Subbotnik immigrants from Russia slow to get Israel citizenship

by Andrei Conovaloff, 31 July 2019.

Though many were promised Israeli citizenship, only 7 Subbotnik from Russia succeeded in 5 years. This month Anna L. Bocharnikova was shown in Jewish news for winning citizenship, while many Subbotniki wait in Israel.

Here are recent news articles in English about Bocharnikova.
I could not find any similar news in Hebrew. Many Israelis consider Subboniki to be "Christian Sabbath keepers," not heritage Jews — "decedents of converts to Judaism, not the natural decedents of Abraham." The Hebrew Wikipedia page for Subbotniki lists "three groups of Subboniki", translated here:
  1. Christians who decided to sanctify the Sabbath as the day of rest, and over time took upon themselves some of the commandments of Judaism while recognizing the New Testament and Jesus .
  2. People who left Christianity and based their religion on the written Torah only. Called the "Kara Subbotniki" because of the similar concept, but Karaite Jews do not recognize them.
  3. "Talmudic Subbotniki" who underwent rabbinic conversion.
In my opinion, the last group (3), labeled as "Talmudic Subbotniki", are most likely to achieve Israeli citizenship because they fulfill most, or all, of the legal requirements of the Law of Return.

In contrast, over a thousand Subbotniki who immigrated to the USA in the past 20 years, with large congregations in and near Portland, Oregon, have little, if any, interest in Israeli Zionism.

See a Bocharnikov family history in "Путешествие в Высокий / Journey to Vysókij" by Raisa Minakova, translated by Bill Aldacushion. Notice the display items in the Visokii History Museum are similar to those of Pryguny in Mexico, Dukh-i-zhizniki in Los Angeles, Dukhbortsy in Briitish Columbia and Saskatchewan, and Molokane in Russia.


Subbotnik Woman Receives Long-Awaited Israeli Citizenship
Shavei Israel, 10 July 2019.
https://shavei.org/subbotnik-woman-receives-long-awaited-israeli-citizenship/
https://shavei.org/communities/subbotniks/
facebook.com/ShaveiIsrael/

Anna Lazarevna Bocharnikova, one of the community leaders of Vysoki, Russia who came to Israel to make aliyah (formal immigration to Israel) almost 9 months ago, will mark July 4th, 2019 as one of the most special days in her life. This was the day she was invited to the Immigration Service of Jerusalem to receive her teudat zehut (identity card) after many years of waiting.

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Anna Bocharnikova (right) with Tova Filchagova (left), an Israeli Subbotnik Jew. Photo by Batsheva Schecter

Anna Lazarevna has been in touch with Shavei Israel since she lived in Vysoki, Her house became a gathering place for the local Subbotnik community and its doors were always open for events, prayers and Torah classes.

Her son immigrated to Israel years ago, when the gates of aliyah were still open for the Subbotnik Jews, while she had to choose the longer path: study hard. officially convert to Judaism in the rabbinical court of CIS and only then apply for citizenship while in Moscow. Having not received a response from the authorities, she decided to come to Israel by herself and apply once again here.

Anna Lazarevna was welcomed and warmly accepted by the local community made up of Vysoki and Iliinka natives . Here she celebrated her 71st birthday, visited the Western Wall and Hebron for the first time in her life and participated in all other events organized by Shavei Israel in Beit Shemesh that became her new home. She loves sharing inspiring and exciting stories about “the old times” in Vysoki: the history and traditions of this authentic community.

Though being in Israel helped Anna Lazarevna to feel her special connection to the Land of Israel and integrate into the local community, it was only 9 months after her application that she succeeded in receiving her official status. She warmly thanked Michael Freund and Shavei Israel for their assistance in her process of conversion and aliyah: “This experience was a school of life for me, I learnt so much. I want my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren to keep our Jewish traditions, because they were given to us by G-d. I believe in G-d and I came to Israel to stay here forever”.



First ‘Subbotnik’, a Russian Tribe Who Converted over 200 Years Ago, Makes Aliyah
By JNS, Breaking Israel News, July 14, 2019
https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/133266/first-subbotnik-member-russian-tribe-who-converted-over-200-years-ago-makes-aliyah/

JERUSALEM, July 14 — After nearly three years of battling Israeli bureaucracy with the help of Shavei Israel, Anna Bocharnikova, 71, of the Russian village of Vysoki, was finally granted Israeli citizenship this past week.

Bocharnikova belongs to the Subbotnik Jewish community of southern Russia, whose more than 600 remaining members are descendants of Russian peasants who converted to Judaism two centuries ago and endured terrible persecution and anti-Semitism for choosing to join the Jewish people. The Subbotnik Jews should not be confused with the “Subbotniks,” a separate group of Russian Christians who chose to observe the Sabbath on Saturdays.

Bocharnikova is the first Subbotnik Jew to be allowed to make Aliya since 2016 and just the seventh to have done so in the past five years. Prior to 2005, hundreds of Subbotnik Jews from Vysoky moved to the Jewish state, while thousands from other parts of the former Soviet Union came during the great wave of Russian immigration which took place during the 1990s. All of them were recognized as Jews and integrated fully into Israeli society.

But fourteen years ago, Israeli officials abruptly and inexplicably halted the Subbotnik Jewish Aliya, casting doubt on their Jewishness. The moved caused great hardship to the Subbotnik Jews by dividing families. The result was that hundreds of Subbotnik Jews in Vysoky, and thousands more in other communities throughout Russia, found themselves left behind.

“We are grateful that Anna has finally been granted Israeli citizenship and can live out the rest of her days with her family in Israel,” said Shavei Israel founder and Chairman Michael Freund. “But the treatment meted out to Subbotnik Jews by the Israeli bureaucracy is simply inexcusable,” he said, adding, “The Subbotnik Jews are an integral part of the Jewish people and there is no reason why it should be so difficult for them to make Aliyah. I call upon the Prime Minister and the Israeli government to take immediate action to bring home the remaining Subbotnik Jews. Israel must act. The Subbotnik Jews courageously clung to their Jewishness for two centuries, surviving Czarist oppression, Nazi persecution and Soviet tyranny. We owe it to them and to their forefathers to cut the red tape and enable them to come home to Jerusalem forthwith.”

Prior to coming to Israel, Bocharnikova was a community leader in Vysoki and opened her house for Torah classes, which were given by Shavei Israel emissary Rabbi Shlomo Zelig Avrasin during his visits to the village, before a new synagogue was built. She studied with Rabbi Avrasin, and formally returned to Judaism in 2012 under the auspices of Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the Chief Rabbi of Moscow. Upon completing her conversion, Bocharnikova applied for Israeli citizenship in Moscow. Two years later, she still had not received a reply, so she came to Israel anyway, where with help from Shavei Israel, she submitted a second application for citizenship. After a wait of more than nine months, her request was finally approved.

“I want to thank Shavei Israel and its Chairman, Michael Freund, for their help,” Bocharnikova said, adding, “I want to see my grandchildren and great-grandchildren here in Israel maintain our Jewish traditions because they were given to us by G-d. I believe in G-d and I came to Israel to stay here forever.”

Please see the accompanying photos of Anna Bocharnikova (right) with Tova Filchagova (left), an Israeli Subbotnik Jew, after Anna received her new Israeli citizenship card last week. Photo credit: Esther Surikova, courtesy of Shavei Israel.

[At bottom of article, commenters debate the legitimacy of "decedents of converts to Judaism, not the natural decedents of Abraham." ]



Subbotnik Jew granted Israeli citizenship after 3-year battle
by Arutz Sheva, Arutz Sheva 7 (Israel National News) 15 July 2019.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/265963

After nearly three years of battling Israeli bureaucracy with the help of Shavei Israel, Anna Bocharnikova granted Israeli citizenship.

After nearly three years of battling Israeli bureaucracy with the help of Shavei Israel, Anna Bocharnikova, 71, of the Russian village of Vysoki, was finally granted Israeli citizenship this past week.

Bocharnikova belongs to the Subbotnik Jewish community of southern Russia, whose more than 600 remaining members are descendants of Russian peasants who converted to Judaism two centuries ago and endured terrible persecution and anti-Semitism for choosing to join the Jewish people.

The Subbotnik Jews should not be confused with the “Subbotniks,” a separate group of Russian Christians who chose to observe Shabbat.

Bocharnikova is the first Subbotnik Jew to be allowed to make Aliyah since 2016 and just the seventh to have done so in the past five years. Prior to 2005, hundreds of Subbotnik Jews from Vysoky moved to the Jewish state, while thousands from other parts of the former Soviet Union came during the great wave of Russian immigration which took place during the 1990s. All of them were recognized as Jews and integrated fully into Israeli society.

14 years ago, however, Israeli officials abruptly and inexplicably halted the Subbotnik Jewish Aliyah, casting doubt on their Jewishness. The moved caused great hardship to the Subbotnik Jews by dividing families. The result was that hundreds of Subbotnik Jews in Vysoky, and thousands more in other communities throughout Russia, found themselves left behind.

“We are grateful that Anna has finally been granted Israeli citizenship and can live out the rest of her days with her family in Israel,” said Shavei Israel founder and Chairman Michael Freund. “But the treatment meted out to Subbotnik Jews by the Israeli bureaucracy is simply inexcusable. The Subbotnik Jews are an integral part of the Jewish people and there is no reason why it should be so difficult for them to make Aliyah.”

“I call upon the Prime Minister and the Israeli government to take immediate action to bring home the remaining Subbotnik Jews. Israel must act. The Subbotnik Jews courageously clung to their Jewishness for two centuries, surviving Czarist oppression, Nazi persecution and Soviet tyranny. We owe it to them and to their forefathers to cut the red tape and enable them to come home to Jerusalem forthwith,” added Freund.

Prior to coming to Israel, Bocharnikova was a community leader in Vysoki and opened her house for Torah classes, which were given by Shavei Israel emissary Rabbi Shlomo Zelig Avrasin during his visits to the village, before a new synagogue was built.

She studied with Rabbi Avrasin, and formally returned to Judaism in 2012 under the auspices of Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the Chief Rabbi of Moscow. Upon completing her conversion, Bocharnikova applied for Israeli citizenship in Moscow. Two years later, she still had not received a reply, so she came to Israel anyway, where with help from Shavei Israel, she submitted a second application for citizenship. After a wait of more than nine months, her request was finally approved.

“I want to thank Shavei Israel and its Chairman, Michael Freund, for their help,” Bocharnikova said, adding, “I want to see my grandchildren and great-grandchildren here in Israel maintain our Jewish traditions because they were given to us by G-d. I believe in G-d and I came to Israel to stay here forever.”

An estimated 20,000 Subbotnik Jews currently live in the former Soviet Union. Prior to Israel's change in policy in 2005, a large number made Aliyah, especially from the villages of Ilyinka and Vysoky, and many now reside in Beit Shemesh, outside Jerusalem.

The saga of the Subbotnik Jews began over two centuries ago, when a group of Russian peasants decided to convert to Judaism. They were forced to pay an extremely heavy price for their choice, including their forced expulsion by Czar Alexander I to the far reaches of the empire. Starting with the period of the First Aliyah more than a century ago, thousands moved to Israel and quickly found their niche in the heart of the pioneering efforts to settle the land. Their descendants include prominent figures such as former IDF Chief of Staff Rafael (“Raful”) Eitan, former Israel Police District Commander Alec Ron, and the legendary Alexander Zaid, who established the Hashomer Jewish self-defense organization.



Russian woman, 71, wins aliyah battle
by Jenni Frazer, Jewish News, July 25, 2019.
https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/russian-woman-71-wins-aliyah-battle/

Anna Bocharnikova becomes just the seventh person from the Russian Subbotnik community to be accepted for aliyah in the past five years.

A 71-year-old woman from a Russian village has succeeded in obtaining Israeli citizenship after a three-year battle.

Former community leader Anna Bocharnikova, of Vysoki, belongs to the Subbotnik Jewish community of southern Russia, whose more than 600 remaining members are descendants of Russian peasants who converted to Judaism two centuries ago.

A separate group of Russian Christians who chose to observe Shabbat is also known as Subbotniks, which has led to considerable confusion.

Bocharnikova is the first Subbotnik Jew to be allowed to make aliyah since 2016 and just the seventh to have done so in the past five years.

Before 2005, hundreds of Subbotnik Jews from Vysoki moved to Israel. All of them were recognized as Jews and integrated into Israeli society.

Fourteen years ago, however, Israeli officials halted the Subbotnik aliyah, casting doubt on their Jewishness.

Bocharnikova was helped by organisation Shavei Israel. Its founder and chairman, Michael Freund, said: “The treatment meted out to Subbotnik Jews by Israeli bureaucracy is simply inexcusable.”

Subbotniki.net
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