Recollections

Jerry Goodman and Struggle for Soviet Jewry

      Jerry Goodman z"l was the Executive Director of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry between 1971 and 1988. During that time he pushed many Jewish Establishment organizations for strong, united efforts for our brethren in the USSR.

      Given that the Lishka (Nativ) had, for a time, a heavy hand on the NCSJ, and that the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry and our colleagues at the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews deliberately had a much more fluid structure and decision-making policy, there were inevitable clashes with Jerry and the NCSJ. The multimillion dollar Establishment groups saw themselves as representing American Jews, rather than grassroots groups such as ours. On the other hand, they had relatively easy access to the levers of American political power, and we had to work very hard to achieve that level.

      When vital information about refuseniks and Prisoners for Zion trickled out of the USSR, both the Lishka and NCSJ attempted to control its public release. We of the grassroots also worked very hard to successfully open the information pipeline.

      Years ago, the Henry Jackson Foundation held a conference at the Laromme Hotel (now called Inbal) to honor the late US Senator's role in freeing Soviet Jews. Natan Sharansky chaired one panel at which he placed both Jerry and I side by side to speak. As he was introducing us, he broke out in laughter. When we asked why, he said he thought we'd be killing each other in front of the audience.

      What Natan missed was that our positions softened with the years. In retrospect we, the grassroots, began to greater appreciate the Jewish Establishment's slower but inevitable commitment to advocating for Soviet Jews' freedom. Jerry saw that although at times the grassroots pushed the boundaries and grabbed the headlines, the rest of the American Jewish community ultimately followed.

Glenn Richter, Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry
November 2025