Dear Friends,
As spring arrives, we hope this season finds you well and is filled with new possibilities. We are pleased to share updates with you on what’s happening at SJMAP. 2025 has brought a host of activities. Below are a couple of highlights which offer a taste of the opportunities we are providing to reach out to as broad an audience as possible, informing and engaging them with our important work.
On a personal note, it has been very rewarding to connect with you both digitally and in person as I have traveled from Israel to California these past few weeks, and I look forward to many more opportunities. Your support is essential in documenting, educating and inspiring upcoming generations about the Soviet Jewry movement and its impact on the world.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to be in touch.
Warmly,
Simon Klarfeld
Executive Director, SJMAP
Izabella Tabarovsky Webinar on Lessons Learned from the Movement
On January 12, SJMAP presented a webinar, “Lessons from Soviet Antisemitism and the Refusenik Movement: A Historic Overview” with Izabella Tabarovsky. Izabella’s well-researched presentation was insightful and impactful; the following Q & A session was rich and lively.
We look forward to curating more enriching educational opportunities in the coming months. Below, you’ll find key highlights from the webinar along with a link to watch the full recording.
Voices of Defiance Symposium at the Wende Museum
On January 26, the Wende Museum of the Cold War (Los Angeles, CA) held a fascinating symposium “Voices of Defiance: Soviet Jewry and the Refuseniks.”
Several members of the SJMAP leadership participated in the program, as presenters and panelists. These included Laura Bialis, Shaul Kelner, Miriam Rosenblum, Morey Schapira, David Waksberg, and Zev Yaroslavsky.
Left to right: Morey Schapira, Justin Jampol, David Waksberg, Miriam Rosenblum, Zev Yaroslavsky
The Symposium can be viewed at the link below.
“A Cold War Exodus” Wins Book Award
Congratulations to Shaul Kelner, Associate Professor of Sociology and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University and member of the SJMAP Advisory Board, for receiving the Jewish Book Council’s National American Jewish Studies Award for his new book “A Cold War Exodus – How American Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews.” We highly recommend the book: it provides an excellent account of the American activists who led the Soviet Jewry movement.
Upcoming Events of Interest
“Iron Ladies”- a documentary film about the UK’s 35s Women’s Campaign for Soviet Jews – will be viewable on home devices from Friday, April 4 to Monday, April 7. A panel discussion about the film is scheduled on Sunday, April 6. Tickets are available by donation to the Sousa Mendes Foundation. Click here for details.
Action for Post Soviet Jewry is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with an award dinner on Sunday, April 6. Honorees include Judy Patkin and SJMAP’s President, Bob Gordon. Click here for details.