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Last update - 21:28 18/05/2008
Google co-founder: My family left Russia because of anti-Semitism
By Guy Rolnik, TheMarker correspondent
Tags: Google, Soviet Union 

Distress due to anti-Semitism was the main reason his family left Russia, Google co-founder Sergey Brin told TheMarker in an interview over the weekend.

Brin, 34, was in Israel for President Shimon Peres' presidential conference "Facing Tomorrow," and visited Google's Israeli offices as well.

He was born in Moscow in 1973 to a Jewish couple, who belonged to the city's intelligentsia. His father wanted to study physics at university in order to fulfill his lifelong dream and become an astronomer, but was turned down because the Communist Party banned Jews from physics departments, in order to prevent them from accessing the country's nuclear secrets.
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Mikhail Brin decided to study mathematics instead, and was offered a place although the entry exams for Jews were sat separately, in rooms that were notoriously known as "the gas chambers." In 1970, he graduated with distinction. Later, he gained his PhD from the University of Krakow, and worked for the Russian economic policy planning agency.

Sergey's mother, Evgenya, worked in the research lab of the Soviet gas and oil institute. Like her husband, she had struggled against the anti-Semitic discrimination which prevailed in the Soviet academia, and defied it.

In previous interviews, Sergey Brin said that as a child he was not aware of the anti-Semitism that troubled his parents, and came to grips with it only in hindsight. He said, however, that even as a child he didn't feel at home in Russia.

The Brins decided to leave Russia in 1977. It was the multitude of opportunities that the West had to offer, of which Mikhail became aware during an international conference, that tipped the balance. Despite the fear of being declared "refuseniks," Evgenya was adamant to leave.

In 1978 they applied for emigration permit, and as a result Mikahil was fired and Evgenya had to resign. The family barely got by for several months until their application was approved in 1979. Shortly afterwards, the gates of the Soviet bloc were hermetically closed for emigration.

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      1.   Russian Loss = American Gain 13:27  |  Raymond 18/05/08
      2.   Russian Jews are a big asset for Israel and US.... 15:36  |  r 18/05/08
      3.   Why no mention of Larry Page Google`s co-founder? 17:08  |  Historian 18/05/08
      4.   Jewish contribution 17:53  |  Marc 18/05/08
      5.   The Russian anti-Semitism 18:21  |  E.L 18/05/08
      6.   Google co-founder: My family left Russia because of anti-Semitism 19:02  |  Bruce 18/05/08
      7.   google censored in china 19:34  |  Steven 18/05/08
      8.   Of Course! 19:58  |  CHGODMK 18/05/08
      9.   WHY DO YOU SUPPORT SCIENTOLOGY? 20:10  |  Heinrich Pestalozzi 18/05/08
      10.   #4,CHGODMK 20:46  |  Bruce 18/05/08
      11.   Anti-semitism has helped make America great! 21:43  |  utagawa 18/05/08
      12.   #5, Andrei Sakharov was not Jewish 21:59  |  Very little 18/05/08
      13.   Re: Anti-semitism has helped make America great! 22:23  |  Bruce 18/05/08
      14.   Ignorant EL: Sakharov was educated Before Jews were excluded from 22:29  |  I 18/05/08
      15.   Sakharov for EL #5 22:30  |  michhell 18/05/08
      16.   EL vs. I 23:04  |  Bruce 18/05/08
      17.   #3, Historian 23:08  |  Bruce 18/05/08
      18.   I was there... 23:44  |  Inyaki 18/05/08
      19.   Indian Americans are the best asset for the US and India 23:51  |  Indian 18/05/08
      20.   Bruce: Nice Try at the Mindless Sloganeering 01:07  |  CHGODMK 19/05/08
      21.   If you was there you should know that... 01:07  |  Bruce 19/05/08
      22.   Another end 04:21  |  John 19/05/08
      23.   CHDOGMK 05:16  |  Ellis 19/05/08
      24.   #19 Indian 05:33  |  Asaf 19/05/08
      25.   #5 you are wrong 05:46  |  russian jew 19/05/08
      26.   #19 Indian 05:59  |  B 19/05/08
      27.   To Indian: I have known much smarter Indians than yourself 06:52  |  AA 19/05/08
      28.   re #5 `The Russian antisemitism` 07:40  |  Colin Wright 19/05/08
      29.   I wish google wouldnt censor Israel out of Google Maps 08:11  |  DJW 19/05/08
      30.   indian #19 10:35  |  Guy 19/05/08
      31.   putin will kick google out of russia 10:56  |  ac 19/05/08
      32.   Discovering lies! 11:32  |  Faking stories, lt. 19/05/08
      33.   but jews were or weren`t banned to entry? 11:53  |  Manolo 19/05/08
      34.   everybody talks about it, but anyboyd quoted it! 12:13  |  Manolo 19/05/08
      35.   Guy, people are persons 12:24  |  Manolo 19/05/08
      36.   Wilful indulgence of recent and continuing American prejudice 13:01  |  The Northern Wind 19/05/08
      37.   sure there is not any antisemitism in USA? 13:04  |  Manolo 19/05/08
      38.   Why use term anti-semitism when what is really meant is RACISM? 13:10  |  John 19/05/08
      39.   How ironic 13:20  |  Dave 19/05/08
      40.   John, 31, Judaism is a religion and not a race. 13:43  |  The Equalizer 19/05/08
      41.   Manolo stop hating Jews and use the time to learn English 13:59  |  x-ray 19/05/08
      42.   My mums family left Russia Poland 14:12  |  Nicole 19/05/08
      43.   #20, CHGODMK 14:18  |  Bruce 19/05/08
      44.   #32 Faking stories 15:07  |  Silvia 19/05/08
      45.   USA wars in 200 years 15:31  |  Manolo 19/05/08
      46.   Ellis: Stupidity on Your Part Won`t Work Here 15:31  |  CHGODMK 19/05/08
      47.   Bruce: Lost in the Last Century, I See 15:38  |  CHGODMK 19/05/08
      48.   No wonder Google is creming their competitors. 15:42  |  Murray the Mongoose 19/05/08
      49.   Yeah, xray 15:44  |  Manolo 19/05/08
      50.   No Manolo 15:56  |  x-ray 19/05/08
      51.   tell me again on the neighbors who threating Israel 16:03  |  Manolo 19/05/08
      52.   Manolo 16:04  |  Eitan 19/05/08
      53.   even in hindsight, huh 16:11  |  curious george 19/05/08
      54.   Manolo 16:11  |  Eitan 19/05/08
      55.   xray steped forward 16:20  |  Manolo 19/05/08
      56.   Asaf - Point well taken! 16:30  |  Indian 19/05/08
      57.   Manolo is not a Messiah1 16:32  |  Manolo 19/05/08
      58.   B. It was created 16:34  |  Indian 19/05/08
      59.   Guy - Wrong 16:40  |  Indian 19/05/08
      60.   Manolo # 37 16:42  |  utagawa 19/05/08
      61.   Andrey Saharov wasn`t Jewish 16:43  |  Noa 19/05/08
      62.   CHGODMK: Philadelphia Freedom 17:12  |  Ronnie Wolman 19/05/08
      63.   #31 putin WILL NOT kick google, because HE ACKNOWLEGED existence. 18:12  |  Was there, seen that 19/05/08
      64.   Manolo - Spains anti-Semitism Turkey`s gain 19:26  |  David Isarel 19/05/08
      65.   manolo #37 19:47  |  jehiel chaleff 19/05/08
      66.   Re: I wish Google wouldn`t censor... 20:04  |  Jo 19/05/08
      67.   Manolo 21:05  |  Jane 19/05/08
      68.   # 5 EL; Read before you leap into a discussion. Sakharov 21:06  |  Haham me Bat Yam 19/05/08
      69.   Anti-semitism without a tangible reason? 21:21  |  Roxana from IRAN 19/05/08
      70.   Bravo Manolo! How right your post to X-ray was! 21:36  |  Roxana from IRAN 19/05/08
      71.   jews could study physics in USSR 22:26  |  mehmet 19/05/08
      72.   mehmet a confused idea of what happened 23:11  |  x-ray 19/05/08