NCSJ

The National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ) is a U.S.-based organisation which describes its mission as "to safeguard the individual and communal political rights of Jews living in the former Soviet Union and to secure their religious and political freedoms".[1]

Mission

On its website NCSJ states that it "actively monitors compliance by the governments of the former Soviet Union in the areas of free emigration and religious and cultural rights, and also monitors closely developments related to anti-Semitism in the Soviet successor states. NCSJ also works closely and cooperatively with all branches of government, particularly the White House, Department of State, Congress and the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission) in order to further our goals. For years, Operation Lifeline, which was quietly operated by NCSJ, has provided a continuing flow of materials, kosher food, and religious and cultural objects to Soviet Jews."[2]

Presenters to NCSJ events

In a section of its website headed "Look who's talking ... to NCSJ" the organisation lists presenters to seminars it has organised as including:

• Mary Warlick – Director, Office of Russian Affairs, U.S. State Department
• Stephen R. Sestanovich – Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
• Lynn Pascoe – Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
• Steven Pifer – Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
• Paula J. Dobriansky – Under Secretary of State
• Vladimir Slutsker – Duma member and President, Russian Jewish Congress
• Edward O'Donnell – U.S. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues
• George Voinovich – (Senator R-Ohio)
• Alcee Hastings – (Rep. D-Florida), President, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
• Steny Hoyer – (Rep. D-MD), House Minority Whip
• Robert Wexler – (Rep. D-Florida), Ranking Member, House International Relations Subcommittee on Europe
• Chris Smith – (Rep. R-New Jersey), Chairman, U.S. Helsinki Commission
• Igor Branovan President and Founder, Russian American Jews for Israel
• Carlos Pascual – Coordinator for U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia, Department of State
• Amir Shaviv – Assistant Executive Director for Special Operations, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
• A. Elizabeth Jones – Assistant Secretary of State
• Daniel Fried– National Security Council

Source

Directors and Personnel

• Robert J. Meth – Chairman;
• Joel M. Schindler – President;
• Mark B. Levin
• Lesley Weiss
• David S. Shulman
• Judith Turkeltaub
• Masha Bolotinskaya
• Harold Paul Luks – former Chairman

Contact

NCSJ
2020 K Street, NW, Suite 7800,
Washington, D.C. 20006
Phone: (202) 898-2500
Fax: (202) 898-0822
Email: ncsj AT ncsj.org
Web site: www.ncsj.org