Power of Protest: JMM Holdings Related to Soviet Jewry

The Maryland Jewish Community was an active participant in the movement for Soviet Jewry. Community members and organizations showed their support in numerous ways including lobbying, protesting, traveling to the Soviet Union, and eventually welcoming Soviet Jewish families to Maryland.  

The Jewish Museum of Maryland holds a variety of items that represent efforts of the Maryland Jewish community to support the movement. Through the links below you can explore in more detail the items in our collection. If you have information to add, know the individuals depicted, or have items to donate to help us to build this collection, please contact us at research@jewishmuseummd.org .  

Archival Collections:  

MS 212 – Jewish Labor Committee Collection– Collection includes a selection of correspondence about Soviet Jews from the Baltimore Committee for Soviet Jewry, a letter from a Conference on the Status of Soviet Jews, Feb. 1, 1967, a telegram to Jacob Edelman, and correspondence regarding the Arena Stage Benefit Performance for Soviet Jewry, 1964-1974.” 

Advanced Search Results | Jewish Museum of Maryland (pastperfectonline.com) 

MS 226 – Fabian Kolker Collection – Collection features documents related to the Soviet Union, with a focus is on the conditions of Jews living in the Soviet Union and efforts to bring Jews out of the Soviet Union. Materials include articles, booklets and books, correspondence, handwritten notes, group membership rosters, speeches, business cards, printed promotional material, agendas, reports, a poem, a transcript of a radio program, a presidential campaign pin, invitations, and copies of legislation.  

Advanced Search Results | Jewish Museum of Maryland (pastperfectonline.com) 

MS 79 – Rabbi Uri Miller Papers – Collection includes materials related to Rabbi Miller’s trip to the Soviet Union in July 1964, including his itinerary, report to congregation (Beth Jacob), and report to the annual meeting of the Synagogue Council of America in June 1965. His speech given at a 1965 protest at Pimlico Junior High is also included, along with a working paper from the American Jewish Conference on Soviet Jewry.  

Advanced Search Results | Jewish Museum of Maryland (pastperfectonline.com) 

MS 171 – Louis L. Kaplan Papers – Collection includes a folder of correspondence on behalf of the Baltimore Committee for Soviet Jewry (1974).  

Advanced Search Results | Jewish Museum of Maryland (pastperfectonline.com) 

MS 88 – Board of Jewish Education / Council on Jewish Education – Collection features lesson plans on Soviet Jewry used in 1973 and 1978.  

Advanced Search Results | Jewish Museum of Maryland (pastperfectonline.com) 

MS 84 – Sarah Kappelman Harris Papers – Collection includes a small selection of material on Soviet Jewry from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society including reports, letters, and notes. 

Search Results for “sarah kappelman harris” | Jewish Museum of Maryland (pastperfectonline.com) 

Objects:  

“Freedom for Soviet Jews” campaign button  

JMM 1987.208.003 

1987.208.003 – Button, Campaign | Jewish Museum of Maryland (pastperfectonline.com) 

“Operation Exodus/Rally for Soviet Jewry” campaign button  

JMM 1994.035.002 

1994.035.002 – Button, Campaign | Jewish Museum of Maryland (pastperfectonline.com) 

Scarf owned by Shoshana Cardin from Rally for Soviet Jewry (“Washington D.C. Summit”), 1987  

JMM 2009.064.001 

2009.064.001 – Scarf | Jewish Museum of Maryland (pastperfectonline.com) 

Photographs:  

Photograph of speaker taken at the National Conference on Soviet Jewry held in Washington, D.C. Undated.  

JMM 1995.074.006  

Photograph taken in 1987, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore brought members of Baltimore’s Jewish Community to Washington, D.C. to participate in the national March for Soviet Jewry.  

JMM 1995.142.011 

https://jewishmuseummd.pastperfectonline.com/photo/60D3CB43-09BD-4049-970F-548699492183

Adjacent to an indoor sukkah built by the JCC Garden Club, a small jail cell features a sign that reads “…during Succoth our Soviet Brethren have no choice…Be Thankful You Have. Support Freedom for Soviet Jewry.” 

JMM 2006.013.1182 

https://jewishmuseummd.pastperfectonline.com/photo/72E5A235-8306-4546-8B99-000249770848

The Baltimore Committee for Soviet Jewry demonstrate in front of a sukkah. 

JMM 2012.054.361.001  

https://jewishmuseummd.pastperfectonline.com/photo/F2E49669-5FDF-4775-9B86-856018832063

• Do you have a story to share about this period of Maryland Jewish history? Please share your experiences here – https://www.jmmstories.org/