The Jewish Minority in the Soviet Union

Dr. Sawyer investigates the status and role of Jews in the USSR. He includes a discussion of Communist theory and the nationality issue, particularly as it concerns the Jews, and addresses as well the legal status of Soviet Jews as determined by the Soviet constitutions, party directives, legislative acts, and commitments resulting from international agreements on human and national minority rights. A central part of the study looks at the extent to which Jews have been assimilated into the general Soviet culture and whether they continue to play a significant role in party, governmental, and societal affairs. To provide essential background information, Dr. Sawyer presents and analyzes demographic, historical, and other relevant materials. He also analyzes Soviet Jewish emigration, its background, and its effects on Jews remaining in the USSR and on both internal affairs and external relations.