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The WreckageAuthor: American Jewish Historical Society
The Wreckage is a narrative podcast from the American Jewish Historical Society, chronicling the unique stories of American Jews throughout the Cold War. Season 3, Open Up the Gates, out now! About Season 3: As totalitarianism descended across Eastern Europe, Soviet Jews struggled to leave the USSR. Cold War tensions continued to escalate, and by the 1970s, a grassroots movement among Jewish Americans to secure the release of their Soviet counterparts began to grow. This movement, which soon also found support outside Jewish communities, helped to create the political identity of the American Jewish community as we know it today. Join host Rebecca Naomi Jones and a slate of special guests for the final chapter of The Wreckage. Jones is best known for her performances in the Broadway rock musicals Passing Strange, American Idiot, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, as well as being the first woman of color to play Laurey in Oklahoma! on Broadway. Language: en-us Genres: History, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The New Americans
Episode 8
Tuesday, 9 December, 2025
Over the course of four decades, over 500,000 Soviet Jews emigrated to the United States. Soviet Jewish families settled throughout the country, from small towns to big cities, with many joining synagogues, enrolling their children in Jewish day schools and summer camps, and celebrating milestones like bar and bat mitzvahs. For these families, life in the United States came with its own set of challenges. Narrated by Rebecca Naomi Jones and featuring Dr. Andrew Sperling, Historian & Director of Academic Initiatives at the American Jewish Historical Society. Image: Natan Sharansky with Morey Schapira, Selma Light, Lillian Foreman and others. From the Bay Area Council for Soviet Jews Records at AJHS, I-505. The Wreckage is made possible by funding from the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided through the American Jewish Education Program, generously supported by Sid and Ruth Lapidus.
