The Iron Fist

Socialism is the new ball and chain for ladies.

Pressing down on me

It won’t let me be

It demands I obey

And it don’t play

Jab or job

It intends to rob me

From being free

To govern my body

With attitude so haughty

“My body my choice”

Has lost its voice

Hidin’ from Biden

The fence-ridin’

Fire at will

Shoot to kill

Not with bullets but chemicals

Handcuffed hands of a prisoner behind the bars of a prison with orange clothes – Crispy desaturated dramatic filtered look

By not only bullies but criminals

Be vaxxed or be taxed

A fine for decline

They’re drunk on power

With eyes that glower

Gates, Soros, and Schwab

Those evil blobs

Freedoms they rob

Their complemplation

Is depopolation

Chava Boroda’s recipe for peace and tolerance

Chava Boroda_picture

As a young, Jewish girl who immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union (now Russia) during the eighties, Chava Boroda has known the worst forms of oppression, bullying, and persecution. Below is a wonderful piece she has written and it’s well worth the read. Antisemitism is on the rise in today’s hostile world and sadly, the media seems to be sparse in its coverage of it. Only when we publicly address a problem will it be solved. Congratulations, Chava!

“As a Jew, I have always felt need to be the torchbearer of light into promoting peace and tolerance” – California-based Chava Boroda.

“When I finally established my own Jewish home – I knew that my mission should’ve been enhanced though making Judaism understandable and accessible for the Jewish people, as well as non-Jewish community” – she shares in her interview about the Jewish approach toward peace and tolerance.

Kyiv-born Chava spent her childhood in an environment, where she faced antisemitism as an integral part of the Soviet ideology and mentality, which often hurt her feelings, but never her faith.

“I’ve always had a critical eye toward man-made challenges, which tend to create so many obstacles for different layers of society. Even at an early age – I made an analysis that antisemitism often derives from ignorance among gentiles, who have almost no information about what Judaism is and who the Jews are”.

After arriving in the United States, Chava was taught about peace-building and tackling hate speech through education and activism. “Do not hate what you do not understand” – were the words that she cultivated into her thinking and used as a guide to establishing bridges between the Jews and non-Jews. Nevertheless, she has a mission to educate Jews themselves about their inspiring story spanning over and not limited to the middle ages, migration routes, Shtetls, Holocaust, or their struggle to establish the State of Israel.

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“I knew that I had to make a move and bring education to non-Jews about Judaism. Especially after bringing five children into this world – I had a firm belief to ensure that generation of my children and children to come would not face antisemitism caused by ignorance toward the Jewish people”. Ever since her children were small, she has provided them with Jewish upbringing, but also fostered the development of their creative energy and talents in the secular world.

As a proud Jew, Chava has spent the last 25 years making Judaism appealing for all. Apart from working with non-Jews, she has a profound desire to bring all the Jewish communities together by embracing their unique cultural traits and peculiarities.

“I admire the mission of the YAD VASHEM in the world in maintaining the memory of the Holocaust among billions of people worldwide. There is one particular aspect of YAD VASHEM, which I have incorporated into my work and goals – stressing out the importance of the Righteous of the Nations, who saved Jews from the atrocities and often risked their lives”. She believes that if more gentiles had been educated about Judaism pre-WWII – then more people would stand up for their Jewish neighbors or compatriots. The latter argumentation is the sole factor for her work toward promoting tolerance and raising generations who will dare to speak out if they witness discrimination of antisemitism.

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Chava has worked with thousands of young people in North America, Israel, and former Soviet Union space educating them about her Refusenik past, as well as raising awareness about promoting peace and understanding between people of various ethnic or religious backgrounds. In her mentoring efforts with young people, Chava cultivates tolerance as a fundamental identity.

“My inspiration derives from Abraham, the first Jew, who is recognized as a prophet by all three Abrahamic religions in the world.” She fully aligns herself with the ideas of the United Nations that “diversity is a form of wealth, not a factor of division”.

Chava sees great potential in the post-COVID 19 era, which has the potential of bringing more empathy among people, who have been witnessing how the whole world has fallen in the same boat against the pandemic. She hopes that more people will look through the “we the people” prism toward the need to build more accepting societies.

“With ongoing clashes between the police and public in the United States – it has become more obvious that educating people about peace and tolerance between all shall be an integral part of educating as early as kindergarten. Ever since I step my foot in the United States at age 14 and as a political refugee from the USSR, I made a realization, which inspires my work every day – diversity is a strength and not a weakness. Tolerance is always nurtured and I am excited to continue my daily work in the digital era and with all the age groups” – Chava shares.

 

Chava Boroda’s “Refusenik” Story

I received an email from a Ph.D. student in Jewish studies with a true story about a Jewish family who faced much adversity during the 1970s and 1980s in what was the Soviet Union, in seeking permission to leave the U.S.S.R. to come to America to have a better life.

The Ph. D student made the following statement:

“The USSR praised itself for encouraging multiculturalism and secular way of life – however, it was a major lie. Your nationality and particularly – Jewish identity meant that you would face double or even triple discrimination and oppression.”

This story is a must-read for everyone to learn about oppression. In it you will learn from a family who has not only felt the scourge of Communism, but also Anti-semitism.

Bullies don’t only exist in schools, workplaces, and communities, but also in governments as communism and the oppression and brutality that goes with it, is perhaps the most severe form of bullying by a tyrannical regime!

Chava's Family Arriving in the US

Chava Boroda lives in Los Angeles, however, her family was among thousands of people from the USSR, whose story of moving to the United States as political refugees is somewhat truly inspiring.

Chava’s family was among those “Refuseniks” who proved to the world how much a strong power of will can be stronger amidst the strictest regime in the world.

The world has slowly forgotten emotional and powerful stories of “Refuseniks”. In the 1970/80s a large number of brave people marched next to the foreign Embassies located in the Soviet Union with a request to receive permission to emigrate. The vast majority of these citizens soon received refusal/denial from the Brezhnev Government, hence received a status of “Refusenik” (from the Russian world meaning
refusal).

Chava came from a highly educated family with long-standing ties in various areas of education and science. Her grandmother spoke Yiddish and worked at the Yiddish school in the town of Birobidzhan, located in the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast of Russia.

Birobidzhan still remains as a unique place, which has state-run schools that teach Yiddish. Her parents were hard-working people with their souls filled with optimism of the future and their upcoming journeys. Upon emigrating from the USSR and to the United States, the family left many peculiar memories behind.

Memories of struggle and striving for making their lives interesting and enlightening for other people. Chava remembers how her father tried to set up a theater in their own home for encouraging Jewish families to practice art, music, and creativity in the times when freedom of speech or thought had been severely oppressed by the Soviet regime.

Despite the fact that the USSR attracted a high volume of debate among the Western scholars, Russian dissidents or even the general public – the attention to the essence beyond “Refuseniks” significantly dropped down as the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

However, personal stories such as the one of Chava is a reminder to us on how the power of will amidst fear to the System can overcome even the most challenging obstacles. Especially the younger generation of Jews or non-Jews shall be taught about the legacy, inspiration, and courage that “Refuseniks” have left for the freedom fighters worldwide.

The process of emigration and hardships started when they approached the Embassy in Kiev for exit permission. Chava was only 5 years old, but her family always taught her to never forget that feeling of observing the chaos-filled with people not getting where they want to be when they want to be there.

That day, Chava’s family was among those people frantically ensuring that they would receive a permit, however, the line got closed right in from of them. Her family spent nine long years waiting for an exit visa. Nine years, which resulted in pushing little Chava against the terrible anti-Semitism that had occupied many angles of life.

At school, pupils often teased her and called “zhidovka”, which was used as
an insulting word for Jews. A very large number of refuseniks faced terrible government oppression, such as being expelled from universities, physically assaulted and jailed on fabricated charges; the vast majority of them lost their jobs and had to even forcibly relocate to labor camps.

Upon arrival in the United States, Chava met people from various religious or ethnic communities, who had also made their ways to the country through emigration. She learned that freedom is of utmost importance for each and every human being regardless of their heritage.

While remaining as a devout Jewish woman, she has formed friendships and cooperation with non-Jews. Most importantly, being a “Refusenik” has shaped Chava’s personality with a firm belief that discrimination has no race, religion or language. And those who have experienced hardships for their cultural identity have a greater mission to accomplish, which means standing up for others.

While the “Refuseniks” can be referred to as “Jewish renaissance flourishing like mushrooms in Soviet darkness” – their legacy deserves more attention and inclusion into educational systems.