Letter from Jacob Birnbaum about Plans for Soviet Jewry Activism (1964)

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Letter from Jacob Birnbaum about Achievements of Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (1964)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, Many thanks for the $100 check for which I enclose this receipt. In the 2 weeks from the 26th of April to May 11th, we have pulled off three major achievements. The development of the organization within this time has been fantastic. By the end of the month we hope אי״ה to have achieved a broadly conceived fast near the Soviet museum, lasting a week with every college represented as well as some of the main ישיבות גדולות

Soviet Jewry

Letter to Jacob Birnbaum Praising Him for Work on Behalf of Soviet Jewry (1965)

Telegram (Sent for deliverance 4/4/65): God speed on your sacred work in awakening conscience world to plight of soviet jewry.

Soviet Jewry

Letter from Jacob Birnbaum about Operation Jericho in Washington, D.C. (1965)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, Last week we completed a series of activities going under the name "Operation Jericho." This was "the Jericho Ride" to Washington from a number of areas, and a highly successful affair which received a great deal of publicity in Washington, and included the second of our visits to the State Department, a major discussion with the First Secretary of the Soviet Embassy, a circling Jericho march opposite that Embassy, the reading of a dramatic script of "Appeal to Conscience" in Lafayette Park, opposite the White House and the accidental meeting with President Johnson, in the course of which I presented him with one of our buttons!In the year since we came into existence we have achieved a surprising number of "firsts"—especially in the political field. This is due to the fact that in our constant and ardent will in the cause, our probing sometimes finds a door slightly ajar through which we push.The "Jericho Ride" was the beginning of a new series of operations, moving over largely to Washington, and focused on the idea of Geulah. The culminating point will be a number of Geulah waves sweeping into Washington from different cities late in the fall.The other side of the coin—not entirely unfamiliar to you—consists of a series of desperate shifts to find small monies to carry on even the most basic activities. People are under the impression that, with all our activities, we must have a powerful organisation behind us. They do not know of the pitiful waste of time and energies in just keeping our head above water. I have to say that our whole program of penetration of the summer camps is seriously jeopardized, never mind major, or even minor, plans for the fall.Early last year a group of your people evinced a real desire for the development of specifically Jewish youth service movements. Well, here it is and growing steadily. It would be a crying shame if so promising a development as we have under our hands after only one year should fold up like a pa…

Soviet Jewry