"I grew up speaking #Russian to my family — at home, on the streets in #Brooklyn and #Manhattan, and at the Italian grocery store in #Tottenville, #StatenIsland. It was never an issue until the #Russia-#Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. That’s when the language I knew as my mother tongue became political.

When I spoke Russian, some people threw judgmental looks and choice words my way, assuming my allegiance to Russia. They didn’t know my #Ukrainian-#Jewish background as the child of #Odesan immigrants (while #Odessa is the Russian spelling, #Odesa is officially used in Ukraine). #Slavic people judged my choice of Russian; others would assume I must be Russian."

https://www.jta.org/2025/12/30/culture/being-both-jewish-and-slavic-in-america-hasnt-always-been-simple-but-sharing-stories-and-culture-is-helping-me-make-sense-of-who-i-am