Finding aid for the Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Records

History of the Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism

The Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism (CCSA) is a volunteer organization located in Cleveland, Ohio, whose goals are to assist Soviet Jews to emigrate, to inform the American public about Jewish activities in the Soviet Union, and to monitor anti-semitism in the USSR. The CCSA, the first organization of its kind in the world, was established in 1963 through the efforts of NASA scientists Louis Rosenblum and Abe Silverstein, Veterans Administration Hospital psychologist Herbert Caron, and Rabbit Daniel Litt. The four men, members of Beth Israel-The West Temple, were supported by the congregation which provided volunteer workers and office space for the CCSA.

The CCSA sought to educate the public regarding the plight of Soviet Jews at a time when the problem was not generally recognized. The Council organized letter-writing campaigns to government officials, sponsored rallies and protests, corresponded with Soviet Jews, and lobbied Congress and the President in an effort to link economic aid to the Soviet Union to the issue of human rights. Between 1964 and 1969 the CCSA produced a handbook for community activity; created a motion picture and slide show depicting the problem of Soviet Jewry; published Spotlight, the nation's first newsletter on Soviet Jews; and devised patterns for protests against visiting Soviet groups and officials. In 1966, the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland became the first Federation in the United States to allocate funds for this issue by providing funds for the CCSA's educational activities.

By 1965, the CCSA counted 600 members. Its success was recognized nationally, and it became a model for other local groups. CCSA leaders, especially Louis Rosenblum, assisted in the organization of local groups throughout the United States and Canada. By 1969, five other councils had been established and in February 1970 the six organizations joined to create the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (UCSJ) to share information and to strengthen the movement nationally. Rosenblum served as the first president of the UCSJ and its office was initially located in Cleveland. In 1972, a Washington, D.C. office was opened and staffed by one salaried employee who acted as Congressional and media liaison. In 1985 the UCSJ included 32 member council representing a membership of 50,000.

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Scope and Content

The Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Records, 1960-1983 and undated, consist of administrative files, correspondence, documents, subject and program files and publications of the Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism, and correspondence, subject and program files and publications of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews.

The CCSA Records provide an intimate look at the early era in the American movement on behalf of Soviet Jewry, when the CCSA was instrumental in putting the cause of Soviet Jews before the public. Because the records were maintained by Louis Rosenblum, principle leader of the CCSA and first president of the UCSJ, they also provide a detailed view of his work in the movement. Rosenblum's notations in the CCSA and UCSJ records concerning individuals, organizations, and events, along with his correspondence, reveal his opinions about the failure of the "established" Jewish community organizations to provide effective action on behalf of Soviet Jews and of attempts by the Israeli government to control activities related to Soviet Jews both in the West and in Israel.

The CCSA and the UCSJ records are indispensable to the scholar studying the genesis of the Soviet Jewry movement and the problems, failures, and successes experienced in its early and more mature stages. In addition, the collection provides information regarding American-Soviet relations and lobbying in Congress to affect policy toward the Soviet Union. The CCSA Records, maintained by Dr. Louis Rosenblum, have some of the qualities of personal papers. Because Rosenblum served as the first president of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jewry (UCSJ), and the UCSJ office was initially in Cleveland, the association's records were also maintained by him. In many instances a folder contains records of both organizations. Any folder that was clearly marked as part of the UCSJ records has been included in that series. Some subject and correspondence files established by Rosenblum as a leader of the CCSA prior to the formation of the UCSJ were subsequently included in the files of the latter organization and were labeled as UCSJ records. This explains the apparent discrepancy in dates for UCSJ files predating the organization's creation. Files not clearly marked as UCSJ records were assumed to be CCSA records and included in the appropriate series.

The correspondence and telephone transcripts of with Soviet Jews includes correspondence with several of the more famous Soviet Jews as well as with a number of others. The correspondence includes letters to and from Jews both in the Soviet Union and outside following emigration. The transcripts of conversations are almost exclusively with "Rufuseniks" and were prepared by organizations throughout the United States interested in Soviet Jewry.

The correspondence with individuals in the United States and Israel includes communications with various individuals involved in the Soviet Jewry movement. Among these are Cynthia Ozick Hallote, Leonard Schroeter, Michael Sherbourne of London (a primary Western telephone link with Jews in the USSR), and Ann Shenkar. Of special historical interest are the three folders of correspondence with Mrs. Shenkar, a private Israeli citizen who created and maintained in Israel an independent collection and distribution operation for timely information on Jews in the USSR. Although the bulk of the same information was also obtained by the Israeli government only a portion of it was ever released to activists in the West or to the general public.

The Soviet Jewry documents received by the Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism includes material smuggled out of the Soviet Union relating to trials of "Refuseniks," messages from prisoners in the Gulag, petitions to Soviet authorities, and writings by Soviet Jews. Many of the documents were microfilmed in the Soviet Union. Photocopies of a few of the microfilms are included here; the original microfilm has been removed to PG 287 Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Photographs.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult MS 5110 Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Records, Series II; MS 4926 Louis Rosenblum Papers; MS 5156 Louis Rosenblum Papers, Series II; PG 586 Louis Rosenblum Photographs; PG 287 Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Photographs; and PG 577 Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Photographs, Series II.

All photographs and microfilms have been removed to PG 287 Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Photographs; all audiotapes (a total of 144 cassette and reel-to-reel) have been removed to the WRHS audio-visual collection. All motion pictures have been removed to the WRHS motion picture collection.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4011 Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of Louis Rosenblum in 1983.

Processing Information

Processed by Scott Cline in 1986.

Detailed Description of The Collection