The Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti Semitism (CCSA) was a volunteer organization whose goals were 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 Cleveland, Ohio, in 1963 through the efforts of NASA scientists Louis Rosenblum and Abe Silverstein, psychologist Herbert Caron, and Rabbi 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, and published Spotlight, the nation's first newsletter on Soviet Jews. By 1965, the CCSA had 600 members. Its success was recognized nationally and it became a model for other local groups. 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. 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.
Herbert Caron, one of the founders of the CCSA, was its first executive secretary and chair of its Action Committee. Caron was a psychologist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Cleveland, and he also taught psychology at Case Western Reserve University. Caron was active in Jewish and community affairs, particularly in the city of Parma, Ohio, where he lived. In his role as executive secretary for the CCSA, Caron wrote both letters and newspaper articles on behalf of the Council. He was also a member of the CCSA's Speakers Bureau and gave presentations and speeches on Soviet Jewry in the name of the CCSA.
The Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Records, Series II, 1948-2000 and undated, consist of appeals, correspondence, minutes, letters to the editor, flyers, booklets, pamphlets, and press releases.
This collection is of value to the scholar studying the origins of the Soviet Jewry movement and the problems, failures, and successes experienced in its early and mature stages. In addition, the collection provides information regarding relations between the United States and the Soviet Union and the lobbying effort in Congress to affect policy toward the Soviet Union. Of particular note are letters from prominent civil rights leaders and politicians expressing support for the CCSA. Those interested in the writings and civic actions of Herbert Caron will also find the collection useful.
The collection is arranged in two series.
All photographs have been removed to PG 577 Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Photographs, Series II. All audio-visual materials have been moved to the audio-visual collection.
Researchers should also consult MS 4011 Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Records; MS 4926 Louis Rosenblum Papers; and PG 287 Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Photographs.
Processed by Art Diamond, Jessica Marra, and Sean Martin in 2012.
None.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 5110 Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism Records, Series II, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Gift of Herbert Caron and Alan Riga in 2009.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.