Filling Narrative Gaps: The Stories of Refuseniks

The Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab is hosting a series of panel discussion in conjunction with the exhibition, “Filling in the Visual & Narrative Gaps: Soviet Jewish Refugees in Miami.” This first panel will explore themes of beginnings and backgrounds. The photograph exhibition features work by Gary Monroe and the series focuses on Jewish immigrants who landed in South Florida in the 1980s after being granted visas to leave the Soviet Union-usually after years of being denied, harassed, fired from their jobs, evicted from their living quarters, and sometimes jailed and tortured. Known as “refuseniks” because they were “refused” exit visas, many of them were professionals who took menial jobs, if they could get them, after applying to emigrate. The experiences of the Soviet Jews who found themselves on the “American Riviera,” as the South Florida coast is known in that community, has been buried for too long and needs to be told and integrated into the rich and diverse history of immigrants coming to Florida.

This program is funded in part through a Florida Humanities Humanities Centers Grant in partnership with the Florida International University.