Page 33 - ЖУРНАЛ «РУССКИЙ БЕРЕГ» #17-2023

ПУТЕШЕСТВИЯ | TRAVEL ЛЮДИ | PEOPLE

TO GO OR NOT TO GO?
There are many stereotypes associated with Israel, when people tried to leave the USSR at any cost and
which are easily broken when visiting independently. often no matter where, someone was looking for at
One of them is a very unfriendly border control – a least some, even fake reasons to become a Jew on
lot of questions, for a long time, someone complains paper. And many scenes on the streets of Jewish cities
about nagging. Our personal experience has shown seem to have descended from the pages of Dovlatov
exactly the opposite, the whole procedure took a few and Guberman. But now we are just beginning to
minutes, although yes, incoming control at Antalya understand that for many it was a step towards the
airport was more serious than usual. But in general, creation of an «alternative» USSR – it was Russian
perhaps it is due to the draconian security measures culture transferred to a new, unknown shore. Yes,
at the entrance that everything else seems much today you can observe quite sad pictures when the
easier. On the way back, the checking employee at most valuable libraries are literally in the trash –
the airport did not even pay attention to a couple of grandparents, associate professors, and professors
cans of beer that we carried with us in hand luggage. took out what they thought was more expensive
So at least it can be stated – once for once it is not than gold and without which they could not imagine
necessary. Another topic is also quite common – their lives, their children sought to integrate as much
what should I do there if I’m not Jewish? Such a as possible into a new culture for them, to make a
statement of the question is logical, beyond any career and business, grandchildren already do not
doubt, but it is also impossible not to notice that up need these artifacts of an unknown culture. They can’t
to 1/3 of the country’s population are just non-Jews. read Russian and don’t want to learn. Today there is
And at the same time — citizens of Israel. In Israel, as also a request for an «alternative Russia», well, the
already mentioned, there are quite a lot of Russian experience of Israel in general is instructive in many
speakers, much more than in the same Antalya, ways, but the experience of «Russian» Israel is doubly
and this has its reasons and its history. The time has instructive, especially for those who dream of finding
not yet had time to become history in the full sense, their own and only their shore.

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