The Hermitage and being Jewish in Russia today

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Day 18

We started the day at the Hermitage which truly is one of the worlds greatest museum. The building is splendid and the art collection is one of the greatest in the world. It doesn’t make sense to talk about the Hermitage because so much is already on line and I’d have nothing insightful to add.

At 2:15 we met our guide for a Jewish tour of St. Petersburg. Our guide, Elena, recommended we focus on the Ethnology Museum and the Choral Synagogue. At the museum it was interesting to see some of the dress worn by Jews in parts of Russia. Given how much we already knew there wasn’t much to learn. Next we went to the Choral Synagogue which is where our tour guide belongs. She explained that the synagogue is Chabbad, but that the rabbi is easy going, for example he doesn’t get upset when people drive to synagogue on Shabbat. Further she told us that Russians who are religious are conservative so Chabad appeals to them when Reform wouldn’t.

The synagogue is gorgeours. Hanging in the lobby is a large photography of Edmund Safra, whose family partnered with the Cutrales to purchase Ciquita 3 years ago in a deal that Jack worked on. Evidently, the synagogue was terribly run-down and he paid for the renovation. Elana proudly informed us that theirs is the second largest sysnagogue in Europe. According the World Atlas, this isn’t correct but Russian often characterize things in their country as the “biggest”, “best” and “most important”.

Elena’s parents had told her she was Jewish and therefore they didn’t dye Easter eggs, but they never told her what it meant to be Jewish. At 13 she got them to send her to a Jewish camp and came back understanding what it meant to be Jewish which she explained to her parents. Subsequently, she went on a tour to Israel and now is very connected to Judaism. She said that while it was hard to be a Jew in the past, at least in the cities it is easy today and she doesn’t feel any discrimimation. When there was a terror attack against Jews in Western Europe, Putin invited the Jews of Europe to come to Russia. He’s not stupid; maybe he could replenish the intellectuals, scientist, doctors, etc. who left for Israel 40 years ago when things weren’t so great for Jews here.

Jack was not feeling well and I had purchased a table for a concert at the Erata Museum of Contemporary Art. The choice was to buy a table for 4 or stand. We had invited Jose and Delight, and when they found out that Jack wasn’t going they invited Steve. We all enjoyed the first group, but the second group was acid rock and we are all way too old for that, so we split. However, it was one of those off-the-beaten-path things to do that makes travel fun.

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Photos

The Palace at the Hermitage
They must have had scores of people who were expert at applying gold leaf

Peacock Clock
There is a video nearby that shows you how it used to perform

The synagogue in St. Petersburg
Thank you Mr. Safra

Western Wall
The mural on the wall simulates Jerusalem

So you can make a donation with a credit card
Of course we gave