New Books in Jewish Studies Shaul Kelner, "A Cold War Exodus: How American Activists Mobilized To Free Soviet Jews" (NYU Press, 2025)
Nov 2, 2025
Shaul Kelner, an Associate Professor of Sociology and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University, dives deep into his book about the activism that liberated Soviet Jews. He discusses early pioneers like Jacob Birnbaum, the shift to personalizing the movement with adopt-a-refusenik campaigns, and how this cause became woven into Jewish life. Kelner also highlights the varied responses from U.S. presidents and the vital interfaith alliances supporting the movement. His insights draw parallels to today's challenges, showcasing the enduring power of grassroots activism.
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Culture Fueled A Political Movement
- The Soviet Jewry campaign combined grassroots culture and national politics to become ubiquitous in American Jewish life.
- Shaul Kelner argues cultural embedding was as important as policy wins for reshaping American Jewry.
Personalization Through Adopted Refuseniks
- In the early 1970s activists began personalizing protests by adopting named refuseniks like Anatoly Sharansky.
- Supporters wore bracelets and twinned bar/bat mitzvahs to create intimate, lasting ties to individuals behind the Iron Curtain.
Holidays Became Protest Platforms
- Activists turned Jewish holidays and life‑cycle events into recurring moments of protest and solidarity.
- Kelner calls this pattern a 'civil Judaism' that made Soviet Jewry a sacred civic obligation for American Jews.
