This book has been in the making for more than ten years, a relatively long period in which, even after the initial text was ready, the endless hurdles of translation, abbreviation, annotation, transliteration – in short, editing – had to be cleared. During all that time, I have been fortunate to receive help and encouragement from both individuals and institutions, here and abroad.

First, and above all, I should like to express my true thanks to my friend and colleague, Jonathan Frankel of the Hebrew University, who is general editor of a series (of which this volume is part) on the Jews in the Soviet Union projected by the Institute of Contemporary Jewry. There is no doubt that without his tireless assistance and efforts, patience and perseverance, this book would never have seen the light of day. The Institute of Contemporary Jewry, under the auspices of which this project went forward, gave it throughout both moral and material support and its successive directors during this period – Moshe Davis, Yehuda Bauer, Haim Avni, Mordechai Altshuler – together ensured that it would be seen through to completion.

It gives me much pleasure to thank Nathan Rotenstreich and Joshua Prawer, who as members of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities gave their support to this project. This book is published jointly by the Academy and the Institute. Israel Getzler of the Hebrew University carefully read the manuscript and made many suggestions which proved to be of great value and for which I am very much in his debt.