On May 7, 1934, the town of Birobidzhan officially became the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast of the Soviet Union, with Yiddish as its official language. It was, from the outset, an ill-conceived experiment—the area is extremely remote, and early settlers suffered from harsh natural and economic conditions. The entire project eventually foundered under the weight of Stalinist repression and its own internal problems. Today most people are surprised to learn that such a place ever existed. But for a few years Birobidzhan attracted all kinds of Jewish idealists eager to put their political and cultural values to work. The area is still officially the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, and according to some estimates there are about four thousand Jews living there. On the anniversary of its founding, let’s take a look at the history of Birobidzhan.

—Ezra Glinter, Senior Staff Writer and Editor

Noah-Raizel Bromberg is the 2025–26 Bibliography and Digital Collections Fellow at the Yiddish Book Center. They hold a BA in classical archaeology from UMass Amherst and studied Old Yiddish at the Oxford School for Rare Jewish Languages. A historical linguist, type designer, and multi-instrumentalist, their research on Soviet Yiddish book design has been published in Pakn Treger; they also research the languages and cultures of the preclassical Mediterranean.

Helen Pollack, one of the Yiddish Book Center’s very first zamlers, has remained a member and supporter of the Center for many years. We wish her a happy and healthy 100th birthday—biz hundert un tsvantsik (until 120)!