Eastern Europe is once again burning with the fire of Yiddishkeit, although the small towns where many of us come from are indeed just batei almin. Leaving aside some regional pockets of ignorance or extreme nationalism, which you have everywhere, Eastern Europe is now one of the best places to live proudly as a Jew (unless you’ve got to have two pizzerias, three take-out places and four Chinese restaurants – but even decent kosher restaurants can be found in the big cities here.).
The hatred in Eastern Europe was because of bad governments that riled locals up against Jews (except for Poland, where there is a problem because of an extreme Catholic church group and the guilt over collaboration – ditto for the more nationalist parts of Ukraine which border Poland and are the area from which Chmelnicki YMS sprang).
Anti-Semitism is not in the people’s blood the way it is in Western Europe. Once Communism fell and people were free, attitudes changed. Communism also neutralized the old church, which was the other big source of anti-Semitism. The Eastern “orthodox” church that emerged after the fall of Communism doesn’t care one way or another about Jews. Where I am, the mayor is known for being a devout notzri, and he also goes out of his way to help whenever the shul or a moisad chinuch needs a building permit.
Also, Islam is not too well regarded in this part of the world and Jews are therefore allies against what people see as a real threat.
What I will never forget is how a ragtag nationalist gang in usually quiet Kiev vandalized a shul and a school around the time of the surrender of Gush Katif – because they saw Tzahal doing the same to shuls in Gaza and figured if Jews care so little about kedusha, why shouldn’t they have a little fun at our expense.
Now, back to Gateshead – how much can the kehilla grow? Is there even land available for expansion? It seems to be a transient community – girls learn in the famous sems and go back home to get married, never to return – same for all but the top kollel yungerleit.