Pioneer Soviet Jewry Activist Baruch Asher Dies at 90
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Baruch Asher, a "Prisoner of Zion" and activist for Soviet Jewry, has died at 90. Born Boris Kuchubievsky in Kyiv, he was imprisoned for his Zionist activities after protesting the Soviet erasure of Jewish identity at Babi Yar. His activism symbolized the struggle for Soviet Jews' right to immigrate to Israel, contributing to the eventual aliyah of one million people. He immigrated to Israel in 1972, lived in Jerusalem, and is survived by three children and grandchildren.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Baruch Asher, a "Prisoner of Zion" and Soviet Jewry activist, died at age 90.
- He was imprisoned by the KGB for his Zionist activism in the Soviet Union.
- Asher's protest at Babi Yar highlighted Soviet disregard for Jewish victims.
- His activism symbolized the struggle for Soviet Jews' right to immigrate to Israel.
- He immigrated to Israel in 1972 and lived a private life in Jerusalem.
- He is survived by three children and grandchildren.
Baruch Asher, a prominent "Prisoner of Zion" and a pioneer in the struggle for Soviet Jewry's right to immigrate to Israel, passed away at the age of 90. Born Boris Kuchubievsky in Kyiv in 1936, Asher's father was murdered by the Nazis at the Babi Yar massacre in September 1941, where 33,771 Jews were killed over two days.
In 1968, during a memorial ceremony at Babi Yar, Kuchubievsky protested the Soviet authorities' disregard for the Jewish identity of the victims. Later that year, he sent an open letter to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, declaring, "I am a Jew. I want to live in Israel." His Zionist activism led to his arrest by the KGB and a three-year sentence in a labor camp.
His detention sparked international outcry, and his image became a symbol of the fight for Soviet Jews. Alex Riff, founder and CEO of the Million Lobby organization, described Asher as "the first face of the struggle for the liberation of Soviet Jewry," crediting him with paving the way for the immigration of approximately one million Jews and their families from the former Soviet Union.
Asher immigrated to Israel in 1972, adopting the name Baruch Asher. He worked for Tadiran and lived in Jerusalem, raising three children and living a modest life away from the public eye. His family's obituary remembered him as a Holocaust survivor, Prisoner of Zion, and freedom fighter who endured hardship for his right to immigrate to Israel, calling him a "pillar for his people and his family."
Baruch Asher is survived by his children, Itamar, Uri, and Yael, and grandchildren. The family is observing Shiva in Ramat Gan and Tekoa.
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