Moscow, June 6: The bell rings to mark a break and within seconds the corridors of Moscow's Jewish school are filled with noisy young girls and boys.Shalom - a girl calls from the throng to a passing teacher while a small boy with black hair bounds down the steps, clutching a sandwich in one hand and using the other to stop his kippa - the Jewish prayer cap from falling off.In an adjacent classroom pupils are practising music for the next Jewish festival.These are scenes from a five-storey building in southern Moscow daubed in pop art fashion with religious symbols and slogans. It houses the city's Jewish upper school.The school was founded seven years ago shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Founder and director Grigori Lipmann has set himself the task of teaching the children of Moscow's Jews about the traditions of their religion after nearly 75 years of rigorous state-ordained atheism.Under communism any kind of national movement was forbidden with the result that Jewishreligion and customs have more or less vanished. Thanks to democratisation Jews can now rediscover their roots and live in accordance with their beliefs, said Lipmann.Since the demise of the USSR, Moscow Jews have managed in recent years to establish a lively cultural and religious life. In the Russian capital alone 70 Jewish religious and social organisations have been set up along with four synagogues, several talmud colleges, five upper schools, a Jewish theatre and even a chain of kosher restaurants and food stores.According to Irinia Scherbin, head of the Jewish community centre, some 200,000 Jews live in Moscow, 35,000 of whom are actively involved in the life of the community.Roman Spektor, president of the umbrella organisation for Jews in Russia, Vaad, says Russian Jews identify themselves first and foremost with their national tradition.Spektor admitted that anti-semitic tendencies could still be detected in Russian society and were directed in particular at several leading politiciansand finance magnates of Jewish descent.However, open discrimination against Jews in public life does not take place, he said.At the Jewish upper school pupils are give instruction in Jewish history and tradition alongside such standard subjects as mathematics and geography. Staff flown in from Israel not only teach the children Hebrew but also explain Jewish festivals and religious holidays to the 50 or so staff members.``We teachers learn almost as much as the children, said deputy school director Irina Sukholinskaya.Parents attend functions to mark festivals such as passover and purim and because I learn how the Jewish festivals are celebrated, life at home is now much more Jewish, said 12-year-old Ira from the seventh grade.With 300 pupils on the rolls the school is fully subscribed. Demand is so strong that it could easily house twice as many students, said Lipmann.Spektor reckons that around a million Jews live in Russia. The urge to emigrate is no longer as strong as it was in darkerdays and many Jews want to stay in Russia and build up a Jewish life even though they have the chance to leave if they wanted to.An initial entry point to Jewish life is provided by Moscow's Jewish congregation centre. According to Irina Scherbin, many of those who do not feel comfortable with entering a synagogue go there first.Many Jews have to first come to terms with their own heritage. We had to deny our roots for so long and our centre serves to take away people's initial reticence, she said.The community centre offers its 1,000 or so members a wide-ranging programme. Children gather to sing in choirs, friends of literature enjoy book readings together and women sip coffee and chat.Along with the weekly sabbath all the usual Jewish festivals are observed.``What's happening here is a miracle, ten years ago no one would have thought it possible, said Irina Sherbin.
