Gathering with Rami Aronzon, Jean & Andrew Balcombe, Carol & Andrew Bender, Zalman Deutsch, Nomi Roth Elbert, Sue & Sid Gordon, Miriam Laufer, Peretz Rodman, Dr. Yaacov Ro'i, Lessa Roskin, and Rae ... Show moreGathering with Rami Aronzon, Jean & Andrew Balcombe, Carol & Andrew Bender, Zalman Deutsch, Nomi Roth Elbert, Sue & Sid Gordon, Miriam Laufer, Peretz Rodman, Dr. Yaacov Ro'i, Lessa Roskin, and Rae Ann Sharfman -- all travellers to meet refuseniks in the Soviet Union in the 1970s-1980s. Moderated by Joshua Reuben Tapper. Recorded at the home of Enid Wurtman in Jerusalem, Israel. Aronzon was sent by Lishkat Hakesher (Israel's Liaison Bureau, also known as Nativ) to Moscow and Leningrad over Passover 1970. A group of refuseniks was then discussing a plot to fill a Soviet airliner with Jews who wanted to emigrate, and hijack it to the West; they disagreed about whether to attempt it, and Aronzon conveyed their question back to the Lishka. Golda Meir responded not to do it. A smaller group famously attempted a scaled-down version of the plan at a Leningrad airport on June 15, 1970. Aronzon notes that the Lishka did not know the wide extent of the underground Jewish network in the USSR. The Balcombes visited refuseniks in Moscow twice, in 1978 and 1979. Jean was an activist with National Council for Soviet Jewry and with Conscience (the Inter-denominational Committee for Soviet Jewry). Andrew was a member of the World Presidium for Soviet Jewry, chairperson of National Council for Soviet Jewry, and activist with Conscience. The Benders were involved in the Soviet Jewry movement in Philadelphia, along with Lorna Adelman, Bernie & Lana Dishler, and Connie & Joe Smukler. Deutsch, along with the late Dr. David Appelbaum, was sent by the late Aryeh Kroll to visit refuseniks in Moscow, Leningrad and Odessa in 1983. He was active in resettling former refuseniks Yuli Edelstein and Yuli Kosharovsky in the Alon Shvut community. Roth Elbert was an activist in Los Angeles with the Women's Campaign for Soviet Jewry (known as the 35's) and in Israel. She is the wife of former Kiev refusenik Misha Elbert, and sister-in-law of prisoner of conscience Lev Elbert. The Gordons were co-chairs of Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry at the University of Pennsylvania, 1977-1979. Laufer was president of the Student Coalition for Soviet Jewry at Brandeis University, 1978-79. She visited refuseniks in the USSR in April 1980. Rodman was sent together with Zvi Leverich (later Levran) to the USSR in spring 1979, while a graduate student at Brandeis University. Ro’i is a professor emeritus of Russian history at Tel Aviv University. He traveled to the USSR in summer 1979, officially to participate in an international congress of political scientists at Moscow State University, but in reality to meet refuseniks in Moscow, Kiev, and Leningrad. Sharfman co-founded Detroit Action Committee for Soviet Jewry. Show less
Group interview with Sylvia Wallis, Sylvia Becker, and Andrew & Jean Balcombe. Recorded in Jerusalem, Israel. Wallis was a founding member of the Women's Campaign for Soviet Jewry (known as the 35'... Show moreGroup interview with Sylvia Wallis, Sylvia Becker, and Andrew & Jean Balcombe. Recorded in Jerusalem, Israel. Wallis was a founding member of the Women's Campaign for Soviet Jewry (known as the 35's) in Britain. Becker was a member of the 35's; edited a newsletter with ideas for action on Soviet Jewry; travelled Britain speaking and helping to organize Soviet Jewry groups; accompanied Avital Sharansky and others to Soviet Jewry groups; and travelled twice to vist refuseniks in Moscow. The Balcombes visited refuseniks in Moscow twice, in 1978 and 1979. Jean was an activist with National Council for Soviet Jewry and with Conscience (the Inter-denominational Committee for Soviet Jewry). Andrew was a member of the World Presidium for Soviet Jewry, chairperson of National Council for Soviet Jewry, and activist with Conscience. Show less
Interview with Caine, activist with Israel Public Council for Soviet Jewry (Mo'atsah ha-tsiburit lema'an Yehude Berit ha-Mo'atsot). Recorded in Jerusalem, Israel.
Interview with Dubow Harris, activist with Women's Campaign for Soviet Jewry (known as the 35's) in Montreal, Israel Public Council for Soviet Jewry (Mo'atsah ha-tsiburit lema'an Yehude Berit ha-Mo... Show moreInterview with Dubow Harris, activist with Women's Campaign for Soviet Jewry (known as the 35's) in Montreal, Israel Public Council for Soviet Jewry (Mo'atsah ha-tsiburit lema'an Yehude Berit ha-Mo'atsot), and World Jewish Congress. Recorded in New York, NY. Show less
Interview with Medad, a longtime Beitar (the Revisionist-Zionist Youth Movement) activist who was involved in the Soviet Jewry movement in the United States and in England, where he functioned for ... Show moreInterview with Medad, a longtime Beitar (the Revisionist-Zionist Youth Movement) activist who was involved in the Soviet Jewry movement in the United States and in England, where he functioned for several years as an emissary of Beitar to the Jewish community in Britain. Medad emigrated to Israel in 1970, and most recently served as the Information Resources Director of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. Recorded in Jerusalem, Israel. Show less
Interview with Rogovin Frankel, a political scientist who published extensively on Soviet Jewry, now retired from Hebrew University. Recorded in New York, NY.
Interview with the Genacks, involved in the campaign for Leonid Rigerman and prime organizers of the massive Soviet Jewry rally in Madison Square Garden, December 1971. Recorded in New York, NY.
Two interviews with Stahl, a longtime activist with Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (SSSJ). He served as Assistant National Coordinator of SSSJ from the late 1970s until he moved to Israel in 198... Show moreTwo interviews with Stahl, a longtime activist with Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (SSSJ). He served as Assistant National Coordinator of SSSJ from the late 1970s until he moved to Israel in 1984. Part one covers the 1960s to mid-1970s and was recorded in New York, NY. Part two recorded in Jerusalem, Israel. Show less
Group interview with Joan Dodek, Bert Silver, Haim Solomon, Avrum (I.) Ashery, and others. Recorded in Washington, DC. Abridged from the original recording, which includes audience members.
Interview with Domnitch, a Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry activist leader at Yeshiva University. Today he is a Jewish educator and author. Recorded in Boca Raton, FL.
Interview with Kabak, co-organizer of the first, one-shot Soviet Jewry demonstration at the Soviet UN Mission in April 1962, and a mission to the USSR to meet refuseniks in 1977. Recorded in New Yo... Show moreInterview with Kabak, co-organizer of the first, one-shot Soviet Jewry demonstration at the Soviet UN Mission in April 1962, and a mission to the USSR to meet refuseniks in 1977. Recorded in New York, NY. Show less
