During the summer of 2016, inspired by a sense of urgency to capture the stories of the Soviet Jewry movement before they were lost, JWA organized a story collecting project to document the experiences of Soviet Jews and American Jewish activists living in the Boston area.

This project was made possible by partnerships with Brandeis University and the State University of New York at Binghamton. Students from both universities helped research, conduct oral histories, and prepare the online exhibit. JWA staff and volunteers, including Editor Phyllis Goldstein, offered oversight for the project, including curation of interviews and creation of the final exhibit.

Through the lenses of gender, civil rights, Jewish identity, and international relations, this exhibit, though not comprehensive in its scope, provides an entryway into the vast diversity of stories from this tumultuous era of Jewish history. If you have a story to tell about this historical moment, we want to hear from you. Contact us to learn more.