2010AnnualReport INCLUDES SPECIAL PHOTO RETROSPECTIVEncsej.org/media/544ff728302ee.pdf · Although there is no state-sponsored anti-Semitism, the threat of its resurgence is omnipresent

2010Annual Report

INCLUDES

SPECIA

LPHOTO

RETROSPECTIV

E

CONTACT US AT:NCSJ

2020 K Street NW, Suite 7800

Washington, DC 20006

(202) 898-2500

(202) 898-0822 fax

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.ncsj.org

© 2011 NCSJ. All rights reserved.All photographs are from the archives of NCSJ except where otherwise credited.Front cover: Top row, center, and third row, left-hand side, photos by Ron Sachs/CNP.Back cover: Map © David Swanson/Equator Graphics, Inc.

SPECIAL PHOTO RETROSPECTIVE: 40 YEARS OF HISTORY

Celebrating 40 Years of History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Rallies and Protests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Activists and Prisoners of Zion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Jewish Life Reborn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

NCSJ Annual Report for 2010 1

Contents

Mission and Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Interview with the Chairman of the Board of Governors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5From the Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Programs and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Highlights of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Board of Governors Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Financial Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Donors and Program Funders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

1. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, RussianFederation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

NCSJ Annual Report for 20102

Mission and Background

MISSIONNCSJ maintains a strong commitment to its mission, affirmed through a strategic review in December2008: To empower and ensure the security of Jews in the 15 successor states of the former Soviet Union(FSU); to foster cooperation among the US government, US Jewish organizations and the Jewishcommunities and governments of the 15 successor states; to facilitate international Jewishorganizations’ access to Jewish communities in the FSU; to represent the organized US Jewishcommunity, including the Jewish Federations of North America and its member Federations; and tocollaborate with other organizations for the provision of humanitarian aid, social services, andeducational/communal development assistance throughout the FSU.

BACKGROUNDThe population of the fifteen independent states of the FSU1 totals over 282 million people, of whom 1.5million are Jews. This constitutes the third largest aggregation of Jews after Israel and the United States.Although many Jews left for Israel and the West in the decades since the 1970s, the population has nowstabilized and includes Jews returning to the region for personal, community, or business reasons.The recent passage of the New START treaty between the US and Russia highlights the region’scontinued geopolitical importance. Russia and the other countries of the FSU play a particularlystrategic role for the United States concerning Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. The FSU is also critical forEurope, whose energy needs depend on natural gas and oil produced in the FSU.The Soviet state’s systematic destruction of Jewish communal life and institutions, and its persecutionof Jewish activists, left communities without resources after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Manycommunities still struggle. Although FSU governments have ceased overt support for anti-Semitism, itspopular expression remains woven into the fabric of daily language and life. As extremism and ultra-nationalism increase, the threat of violent anti-Semitism may reemerge.NCSJ has taken an active role in the region since 1971. NCSJ’s historical roots in the rebirth of Jewishconsciousness at the end of the Soviet era and its central role in the growth of new, post-Soviet Jewishinstitutions make it a respected leader in all aspects of Jewish communal life, Jewish relationships withthe states of the FSU, and relations between the FSU and the US.NCSJ’s efficient and multilingual staff works in conjunction with volunteer lay leaders from nationalagencies, Federations across the country, and representatives from Jewish organizations in the fifteenindependent states of the FSU to support international, domestic, and educational programs. NCSJ andits partners maintain close personal relationships with key government officials in the FSU, Israel, andthe US. NCSJ sponsors missions to the FSU region and maintains networks of personal communicationthrough the Board of Governors, whose members represent a wide array of Jewish organizations fromthe US and the FSU region.

Interview with Richard Stone,Chairman of the NCSJ Board of Governors

Richard Stone has been Chairman of the NCSJ Board of Governors for thepast two years. This year he also became Chairman of the Conference ofPresidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

When did you become interested in Soviet Jewry?I was always fascinated with the history and culture of Russian Jews. Myown family roots were in the Lithuania-Poland region of the Soviet Union.Most of my family had migrated to the US in the early part of the 20thcentury and had settled in Louisiana. My father was a well-respectedattorney and senior partner of a leading law firm. My mother was a leaderin the National Council of Jewish Women.The plight of Russian Jews under Communism was a contemporary tragedy. The efforts to stamp out thereligious identity and practice of the world’s third largest Jewish community demanded my attention. Iwas inspired by Elie Wiesel’s book, The Jews of Silence.After I finished law school in the 1960s, I came to Washington and worked in the Office of the SolicitorGeneral. During these years Nathan Lewin, a friend and colleague, and I formed the Jewish Center forPolicy Studies to lobby Congress for passage of the Jackson-Vanik amendment. In 1972 we successfullylobbied both the Democratic and Republican parties to include the right of Soviet Jews to emigrate intheir party platforms, and in 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, I was in Siberia meeting Jewish activistswho were applying to leave the USSR for Israel.How did you become a part of NCSJ?I knew about NCSJ since it was formed in 1971. When I moved to New York, I met Mark Levin throughmy activities with the New York Jewish Community Relations Council and the Conference of Presidents.I became Chair of the public affairs arm of the Orthodox Union and an active member of the NCSJcoalition about ten years ago. I was elected to NCSJ’s Board of Governors and Executive Committeeabout five years ago.Why do you think NCSJ is important?NCSJ is the leading organization in the US focused on advocacy on behalf of Jewish community life in theformer Soviet Union. It has ties with Jewish organizations created during the post-Soviet decades, manyof which it was instrumental in assisting. It also has a history of facilitating resolutions in difficultsituations within the community and between the community and the government.There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that NCSJ plays a vital role in the continuing well-being andgrowth of Jewish communal life in the former Soviet Union. Its name is trusted, its commitment valued.


Although there is no state-sponsored anti-Semitism, the threat of its resurgence is omnipresent and theinsidious informal presence of anti-Semitism is still a part of everyday culture. A US-based umbrellaorganization with approximately fifty national agencies and three hundred local US Jewish groupmembers is well-positioned to be influential.NCSJ continues to advance the interests of Israel in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Duringthese years when threats to Israel’s legitimacy as a independent state have proliferated, NCSJ’s advocacyon behalf of closer ties among the countries of the former Soviet Union, the US, and Israel has a specialimportance. Our usefulness is manifestly evident in such situations aslast year, when NCSJ actively and successfully advocated for Ukraine tooppose the Goldstone Report to the UN.The unique experience of NCSJ has become a valued asset for the Jewsof Russia and of the US. The organization’s cumulative knowledge is arepository for facilitating better business relationships, governmentrelations, and a richer Jewish communal life. I am proud to be its Chair,especially during this anniversary year. I also feel that chairmanship ofNCSJ has been uniquely effective preparation for my chairmanship ofthe Presidents’ Conference, and I am proud to have the privilege, incommon with Morris Abrams and Shoshana Cardin, of holding both ofthese important posts.

“There is absolutely

no doubt in my

mind that NCSJ

plays a vital role in

the continuing well-

being and growth of

Jewish communal

life in the former

Soviet Union.”


From the President

Dear Friends:This past year I was re-elected to my second term as President of NCSJ. Itis an honor that I value highly. I have known NCSJ since I was a youngrefusenik in Moscow during the 1970s, when it was the symbol ofAmerican-Jewish support.During the past year I have represented NCSJ in discussions withcommunity groups, at high-level international meetings, and withgovernment officials in the FSU, the US, and Israel. Although happilysettled in the US, given my Russian background I am especially interested in engaging Russian-speakingJews in the work of NCSJ.On my business trips to Russia this past year I have had many opportunities to meet with Jewish leadersand community groups. These frequent meetings allow me to help strengthen the links between NCSJand our Russian partners like the Russian Jewish Congress and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, andalso to support more regional or local community-based groups and synagogues.As part of the NCSJ delegation to Baku, Azerbaijan, I visited a predominantly Muslim country that has asmall Jewish community with deep historical roots. The delegation met with senior governmentofficials and encouraged them to strengthen their already close ties with Israel.I also spoke in Israel at the Tenth Annual Herzliya Conference. The conference brings together globalleaders to explore international issues and policy alternatives. The experiences of my own life and mywork with NCSJ came together in my presentation, which examined the contemporary Russian Jewishexperience in the Diaspora.NCSJ has thrived over the past year, and I look forward to helping it thrive in the years to come. Iespecially look forward to the events of our fortieth anniversary as a time when many Russian-speakingJews can express their appreciation for NCSJ’s historical role in the renaissance of FSU Jewry andcontribute to its future well-being.Sincerely,Alexander SmuklerPresident


From the Executive Director

Dear Colleagues:It is a special privilege to be Executive Director during the fortieth-anniversary year of NCSJ. I have the opportunity to celebrate ouraccomplishments and to look ahead to achievements in the future. Theorganization, however, could not have attained four decades of successwithout the dedication of its lay leaders and staff. Members of the Boardof Governors and especially of the Executive Committee devote time andresources to our programs. They join us on missions, they speak on ourbehalf to government leaders, and, above all, they represent the goals ofNCSJ to the Jewish community across the country.Over the decades our mission has never wavered—we support the renaissance and development ofJewish communal life in all of the independent states of the FSU. We stand ready to offer our help incrisis and to collaborate in partnership for new growth. Although we are already a generation distantfrom the break-up of the Soviet Union, we remain acutely aware of the fragility of democratic institutionsand the need to be “ever vigilant.”I am pleased to report that 2010 was another banner year for NCSJ. We had many accomplishments,including overseeing the organized American Jewish community’s campaign in support of Russia’sgraduation from the Jackson-Vanik amendment, working with the governments of the former SovietUnion to monitor and respond to acts of anti-Semitism, collaborating with our member agencies to fightthe delegitimization of Israel, advocating for stronger bilateral relations between Israel and thecountries of the FSU, as well as organizing missions to the former Soviet Union and Washington, DC, forour members and partners.In addition, under the long-time leadership of NCSJ Vice-President Rabbi David Hill, Operation Lifelinecontinued to send kosher products to communities in need throughout the FSU. David has been ananchor of support for NCSJ and has devoted much of his life to securing a better life for our brothers andsisters in the FSU.Of special note this year is the election of our Board Chair, Richard Stone, to the presidency of theConference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. It is an honor for Richard Stone andfor NCSJ that he now holds one of the most visible and prestigious positions in the US Jewish community.In 2011, a unique year for NCSJ, I look forward to sharing with you all of the special events we haveplanned to celebrate our forty years of service and commitment.Cordially,Mark B. LevinExecutive Director


Programs andActivities

INTERNATIONALNCSJ specializes in person-to-person communication between the leaders of NCSJ memberorganizations and FSU Jewish organizations. It offers direct and personal access to US governmentofficials and the FSU diplomatic corps in Washington, and to the US and Israeli embassies in thecountries of the FSU.NCSJ monitors anti-Semitic incidents in the region and assesses their impact. At national andinternational meetings, NCSJ presents papers and leads sessions relating to Jewish communal life in theFSU, anti-Semitism, restitution, and Israeli relations with the successor states. At international fora, NCSJfacilitates discussions on Jewish issues between the governments of the successor states and the US.NCSJ’s networks and experience regularly assist Federations and national agencies in managingcommunity services and supporting FSU projects and missions. NCSJ frequently arranges meetings andconsultations for visiting FSU Jewish organizations and community leaders with government officialsand their US Jewish-organization counterparts.DOMESTICNCSJ works closely with all branches of the US government, and particularly the White House andDepartment of State, on religious freedom issues in the fifteen successor states, especially with relationto combating anti-Semitism. NCSJ testifies often before the US Congress and international bodies, such asthe Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission), on behalf of Jewishconcerns.NCSJ also maintains personal ties with Members of Congress and Congressional committees importantto US-FSU relations and US-Israel relations. NCSJ advises Congress and the Administration on issuesaffecting the FSU’s Jewish communities. NCSJ regularly organizes missions to the fifteen successor statesfor leaders of US Jewish organizations.EDUCATIONNCSJ provides information to the public on new developments relevant to the FSU, anti-Semitism, andother issues in which it maintains a program focus. NCSJ nurtures its media relationships throughinformational press releases, a regularly updated, information-driven website, online and hard-copypublications, and semi-annual meetings for lay leaders, interested professionals, and the diplomaticcommunity.NCSJ publications include Country Reports, a unique compilation of information gleaned from localpublications (translated by members of the NCSJ staff), US diplomatic missions, and internationalorganizations. Country Reports is disseminated in hard copy to offices of key Members of Congress,embassies in Washington and abroad, international organizations, and member organizations of NCSJ.NCSJ’s NewsWatch newsletter is available in hard copy and online and is sent to over 2,000 supportersand US member organizations. NCSJ’sWeekly News Update, a summary and analysis of the past week’s


events in the FSU of interest to national and international Jewish leaders, Federations, and nationalorganizations, is widely disseminated online.NCSJ’s national lay leadership explores problems, issues, and developments in the countries of the FSUat NCSJ’s semi-annual Board of Governors meetings. These meetings often include a presentation byFSU ambassadors to Washington and presentations from senior US officials and experts in US foreignpolicy, especially in US-Russia relations. The meetings also provide member organizations anopportunity to discuss shared problems in programming in the FSU, exchange resources, and spark newcollaborations.STUDENT LEADERSHIP PROGRAMNCSJ initiated its Student Leadership Program, an ongoing international exchange initiative, in 1999.Program objectives are:

Education. Developing an increased understanding and knowledge of the Jewishcommunity in the FSU and the institutions of civil society.Social Service. Exploring information and ideas about post-Soviet society through a singleinstitution, such as the Moscow Jewish Home for Children, that incorporates the social,political, and economic aspects of many Jewish issues in post-Soviet society.Advocacy Training. Teaching advocacy to advance the causes of Jewish institutions andthe practice of Judaism in a free and mutually respectful civil society.The program includes pre- and post-session meetings held in the US and FSU. Participants also join anelectronic network on Facebook, which furthers their relationships and provides an ongoing forum fordiscussion. NCSJ’s Director of Community Services and Cultural Affairs leads the exchanges. Participantscome from FSU Hillels and the Hillels of the US academic institutions, which have included AmericanUniversity, Brandeis University, George Washington University, Stanford University, Tufts University, andthe University of Texas.


Highlights of theYear

NCSJ’s accomplishments in 2010 stretched around the globe. NCSJ responded to anti-Semitic incidents,testified before Congress, attended international meetings, conferred with leaders in the USDepartment of State, led missions to the region, and organized a successful student leadership trip toUkraine. NCSJ continued its commitment to Kehillah Projects, strengthening ties between sister cities inthe United States and countries in the region, and featured two such projects at its semi-annualmeetings.INTERNATIONALIn Russia, NCSJ took a prominent role in Iran strategy discussions with senior officials to secure Russiansupport for inhibiting Iran’s development of a nuclear arsenal.When a bomb exploded outside a synagogue in Tver, Russia, NCSJacted as an intermediary among American and Russian officials andJewish community leaders. Similarly, after a Jewish woman’smurder in Yekaterinburg, NCSJ encouraged the US Embassy, localRussian authorities, and the Jewish community to investigate.During the UN General Assembly in September, NCSJ met withRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. NCSJ acted as anintermediary in resolving a dispute between an NCSJ memberFederation and the Jewish community in Tula, Russia, and similarlyhelped an international organization mediate a dispute in Chisinau,Moldova. NCSJ worked with Ukrainian authorities to facilitate theinvestigation of a yeshiva student’s murder in Kyiv, and pressured the government for swift action aftera Jewish man was murdered in Uman. NCSJ also introduced the new administration in Kyiv and the newUkrainian Ambassador to the US Jewish community. NCSJ met with the Latvian government tourge action against Nazi sympathizersmarching in Riga to commemorateGermany’s 1941 conquest of the city. Inresponse, the Latvian political leadershipdenounced the march, ensured thatadequate security was present to preventviolence, and allowed a counter-demonstration to take place. In addition,the government participated in a memorialservice for the victims of the Holocaust.NCSJ called for the government of Estoniato act against a group of Waffen SS veterans

In May, NCSJ hosted a farewell receptionfor Ukrainian Amb.Oleh Shamshur (left),speaking here with Azerbaijan Amb.YasharAliyev. (Ron Sachs/CNP)

In June, NCSJ hosted a meeting with Latvian Amb. Andrejs Pildegovics andRigaVice Mayor Ainārs Šlesers (fourth and sixth from left).


and their supporters holding a pro-Nazi ceremony in Vaivara. An intervention byNCSJ contributed to Estonian officials publicly distancing themselves from theceremony and articulating a distinction between those who fought with theNazis against the Soviets and those who committed genocide during theHolocaust. NCSJ also worked with the Estonian Embassy, US Department ofState, and Estonian Jewish community on restitution issues and on theprotection of Jewish sites, especially cemeteries.NCSJ pressed for the resolution of restitutionissues in Latvia and Lithuania. NCSJ played animportant behind-the-scenes role in resolvingthe potential prosecution of Jews in theLithuanian government’s war crimesinvestigation of World War II partisan fighters.NCSJ met with the Moldovan Foreign Ministerand Prime Minister and their delegation regarding an anti-Semiticincident in Chisinau, where a mob dismantled the communityChanukah menorah. NCSJ emphasizedthe government’s inadequate responsewhen it charged the Orthodox priest who led the attack with amisdemeanor and levied a small fine. NCSJ called for stronger measures,including the reopening of the investigation. In addition to hosting ameeting for the Prime Minister’s delegation during his visit toWashington, NCSJ continued its consultations about communal propertyrestitution, to which the government was open and responsive.In Armenia, NCSJ worked with Jewish community leaders after aHolocaust memorial was desecrated. NCSJ published several CountryReports, including one about Azerbaijan documenting theaccomplishments of the nation’s Jews and the challenges they face. NCSJ also worked with governmentofficials and community leaders to strengthen the US-Azerbaijanrelationship. When the new Uzbekistan Ambassador to the USarrived in Washington, NCSJ met with him to discuss Uzbekistan’sJewish community and its relations with Israel.During violence and political unrest in Kyrgyzstan, NCSJ maintainedcontinuous contact with the Jewish communities to monitor anti-Semitic acts. When a Bishkek synagogue was bombed during RoshHashanah, NCSJ condemned the act and urged the government toundertake a full investigation.NCSJ attended several high-level international meetings in 2010.During the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe(OSCE) Conference on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination inKazakhstan, NCSJ met with Kazakhstan Chief Rabbi Yeshaya Cohen

Supporters ofWaffen SSveterans at a pro Naziceremony in Estonia inJuly. (WCRJ.org)

Lithuanian Foreign Minister AudroniusAžubalis (left) with NCSJ’s LesleyWeiss (second from right) inNovember.

NCSJ’s LesleyWeiss and MoldovanPrime MinisterVladimir Filat at theUS Department of State in January.

The synagogue in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan,sustained damage from a pipe bomb(inset) in September.


and other Jewish community leaders, and withgovernment representatives, to strengthenties with the US and Israel. During the NuclearSummit in Washington NCSJ met withKazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayevto highlight the importance of the Jewishcommunity.NCSJ plays a unique role among Jewishorganizations with regard to support forIsrael. In addition to collaborating with othernational organizations to support pro-Israelpositions in Congress and at the Department of State, NCSJ counters delegitimization efforts andincreases support for and engagement with Israel among the independent states of the FSU. In 2010,Richard Stone and Alexander Smukler led a mission to Baku, Azerbaijan, for a meeting with the smallbut deeply rooted Jewish community and with high-level government officials. A largely Muslim state,Azerbaijan has warm relations with Israel, which themission reinforced. Following Israel’s interception ofthe Gaza-bound flotilla, NCSJ helped explain thenecessity of Israel’s actions to FSU governments. NCSJalso worked closely with Israeli and Uzbek leaders tofacilitate their bilateral dialogue and a reengagement.As part of the annual Conference of Presidents missionto Israel and abroad, the group, including ExecutiveDirector Mark Levin, also visited South Africa, wherethey met with Jewish leaders and government officialsto strengthen ties with Israel.DOMESTICIn 2010 NCSJ conferred with senior officials in the Obama administration and Members of Congress onissues of concern to NCSJ. The Administration and Congress also sought input from NCSJ on regionalissues.Michael McFaul, Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs atthe US National Security Council, met with NCSJ officers about US-Russia relations, the Jackson-Vanik amendment, the New STARTtreaty, and the World Trade Organization.Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, HumanRights, and Labor Michael Posner met with representatives from NCSJabout overall human rights concerns in the FSU and individual cases.Ian Kelly, US Ambassador to the OSCE, consulted with NCSJ about theoverall US approach on human dimension issues, the FSU region,Russian concerns about the OSCE’s role in human rights, upcoming

NCSJ and Jewish leaders with Chairman of the Caucasus MuslimBoard Sheikh ul Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade (sixth from left) inBaku,Azerbaijan.

NCSJ and HIAS leadership participated in the Conferenceof Presidents mission to South Africa.

McFaul addressing the NCSJ Board ofGovernors in December. (RonSachs/CNP)


OSCE review meetings, and the June conference on combatingdiscrimination, including anti-Semitism.US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism HannahRosenthal met with NCSJ about her upcoming visits to the region,the 2010 OSCE meetings, and the general state of anti-Semitism inregion.NCSJ participated in roundtables convened by the US Departmentof State on human rights and democracy in the FSU and inmeetings on Holocaust assets and religious freedom. NCSJ briefedstudents at the US Foreign Service Institute (which trainsdiplomats to work in the region) on political, economic, and socialconditions affecting Jewish communities. NCSJ also sponsored afilm and talk by Yosef Begun, who was a Prisoner of Conscience and leader in the movement to freeSoviet Jews.NCSJ briefed over a dozen staff members of the Congressional TaskForce on Anti-Semitism about anti-Semitism in the FSU. NCSJExecutive Director Mark Levin delivered testimony in support ofRussia’s graduation from the Jackson-Vanik amendment before theUS House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittees onEurope and Eurasia and on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.In addition, NCSJ facilitated the work of US member and non-member agencies in the FSU. NCSJ assisted the American JewishJoint Distribution Committee on tax and registration issues inUkraine and Uzbekistan, and on issues of communal propertyrestitution in countries including Latvia and Lithuania.EDUCATIONIn March, as part of its Student Leadership Program, NCSJled a group of Stanford University students to Kyiv, Ukraine,where they engaged in advocacy training alongside a selectgroup of Kyiv Hillel Jewish students. The combined studentgroups engaged in grassroots social action and met withofficials from leading social and civic institutions in Ukraine.The participants remain in contact through Facebook andhave become a part of NCSJ’s growing network of futureJewish leaders. NCSJ’s Director of Community Services andCultural Affairs coordinates the program and led the trip.The trip, made in coordination with the Stanford Universityand Kyiv Hillels, was funded as part of a three-year grant bythe Koret Foundation, the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life

At a June reception at the Department ofState with Rosenthal and Secretary HillaryRodham Clinton.

Levin testifies before Congress.

NCSJ Student Leadership Program participants in Kyiv,Ukraine.


& Culture, and the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, thePeninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. The march 2010 trip markedthe first time the program was held in Kyiv.For the participating students the experiences of the trip expandedtheir identity as Jews and altered their perception of Ukraine and theJewish community in Kyiv.Isaac Bleaman, a Stanford student, wrote:Our meetings, which always struck the proper balancebetween formality and candidness, presented me withplenty of opportunities to ask the “tough questions” ofour speakers, particularly regarding anti-Semitism,what it means to be Jewish in Ukraine, and the place ofIsrael in the lives of Jews from the former SovietUnion. Meeting with Jewish and non-Jewish officialsgave both an insider and outsider perspective on theJewish minority question.Sadie Weber, another Stanford student, observed:It was amazing to see how similar and different the two cultures are. We share a more orless common background, yet the manner in which this background is viewed iscompletely different; for the Ukrainian students, being Jewish is more of a nationalidentity, while for the American students, being Jewish is a cultural identity and religiousaffiliation.Oleksandr Bobrovsky from Kyiv said:What I liked the most is that our American peers really tried to understand what’s goingon in this country before making final judgments. We all know that it is different fromwhat one could see in the States, but different doesn’t mean bad or something like this.The questions they raised showed they are eager to know the reasons or obstacles whyit happened this or that way, and at the same time tried to provide suggestions fromtheir own experiences. I think that’s how the constructive dialogue should go.And Stanford student Miriam Ellora Marks spoke for everyone when she noted:The visits with Ukrainian Jewish leaders and organizations taught me a lot aboutJudaism and Jewish practices in Ukraine. . . . Most interesting to me were ourinteractions with the different rabbis; the incredibly diverse Jewish life that weglimpsed revealed the dynamic nature of Judaism as I had imagined existed only inAmerica.

Participants gathered at a SholemAleichem statue on a tour of JewishKyiv.


OUTREACH TO FEDERATIONSNCSJ’s 2010 objectives included a commitment to strengthening and expanding relations with theJewish Federations and national organizations, providing their leadership with information, analysis,and a role in international affairs.To further the goal of outreach, NCSJ contacted executive directors at major Federations to alert them toNCSJ’s regularWeekly News Update, invite their participation in NCSJ missions to the FSU, andencourage them to inform their constituents about events in the FSU’s Jewish communities. NCSJoffered to send additional materials and speakers and invited them to submit inquiries.During 2010, NCSJ visited the Jewish Federations in New York City, San Francisco, South Palm Beach,Washington, DC, West Palm Beach, and MetroWest, New Jersey. Representatives from Federations inBoston, Chicago, Columbus, Delaware, Greensboro, Los Angeles, MetroWest, New York City, andPhiladelphia attended the semi-annual meetings in Washington, and NCSJ corresponded with manyFederations around the country.

14 NCSJ Annual Report for 2010

15NCSJ Annual Report for 2010

SPECIAL PHOTO RETROSPECTIVE: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF HISTORY

“All Jews have a memory,which is part of being Jewish… [T]o

those Jews who had lived in the Soviet Union, there was such a

clampdown on freedom that the ability to remember what a

Jewish life was had become quite distant.

NCSJ [is] focused on policy issues, policies that can affect an

environment for freedom, and … transfer[ing] back to those

Jews who lived in Russia,Ukraine,Moldova and Belarus—and

throughout the Soviet Union—an opportunity to once again have

a Jewish life.History will be the greatest testimony to your

success, because what we begin to see is that

Jewish life is again emerging.”

—Amb. Carlos PascualFormer US Ambassador to Ukraine

Rallies and Protests

“I, like many of my

generation,want to

make a difference, to

make the world a better

place. I also want to do

something that would

benefit the Jewish

people. I never want my

children to ask me the

same question about the

plight of millions of Jews

in another part of the

world the way I asked my

parents about why their

generation couldn’t have

done more to stop the

Holocaust.”

—Mark LevinExecutive Director

NCSJ

Pavel Semenov (right),Lydia Gonorovskaya(middle),“NO to longterm refusals!” in frontof the Supreme Sovietof the USSR, Moscow,1988. (U.S. News andWorld Report)

“Freedom Sunday” March onWashington for Soviet Jewry, 1987.

Singing Israel’s national anthem at the Freedom Rally for Israel at City Hall inNewYork City, 1973.

Images are from www.sovietjewry.org.

40 YEARS OF HISTORY


The Greater NewYork Coalition for Soviet Jewry leads ahunger strike on the fourth anniversary of the LeningradTrial, 1974.

Yosef Mendelevich at the “Freedom Sunday” March onWashington for Soviet Jewry, 1987.

Daily vigil in front of the Soviet Embassy inWashington,DC, 1980s.

At the Reagan Gorbachev summit in Reykjavik, Iceland,1986.

Natan Sharansky at the “Freedom Sunday” March onWashington for Soviet Jewry, 1987.Demonstration in Moscow on Holocaust Day, 1989.

40 YEARS OF HISTORY


Activists and Prisoners of Zion

“I was born and grew up

in the Soviet Union in

Kyrgyzstan, in Central

Asia. Believe me, it’s

quite difficult to imagine

how it was not simple to

be a Jew in the Soviet

Union. . . .And you

cannot imagine how we

admire and how we [feel

toward] these people,

who put every day their

heart, their soul to help

people who are quite far

from them,who live in a

different country. But,

we feel all our life their

support. And [there are]

a lot of changes which

happened because of

these people, because

these people every day

think about us.”

—Alexander MashkevichPresident

Euro-Asian Jewish Congress

Yuli Edelstein.

Vladimir Dashepsky, wife, and son, Moscow.

Left to right: Inna Begun, Faina Berenstein, andTanya Edelstein hold pictures oftheir husbands,Yosef Begun,Yosef Berenstein, andYuli Edelstein, who wereimprisoned as part of a mid 1980s Soviet crackdown on Jewish culturalactivists.

RefuseniksVladimir and Maria Slepak.

40 YEARS OF HISTORY


A partial list of Jews in Soviet prison camps, 1970s.

Shoshana Cardin meeting withVa’ad leaders and officials,Moscow, 1991.

Prisoner of Zion Ida Nudel.

Children of Soviet Jewish activists.

Soviet Jewish activists Leonid Koshevoi,Vladimir Prestin,Lev Karp, and Benjamin Fain, 1970.

Refuseniks recite psalms outside the Leningrad trial ofEvgeny Lein, 1981.

40 YEARS OF HISTORY


Meetings

“Throughout those

difficult years [of Soviet

persecution], and

continuing until this very

day, the NCSJ has helped

to keep human rights

high on the US national

agenda. Whether by

providing information on

individual cases…or by

advocating legislative

and policy changes to

support the cause of

religious freedom, the

NCSJ has acted

effectively and

constructively to ensure

that theAmerican

Jewish community’s

voice is heard and that

the rights of Jews

throughout Eurasia are

protected.”

— Paul SarbanesUnited States Senate

Former Israeli Prime Minister GoldaMeir at theWorld Conference onSoviet Jewry, held in Brussels, 1976.

President GeorgeW. Bush signs the bill “graduating” Ukraine from theJackson Vanik amendment, originally enacted in 1975 to promote rights forSoviet Jewry.

Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin speaks at the 1978 NCSJ Israelseminar. Foreground, left, is Jacob Birnbaum of the Student Struggle for SovietJewry.

President Ronald Reagan meets withSoviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev.

40 YEARS OF HISTORY


Russian PresidentVladimir Putin meets with Russian ChiefRabbi Berel Lazar and American Jewish leaders, includingNCSJ Chairman Dr. Robert J. Meth (background, far left),2003.

CongressionalWives for Soviet Jewry and other activistsmeet wife of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, 1979.

NCSJ Chairman Shoshana Cardin shakes hands with SovietPremier Mikhail Gorbachev at the Kremlin, 1991.

NCSJ Chairman Burt Levinson, right, meets with PresidentRonald Reagan and National Security Council AdvisorRichard Allen, 1980.

US Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson, second from left, at aSolidarity Day rally in NewYork City, 1979.The Seventh AnnualWomen’s Plea for Soviet Jewry, 1977.

40 YEARS OF HISTORY


Jewish Life Reborn

Music class in Jewish school, Riga, Latvia.

Sephardi Synagogue,Tbilisi, Georgia.

JDC sponsored Hebrew lessons at Moscow’s Main Synagogue. (UJAOperation Exodus, photo by Robert A. Cumins)

“I would say that you

gave us freedom.

“You inherited freedom;

most of you were born

free. Jews in the Soviet

Union didn’t have

freedom: simple

freedom to live, freedom

to emigrate, freedom

not to be afraid…

“This is what you gave

us.You made the voice of

freedom heard.You let

us join in that freedom,

in that voice.”

—Marina FurmanFormer refusenik

40 YEARS OF HISTORY


ReadingTorah, Kyiv Synagogue.

Moscow Hillelstudents receiveTorahs returnedto the community.

Moscow Hillel.

Moscow Jewish leadership at Congress of JewishOrganizations and Communities of the Soviet Union, 1989.

Central Synagogue, Minsk, Belarus.

Jewish Day School, Moscow.

40 YEARS OF HISTORY


Board of Governors Meetings

NCSJ held two Board meetings during 2010, both in Washington, DC. At the June meeting attendeesdiscussed restitution issues with the Assistant Executive Vice President of the American Jewish JointDistribution Committee, received a briefing on the upcoming OSCE meeting, and listened to apresentation, followed by discussion, about Turkey’s expanding influence in the Caucasus andCentral Asia.At the December meeting attendees discussed anti-Semitism in the region with the OSCE PersonalRepresentative on Combating Anti-Semitism, were briefed on the “reset” in US-Russia relations by theSenior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council, and heard reportsfrom the Boston Jewish Community Relations Council and the Greensboro Jewish Federation on theirrespective sister-city partnerships with Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, and Beltsy, Moldova. The lattertwo presentations represent Kehillah projects and cross-cultural partnerships to which NCSJ has aspecial commitment.JUNE MEETING

Left to right:Tatiana Munteanu, Counselor, and Andrei Galbur, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Moldova, in discussions with NCSJ Executive Director Mark Levin,JDCAssistant ExecutiveVice President Herbert Block, and NCSJ Executive Committee member Dr. Robert J. Meth. (All photos this page Ron Sachs/CNP)

Zeyno Baran, Senior Fellow andDirector of the Center for EurasianPolicy, Hudson Institute.

NCSJ Chairman Richard Stone.

FredTurner, Chief of Staff,Commission on Security andCooperation in Europe.

NCSJ Student Leadership Mission participant fromKyiv Margarita Lopatina and NCSJ Director ofCommunity Services and Cultural Affairs LesleyWeiss.


Ukrainian Ambassador Olexander Motsyk (third from left) and representativesfrom the Ukrainian Embassy with NCSJ Executive Director Mark Levin (right),VicePresident Dr. JudyWolf (center), and representatives from the Boston JewishCommunity Relations Council.

Moldovan Ambassador Igor Munteanu (right) and CounselorTatiana Munteanu(left) with members of the Greensboro Federation and LesleyWeiss (center).

Michael McFaul, Special Assistant tothe President and Senior Directorfor Russian and Eurasian affairs atthe US National Security Council.

NCSJVice President Rabbi DavidHill.

NCSJ President Alexander Smukler. (Allphotos this page Ron Sachs/CNP)

NCSJ Chairman Richard Stone presenting theTorch ofLiberty award to US Rep.Alcee Hastings, who acceptedon behalf of the US Helsinki Commission.

The Hon.Vaino Reinart,Ambassador of Estonia,and Mark Levin.


DECEMBER MEETING

NCSJ Income 2010

10%

44%

36%

9% 1%Dues from MemberAgencies

Individual Donationsand Contributions

AllocationsFederation/AgencyAlliance of JFNA

Grants

Allocations -Alliance Federations

NCSJ Expenses 2010

50%

9%

8%

19%

14%

Advocacy/Public InformationEducationLeadership/InternationalConsultationsCommunicationsCommunity Liaisingand Servicing

Operating Costs

$852,000

$826,000

/


Financial Statement


Donors and Program FundersBenefactors($25,000 and greater)Koret FoundationAlexander MashkevichThe National Federation/Agency Alliance ofthe Jewish Federations of North AmericaRichard StonePatrons($10,000 to $24,999)Stanley and Judy Frankel | Adam Hoffman | The Jewish CommunityFederation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and SonomaCounties | Larry Magid | Tatiana Panchenkova | Ed and Peggy RobinBoris Semberg | Harvey and Danna StoneTaube Foundation for Jewish Life & CultureDiplomats

($5,000 to $9,999)Alan Franco | Betsy R. Gidwitz | Allene N. Gilman Charitable Trust | Martinand Roberta Goldstein | Milton Gralla | Stephen and Sandra GreenbergAllen Kronstadt | George and Pam Rohr | Heshe and Harriet SeifAlexander Smukler and Alla Shtraks | Joe and Connie SmuklerConsuls

($1,000 to $4,999)Anonymous | Shoshana S. Cardin | Michael and Anne Chorches | Jake and JanetFarber | Roger and Corky Gelder | Stanley Gold | The Samuel and Grace GorlitzFoundation | Seth Greenberg | David and Lenore (z”l) Hill | Lesley and Fred IsraelThe Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis | The Jewish Federation of SouthPalm Beach County | Josh Katzen | The Levine Charitable Lead Trust | Mel LevinePaul and Pam Litwack | Harold and Debra Luks | Evan Malnik | Robert J. MethWalter and Ellen Meth | Anne Molloy and Henry Posner III | Karen and Neil MossThe David and Inez Myers Foundation | The Oliner Foundation | The Pink FamilyMemorial Philanthropic Fund | Garry Rayant and Kathy Fields-Rayant | Howardand Kathy Sachs | The Schoenbaum Family Foundation | Skip and Lynn SchrayerBrian and Monica Shatz | Lewis Topper | Margo Volftsun | Josh Weston | Richard L.Wexler | The S & M Wilf Foundation | Judy and Bob Wolf

The National Federation/Agency Alliance of the JewishFederations of North America is a major supporter ofNCSJ. The Alliance is a partnership of 33 Federationsthat promotes deeper relationships and creates synergybetween the Federations and national Jewish agencies.

NationalFederation/AgencyAlliance

NCSJ regrets any omissions or errors in these donor lists. To correct a listing, please contact NCSJ at 2020 K Street NW,Suite 7800, Washington, DC 20006, phone (202) 898 2500 or email [email protected] Annual Report for 201028

Policy Makers($500 to $999)Denis and Sarah Braham | Sam W. Chawkin | Jon and Faith Cookler | Sandra and MarshalGoldberg | Betty Golomb | The Hochberg Family Foundation | The Jewish Federation ofGreater Kansas City | Richard Meth | Richard M. Rappaport | Fred and Gail Rollman | JoelM. Schindler | Joe and Nina Shenker | David J. Wolpe

Supporters and Advocates($100 to $499)Toby Bernstein | Bruce and Teri Bialosky | Ross and Wendy Born | Richard and Barbara BraunSharon and Dan Brener | Frank and Bunny Brodsky | The C.D. Foundation | Mark and Roni ChasinElliott and Judith Cohen | Freddy and Rochelle Cohen | Scott and Carolyn Davis | Bert and CathyDistelburger | Sam and Barbara Dyer | Leonid Feldman | Jack D. Fine | Michael and Suzette FisherLarry and Lois Frank | Terry and Shifra Gardner | Bernard and Melanie Gero | Richard and MildredGiesberg | Nina and Sol Glasner | Doris and Martin Goldstein | David Gordon and DonnaSchwarzbach | Susan Green | Naomi Greenblott | Gerard Igel | Hala and Martin Igel | The JewishFederation of Central New York | The Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne | The Jewish Federation ofSan Antonio | Ronnie and Judy Kabrins | Marvin and Hannah Kamin | Max M. Kampelman | RobertKaplan | Jerry and Patty Kaye | Sara S. Klompus | Robert Klutznick | Rita and Irv Kopin | Richard andSally Krugel | Harvey and Linda Kulber | Cheryl Lehman | Jackie Levine | Michael and Rita LeVineNorman Levine and Barbara Mack | Richard and Roanne Licht | Richard Lipsey | Phyllis Mandler andGary Elden | Stuart Margulies | Barry and Leilaine Mehler | Ed and Sue Meltzer | Marta and FrankMiller | Richard Mitchell and Susan Kupferberg | Ann Nachbar and David Frenkel | Adrienne NassauMike and Dale Nissenson | Rob and Marcie Orley | Elaine Pittell | Esther and Gary Polland | Martinand Barbara Pollock | Linda and Jeff Resnick | Michael Resnick and Susan Sterngold | Edwin andBeverly Robbins | Alan and Linda Rosen | Jamie and Cyndi Rosenthal | Debra L. Roth | Sheldon andLinda Rubenfeld | Danny Rubin and Eileen Prusek | Donald and Ruth Saff | Liz Schrayer and JeffSchwaber | Stephen Schwartz | Harold Seifer | Steve Shapiro | David Sherman | Marty and CarolShulman | Steven Shulman and Debra Yanofsky | Bart Shuster | Lena Sisselman | Moishe SmithAbe and Marian Sofaer | The Arthur and Edith Stern Family Foundation | Jules and Lila Stern | Boband Susan Stone | Gideon Tiktin | Bernie and Alice Tolkow | Alexander Turkeltaub | Alvin andCharlotte Turner | Ben Tysch and Rachel Andres | Ernestine Urken | Marcia and Dick VolpertHoward Weiner | Martin Wenick and Alice Tetelman | Barry and Frances Wildstein | Keenan andOrna Wolens | Bennett Yanowitz (z”l)

NCSJ Leadership

CHAIRMANRichard StonePRESIDENTAlexander Smukler

NCSJ PROFESSIONAL STAFFMark B. Levin, Executive DirectorLesley Weiss, Director of Community Services and Cultural AffairsDavid S. Shulman, Senior Program AssociateAlla Lipsky, Program AssistantJudy Turkeltaub, Program Assistant /Translator

VICE-PRESIDENTSStephen M. GreenbergRabbi David HillAllen KronstadtHerbert SeifDr. Judith L. WolfTREASURERMax R. SchrayerSECRETARYKaren Moss

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEAlan AdesDr. Betsy GidwitzConrad GilesMartin GoldsteinBetty GolombSusan GreenNuri KatzLeonard L. KleinmanDr. Stephen KutnerHon. Mel Levine

HONORARY COMMITTEEAmb. Morris B. Abram*Denis C. BrahamShoshana S. CardinEugene GoldJerry GoodmanLesley IsraelCharlotte Jacobson*Fabian Kolker*Burton S. LevinsonStanley H. Lowell*Harold Paul LuksRichard Maass*Theodore R. MannRobert J. Meth, M.D.Rabbi Israel Miller*Edward B. RobinHoward E. SachsRabbi Herschel SchacterJoel M. Schindler, Ph.D.Rabbi Mark N. StaitmanLewis H. Weinstein*Martin A. WenickRichard L. Wexler*Deceased

NCSJ

2020 K Street NW, Suite 7800

Washington, DC 20006

(202) 898-2500

(202) 898-0822 fax

Email: [email protected]

www.ncsj.org

Documents

2010AnnualReport INCLUDES SPECIAL PHOTO RETROSPECTIVEncsej.org/media/544ff728302ee.pdf · Although there is no state-sponsored anti-Semitism, the threat of its resurgence is omnipresent