Roll of Honor

Distinguished Professor of Law in the College of Law at Syracuse University, Professor Arzt published numerous articles on human rights in the Soviet Union and the Middle East, while serving as a consultant to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.

Recognized for his work as the director of international concerns for the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council, Mr. Bayer's activism was integral to the creation of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry and was active in its predecessor, the American Jewish Conference on Soviet Jewry.

An executive of the Council of Jewish Federations and a lifetime civic leader and philanthropist, Philip Bernstein helped create the National Conference on Soviet Jewry in 1971.

National chairman of the Anti-Defamation League, Kenneth Bialkin represented ADL at the World Conference on Soviet Jewry in 1983. He also chaired the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations when it took a lead in brokering freedoms for Soviet Jews in the USSR. Mr. Bialkin co-founded and chaired the Archive of the American Soviet Jewry Movement project at the American Jewish Historical Society.

Founder of the first national grassroots American Soviet Jewry movement organization, Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, Jacob Birnbaum played a pivotal role in launching and leading the national movement to save Soviet Jews.

Former president of B'nai B'rith International, Mr. Blumberg received a brotherhood award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

Mr. Brafman was a leader of various well-known Jewish organizations, including the American League for the Repatriation of Russian Jews. He was an advocate for Revisionist Zionism, which insisted upon the Jewish right to sovereignty over the whole territory of Eretz Yisrael. Brafman was the keynote speaker at the meeting at Columbia University establishing the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, led by Jacob Birnbaum.

Rabbi Emeritus of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York and an outspoken political and social activist, Rabbi Brickner and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations campaigned for freedom for Soviet Jews and others, and played a pivotal role in winning the support of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and the National Conference on Soviet Jewry to support the Jackson-Vanik Amendment.

Rabbi Leonard Cahan served as president of the Washington Board of Rabbis, which sponsored demonstrations aimed to raise public awareness of the situation of Soviet Jews.  During one such event, Rabbi Cahan was arrested by D.C. police for violating the city code by demonstrating within 500 feet of the Soviet embassy and voluntarily chose to serve a 15-day sentence in jail, to show solidarity with, and stress the plight of the Jews of USSR, oppressed by the Soviet government.

New York Congressman for almost 50 years, Mr. Cellar championed eliminating national origin quotas as a basis for immigration restrictions, which barred many Eastern European Jews from immigrating into the US.

Senator Church used raised global awareness about the injustices committed against Soviet Jews. His famed address to the opening session of the World Conference on Soviet Jewry was a pivotal point in the campaign against the discriminatory policies of the Soviet Union.

As editor of the New Leader Moshe Decter published one of the first accounts of the status of Soviet Jews. He set up the Jewish Minorities Research Burea which was located at the American Jewish Congress in New York City. He later organized the Conference on the Status of Soviet Jews at the Carnegie Foundation in February of 1963.

Former Israeli Government spokesman, Mr. Dolinsky founded the Jewish Defense League, and was an ardent supporter of Soviet Jewry's right to emigrate.

President of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Rabbi Eisendrath positioned the UAHC as a leading voice in the struggle for Soviet Jewry.

As a member of the House of Representatives, and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Farbstein sponsered numerous bills facilitating the release of the Refuseniks, and for the implemetation of human rights in Soviet policy.

As chair of the JCRC's Minnesota-Dakota Action Committee on Soviet Jews and an academic advisor to the National Conference on Soviet Jewry Professor Feinstein worked with a great cross-section of the Jewish community in the Upper Midwest to organize the movement on behalf of Jews in the USSR.

Mr. Fisher played a leading role in many major Jewish community organizations, and as a trusted advisor to the US presidents, he was instrumental in securing entry for many Soviet Jews in the 1970s. In 1989 he negotiated with the American government the quota for Soviet Jews' admission into the US.

As an advisor to Senator Henry M. Jackson, Mrs. Fosdick played a major role in the development of the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which pressured the Soviet Union to allow Soviet Jews to emigrate freely.

Holocaust survivor, Mr. Frumkin was the founder of the Southern California Council for Soviet Jews and the Association of Soviet Jewish Emigres, and served on the Board of Directors of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews.

Executive director of the National Interreligious Task Force on Soviet Jewry for over fifteen years, Sister Ann picketed Soviet embassies and petitioned leaders in Washington and the United Nations for the free emigration for Soviet Jews.

Justice Goldberg defended the cause of Soviet Jews as the US Secretary of Labor, Supreme Court Justice and Ambassador to the United Nations.

He held down several key positions in Jewish life, but during his long tenure as the Executive Vice President of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), he facilitated the departure of Jews in the Soviet Union. He was able to work out difficult administrative and inter-agency issues to accomplish this goal.

A celebrated philanthropist in the Omaha Jewish community, Leonard "Buddy" Goldstein assisted his wife Shirley Goldstein in creating Omaha Committee for Soviet Jewry, an organization that helped more than 100 Soviet Jewish families leave USSR and resettle in Omaha.

A distinguished Philadelphia congressman and a mentor to a generation of African-American politicians and civic leaders, William H. Gray III spoke at public rallies, and used his Congressional pulpit on behalf of Soviet Jewry, helping set a course for many of his colleagues.

As the ambassador to the Soviet Union in the late 1960's, Senator Heinz, petitioned Soviet officials to allow free emigration of Soviet Jewry.

Rabbi Hertzberg was president of the American Jewish Congress and vice president of the World Jewish Congress, which applied pressure on American politicians to aid in the struggle for Soviet Jewry.

As a co-chair of the Colorado Committee of Concern for Soviet Jewry, Mrs. Hoffman devoted her efforts to mobilizing citizens on behalf of Soviet Jewry's plight, and worked tirelessly to secure the freedom of individual Refuseniks.

US Congressman and then Senator from the state of Washington, Senator Jackson sponsored the Jackson-Vanik amendment in the Senate which denied normal trade relations to countries with non-market economies that restricted freedom of emigration. The amendment was intended to help refugees, particularly Jews, emigrate from the Soviet Bloc.

Senator Javits rendered a critical service in writing the compromise wording and leading the negotiations over the Jackson-Vanik Amendment of 1974. His connections within the United States government and with the American Jewish leadership proved indispensable in aiding Soviet Jewish emigration.

As chief U.S. arms control negotiator in the Reagan administration, Mr. Kampelman played a key diplomatic role in enabling the emigration of hundreds of thousands of Jews from the Soviet Union.

Pioneer in the movement to free Soviet Jews, Mr. Katz traveled to the USSR to meet with Refusenik families and aid them in emigrating to the US and Israel.

One of the earliest American politicians to take up the cause of Soviet Jewry, Senator Kennedy participated in numerous missions to Moscow, meeting with Refuseniks, bringing their concerns directly to Soviet leadership, and making their plight known internationally.

Senator Kennedy persistently urged Soviet officials to liberalize treatment of Jewish citizens in the USSR.

US Secretary of Commerce Philip Klutznick used his political power to emphasize the depravity to which Refuseniks were subjected by Soviet officials. Apart from his political positions, he was also president of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization, president of B'nai B'rith International, and president of the World Jewish Congress.

Co-founder of the American Conference on Soviet Jewry, Fabian Kolker spent 30 years advocating for Soviet Jewry, personally helping over 150 Jewish families leave Soviet Union.

He served in many governmental positions during his long and distinguished career, and during his tenure as Secretary of State in the Reagan administration he was deeply involved in the fight for Soviet Jewry and ensured it was a foreign policy priority.