Let my people go : the untold story of Australia and the Soviet Jews, 1959-89 / Sam Lipski and Suzanne D. Rutland.
Publication details: Melbourne, Victoria : Hybrid Publishers, 2015.Description: xxi, 273 pages ; 24 cmISBN:- 9781925000856 :
- Leibler, I. J. (Isi J.)
- Leibler, Isi
- Leibler, Isi
- Leibler, I. J. (Isi J.)
- Since 1900
- Antisemitism -- Soviet Union -- History -- 20th century
- Jews, Soviet
- Politics and government
- Emigration and immigration -- Political aspects
- Jews -- Persecutions
- Refuseniks
- Jews -- Persecutions -- Soviet Union
- Jews
- Jews -- Soviet Union -- History -- 20th century
- Jews, Soviet -- Australia -- History
- Jews -- Persecutions -- History -- 20th century
- Refuseniks
- Australia
- Soviet Union -- Emigration and immigration -- Political aspects
- Australia -- History -- 20th century
- Soviet Union -- History
- Soviet Union
- Soviet Union -- History -- 20th century
- Soviet Union -- Politics and government -- 1953-1985
- Australia -- Emigration and immigration -- Political aspects
- Australia -- Politics and government -- 1945-
- 305.8924094 23
- DS135.A88
- Joint Winner 2016 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Australian History.
Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item reserves | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Book | Melbourne Athenaeum Library | Non-Fiction | 305.892 LIP | Available | 065523 |
During the Cold War, Soviet Jews were suspected of being traitors. The Communist leadership closed Jewish organisations and declared Zionism an ideological enemy. As a result of the state-sponsored persecution, anti-Semitism grew: many Soviet Jews suffered hardships, ranging from not being allowed to enlist in universities to being sent to the gulag. For the three critical decades, between 1959 and 1989, Australian Jews and their community leaders were deeply involved in the international campaign to enable Soviet Jews to leave the Soviet Union.
Australian politicians (including Bob Hawke, Garfield Barwick, Malcolm Fraser and William Wentworth), joined human rights activists and opinion leaders in the campaign. Australia played a role above and beyond what might be expected from a middle-ranking nation with limited international influence. But the lead actor was Isi Leibler. His involvement and leadership with the refuseniks and Soviet Jews, merit this full account from an Australian Jewish perspective - and the campaign eventually led to the emigration of over a million Jews to Israel.
Joint Winner 2016 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Australian History.