On Sunday, Dec. 19, from 10 a.m.-noon, Or Emet will host a presentation by Or Emet member Don Larsson about Birobidzhan, a community in Siberia created by the Stalin-era Soviet government specifically for Jewish settlers.

War memorial in Birobidzhan. “Birobidzhan” is in Russian on the left and Yiddish on the right. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

The program will be at the Talmud Torah of St. Paul, 768 Hamline Ave. South in St. Paul. Those who cannot attend in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

During the program, Larsson will discuss why and how the Birobidzhan region was founded and settled in the 1930s, and what has happened to it since then.

Don Larsson

A professor emeritus of English at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Larsson taught literature, film and humanities for 34 years. Since retiring, he’s returned to his love of acting and theater and has appeared in several metro-area productions.

The Sunday adult programs are free and open to the public and meet concurrently with the Jewish Cultural School. Everyone is required to wear a mask and show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within the previous 72 hours. 

Or Emet is a secular congregation celebrating and honoring Jewish culture, history and values from a humanistic, inclusive perspective. For information about Or Emet’s Jewish Cultural School, contact JCS director Arty Dorman at school-1@oremet.org. 

For information about Or Emet, email info@oremet.org or visit oremet.org.