It
has been frustrating to hear western media unquestioningly parrot the Putin
propaganda line on Ukraine. Of course, that is much easier to do than actually reporting
on-scene and talking to everyday Ukrainians up-close-and-personal. Fortunately,
Dmitriy Khavin does things the hard way. As part of his continuing efforts to
document Ukrainian cultural life and the Jewish Ukrainian experience, Khavin
interviewed a diverse cross-section of Odessa’s Jewish community. Their first-hand
accounts and unfiltered responses make Khavin’s Quiet in Odessa (trailer here) absolutely must-see viewing when it
screens this Sunday at the JCC in Manhattan.
For
historically painful reasons, Jews around the world have traditionally been
leery of nationalism. However, the recent crisis has brought out new found
feelings of patriotism in Khavin’s interview subjects, who now more readily self-identify
as Ukrainians and Odessans, as well as Jews. In one case, a young Jewish
Odessan has indefinitely postponed making Aliyah out of solidarity with her
fellow Ukrainians.
Khavin
also talks to older Jewish Odessans who, much to their own surprise, volunteered
for the civilian Self-Defense Brigade. Despite their age, they are still not to
be trifled with. They also represent the country’s inclusiveness, serving
shoulder to shoulder with Catholic and Orthodox comrades, as well as at least
one Georgian. (In fact, Ukrainian-Georgian diplomatic bonds have grown stronger
at all levels, due to their unfortunate shared experiences with Putinist Russia.)
Probably
the greatest revelation though, will be the surprising ties many Jewish
Ukrainian have forged with Right Sector, Putin and the American media’s
favorite bogeyman. In a particularly telling episode, Odessa’s senior rabbi relates
how the leader of Right Sector came to him to apologize for a rash of anti-Semitic
graffiti, disavowing any involvement, but pledging his group’s support painting
over the provocations the following weekend. It is exactly the sort of story
that should be reported, but isn’t.
There
is also a good deal of humor in Quiet,
much of it coming from the old timers at the city’s venerable bathhouse, who
joke about their Jewishness in terms that would raise the eyebrows of old
school borsch belt comics. Just as importantly, Khavin also conveys a vivid sense
of Odessa’s old world charm and sophistication. It seems like a very livable city
to call home—and a place worth fighting for.
