Have Arrived at Global Russian conference in Israel

Unfortunately, my plane was two hours late so arrived here at the for the last 15 minutes of the first day of the three day conference which is entitled "Russian-Speaking Jewry In Globel Perspective: Power, Politics and Community". It brings together academics and political types from the Russian communities in Russia, US, Israel and Germany to think together about the world Russian Jewish community and where it is going. I need to write two pieces by Monday; one on the conference itself for the JTA and a piece on the Avigdor Lieberman phenomenon for Jewish Week...Right now, its all a balagan in my mind, which has a lot to do with jet lag and being wide awake at 4 AM--The conference is at Bar-Ilan and I am staying at a charming hotel at Kfar Maccabiah in Ramat Gan, where I remember coming as a 12-year-old back in 1962 with my parents to say a soccer game, in which Israel defeated Italy-or so I thought until my father explained that actually Israel had defeated the Italian Jewish community's team. It was part of the Maccabiah, which is the Jewish Olympics. There are photos on the walls here from the opening of Kfar Maccabiah when it was a raw enclave on the edge of town--today, of course, it is swallowed in the Tel Aviv meglopolis; a lovely enclave with palms and luxuriant gardens surrounded on all sides by big roads and traffic in near perpetual gridlock.


Had an interesting discussion over dinner with a Russian social scientist whose name I seem to have already forgotten who researches Jewish identity among people in Russia with one Jewish parent and one Russian one--a category that has included many of Russia's top politicians over the past 15 years. The social scientist hereself is of a mixed marriage and she and I had a fun discussion about Jewish identity in Russia and America. It is amazing to me that she is being paid by the Russian government to research Jewish identity at a top Russian institute...I spoke briefly with Genya Satanovsky, a colorful character who I have known since the 1980's and who once headed the Russian Jewish Congress. People who heard his speech said he seemed basically to be saying that things are better and better for the Jews of Russia and to give a fairly glowing picture of the Putin government. Interesting, as six years ago, Putin drove Genya's then patron, Gusinsky out of the country and put the Russian Jewish community effectively into the hands of Genya's arch-enemies, Chabad. But apparently there are no permanent enemies, only interests, and certainly a lot of vada pod mostu (water under the bridge) since then. OK, I'll be back at this in 24 hours or so, when I have more congent info to impart. Maybe I'll try to sleep for another hour.