Associate Editor

The once-embattled Jewish community of Moscow is on the rebound ----even if Jewish life there is sometimes less than idyllic, according to several Washington-area Jewish college students who recently returned from an eight-day solidarity-building trip to the Russian capital.

The local delegation, which returned on March 17, consisted of nine American University students and one from George Washington University, all of them affiliated with campus Hillel chapters. They met with 10 Russian students who are involved with Moscow Hillel; members of the two groups roomed with other.

"They really bonded; there were some tearful goodbyes," said Lesley Weiss, director of community services and cultural affairs for NCSJ, the former National Conference on Soviet Jewry. NCSJ organized the trip, which was funded primarily by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. The recently completed cross-cultural initiative, known as the Washington-Moscow Student Leadership Program, is an offshoot of the Washington-Moscow Connection, a federation-funded effort that seeks to build bridges between Jewish communities in the two cities.

The returning students drew a portrait of Jewish public life in Moscow that is laced with sharp contrasts. In certain key respects, it is flourishing after having been effectively banned as recently as 20 years ago. And yet it still faces significant impediments, including a persistent strain of grassroots anti-Semitism that continues to promote the blood libel (the canard that Jews drink the blood of Christians.)

"Still, it was quite amazing," said trip participant Lee Shore, 22, an A.U. student majoring in international affairs. "I was not expecting to see such a large Jewish community. You never hear about Russian Jews who are still in Russia, but it really is a vibrant community."

Shore and the other members of the local contingent said that in addition to a well-attended Hillel chapter, Moscow is now home to synagogues (from Reform congregations to Orthodox shuls), Jewish community centers, a Jewish facility for the elderly, a Chabad House and a thriving day school.

"A day school would have been impossible 20 years ago," said participant Cheryl Saferstein, an A.U. sophomore majoring in international affairs. "That really made me feel blessed that I was able to attend a day school myself. It was very emotional. It was so uplifting to see the level of Jewish religious growth there. It was an unbelievable experience."

On the downside, Saferstein said "there's still lots of anti-Semitism, and some of the students we talked to said it can't always be reported to the police because some of the police are skinheads themselves and they can't be trusted to take this seriously."

No more than a few blocks from the Moscow Hillel headquarters, she pointed out, is a prominent sign that accuses the Jews of drinking the blood of children. Meanwhile, Adolf Hitler's birthday has become a field day in Moscow for drunken anti-Semites intent on beating up Jews.

Despite that depressing state of affairs, Saferstein added, the Russian government seems to be making efforts to combat anti-Jewish bigotry.

Tami Wolf, an A.U. senior majoring in history, said the Jewish scene in Moscow is "incredibly flourishing," although places in rural Russia are far less tolerant. She said she found day school students "who were proud to be Jewish. It wasn't something they were hiding. They definitely weren't afraid to be Jewish."

In contrast, she added, some of the students' parents had yet to adjust to the new climate and remain fearful of open displays of Jewishness. Some of the college students she met had encountered no anti-Semitism, but others said, " 'yeah, we have to be careful.' "

All told, Wolf said she was encouraged by what was she saw -- and she wasn't alone. "I thought it was beautiful," she added. "It's another reason that I'm proud to be a Jew. The perseverance that these people showed was quite moving."