Skip to main content

Sylvia Weinberg Papers

 Collection
Identifier: P-928

Scope and Content Note

Sylvia Weinberg’s collection contains materials reflecting her activities as a charter member of The 35’s—The Women’s Campaign for Soviet Jewry. Among these activities were the organization of the exhibition, “Soviet Jewry: Six Decades of Oppression” in the Los Angeles Convention Center in 1977, publicizing a protest demonstration during the Bolshoi Ballet performance in Los Angeles in 1979, participating in the Demonstration for Soviet Jewry in Washington, D.C. in 1987, mass mailings to Jewish children in the U.S.S.R. and others.

The materials include notes, clippings, publications, buttons, badges, banners and photographs.

Dates

  • Creation: 1973-1999

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society, except items that are restricted due to their fragility.

Use Restrictions

Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society. Users must apply in writing for permission to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection. For more information contact:

American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, N.Y., 10011 email: reference@ajhs.org

Historical Note

The Papers of Sylvia Weinberg represent one collection housed within the Archive of the American Soviet Jewry Movement (AASJM). These papers reflect the effort, beginning in the 1960s through the late 1980s, of thousands of American Jews of all denominations and political orientations to stop the persecution and discrimination of Jews in the Soviet Union. The American Soviet Jewry Movement (ASJM) is considered to be the most influential Movement of the American Jewish community in the 20th century. The beginnings of the organized American Soviet Jewry Movement became a model for efforts to aid Soviet Jews in other countries, among them Great Britain, Canada, and France. The movement can be traced to the early 1960s, when the first organizations were created to address the specific problem of the persecution and isolation of Soviet Jews by the government of the Soviet Union.

The collection reflects Sylvia Weinberg's work on behalf of Jews in the U.S.S.R. Based in Los Angeles, CA, Mrs. Weinberg was active in “The 35's—The Women’s Campaign for Soviet Jewry,” an international organization, originally formed by a group of 35-year old Jewish housewives in the United Kingdom, with members throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and New Zealand. The 35's maintained direct contact with the Jews of the Soviet Union and documented and publicized the human rights violations they were subjected to by the Soviet government and also encouraged public protest. The 35's sponsored rallies, demonstrations and marathons to promote their cause. The group kept in touch with United States elected officials to inform them about the plight of Soviet Jews, and facilitated political action on their behalf. The Campaign's activists wrote and telephoned Soviet officials to demand that the U.S.S.R. complied with international human rights laws.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet

Abstract

The papers of Sylvia Weinberg reflect her work on behalf of Jews in the U.S.S.R. Based in Los Angeles, CA, Mrs. Weinberg was active in The 35's—The Women’s Campaign for Soviet Jewry, an international organization with members throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and New Zealand. The materials include notes, clippings, publications, buttons, badges, banners and photographs.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into a single series.

Physical Location

Located in AJHS New York, NY

Acquisition Information

Donated by the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2007.

Related Material

The papers of Sylvia Weinberg is one individual collection within the Archive of the American Soviet Jewry Movement (AASJM) located at the American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS).

Title
Guide to the Papers of Sylvia Weinberg, undated, 1973-1999 *P-928
Author
Processed by Andrey Filimonov
Date
© 2011
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.
Sponsor
Digitization of the Papers of Sylvia Weinberg (P-928) was made possible through a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Revision Statements

  • May 2015: Added dao links by Eric Fritzler.

Repository Details

Part of the American Jewish Historical Society Repository

Contact:
15 West 16th Street
New York NY 10011 United States