By Maia Efrem February 9, 2012

The Chabad Russian Center of South Florida announced plans to open a $7.7 million Jewish Russian community house in Isles Beach, Fla., for the 20,000 Russian Jews living in the area. The center will offer members educational and social programming services.

Actress and comedienne Janeane Garofalo plays a Russian Jewish mother in “Russian Transport”, a new play by Erica Sheffer that focuses on a Russian Jewish family in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Directed by Scott Elliot, the play has received positive reviews and is playing at the Acorn Theater in New York City.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage is screening “Refusnik,” the 2007 film that told the story of the decades-long struggle to free Soviet Jews. Also at the museum, “Let My People Go,” an exhibition about the Soviet Jewry movement. Running through April 29, the exhibit traces the history of Soviet Jews from 1967 to 1989.

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Our favorite Soviet blogger, Lea Zeltserman’s February issue of the Soviet Samovar is out. This not-to-be-missed monthly newsletter covers Soviet/Russian Jewish news, books and cultural events.

Like the Poconos? Enjoy the snow? Live near Philadelphia? Davai Philadelphia is hosting its annual Skibbaton. A ski-filled Shabbat getaway in the Pocono Mountains during the last weekend of February.

Maia Efrem, who was born in Georgia and lived in Israel before immigrating to the United States, is the blog’s editor. She can be reached at [email protected]

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