Eisner Award Nominated “A Visit to Moscow” is an Essential Story of Soviet Jewry for Library Shelves and Classroom Curriculum

Anna Olswanger's critically acclaimed juvenile graphic novel, A Visit to Moscow, has been nominated for the biggest award in comics and now, on a rise in popularity in the academic community, renowned popular culture nonprofit Creators Assemble has produced an essential educational guide to expand awareness and utility of this critical work in academic settings. 

Inspired by a true event, A Visit to Moscow captures the formidable perseverance and strength of the Jewish people during the “Let My People Go” movement. The gripping and thought-provoking story about an American Rabbi journeying to the Soviet Union in 1965 to investigate reports of persecution of the Jewish community is a narrative that will stir student interest. It’s a wonderful tool for teachers—a volume that could be read and discussed in a 40-minute class, or used as the foundation for broader study.

“[A Visit to Moscow] is compelling and will provoke curiosity about a topic that isn’t often told or taught,” notes high school librarian Esther Keller, in her review of the title for School Library Journal Good Comics for Kids. “While readers may be familiar with the Holocaust, where 6 million Jews were murdered, not many are aware that in the era of Communism, a different type of Holocaust, a spiritual Holocaust, was also happening in the USSR. This is a worthy read and hopefully will jump-start the discussion of Soviet Jews who lived behind what was known as the ‘iron curtain.’”

A Visit to Moscow was written by Anna Olswanger and adapted from a story by Rabbi Rafael Grossman. The artwork is by Yevgenia Nayberg, an award winning painter, illustrator, and set and costume designer. All formats of the book include extensive backmatter explanations of the story, illustrator sketchbook, notes from the author, contributor information, and a brief explanation of the era of oppression of Soviet Jewry. 

To increase awareness and representation for this lesser known but crucial piece of Jewish history, the free curriculum guide for A Visit to Moscow is now available, created by award-winning comics librarian, Moni Barrette, and her team of diverse and highly credentialed educators from the nonprofit comics literacy advocates, Creators Assemble.

“We at Creators Assemble have had the honor of creating discussion and curriculum guides for comics of all ages and subject material over the past 5 years,” says Moni Barrette, co-founder and President of Creators Assemble. “Our team’s work on A Visit to Moscow proved to be among the most rewarding titles we’ve had the pleasure to support, as it was a learning opportunity that sparked engaging internal conversations. As a librarian for 20 years, I know it’s difficult to find good quality titles on the subject of Soviet Jewry, and even fewer that are all-ages appropriate, easily digestible, and thought provoking. This owned-voices perspective is a must for all library shelves.”

A Visit to Moscow was Longlisted for the Brightness Illustration Award and nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium. The book has many positive editorial reviews from sources including Publishers Weekly, Association of Jewish Libraries, Jewish Book Council, Tablet, and School Library Journal Good Comics for Kids.  

To purchase this title, visit the link here. For questions and to book a free virtual author discussion, contact Anna through her website www.olswanger.com or find her across social media platforms @AnnaOlswanger. You can learn more about Creators Assemble here.