Someone to Blame

The deep economic crisis that occurred in Russia soon after the collapse of communism resulted in a new wave of resentment and hostility toward Russian Jews. In times of crisis people look for a scapegoat. In this case, as so frequently in history, the scapegoat was the Jewish people. 

A scapegoat is one who is made to bear the blame for the actions of others or for events he did not cause. In Russia, the cause of the crisis was probably a complex matter, centering in the government’s inability or unwillingness to…