Voices of Defiance: Soviet Jewry and the Refuseniks

As the events of the Soviet Jewry movement transition from recent memory to recorded history, this is a pivotal time – a “Wende moment” – to shape the course of future scholarship of Soviet Jewry and to ensure that the significant contributions and experiences of those who led and guided the movement are preserved and accurately represented in historical narratives.

Spurred forward by a three-year grant from the Arcadia Fund to digitize endangered archives from the Refusenik movement, the Robin Center for Russian-Speaking Jewry was launched at the Wende Museum in 2021 to deepen and expand awareness of the history of Russian-speaking Jews, Jews who lived in the Soviet Union, and the Refusenik movement through digitization, public partnership, acquisition of at-risk collections, and sustained, dynamic programming with an emphasis on engagement with archival materials through artmaking workshops and educational activities. With support from the Koum Family Foundation, the Wende is engaged in an unparalleled comprehensive, interdisciplinary project to illuminate this history for current audiences through public and educational programs.

To further these efforts, the Meyer & Renee Luskin Public History Program at the Wende Museum presents “Voices of Defiance: Soviet Jewry and the Refuseniks,” a one-day symposium dedicated to the examination of the resistance movements of American and Soviet Jews during the Cold War period and reflection on the enduring legacy of the Soviet Jewry activist movement. Convening esteemed scholars, students, community members, and key historical figures, the event will take stock of the movement and assess and possibly shape the direction of scholarship of a history that defined a generation of Jewish life globally and contribute to a celebration of its legacy.

Sunday, January 26th, 2025

Glorya Kaufman Community Center @ The Wende Museum

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration and Welcome Breakfast Reception

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM: Opening Remarks – Setting the Stage for the Symposium

9:15 AM – 9:45 AM: Keynote Address – “My Fight for Russian-Speaking Jewry: Past, Present, Forever”

Speaker: Zev Yaroslavsky (Fmr. Los Angeles City Councilmember, LA County Supervisor, and Soviet Jewry activist and leader)

9:45 AM – 10:00 AM: Morning Nosh Break on the Rooftop

10:00 AM – 11:00 PM: Panel Discussion #1

Topic: Refuseniks and Activists (USSR)
This panel will be a platform for the personal stories of resistance, struggle, and triumph in the face of Soviet repression by Jews living in the USSR. Together, they will discuss the efforts within the Soviet Union that helped secure the freedom of Soviet Jewry and the lasting impact of this movement on human rights advocacy.

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM: Panel Discussion #2

Topic: Jewish Leaders in the Free Soviet Jewry Movement (USA)
This panel will bring together American activists who played key roles in the Soviet Jewry movement. Demonstrating transnational solidarity through coordination with Refuseniks, aid travel to the USSR, and organizing pressure campaigns against US politicians, these leaders played an outsized role in amplifying the cause of Soviet Jews and setting a powerful precedent for grassroots activism in human rights movements globally.

12:15 PM – 1:45 PM: Lunch Break w/ Optional Curator-Led Tour of the Wende’s Samizdat and Russian-Speaking Jewry Collections @1:30pm

Details: Catered kosher lunch in the sculpture garden with fireside and fountain-side seating
Location: Victor Family Garden Terrace

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM: Panel Discussion #3

Topic: Researching the Past: Opportunities and Obstacles to Providing Access to Scholars and Students
This panel will address the experiences of leading academics and institutional leaders in accessing and studying artifacts and archives of Soviet Jewry and the related activist movement. Discussions will highlight efforts made with available archival material, alongside reflections on challenges like restricted access and preservation concerns. The panel aims to give insight into ways these materials can be made more accessible for scholars and students in order to expand and deepen our knowledge of the movement and to draw connections between the past and the present.

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Special Presentation – Unveiling a New Global Research Portal

Presenter: Julie Chervinsky (Director of the Blavatnik Archives Foundation)

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Panel Discussion #4

Topic: Sharing the Past: Engaging the General Public and Future Generations
This panel will spotlight the work of philanthropic and cultural leaders who have had significant impact on Jewish life in the United States over the last several decades. The panelists will discuss strategies for leveraging the lessons of the Soviet Jewry movement to mobilize their communities in the present day, ensuring that the past continues to inform and invigorate contemporary efforts for justice and unity.

4:45 PM – 5:00 PM: Closing Remarks – “Where do we go from here?”

Speaker: Mark B. Levin (CEO, National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry)

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Sunset Drinks & Dinner in Garden

Details: Light bites and vodka-infused cocktails for event attendees. Curated Jewish music by Dr. David MacFadyen (Professor of Musicology, Music Industry, and Comparative Literature, UCLA).
Location: Victor Family Garden Terrace

Friday, January 24th, 2025 – Curator-led Tour at the Skirball

Location: Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Time: Noon – 3pm

Join Wende Museum staff and symposium participants for a curator-led tour of the Skirball Cultural Center’s permanent exhibition, Visions and Values: Jewish Life from Antiquity to America.

Additional Exhibitions on Display:

Diane von Furstenberg: Woman Before Fashion
On the National Language: The Poetry of America’s Endangered Tongues
Ancient Wisdom for a Future Ecology: Trees, Time, and Technology

Contact Michael Balot-Garza at mbalotgarza@wendemuseum.org in advance to RSVP.

Saturday, January 25th, 2025 – Soviet Jewry Archival Community Access Event

Location: Glorya Kaufman Community Center at the Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230
Time: 11am – 3pm

The Digital Collections team at the Wende is hosting a community access event for the public to interact with and study archival materials from the Wende’s Soviet Jewry archives. Participants may reserve time at different stations of materials organized thematically, and culturally-informed, Russian-speaking volunteers from the community will be made available to assist with translations. Additionally, Laura Bialis’s 2007 documentary Refusenik will be screening on-loop in the A-Frame Theater throughout the day.

**Saturday, January 25th, 2025 – Refusenik Film Screening w/ Director Q&A**

Location: A-Frame Theater – the Glorya Kaufman community Center at the Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230
Time: 7pm – 10pm

The Wende Museum will be hosting a screening of Laura Bialis’s 2007 feature-length documentary Refusenik, following by a Q&A with the director. This event will be open to the public, and popcorn and other light refreshments will be provided.

Monday January 27th, 2025 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day Tour

Location: Holocaust Museum LA, 100 Grove Dr, Los Angeles, 90036
Time: 11am – 12:30pm

Marking the liberation of Auschwitz, Holocaust Remembrance Day is a time to reflect on the deep losses of the Holocaust. The Wende extends an invitation to join a private tour of Holocaust Museum LA in commemoration.

Contact Michael Balot-Garza at mbalotgarza@wendemuseum.org in advance to RSVP.

Find your place in Culver City at The Shay, a unique hotel buzzing with the city’s creative energy. Warm and eclectic comforts can be found throughout: pop-up shops in the lobby, soft crackling sounds from the lobby fire pit, and rooftop socials on a pool deck overlooking downtown Los Angeles. Here, inventive living spaces mix with fun, quirky, and casual for an intimate house party vibe. The ideal spot to recharge and engage, our hotel lets you experience Culver City like a local.

Use the provided link to receive a discounted rate, exclusively for Wende symposium attendees.

Restaurants

Margot – Rooftop restaurant with a market driven Coastal Mediterranean menu, regional wines and craft cocktails, located across the street from the Shay Hotel, at the Platform

Simonette – Upmarket bistro with a charming patio serving classic French fare & craft cocktails, plus set menus, located in downtown Culver City, about .6 mi /1 km from the Shay

Canopy Club – All-day poolside restaurant & bar, located on the roof of the Shay Hotel

Coffee

Blue Bottle Coffee – located across the street from the Shay Hotel, at the Platform

Equator Coffee – located just north of the Shay, on the same block

Philz Coffee – located in downtown Culver City, about .6 mi /1 km from the Shay

Drinks

Los Angeles Ale Works – brewery, located just north of the Shay, on the same block

Culver Hotel – boutique historic hotel, also serves food, located in downtown Culver City, about .6 mi /1 km from the Shay

Shuttle service between The Shay Hotel and the Wende Museum will be available throughout the symposium weekend. Additional details will be provided soon.

Contact

MICHAEL BALOT-GARZA
MBALOTGARZA@WENDEMUSEUM.ORG
310-216-1600 EXT311

DONOVAN CLEGGETT
DEVELOPMENT@WENDEMUSEUM.ORG
310-216-1600 EXT301