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Mihail BeizerLeningrad writer, journalist, refusenik.
Date of Birth: 08.04.1950
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Mikhail Beizer: Soviet-Born Jewish Activist, Historian, and Author
- Jewish Activism and Refusal
- The Smolny Square Protest
- Emigration and Academic Career
- Post-Emigration Life
Mikhail Beizer: Soviet-Born Jewish Activist, Historian, and Author
Early Life and EducationMikhail Sulevich Beizer was born on April 8, 1950, in Leningrad. In 1973, he graduated from the Physics and Mechanics Faculty of the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute.
Jewish Activism and Refusal
In 1979, Beizer applied to emigrate to Israel but was denied. This marked the beginning of his active involvement in the Jewish refusal movement. He led a home seminar on Jewish history and culture, edited the samizdat "Leningrad Jewish Almanac," and organized guided tours of Jewish historical sites in Leningrad.
The Smolny Square Protest
On March 23, 1987, Beizer and other refuseniks staged a protest at the entrance to the Leningrad Communist Party headquarters in Smolny Square. The authorities allowed the demonstration to proceed, but sent in a group of people to engage in a verbal altercation with the activists.
Emigration and Academic Career
Three days after the protest, Beizer was notified that his request to emigrate had been approved. He left for Israel in 1987 and enrolled in the doctoral program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1996, he earned a PhD in history for his dissertation on "The Jews of Leningrad in the Interwar Period."
Post-Emigration Life
Beizer teaches Jewish history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and works in the Russian department of the Joint Distribution Committee. His book "The Jews of Leningrad, 1917-1939: National Life and Sovietization" won the prestigious Anfifer Prize in 2000. He also serves as associate editor of the journal "Vestnik Evreiskogo Universiteta."
