights into the complex and often tumultuous times that shaped the lives of these two individuals.

A truly captivating book that delves deep into the realms of Russian communism and Jewry.

It presents a real-life account that, at times, can seem a bit burdensome due to the intricate details it contains. However, for the most part, it is utterly fascinating.

The story unfolds, revealing the complex and often tumultuous relationship between these two powerful forces.

Readers will find themselves immersed in a world of political upheaval, social change, and the experiences of individuals caught in the midst of it all.

Despite the occasional weight of the details, the overall narrative is engaging and offers valuable insights into a significant period of history.

Whether you have a particular interest in Russian history, communism, or Jewry, this book is sure to capture your attention and provide a thought-provoking read.

The article provides a highly informative account of Jewish life under the rule of the USSR. It delves into the various aspects and details of how Jews lived during that particular period.

However, it must be noted that for those who are not interested in either the topic of Jewish history or the history of the USSR, this article may come across as rather boring.

The content might seem dry and unappealing to them as it focuses specifically on these two areas.

Nevertheless, for those with a genuine curiosity and interest in understanding the complex and often overlooked aspects of Jewish life within the context of the USSR, this article can be a valuable source of information.

It offers insights and perspectives that can enhance one's knowledge and appreciation of this particular era in history.

Overall, while its appeal may be limited to a certain audience, the article does justice to its subject matter and provides a comprehensive overview of Jewish life under USSR rule.

Kroniek van een Russisch dissidentengezin. This story follows the life of a Russian dissident family. They have chosen a path that goes against the mainstream, facing numerous challenges and difficulties along the way. The family members are constantly under surveillance and may face persecution for their beliefs and actions. Despite the hardships, they remain坚定 in their convictions and continue to fight for what they believe in. Their story is one of courage, perseverance, and the pursuit of freedom. It is a reminder that even in the face of great adversity, there are those who are willing to stand up and speak out. As we follow their journey, we gain a deeper understanding of the struggles and sacrifices that come with being a dissident in a country like Russia.

A tedious season they await

Who hears November at the gate.

- Alexander Pushkin

Introduction: History brought together on the same soil two vigorous peoples, Russians and Jews, whose bitter destiny it was to be ruinously at each other's throats.

Prologue: On a Thursday evening in the first week of January 1985, Adena and I landed in a snowstorm at Sheremetevo Airport in Moscow.

Opening: Shortly after the turn of the century, a thirteen-year-old boy in a small town in White Russia fled from the impoverished home of his mother. His father had died five years earlier. The boy was filled with a mix of fear and hope as he set out on his unknown journey.

The title "The Gates of November" seems to hint at a time of change and perhaps a new beginning. It could be that November represents a threshold, a point where something significant is about to happen.

"Moominvalley in November" might suggest a different kind of November, one filled with the charm and wonder of a fictional world. It makes one wonder what adventures and experiences await the characters in this Moominvalley during the month of November.

As we delve deeper into this story, we are likely to encounter a rich tapestry of emotions, relationships, and historical events that will shape the lives of the characters and keep us engaged until the very end.

I have a strong preference for Potok's fictional works. The time and place he depicts in his fictional stories are truly captivating and hold a great deal of interest for me. It's as if I am transported into a different world, filled with unique characters and engaging plotlines.

However, when it comes to his non-fiction, I have to admit that the pace was just too slow for my liking. It felt like the narrative was dragging along, lacking the excitement and momentum that I usually expect from a good read. While the subject matter might have been important and worthy of exploration, the way it was presented made it a bit of a chore to get through.

Overall, I still appreciate Potok's talent as a writer, but I find that his fictional works are much more to my taste. They have the ability to draw me in and keep me hooked from beginning to end, while his non-fiction sometimes fails to do so due to its slower pace.

Apr 21, 12:45 pm ~~ Review asap.

Apr 24, 8 pm ~~ This book is truly fascinating yet painful to read. Potok presents us with the true story of a Russian Jewish family. It starts with the patriarch Solomon Slepak, who abandoned his cultural roots to become a passionate revolutionary and ultimately an 'Old Bolshevik'. However, his son Vladimir (Volodya) turned his back on the Soviet regime. He delved into his Jewish heritage and became one of the most renowned 'refusniks' of the Soviet era.

We not only witness the family history but also gain a great deal of insight into the formation of the Soviet Union and the inner workings of the regime. It was brutally harsh and cruel. I found it难以置信 that anyone, whether Jewish or not, could have the endurance to live in such a place. The constant surveillance, unrelenting harassment, perpetual bureaucratic absurdity, and dead ends were all just手段 to torment people, keep them under control, and attempt to erase them.

But despite all of this, it can be difficult to suppress the human spirit. Somewhere, in some way, that spirit will persevere and triumph. Volodya's story serves as proof of that.

It took me a considerable amount of time to truly immerse myself in this book. I had previously read his book 'Davita's Harp' and absolutely adored it. However, this particular book seems less like a traditional novel and more akin to a history book.

Initially, I struggled to engage with it. But as I persisted, I gradually found myself getting pulled into the story.

Eventually, I was happy to reach the end of the book. It presents an extremely impressive story. It's truly crazy to think that people actually endured and went through all of this.

The details and the events described in the book offer a unique perspective on a particular period or set of circumstances.

Despite its initial challenges, I'm glad I stuck with it and discovered the captivating narrative within.

Interesting as it is, I can truly appreciate the vast amount of work that has been dedicated to it. However, it did seem a bit dry in certain parts. The content, although filled with valuable information, lacked the engaging elements that could have made it more captivating. There were moments when I found myself having to push through the text to get to the next interesting point. It's not that the subject matter was uninteresting; rather, the presentation could have been enhanced to make it more enjoyable to read. Despite this, I still recognize the effort that went into creating it and can see the potential it has. With a few adjustments and perhaps some added examples or anecdotes, it could become a truly remarkable piece.

I have been in love with reading Potok ever since my childhood.

This book is truly remarkable, with a story that is not only of great significance but also deeply heart wrenching.

It has the power to touch the readers' hearts and make them reflect on various aspects of life.

However, I do have a little wish. I wish the author had kept the focus more on the family.

The Slepaks are, in fact, the real essence of this story.

Their experiences, struggles, and joys are the ones that truly deserve to be told in more detail.

By delving deeper into their family dynamics, the readers could have gained a more profound understanding of their lives and the challenges they faced.

Nevertheless, despite this small critique, Potok remains a captivating and thought-provoking book that I will always cherish.

If you want logic, you have to go someplace else.

\\tThis is a fascinating companion to more autobiographical works such as Natan Sharansky’s Fear No Evil. Potok tells the story of the Slepaks, especially Volodya Slepak. It starts with his father, an Old Bolshevik who never lost faith in the Soviet Union, even when it began persecuting Jews and inciting violence against them.

Solomon loved books but had no qualms about defacing or destroying them for the state.

\\tOne day Volodya saw his father remove books from a shelf and toss them into the garage; the authors had been arrested. Another time, his father took down a history of the Russian Civil War and inked out the photographs of Trotsky and others. In school, Volodya’s teachers told students to tear out pictures of those who had just been labeled imperialist spies. At home, his father expunged the faces of friends and relatives in the family album—all had been arrested.

It wasn’t like the overnight erasure of history in 1984. Students were forced to participate in canceling history, accepting that 2 and 2 must make 5.

When the Soviet Union “canceled” his son, Solomon reacted similarly, refusing to look at him when in the same room. As with the illogical book edits, he acknowledged his grandsons but not his son.

The little we know of Solomon Slepak’s story is captivating, but most records of his relationship with the Soviet leadership—clearly one of outsized influence—have been destroyed or were inaccessible even in the nineties.

This would likely have been a much longer book if those records were available, as it seems Volodya and Masha’s troubles were at least partly caused by their father or his reputation.

Natan Sharansky appears several times as Anatoly Shcharansky.

Volodya Slepak’s role in the refusenik movement began somewhat randomly. The movement was spurred by rising official anti-semitism and encouragement of more violent forms. The communist bureaucracy refused to recognize Jews as Russian. But it was the six-day war that made Soviet Jews think they could fight back, and the Soviet reaction to the war and Israel’s victory led to a growing Jewish nationalism among Russian Jews.

If they couldn’t be Russians, if staying in Russia was dangerous, and if Russia didn’t want them, why not emigrate to Israel, which already considered them Israeli, seemed able to defend itself against violence, and openly wanted them?

Like the Germans, the Soviets apparently had something in mind for the Jews, as they refused to let them leave. While the number of those who received permission to leave varied depending on what the Soviets wanted from the West, the leaders of the movement were not among them. Except when the “wild American cowboy” administration tied international relations to specific individuals.

They were their own doctors; Masha Slepak, a radiologist, had medical training and would nurse not only her husband but also other refuseniks.

\\tKeeping one another alive was another weapon in that war.

The past described here is a very different country. The refusenik movement in Russia was helped by the press, for example. But it is also eerily familiar. KGB agents not only infiltrated the movement but also orchestrated fake gatherings and tried to pressure the Slepaks’ children against their parents through the schools.

One advantage of being exiled to Siberia rather than imprisoned in the capital was that they received postcards from supporters abroad.

\\tFor some reason, the authorities had neglected to inform the local post office to hold their mail, and no one in the post office seemed to care enough to do so on their own.

One of the odder character names comes in the beginning, during Solomon Slepak’s story about Admiral Alexander Kolchak.

\\tKolchak was a taciturn man, given to dark moods and politically naïve.

Which could just as easily apply to my favorite fictional reporter, Carl Kolchak.

\\t…who would think that once they had been among the leaders of a movement that had hurled itself against, and helped bring down, the Soviet colossus?