A Reunion Meeting of Former Dissidents, Human Rights Fighters, and "Refuseniks" from the Former Soviet Union

Organizer: The Gratitude Fund and The American Jewish Committee

On November 11, 2004, the Gratitude Fund organized a Reunion of Soviet Dissidents and their friends in New York. The Reunion was held at the American Jewish Committee Headquarters, in Manhattan. The event was attended by many prominent members of the Soviet Dissident movement, their families and friends: Vladimir Bukovsky, Eduard Kuznetsov, Yuri Yarim-Agaev, Alexander Yessenin-Volpin, Yuri Orlov, Tatiana Yankelevitch (daughter of Elena Bonner), Yuri Fedorov, Yulia Zaks, and others. The President of the Gratitude Fund, Yuri Fedorov, and Julia Zaks read the long list of their comrades who have passed away. In order to describe the current situation in Russia, Tatiana Yankelevitch read a letter from Elena Bonner that focused on the worsening situation with respect to human rights in the country.
The reunion was also an occasion to honor Yuri Orlov and Alexander Yessenin-Volpin who have recently turned 80.

For more information and pictures :

Gallery 1
Gallery 2

October 22-27, 2004

 AJC Solidarity Mission to Israel

We Stand with Israel !

This Solidarity Mission to Israel sought to demonstrate support for Israel and the Israeli people and learn about the current developments in Israel and the Middle East. The AJC delegation that included a dozen of Russian-speaking immigrants met with top officials, academics, and military experts: Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, former head of Mossad/former National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister Efraim Halevi, Mayor of Jerusalem Uri Lupolianski, members of Knesset, and Israel Institute for Democracy Director Dr. Arik Carmon. For more information and pictures; please CLICK HERE !

August 4, 2004

 Film Screening of Relentless: The Struggle for Peace in the Middle East.

June 22, 2004

  Russian Leaders' Dinner.

Keynote Speaker: David Harris - "Current World Developments"

June 14-16, 2004

 Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel

"Russian-speaking Jewry in the Modern World: Assimilation, Integration, and Communal Life."
Dr. Sam Kliger's Presentation: Russian Jews in America: Status, Identity, and Integration.

May 4-9, 2004

 98th Annual AJC Meeting and 11th Annual International Leadership Conference -- Washington, D.C.

AJC Moral Courage Award Recipient, Tatyana Sapunova.
Introduction by Dr. Daniel Igor Branovan, Co-Chair of AJC National Committee on Russian Jewish Community Affairs.

February 10, 2004

Opening Meeting of the 2004 NYC Leadership Training Program

Welcome address: Dr. Sam Kliger

Greetings from AJC Russian National Committee on Russian Jewish Community Affairs: Peyrets Goldmakher and Leonard Petlakh

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Steven Bayme -"Understanding Jewish History"