Talk:Jewish Autonomous Oblast

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[edit] Pictures

Any photos or paintings of the region and it's cities? It would help a lot with the article.

-G

[edit] Older discussions

By any chance, did the Jewish Autonomous Region issue their own postage stamps?

No, they didn't.

This article should mention and show the coat of arms of the region, which has a field of the very unusual heraldic tincture aquamarine. Can anyone get a copyright-free of licensed illustration? --Daniel C. Boyer 20:14, 11 Mar 2004 (UTC)

from my talk:

Where did you get the information that this region is also called Birobidzhan. While Birobidzhan is the administrative center (capital can be used, but technically is incorrect) of this autonomous oblast, but, having lived in the near vicinity for most of my life, I have never heard the whole autonomous oblast called this way. Any clarifications would be much appreciated. --Ezhiki 20:20, Apr 27, 2004 (UTC)

i've never been there, and don't speak russian. reverted. Badanedwa 21:12, Apr 27, 2004 (UTC)

---

Does anyone know why so many Jews went to Germany after the fall of the Soviet Union? Is it because many Jews spoke Jiddische or German and didn't want to learn modern Hebrew?

Imagine you're an absolutely secular person of European culture and your country is breaking apart with everyone talking about the inevitable hardhsips, a civil war or three and what not. Two countries in the world are particularly eager to accept you: one a very parrochial state in the Middle East surrounded by hostile neighbours and plagued with terrorism, another a richer secular European country offering immigration quotas to people of your heritage to atone for some past atrocities. Where would you go? --apoivre 30 June 2005 18:36 (UTC)
Your characterization of Israel as "parochial"—I think you meant religious—is highly incorrect. Israel is a secular state. Its primary concern is with promoting/saving Jewish culture, not with promoting Judaism as a state religion. There is no state religion in Israel. Theshibboleth 00:12, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] When changed from republic to oblast?

"In 1991, the Jewish Autonomous Region was elevated to the status of an Autonomous Republic [...]"

"Some political observers [...] have proposed resurrecting the Jewish Autonomous Republic"

Somewhen in between it must have been changed to a "oblast".

Actually, while the possibility of JAO becoming a republic was heavily debated, it never actually came into life. Ever since JAO fell under the juristiction of the Federation in 1991 (as opposed to being a part of Khabarovsk Krai before), it remained an autonomous oblast.—Ëzhiki (erinaceus amurensis) 16:13, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Jews in the region

About this sentence:

"...was founded with the help of Komzet in 1928 as the Jewish National District. It was the result of Vladimir Lenin's nationality policy..."

This is wrong for several reasons. First of all, Lenin died in January 1924. Second, this nationality policy was introduced by Stalin at a later date. Third, it is also ideologically inconsistent: between 1923-1928 there were major conflicts and changes within the Bolshevik party - one of which is the conflict of 'internationalism vs nationalism' in which Lenin and his close comrades effectively represented the internationalism, while Stalin and his men represented nationalism. So this policy conflicted with Lenins ideology.

Therefore, I corrected the name in this article to Josef Stalin.

131.211.45.85 20:41, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Autonomous oblasts

Does it really need both AO cats?

Does the Autonomous Oblasts of Russia cat need to exist, since it applies only here?

If it does, why not as a sub-cat of Soviet AO? Septentrionalis 02:45, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

True. There is only one such entity in this category. Maybe a more general category on the subnational administrative units of Russia is preferable. Then we wouldn't need to change categories every time a unit is upgraded or split off or merged with another one of a different level of self-government. //Big Adamsky 07:18, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Weasel words

Some political observers — particularly those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause in the Middle East — have proposed resurrecting the Jewish Autonomous Republic as both an alternative to Israel as the Jewish national homeland and as a permanent solution to the ongoing Arab-Jewish difficulties.

Who are these "political observers"? Theshibboleth 00:15, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

Either way that's the dumbest proposal yet. The whole point of Israel being Israel is that Jerusalem is there, Mount Zion is there, what on earth would the jewish homeland be doing in the middle of Russia? There's no mention of this area in the Bible. Might as well send them back to Europe, would be under the same context. Joffeloff 18:06, 28 May 2006 (UTC)
It's not our place to have a discussion of that here, but rather to document it if it's true. --Improv 22:05, 28 May 2006 (UTC)
It wasn't meant to be a debate; I'd say my comments are a surefire way to say that it's non-notable. You know, I could say that the jews could go to the moon with a Saturn V rocket, but it wouldn't be added to the list of Middle East peace proposals. Catch my drift? Joffeloff 07:46, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
I don't understand how your disliking of a proposal helps us understand it as not notable. The notion of a homeland differs from person to person, and to several (including some sects of the Orthodox), the current Israeli government is not the Israel that would be reborn out of prophecy (that presumably being reestablished by Moshiach upon his return), and this is at best a distraction. As I understand, that faction (which has been around for a long time and has a certain amount of shared people with those who see the ressurection of Hebrew as a day-to-day language as almost sacreligious because they want to keep the language reserved for holy purposes) was considerably more friendly towards Birobidzan and other experiments than they were towards the early Zionist movement. You may, of course dismiss them as ridiculous, but if you ever meet one, be prepared to argue :) --Improv 14:15, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
It's not my dislike of the idea, it's me noticing that it contradicts the entire Zionist movement. Anyways, the point still stands; there have been no mentions of this proposal from notable academics and so it is not notable. Joffeloff 14:31, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
Not all Jews are or historically have been Zionist. By my understanding of the history of the area, it actually has gotten some coverage as an alternate homeland, both when it was originally created and in more modern times -- not a lot of coverage, but enough to be worth noting. --Improv 15:41, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] History section and Russian POV

I feel the history section is very lacking and side with Russian POV, making it sound like the place was uninhabited and devoid of people and history. There's no mention of Goguryeo or Jurchens's historical occupation of the area:

In Manchu-era the place was part of "East Tartary". During the Qing Empire era there were many Chinese settlements north of the Amur River, which lasted beyond the Treaty of Beijing and finally destroyed/expelled by Russian forces in 1900.

Through history, the territory had belonged to the Kingdoms of Gojoseon, Sushen, Xianbei, Buyeo, Mohe, Goguryeo, Balhae, Khitan (Liao), Jurchen, Mongol, Qing, etc. The current article make it sound like the place had little history and was vacant of people. There's also no mention of the 64 Chinese villages that the Russians destroyed in 1900.

-- Adeptitus 23:52, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Curious about history of flag

Could anyone direct me to information about the history of the Oblast's flag? I found one website[1] where a commentor mentioned that the Oblast presumably flew the Soviet flag until the fall of the USSR. Is this true? (I am not saying it should be in the article; I just don't know where else to ask this.) How can I find out when the Oblast began flying the current flag, and what the origins of the flag are? Was it modeled on the 'diversity flag' (rainbow flag, queer flag etc) or the other way around? Are the similarities a coincidence? I would appreciate any pointers abot learning this information. Mathtinder 03:50, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Synagogues

In Birobidzhan there are two synagogues: One of them is in the capital (there are Subbotniks, too). But where- in wich village or town- is the second Jewish synagogue?

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