>
> The only Russia that is riddled with anti-Semitism is in your mind. I have
> never met one Russian anti-Semite. I have seen Smert' zhidam written on a
> wall precisely once, and once on a leaflet in the metro.
>
This is because they don't trust you, perhaps you look suspicious. A Russian without anti-Semitism is like a leopard without spots. To suppress it he would have to chemically color his soul. Did you ever drink pivo s vobloj with them? Try it. And start to sing a heartfelt song: "U magazina pivo-vodi Stojal sovetskij postovoj, On vishel rodom iz naroda,
Kak govoritsia paren' svoj..." And when they understand that you are also svoj, they will confess you their anti-Semitism. It will not be epileptic anti-Semitism of Dostoevsky, but cheerfull, amiable, cordial, alcoholic anti-Semitism, occasionally interrupted with blenching.