The Six-Day War of 1967 awakened the national consciousness / national identity of Soviet Jews. In the Soviet Union, emerged perhaps the most notable independent movement in terms of numbers and effectiveness. It was dominated by refuseniks – people who aspired to Aliyah to Israel. The leaders of the refuseniks have a leading role in shaping the historical narrative about the perception of Israel's victory in the USSR. The range of responses to the Six-Day War was much wider. The victory of Israel, like a flash of lightning, highlighted both the self-reflection of Jews and the attitude towards Jews. Our study will provide a first panoramic overview of reactions to the Six-Day War.
The work on the project presumes research at the libraries and archives, interviews with contemporaries, both in Russia and abroad. A solid body of sources will be a good basis for a documentary book. This publication – the main result of the project – will appear in 2023. The historical collection will reveal the impact of Israel's victory on the most diverse strata of society and will show a wide repertoire of responses – public and non-public.
Specialists and general audience will be able to be acquainted with archival finds and interviews even before the book is published – on the thematic page of the web site of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center. The web site will be available in 2022, on the eve of the 55th anniversary of Israel's victory in the Six-Day War. The documents and records themselves will be part of the museum's collection, and some may be included in its core exhibition.
Project leader – Dr. Semyon Charny.
Photo: A protest rally against the "Israeli aggression" in Moscow in June 1967 (source – The State Central Museum of Modern History of Russia).