Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., April 27, 2008 Nisan 22, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:01 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

'One day they told me I'm no longer Jewish' By Shahar Ilan Tags: U.S.S.R, Israel, aliyah About a year and a half ago, Svetlana Zakolodkin and her daughter Anastasia were summoned to the Interior Ministry's Population Registrar and told that as far as the state was concerned, they were no longer Jewish. Clerk Mila Moskowitz confiscated their identity cards and said they would not be getting new ones unless they signed a request to change their status to non-Jewish, they said. She gave them new cards, in which the religion and nationality boxes were left empty. Moskowitz told them that if they failed to prove they were Jewish, their citizenship would be revoked. Anastasia's university scholarship, which she received as a new immigrant, was canceled. Zakolodkin's nephew, Maxim Sovashkin, a conscript soldier, was also summoned to the ministry. But knowing what awaited him, he didn't go. Advertisement Maxim's sister Oxana Sovashkin was kicked out of NAALE, a program sponsored by Israel and the Jewish Agency allowing Jewish teenagers from the Diaspora to graduate from high schools in Israel, and her right to immigrate to Israel was revoked. Sovashkin, until then a potential immigrant in whom the state was prepared to invest a lot of money, became an illegal alien. This disaster, which has turned the Zakolodkin and Sovashkin families' lives into a nightmare for the past 18 months, was not caused by a court ruling or even by the interior minister's decision. It was caused by the clerk Moskowitz's suspicion that they may not really be Jewish, although Israeli officials had determined in their country of origin that they were eligible to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return. Ironically, Zakolodkin says her grandmother's life was saved because her neighbors protected her from the Nazis, changed her name and told people she was not Jewish. Zakolodkin, 47, lives in Tel Aviv and works as an accounts manager. She immigrated with her daughter in January 2003. The interview at the Interior Ministry was held four years later, in January 2007. "Moskowitz said that from this moment, you are no longer Jewish. I was in shock," Zakolodkin says. Their lawyer, Attorney Nicole Maor from the Center for Jewish Pluralism, says that a signature obtained under pressure cannot be considered consent. Since then, mother and daughter have been living in fear of deportation. "I cannot sleep," Zakolodkin says. "How can they play with people's lives like that?" The four relatives have been summoned to the Interior Ministry for a joint hearing in June. The hearing could end the kafkaesque story. At worst, however, their case could be passed to the committee for revoking citizenship. Citizen revocation entails deportation and nullification of all a person's rights in Israel, and is therefore much harsher than imprisonment. Despite this, an unofficial committee affiliated with the Interior Ministry is authorized to make these decisions, rather than a court of law. A person whose citizenship is revoked may appeal afterward to the High Court of Justice, only after the fact. A bill drafted by MK Gilad Erdan (Likud) and Knesset Interior Committee Chair MK Ophir Pines-Paz (Labor) stipulates that only a court can revoke citizenship. The bill was being prepared by the Internal Affairs Committee for its second and third reading in the Knesset. But the legislation stalled because Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit objected to renouncing the authority to revoke citizenship. Unless an agreement is reached with Sheetrit, Erdan and Pines-Paz say they will advance the legislation despite the minister's objection. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sabine Haddad commented, "In general, a request to change the listed religion and nationality is made after it has been proved unequivocally that the initial registration was based on false documents." Haddad said the ministry does not alter these details without the family members' consent and signature. She dismissed the claims that the change was forced. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Fake reactor Syrian envoy: Photos of alleged nuke site fabricated by CIA. Modern Moses Commander of legendary Jewish immigrant ship Exodus dies at 90.   1.   Being Jewish 09:58  |  Jan van Mil 25/04/08   2.   This is the typical racial policy of Ministry of Interior 12:57  |  Ulf 25/04/08   3.   Court ruling required 13:26  |  Joe 25/04/08   4.   No better over here! 13:32  |  Sherlock Holmes 25/04/08   5.   Now she`s converted, now she isn`t! 13:38  |  Joseph 25/04/08   6.   The moral bankruptcy of a state based on religious identity 13:54  |  Fairplay 25/04/08   7.   being Jewish -b 13:59  |  Ralph 25/04/08   8.   Judaism 14:03  |  Sam Barsam 25/04/08   9.   #1 & 2: Don`t blame the victim 14:45  |  5th generation 25/04/08   10.   Right to buy a house... 14:48  |  Liat 25/04/08   11.   what a shame!!! 15:20  |  no body 25/04/08   12.   Racial superiority 15:32  |  Peter 25/04/08   13.   Perpetrated by typical government clueless "functionaries"... 15:35  |  bat yam 25/04/08   14.   And you deny that Israel is an Apartheid state? 15:45  |  Moise 25/04/08   15.   Racism? That makes no sense 15:46  |  Daniel 25/04/08   16.   Out of the Ordinary? 15:52  |  Zazaboo 25/04/08   17.   Bandying about human lives... 16:25  |  Esther 25/04/08   18.   To #1 - Being Jewish 16:28  |  Russ 25/04/08   19.   One day they told me I`m no longer Jewish 16:35  |  Shlomo Libeskind 25/04/08   20.   And neo-nazis that attack Jews in Israel? 16:47  |  rafé 25/04/08   21.   sadness 16:54  |  Space 25/04/08   22.   Hope it is only the beninning 17:07  |  mike 25/04/08   23.   Shlomo Libeskind i live in my country..and you in USA 17:26  |  how typical 25/04/08   24.   The rabbis need to be considerate and not so dogmatic...or Israel 17:28  |  r 25/04/08   25.   response to 14 17:34  |  Mikey 25/04/08   26.   Daniel (#9) - why defend the indefensible? 17:37  |  Wiktor 25/04/08   27.   One day they told us, we are no longer Palestinians 17:52  |  Joe 25/04/08   28.   Maybe this lady is surprised she was caught. 18:09  |  ww 25/04/08   29.   In the end, we will collapse from within 18:22  |  JewishHeart 25/04/08   30.   Jan van Mil #1 18:24  |  Axel 25/04/08   31.   Soviet Israel 18:28  |  Danite 25/04/08   32.   Disolve the Ministry of Interior & Start over 19:13  |  Kate 25/04/08   33.   testing for Jewish DNA 19:27  |  Rob Glukov 25/04/08   34.   #16 Joe - missing the entire issue 19:47  |  Kate 25/04/08   35.   "much harsher than imprisonment"? 19:49  |  Catholic Israeli 25/04/08   36.   @Rob Glukov 19:55  |  Catholic Israeli 25/04/08   37.   Interesting case 21:12  |  Colin Wright 25/04/08   38.   Nuremberg Laws Redux 21:58  |  W 25/04/08   39.   #37 An Interesting Misunderstanding 22:07  |  Kate 25/04/08   40.   Iran can help Svetlana and her family 22:07  |  Aounist 25/04/08   41.   they r palestinian 22:25  |  Ivan 25/04/08   42.   What kind of person does this? 23:21  |  Tom 25/04/08   43.   Kate, you ignore the point 23:49  |  Joe 25/04/08   44.   ONE DAY THEY TOLD ME I`M NO LONGER JEWISH 03:24  |  HANS TAUSSIG 26/04/08   45.   ONE DAY THEY TOLD ME I`M NO LONGER JEWISH 03:28  |  HANS TAUSSIG 26/04/08   46.   For #10 knowledgeable Liat nearbeersheva 12:12  |  Ulf 26/04/08   47.   These people are proud Israelis who serve their country! 13:23  |  Yered Shmuel 26/04/08   48.   Would not happen if she were American 15:31  |  Sara 26/04/08

Read & React Israeli envoy to UN calls Carter 'a bigot' for meeting Meshal Responses: 284 Israel: Syria may rethink retaliation in light of nuclear revelations Responses: 225 Israel snubs Hamas truce bid as ruse to recover from fighting Responses: 223 Two Israeli guards killed in West Bank shooting; third flees Responses: 111 Yossi Sarid: If it runs like apartheid and acts like apartheid... Responses: 231 More Headlines 01:54 Meshal: Hamas ready for truce, but only as 'tactic' 00:15 Assad says 'ready to cooperate' in Turkish Israel-Syria peace bid 00:07 IDF troops wound West Bank Palestinian trying to enter Israel 01:55 Rightist Ben-Gvir blames police for Hebron clash with leftists 01:10 PM hints at IAF strike in Syria, says Israelis know gov't can protect them 00:10 Ex-Chief Rabbi Eliyahu in serious condition after heart attack 01:02 Commander of legendary Jewish immigrant ship Exodus dies at 90 21:19 Muslim Brotherhood denies aiding Hamas in developing drones 19:07 Bedouin woman loses hand while handling dud bomb in Negev 13:46 Druze hold protest against construction projects in North Previous Editions Select Day 25 apr 24 apr 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr

Special Offers Advertisement Learn Hebrew online with Israel's best teachers Sign up for a trial lesson today Pardes Institute Summer Sessions Study Jewish texts and issues in Jerusalem, Co-ed, All Levels Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules