These days, Zimanenko falters when she tries to pronounce the words "bar mitzvah," only to be corrected by her 24-year-old great-grandson, Lev Rozin. For him, having to get permission to travel or being barred from university for being Jewish is something from another planet.
family said they felt no anti-Semitism in Russia today, but only members of the youngest generation have been eager to explore their roots. Lev Rozin, who works in the museum's children's center, said he began to identify himself as a Jew in his teens after attending a Jewish youth camp in Hungary.
"In our family, it's the younger generation that is trying to rediscover our roots," Lev Rozin said. "I try to keep my Friday nights free, I don't eat pork and try to observe some Kashrut (Jewish dietary) rules."
