Discovering Siberian Jewish History Through a Camera Lens

For Jewish students in Siberia, Sunday school is about more than copying a Hebrew lesson from a blackboard. With the initiation of "Virtual Excursion", a photography and history club, students go behind the camera to explore their Jewish heritage.

Two years ago, cheap cameras (affectionately termed myl'nitza, meaning "soap dish", due to their shape) and photo development shops began popping up on almost every street corner in Siberia.

Long before the photography craze took hold in the region, Nadezhda, a professional museum curator, had begun working with the JDC-sponsored Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Irkutsk, sifting through archives for Jewish documents and pictures, from which she organized Jewish exhibitions.

When the Jewish Sunday school moved under the roof of the JCC some months ago, Nadezhda proposed an innovative program to welcome the students to their new surroundings. She approached Olga, the JCC director. "There are so many Jewish buildings in Irkutsk," Nadezhda told Olga, "and I have a lot of material about them and the people who lived there. They show very clearly how closely Jews are connected to the history of Irkutsk, and it could be great if the school kids could study the Jewish history of their own city."

The two decided that the project could include field trips, cameras, and conversation, which would effectively combine a photography and history club. Nadezhda now escorts the kids around the city, where they take pictures of various buildings. Back at the JCC, they discuss and evaluate the quality of the photos and train to improve their photographic skills – even with the cheap myl'nitza. At the same time, the students study the history of the buildings, stories of people who lived there, and ultimately present their material to each other and to various JCC clubs.

The following is a sample entry by Nadezhda in the program diary:

"June 21: Meet at city museum. Topic: Obstetric Home of Doctor Zisman. Talk about the Zismans and other Jewish doctors and families of Irkutsk. Expedition to Zisman clinic. Photo shoot. Kids showed me a building with a Magen David (Star of David) on the façade. The building is not on our list. Next time we will go to the library to search for data about the building. Return to JCC. Teatime. Discussion of the day."

"Virtual Excursion" was officially established in May 2003, when it received a grant from JDC. As part of the project and grant proposal, the JCC arranged for results of the students' work to appear on a local administration website, adding an online component which justifies its name.

The project is well known in Irkutsk, especially among museum workers. Several articles featuring "Virtual Excursion" have appeared in local newspapers. In addition, two female participants (ages 14 and 15) represented the JDC-supported program and the Irkutsk Jewish community at a regional museum conference, where professional museum workers in attendance were impressed by the high level of the girls' reportage.

"These victories are so important for the children," says Olga. "One of our students, Sonja, has become the wonder of her school. She tells her classmates about the city's Jewish buildings. Her teachers and the other students are surprised to learn such interesting facts, and everyone is glad that Sonja's grades have improved."

Olga notes that, more important than the recognition "Virtual Excursion" has garnered throughout Siberia, is the friendliness and warmth of the club. "It's a way for our Jewish children to learn more about their Jewish roots, and this has become even more interesting to them than making very good photographs!"