Soviet Anti-Semitism 
Soviet Anti-Semitism The Cleveland Council on Soviet Anti-Semitism (CCSA) is a volunteer organization located in Cleveland, Ohio, whose goals are 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 1963 through the efforts of NASA
scientists Louis Rosenblum and Abe Silverstein, Veterans Administration Hospital psychologist Herbert Caron, and Rabbit 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; published Spotlight, the nation's first newsletter on Soviet Jews; and devised patterns for protests against visiting Soviet groups and officials. 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.
By 1965, the CCSA counted 600 members. Its success was recognized nationally, and it became a model for other local groups. CCSA leaders, especially Louis Rosenblum, assisted in the organization of local groups throughout the United States and Canada. 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. Rosenblum served as the first president of the UCSJ and its office was initially located in Cleveland. In 1972, a Washington, D.C. office was opened and staffed by one salaried employee who acted as Congressional and media liaison. In 1985 the UCSJ included 32 member council representing a membership of 50,000.