Name/Title
American Jewish Historical Society finding aid for the records of Union of Councils for Soviet JewsEntry/Object ID
SJ-844Scope and Content
The collection consists of two parts, which reflect two different acquisitions of
Union of Councils for Soviet Jews materials by the American Jewish Historical Society. They
are defined as Part One and Part Two and have respective collection numbers of I-410 (1948,
1954, 1963-1965, 1967-2000) and I-410A (1968-1994). See the arrangement note for details of
how the two parts have been described.
Scope and Content Note for I-410 (Part 1)
The collection contains the records of the UCSJ, an umbrella institution for
approximately 50 grassroots organizations. The bulk of the collection dates 1980-2000, with a
particular focus on the early 1990s, the period during and shortly after the collapse of the Soviet
Union. The collection includes extensive material relating to the Soviet Jewry Legal Advocacy
Center, an affiliate of UCSJ, as well as material on its Yad L'Yad program, individual files on
refuseniks, individual post-Soviet Jewish case files, and immigration and human rights
background information.
The collection details the legal aspects to the Soviet Jewry Movement, USCJ programs,
and aid and human-rights monitoring given to post-Soviet Jewish communities. Information on
the Soviet legal system and repression, international human rights documents, and U.S.
legislative action is also present.
The collection includes administrative records, bulletins, case files, correspondence,
funding proposals, legal documents, memoranda, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, press releases, publications, reports, and transcripts. Although a large number of documents are photocopies, the collection includes a number of original letters from public figures such as President Bill Clinton and Senator Edward Kennedy.
Scope and Content Note for I-410A (Part 2)
The records documenting the UCSJ's operations, programs, and campaigns mostly relate
to the 1980s when the rescue movement reached its pinnacle of success and international
attention. The files from the early 1990s relate primarily to the UCSJ's activities following the
Soviet Union's collapse and its continuing work on behalf of human rights. The records include
Guide to the Records of Union of Councils for Soviet Jews containsna large volume of individual case files regarding prisoners of conscience, refuseniks, and those allowed to emigrate to the West.Lexicon
LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
Correspondence, Photographs, Posters, Newsletters, Clippings, Pamphlets, Reports, Audiocassettes, Case files, Legal documents, Memorandums, Transcripts, VideocassettesArchive Details
Creator
Union of Councils for Soviet JewsDate(s) of Creation
1948 - 2000Archive Size/Extent
160.5 Linear Feet (107 bankers boxes, 83 manuscript boxes, 3 OS1 boxes, 3 oversized folders and 1 MAP folder)Primary Language
English, Russian, YiddishArchive Items Details
Subjects
Jews, Soviet, Refuseniks, Emigration & immigration, Antisemitism, Human rights, Jews, Ethiopian, Political activists, Former Soviet republics, Bar mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, International law, Political prisoners, Psychological abuse, RefugeesLocation
* Untyped Location
American Jewish Historical SocietyRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Nudel, Ida, Sakharov, Andreĭ, 1921-1989, Shcharansky, Anatoly, Union of Councils for Soviet Jews, United States. Congress, Brailovsky, Victor, Wallenberg, Raoul, 1912-1947, Soviet Jewry Legal Advocacy Center., Clinton, Bill, 1946-, Kennedy, Edward Moore, 1961-Copyright
Notes
The copyright and related rights status of this item has not been evaluated. You are free to use this item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For all other uses please contact the American Jewish Historical Society.
