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Descriptive Summary
Creator:	B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum
Title:	B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum Soviet Jewry Movement Collection
Dates:	Undated, 1987-1988
Abstract:	The collection reflects the role of B’nai B’rith and other organizations in the movement to liberate Soviet Jews. The materials in the B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum Soviet Jewry collection include articles, a flier and posters.
Languages:	The collection is in English.
Quantity:	1 folder, 1 MAP1 folder
Identification:	*I-529
Repository:	American Jewish Historical Society

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Historical Note

The Soviet Jewry materials of B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum represent one collection housed within the Archive of the American Soviet Jewry Movement (AASJM). These papers reflect the effort, beginning in the 1960s through the late 1980s, of thousands of American Jews of all denominations and political orientations to stop the persecution and discrimination of Jews in the Soviet Union. The American Soviet Jewry Movement (ASJM) is considered to be the most influential Movement of the American Jewish community in the 20th century. The beginnings of the organized American Soviet Jewry Movement became a model for efforts to aid Soviet Jews in other countries, among them Great Britain, Canada, and France. The movement can be traced to the early 1960s, when the first organizations were created to address the specific problem of the persecution and isolation of Soviet Jews by the government of the Soviet Union.

Established in 1957, the B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum exhibits arts and artifacts of Jewish life and culture.

The collection reflects the role of B’nai B’rith and other organizations in the movement to liberate Soviet Jews.

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Scope and Content Note

The Soviet Jewry materials of B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum include articles, a flier and posters.

The articles include Ruth S. Feldstein’s “A Miraculous Mobilization” from and Seymor Reich’s “Mobilization for Freedom,” both from the January 1988 issue of The Jewish Monthly and pertaining to the historic December 6, 1987 Soviet Jewry rally in Washington, DC.

The flier by B’nai B’rith International titled “399, 994 to Go,” February 16, 1987 promoted nationwide demonstrations in support of Soviet Jews.

Four Soviet Jewry movement posters:

• 2007.68.001 : "Soviet Jewish Prisoners of Conscience," prisoner headshots on white 6-pointed star; light blue background, artist: Leonid Lamm, 19"x24", created by Anti-Defamation League and National Conference on Soviet Jewry.
• 2007.68.002: "It's a Tough Place to Live. It's a Tougher Place to Leave," black image of Kremlin on white background on top, white and red text on white background on the bottom, 18"x27", created by National Conference on Soviet Jewry.
• 2007.68.003: "Free Yosef Begun," Hebrew letters inside Star of David; barbed wire background, 21"x34", artist: Raphie Etgar, created by the Information Department of the World Zionist Organization.
• 2007.68.004: "This Year in Russia…" image of Van Gogh's “The Round of Prisoners” on top; black text on white background on the bottom, 26"x35", created by National Conference on Soviet Jewry.

The collection is arranged into a single series:

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged into a single series:

• B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum Soviet Jewry Movement Collection, Undated, 1987-1988

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society, except items that are restricted due to their fragility.

Use Restrictions

Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society. Users must apply in writing for permission to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection. For more information contact:

American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, N.Y., 10011 email: reference@ajhs.org

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Related Material

B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum Soviet Jewry Movement Collection is one individual collection within the Archive of the American Soviet Jewry Movement (AASJM) located at the American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS). Other Soviet Jewry Movement collections at AJHS include the records of Action for Soviet Jewry (I-487), the National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ; I-181 and I-181A), the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (I-410, I-410A), Houston Action for Soviet Jewry (I-500), Bay Area Council for Soviet Jews (I-505), Seattle Action for Soviet Jewry (I-507), The Jewish Chronicle Soviet Jewry Collection, the papers of Joel Ackerman (P-787), Julia Mates Cheney (P-806), Jerry Goodman (P-863), Laurel and Alan J. Gould (P-866), Carolyn W. Sanger (P-870), Leah Lieberman (P-869), Si Frumkin (P-871), Elaine Pittell (P-873), Sanford A. Gradinger (P-880), Shaul Osadchey (P-882), Leonard S. Cahan (P-883), Doris H. Goldstein (P-887), David H. Hill (P-888), Margery Sanford (P-889), Pinchas Mordechai Teitz (P-891), David Waksberg (P-895), Pamela B. Cohen (P-897), Moshe Decter (P-899), William Korey (P-903), Morey Schapira (P-906), Charlotte Gerper Turner (P-907), Myrtle Sitowitz (P-908), Kathleen M. Hyman (P-911), Babette Wampold (P-912), Rabbi David Goldstein and Shannie Goldstein (P-918), Leslie Schaffer (P-923), Arthur Bernstein (P-925), Dolores Wilkenfeld (P-927), Sylvia Weinberg (P-928) , Irwin H. Krasna (P-934) and Constance Kreshtool Papers (P-935) .

Additional materials from other collections include records dealing with the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (SSSJ) located within the North American Jewish Students Appeal (NAJSA, I-338) and the records of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC, I-172). Related records are also located at the AJHS in Newton Centre, MA including memorabilia and ephemera of the New England Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (I-237) and the Records of the Student Coalition for Soviet Jewry – Brandeis University (I-493).

B’nai B’rith’s Philip and Mildred Lax Archives contain additional information focusing on all aspects of B’nai B’rith’s role in the Soviet Jewry movement. Included are materials related to the United Nations and the State Department as well as the organization’s participation in presidential conferences and advocacy and leadership in the Academic Committee for Soviet Jewry.

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Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum Soviet Jewry Movement Collection ; *I-529; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY.

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Acquisition Information

Donated by the B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum, Washington, DC in 2007.

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Access Points

• Subject Topics:

  • Antisemitism
  • Emigration and immigration
  • Human rights
  • Jews, Soviet
  • Political activists
  • Refuseniks

• Subject Places:

  • Soviet Union
  • United States

• Document Types:

  • Articles
  • Fliers
  • Posters

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Container List

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum Soviet Jewry Movement Collection, Undated, 1987-1988.
English.
1 folder, 1 MAP1 folder
Scope and Content: See the collection Scope and Content Note.
Box	Folder	Title	Date
CB-6	1	B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum Soviet Jewry Movement Collection	1987-1988
Box	Folder	Title	Date
MAP1	1	B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum Soviet Jewry Movement Collection: Soviet Jewry Movement Posters	Undated

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