*

THE CAMPAIGN TO SUMMIT II

A GUIDE TO COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION FOR SOVIET JEWRY

NATIONAL JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS ADVISORY COUNCIL

443 PARK AVENUE SOUTH NEW YORK, N.Y. 10016 (212) 684-6950

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION THE G AT H E R I N G IN WASHINGTON

1 3

F O R M I N G A C O M M U N I T Y TA S K F O R C E F O R S U M M I T I I 5 Stimulating ESSENTIALS Campaign Pledge Petition Climactic Send-Off I N V O LV I N G Ad Hoc THE Card OF Local A Committees C A M PA I G N 6 7 7 8 9 Event 10 11 12 12 13 14 16 17 19 21 22 23

COMMUNITY Kick-Off

Campaign Drive

Community to

Washington WHOLE for COMMUNITY Soviet Jewry

Committees faith the

Inter In SPEAKERS OTHER

Coalitions Schools BUREAUS

SUGGESTED THE Advertising TO SUMMIT

PROGRAMS MEDIA -. II AND BEYOND

AT T R A C T I N G Paid CONCLUSION: APPENDIX

M AT E R I A L S Y O U C A N E X P E C T I N T H E F U T U R E 2 6

THE CAMPAIGN TO SUMMIT II: A GUIDE TO COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION FOR SOVIET JEWRY INTRODUCTION

In November 1985, in Geneva, Switzerland, President Reaqan rnet with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the rst summit meetihq in six vears between the heads of the two most powerful nations on earth.. In a meetihq that appears to have generated wore in the way of style than substance, the two leaders did reach at least one signicant agreement: to meet again, in the united States in 1986, and in the Soviet Union the following year. A swrmit conference in the United States will provide an exceptional ooportunity to illuminate the cause of Soviet Jewry to the American public. How to do that in each community is the purpose of this guide, which was prepared by the National Jewish Cormunitv Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC) at the request of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ). The material included here reoresents a synthesis of some 20 years experience working for Soviet Jewry by the National Conference (the umbrella body for Soviet Jewry) and bv NJOWZ, which served as the secretariat of the American Jewish Conference on Soviet Jewry (the predecessor organization to the NCSJ from 1965-71), and afterwards, as the agency charged with coordinating and stimulating commnity activity in behalf of Soviet Jews. This long campaign of advocacy has had a profound impact, most signicantlv the emigration of more than 250,000 Soviet Jews, and the strengthening of the resolve among those active in the aliyah movement who remain behind in the Soviet Uhion.l* In the United States, this campaign has fostered widespread sensitivity to the issue among public ofcials on all levels, as evidenced bv the fact that every president since Kennedy has spoken forcefully on behalf of Soviet Jews * /. The result is that the human rights of Soviet Jewrv is an important issue in negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Uhion.i. Summit II provides a new opportunity to expose the plight of Soviet Jewrv at a time when the media will be open to exploring issues relating to U.S'.kSoviet relations.. It is a chance to activate those many people who are alreadv con cerned about the oppression of Soviet Jewrv but who need to feel that their actions can and do make a difference. Prior to the Geneva summit, to ensure that the concern of American Jewry, and many other Americans of conscience, was clear to both the American and Soviet governments, a campaign of public events, use of the media, and direct corrmmicat ions to the governments concerned was organized. NJCRAC's report on the activities waged bv comnmities in this camoaiqn can be found in the Appendix. Since Geneva, the Gorbachev regime has continued the pattern of its prede cessors in the treatment of Jewish activists. On the one hand, a few well-known Refuseniks, many of them the focus of years of activity in the West in thei* behalf, have been allowed to emigrate.. On the other hand, harassment, arrests, and imprisonment of Jewish' cultural educators, Hebrew teachers in particular,

-2have not abated; indeed, thev have increased.. As Anatoly Shcharanskv warned soon after his release from the Soviet Union in a prisoner exchanqe, "The usual prac tice for the Soviet authorities, whenever they make a concession, is to follow it up with repression against those who could take advantage of it. Che difference in the period before Summit II as compared to the months before the Geneva summit will have resulted from the renewal of U.B.rUSSR cultural exchanges, agreed to at Geneva, bringing manv more Soviet cultural, academic, and athletic groups for tours of the United States. As NJCRAC has recommended in the past, communities should be prepared to take advantage of the presence of such visiting Soviet groups to appropriated, peacefully and responsibly highlight the plight of Soviet Jewry. The period before Summit II, then, provides a special opportunity to focus the public spotlight on the struggle of Soviet Jewry. The period will require a commitment of community resources and devotion concomitant to that w^iich Soviet Jews themselves exhibit in their quest for freedom..

-3THE GATHERING IN WASHINGTON The Soviet Jewry movement in the United States will have its best oppor tunity to demonstrate the meaning and justice of its cause to the widest possible audience when Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his entourage arrive here for Summit II. The American public and media, the Reagan Administration, world public opinion, even the Soviets, will be expecting a massive expression of that concern. Thus, the critical need for a great national mobilization in Washington. The American Jewish community, and others who share our concern for Soviet Jewry, will be called upon to come to Washington in great numbers: caravans of buses converging on Washington from the many Jewish communities along the Eastern seaboard; a special "Freedom Train" wending its way down the Northeast corridor; chartered aircraft ying planeloads of committed activists from cities from throughout the country. Each bus, train, plane sent off from com munities at public ceremonies involving prominent local dignitaries and with appropriate fanfare. They will gather, on the Sunday morning before the summit, at staging points inside Washington and march to the scene of the rally. There, leaders of the struggle, leading public ofcials, former Refuseniks, prominent artists, writers, and entertainers will each, in his or her own way, tell the story of Soviet Jewry and expose to the spotlight of world opinion the repression they suffer. The day will demonstrate the commitment not only of the participants but also of the many others who could not come to Washington. The participants will return home that evening knowing their presence sent a dramatic message to the President of the United States and the Secretary General of the Soviet Communist Party: that the plight of Soviet Jewry is a vital concern of all Americans

-uWhether or not the President and Mr. Gorbachev actually meet in Washington on the day chosen for this demonstration, the eyes of the world will already be focussed on the capital with the presence of thousands of journalists'repre senting media from every area of the world. Thus, the echoes of the crowds demonstrating for Soviet Jewry will be heard world-wide, and, particularly, in the White House. . . and in the Kremlin. This is the vision of a day in Washington, a most important day for Soviet Jewry. The key to its success will be organization, organization, organization. In each community, hard organizational work must begin many months in advance. CRCs, as the community relations instrumentality of each organized community, must begin now by organizing a local task force representing all segments of the community to mobilize for the summit, and by stimulating committees in each local organization. Program by program, they should give the issue high visibi lity for many weeks before the summit and foster the right mood in the communitygetting people talking about Soviet Jews, thinking about going to Washington, getting them to want to go, and convinced that: 1) 2) 3) 4) Soviet Jews are suffering unique denials and repressions. Summit II can have an impact on their condition. Demonstrations in America can affect Soviet government policy American government advocacy for Soviet Jewry will be made credible by the demonstrable backing of large masses in Washington at the time of the summit. 5) Each individuals presence is a key to having those masses in place. 6) By coming to Washington, their devotion of one day to Soviet Jewry will make a difference. The suggested programs outlined in this guide are designed to create that sense of excitement and urgency needed to project to the Soviet government, and our own, that the plight of Soviet Jewry is a burning national concern. These programs should also be seen as a vehicle for triggering other innovative and imaginative community plans of action for the period between now and the summit.

-5FORMING A COMMUNITY TASK FORCE FOR SUMMIT II Development of a community plan of action requires the creation of pro gramming that will not only spark the latent concerns of the Jewish community but is also highly visible. Thus, any programming must be designed to stimulate maximum media coverage. As much as possible, programming should be planned well in advance. There is, therefore, much to be done well before the date of Summit II is announced. Indeed,-once the date is set, there may very well be little lead time, perhaps only several months, so everything should be in place before the announcement of the summit. To achieve the maximum effort from every member of the community, and to guarantee the largest number of people possible in Washington, organiza tion on the local level must begin immediately. First and foremost, each CRC, with the cooperation of the Federation, should form a Community Task Force for Summit II. The membership should include the top leader-ship of the Federation and other local Jewish organizations and synagogues, as well as the CRC. Interested non-Jewish leaders should also be invited to participate. The Task Force should be launched through a media event (more about that further on). The Task Force should include many members who enhance its prestige and prominence. Care must be taken to also have a membership capable of carrying out its responsibilities, which should include: * Planning the community's campaign Setting goals; preparing and imple menting a calendar of events building up to the summit; assigning and coor dinating organizational responsibilities; handling media relations. * Coordinating logistics to Washington Securing from each local Jewish organization a rm commitment on the specic number of people each will attempt to get to Washington; determining the best and most economic means of

-6-

transportation to Washington for a large number; gathering and making available information on such transportation (rates for charters, how much advance notice is required for charters, etc.); booking charters, etc. * Serving as liaison to NJCRAC and NCSJ As a first step, the names of the Task Force chair and key support staff should be communicated as soon as possible to the NJCRAC and NCSJ, with these two agencies in turn serving as centers of resources for the communities, backed up by their national member agencies and the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds and national United Jewish Appeal. Prominent community leaders should be brought into the mobilization drive using, when needed, contacts by the Federation president and executive director. These contacts will be reinforced by the CJF and national UJA, whose leaders will be appealing to their top laypeople in each community for their involvement. To back up these approaches, call upon NJCRAC for assistance, including resource p e o p l e t o c o n d u c t b r i e n g s o f t h e s e i n d i v i d u a l s o n t h e i s s u e a n d t h e s t r a t e g y. With a community-wide Task Force in place, attention should turn to stimu lating similar committees devoted to the summit in every Jewish organization in the community community centers, synagogues, men's clubs, sisterhoods, lodges, chapters, and. posts. A division of responsibilities on a coordinated basis will multiply the number of programs for Soviet Jews. Larger groups, par ticularly those with staff, should be asked to undertake specic tasks or p r o g r a m s f o r t h e e n t i r e c o m m u n i t y. O r g a n i z a t i o n s w i t h f e w e r r e s o u r c e s c a n f o s t e r awareness of the issue among their members through presentations at their meetings and in mailings to their memberships. An important goal is to make sure that, at the very least, everyone afliated in some way with a Jewish organization is reached with the message that Soviet Jews need his or her pre sence in Washington.

-7ESSENTIALS OF A COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN With a task force in place and planning underway, communities should begin programming in advance of the announcement of the summit date. Then, in the twoto three-month period between the announcement and the holding of the summit, every community should conduct a parade of events that will build to the summit climax, giving it a true national character. Like a fundraising campaign, this mobilization drive should have a beginning, middle and end, involving, at minimum, an opening Campaign Kick-Off, pledge card commitments to go to Washington, a petition drive, a climactic community event, and the Send-Off to Washington. Campaign Kick-Off The Campaign Kick-Off is designed to present to the public a united front of leaders from throughout the community who will pledge their support for Soviet Jewry and promise to publicize their plight in the weeks leading up to the summit. If the Task Force has not already been formally introduced to the public through a press conference, this event is an appropriate time. If that's been done, then a way should be found to again publicize the Task Force and make clear the urgency of the Soviet Jewry issue in the period before the summit. Possible components include: * Community conference. A community-wide conference on Soviet Jewry and the summit mobilization provides an ideal opportunity for launching the Task Force. * Media attention will be enhanced by the participation in the event by someone who has a natural press entourage such as the governor, senator, or mayor. If a press conference is held, the ofce of a high ofcial would be a helpful setting.

-8* A Declaration of Solidarity or Call to Action signed in a public ceremony by the presidents of each of the major local Jewish organizations and others who wish to sign could be a key component of any event launching the campaign.

Pledge Card Campaign A pledge card campaign, asking individuals to make formal commitments to attend the Washington mobilization, borrows from the use of pledges in fundraising by synagogues to suggest that going to Washington is something that s h o u l d b e v i e w e d a s a d u t y s i m i l a r t o g i v i n g c h a r i t y. The cards could be the size of postcards and include a simple text. For example: "I pledge to be in Washington for Soviet Jewry when Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev comes to the United States for Summit II. Please send me information about the mobilization in Washington, scheduled for ," followed by space for the signer to include his or her name, address, and telephone number. * In synagogues, pledge cards would be a familiar item. Especially appropriate would be to distribute them over Yom Kippur, when congregants expect t o m a k e p l e d g e s f o r f u n d r a i s i n g a p p e a l s . To a v o i d c o n f u s i o n w i t h f u n d r a i s i n g pledge cards, the mobilization cards could be placed at a table before Kol Nidre and the next day after the fast ends, both times when all congregants could sign them immediately and turn the cards in. * In meetings of all Jewish organizations, the pledge cards could be distributed for immediate action by members, prefaced with an introductory appeal by the chairman or other speaker. * On a community-wide basis, the amassing of pledge card commitments can be publicized in the same way the community makes known the status of its fundraising drives. Regular public updates on the number of people^who have made

-9coramitments to go to Washington would created a sense of excitement, especially if if the numbers approach a goal which was set in advance and considered attainable.
Petition Drive The goal of a national petition drive is to amass the signatures of thousands of Americans on a document expressing their concern over Soviet Jewry. The peti tion will be addressed to President Reagan, thanking him for his past support of Soviet Jewry and asking him to again raise the issue during Summit II. The drive will be launched by the National Conference on Soviet Jewry and coordinated by NJCRAC. The communities may be asked to stage an intensive campaign over a short and clearly-dened time, so as to maximize its impact. This period will likely coincide with that of the High Holidays, which provides several natural times to make use of synagogues: the rst night of Selichot (Saturday, September 27) and Yom Kippur (have petitions signed as congregants break their fasts). * The petition drive should be launched through a media event that might include such variations as the signing by prominent individuals, such as the governor, senator or mayor; or the heads of major denominational bodies and the diocese; or by all members of the city council, or, better still, all the members of the state legislature. An enlarged version of the petition can serve as a backdrop to such an event. * Blitzing the community to get the maximum number of signatures on one day will attract publicity. Volunteers can be set up at tables at busy corners down town, in shopping centers, colleges, major ofce complexes, public squares, and parks. * Targeting various groups on specic days is another approach. For example, pick a Sunday to have every church in the community distribute the petitions among its congregants. Attempt to gather the signature of every

-10teacher or government worker on a given day, with the help of these groups' unions. Special attention should be paid to teachers because of the crackdown on Soviet Jewish Hebrew teachers. Other possibilities include: senior citizens t h r o u g h t h e i r c e n t e r s ; s c h o o l c h i l d r e n t h r o u g h d a y, a f t e r n o o n a n d S u n d a y s c h o o l s ; members of the clergy; academics in fact, any group with a separateness clear to the media and easily accessible. The media should be alerted to all such attempts and told of the results (even if 100 percent of a given group is not a c h i e v e d , t h e e ff o r t i s n e w s w o r t h y ) . K e e p i n m i n d e v e n t s t h a t l e n d t h e m s e l v e s to the camera. * F i n a l l y, t h e p e t i t i o n d r i v e s h o u l d h a v e a p r e - a n n o u n c e d c l o s i n g w i t h a n appropriate event of interest to the visual media. This can include the peti tions being forwarded to Washington by a member of Congress or other prominent o f c i a l , o r a P o s t - O f c e e v e n t w i t h t h e l o c a l P o s t m a s t e r. Climactic Community Event This event, held in the week just before the summit, when interest in the summit and related issues will be high, is an opportunity to focus the entire community's attention on the Soviet Jewry issue. The media, replete with specu lation on the summit, may be especially receptive. Various formats should be considered: * Former refuseniks, now living in Israel, will be made available to the communities in this period. A community should plan to host one of these refuseniks in one or more events over a day or two, billing the refusenik's presence as an opportunity for a knowledgeable Soviet Jew to provide the truth about the status of those he or she left behind in the Soviet Union. On the national level, these refuseniks' tours might be designated as "truth squads." * A gathering of local public ofcials, other prominent citizens, and perhaps representatives of the groups in the community task force and other

- 11 concerned organizations, could be held to demonstrate the wide public support that the issue of Soviet Jewry enjoys. * A community assembly could use a "Town-Hall Meeting" format,'providing for expressions of concern from the oor by representatives of key segments of the community. * The event is an appropriate time for the presentation of resolutions of support from city councils, state legislatures and other deliberative bodies. * Such an event can also incorporate the completion of various other programs, such as the Petition Drive (with the completed petitions being sent on to Washington) and various contests (if any essay contest is held in the schools, the winners can read their works at the event, etc.) * Bearing in mind that this is the last chance for publicity related to the Washington mobilization, an additional component of this event could be the formal designation of the community's staging point for those going to Washington. If it can be arranged, the street used for this purpose could be renamed, at least temporarily, for a well-known refusenik. A large banner or slogan can also be erected above the street or placed on a major Jewish community institution. Send-Off to Washington If a large contingent is travelling together to Washington, a gathering to see them off can give them a sense of doing something important and also provide a connection with the event for those who are remaining behind. Most important, it provides a focus for the local media. In this way, even before the arrival of many people in Washington, the media will already be carrying coverage of the departure. That, in itself, will arouse further media interest.

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INVOLVING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY At all times, the struggle for Soviet Jewry must reach beyond the Jewish community into the wider public arena. But in times of emergencyand the weeks before Summit II can be considered an emergency due to the event's potential major impact on the lives of Soviet Jewsa special effort must be made to e n l i s t t h e c o o p e r a t i o n o f m a n y d i ff e r e n t k i n d s o f p e o p l e w h o m i g h t b e w i l l i n g t o intensively work for the cause for a short period of time. One obvious source of involvement is to make use of peer group relationships, as in Federation fundraising campaigns. "Ad Hoc Committees for Soviet Jewry" could be organized among groups with special connections to the issue. Examples include: lawyers, with emphasis on the abuse of Soviet law to persecute Jews; artists, writers, musicians and other performers who can publicize the fact that artwork and other creative materials on Jewish themes are forbidden distribution and display in the Soviet Union; and teachers, who can gain sympathy among their members for the persecuted Soviet Jewish Hebrew teachers. Wider appeals can be made to those who would feel a natural sympathy for the enforced break-ups of Soviet Jewish families through arrests and selective permission to emigrate; such an appeal could be made to parents through PTA's, and to senior citizens through their centers. Any such committees which are formed, and existing organizationsboth Jewish and secularwhich become involved in the mobilization, should be encouraged to consider a variety of programs: * At least one meeting of the group should be devoted to Soviet Jewry during t h e p r e - s u m m i t p e r i o d . A s p e a k e r, s i g n i n g o f p e t i t i o n s , a n d a c a l l t o a t t e n d t h e Washington mobilization might be featured. * Adoption of a Refusenik who matches the group's particular interest could b e u n d e r t a k e n . T h i s h e l p s p e r s o n a l i z e t h e p l i g h t o f S o v i e t J e w r y, a n d , i f f o l l o w e d through, would stimulate continued interest by the group after the summit.

-13* The leadership of various groups should be asked to sign ads, participate in a "Town-Hall meeting" or similar event, and lead delegations of their colleagues in Washington. The pre-summit period is also a good time to organize interfaith coalitions for Soviet Jewry or make use of those which already exist. Concerned members of the clergy, and other individuals afliated with religious bodies, have many times in the past been brought into the struggle. Attempts should be made to get Protestant and Catholic denominational bodies and central agencies to ask their member churches to devote time and personnel to the mobilization, to sponsor edu cational programs, and to attend the community-wide programs. As a group, members of the clergy might be organized to hold a study and/or prayer session for Soviet Jewry. Churches, as well as synagogues, Jewish community centers, senior centers, and similar institutions should be used as building blocks for bringing people to the Washington mobilization. They can be asked to provide a quota of participants and also of volunteers for various other efforts. * Rabbis, ministers, and priests should be encouraged to devote sermons to the issue, and, in the period before the summit, to make a direct appeal to their congregants to go to Washington. * A silent vigil or candlelighting ceremony is an especially appropriate ceremony for a synagogue or church. * As mentioned in the earlier section on the Petition Drive, a special day or weekend could also be picked out for a drive by the institution to get signa tures on the petition. * Similarly, pledge cards can be used in many synagogues and in other i n s t i t u t i o n s , a s o u t l i n e d e a r l i e r.

-14* A reunion of former bar and bat mitzvah twins would be appropriate in synagogues at this time. Those former twins who have continued corresponding with their Soviet Jewish counterparts could receive awards, and the* correspon d e n c e c o u l d b e p r i n t e d i n t h e l o c a l J e w i s h p a p e r. A t e l e p h o n e c a l l c o u l d b e placed to a former Refusenik twin now living in Israel. * Interfaith services and days of prayer were a prominent type of program used in 1985 just before the Geneva Summit. These programs can be repeated during the weekend before Summit II and will be enhanced by the excitement that the convening of the summit in the United States is certain to generate. On the college campus a special committee should be.set up to campaign for Soviet Jewry; similarly for high-school students. A one-day teach-in could include presentations by academics, informed students and lay people. This event, of course, draws on the models of those held in the Vietnam war era and can be run successfully with a relatively small group of dedicated participants. In religious schools, children provide a well of enthusiasm which can be used very effectively in the pre-summit period. Because of their creativity and devotion, children are capable of creating programs that will be of interest to the larger c o m m u n i t y. M o r e o v e r, t h e y a r e e a s i l y a c c e s s i b l e t h r o u g h t h e s c h o o l s . F i n a l l y, they can be used as a conduit to get vital information to their parents. * Curricula on Soviet Jewry can be expected from various educators' groups. Coordination with the local Board of Jewish Education, or similar group, is required. * D r a m a t i z a t i o n s b y s c h o o l c h i l d r e n f o r a p a r e n t , o r b r o a d e r, a u d i e n c e s h o u l d b e e n c o u r a g e d . Th i s c a n i n c l u d e c o n tr i b u ti o n s b y tw i n s a n d fo r m e r tw i n s , who can read from their correspondence or present information about their adopted families. Older children can research particular Refusenik families and other

-15aspects of Soviet Jewry. A contest on a community-wide basis for the best such dramatization would create excitement. * An essay contest would serve a similar function. Both factual and c tional material can be used. Similarly, a poster contest. * Some youngsters can be newsworthy because of their age. In Cleveland, to mark the release of Anatoly Shcharansky, youngsters who were born the same year Shcharansky was sentenced to jail were primed with information arid presented to the media. A similar idea could be used for several age groups, each matched with a Refusenik still in the Soviet Union. * Coordination with various student groups such as the Synagogue and Zionist Youth Groups, and Jewish fraternities and sororities on colleges would enhance all this programming. In schools and other community buildings, bulletin boards devoted to Soviet Jewry should be placed in prominent locations. Up-to-date material should be posted on these bulletin boards, including the latest emigration gures, pro les of Refuseniks, Soviet Jewry newsletters from local and national agencies, relevant op-ed material that appears locally and nationally, and updates on the community campaign. * A large sign with a catchy slogan can be erected on the buildings of various institutions.

-16SPEAKERS BUREAUS Speakers should be arranged so that every Jewish organization in the com munity which meets in the period before the summit hears a presentation about Soviet Jewry. Interested non-Jewish organizations, particularly church and civic groups, should also be approached. Contact NJCRAC for availability of speakers on the national level. Resources available locally, however, should not be overlooked. These include: local academics, elected ofcials who have been to the Soviet Union or met with former Refuseniks in Israel, rabbis and educators. * Former travellers to the Soviet Union are a particularly good source because they can report their rst-hand information. In fact, former travellers, whether their visits with Refuseniks are recent or date back several years, can be brought together for a separate event in which they are summoned to a "Recommitment to the Cause." * A variation in the placement of speakers would be to organize the dif ferent presentations into something larger through a lecture series. Give it a unifying theme, city-wide publicity, and perhaps a name (such as "The Ida Nudel or Iosef BegunLecture Series on the Reppression of Soviet Jewry"). Such a program would be especially appropriate for Jewish community centers.

-17OTHER SUGGESTED PROGRAMS The core programming outlined in an earlier section is designed to provide the minimum elements in a Campaign to Summit II, directed by the Community Task Force and the CRC. It can be assumed, however, that in most communities, the interest and enthusiasm generated by the approaching summit will warrant the development of a wide range of additional, sometimes more complex and expensive, programming that will reach a wider audience. A community-wide study day could reect the fact that small groups are the means by which Soviet Jews are learning about their language, religion and heri tage, by bringing together interested Americans in tribute to the courage of these Soviet Jewish activists. Parlor meetings and the like could feature par ticipants reviewing books, researching various topics, and writing letters to Refuseniks. Dramatic presentations of various types should be considered for use during other events, or in their own right as the focus of a gathering. * Readings of letters and statements by Refuseniks should be distributed for use at the opening of meetings of every Jewish organization between now and the summit, followed by "A Call to Come to Washington" to stand up for Soviet Jews. Such appeals should be joined to the handing out of pledge cards to attend the Washington mobilization and the circulation of petitions. * A media event could be the staging of a trial of a Refusenik based on materials available from an actual trial. Use a local courtroom and volunteer attorneys and a judge for maximum impact. * Another powerful format involves a hearing on the status of Soviet Jewry with testimony from a former Refusenik, experts on the Soviet Union, and former

-18travellers to the Soviet Union. Have the session presided over by one or more members of Congress and hold it, if possible, in a courtroom, city council chamber, or similar location. * The songs, poetry and other artistry of Soviet Jews can be presented at a public location by prominent local artists, perhaps members of the symphony orchestra, local theater group, or academics. Contests can interest many people. Hold a contest for essays pertaining to the summit and Soviet Jewry. The winning entries can be announced and read at the "Town-Hall meeting" or similar event. * A rafe reaches an even wider, less afliated audience. A community could rafe off plane tickets to the Washington mobilization, with the prots used to subsidize the travel of students to the mobilization. Some mass events will reach individuals with commitments to specic causes. Runners will be attracted to a freedom run. Other athletes can be organized for similar events, for example, an exhibition baseball or football game with the price of admission being the signing of a pledge card to go to Washington.

-19ATTRACTING THE MEDIA Use of the media to publicize the plight of Soviet Jewry and the community's effort for Summit II is of prime importance. Attention must be paid to the editorial boards of newspapers, and radio and television stations, and also to the reporters who will cover local events and the summit. * Begin with a brieng for media leadership at the beginning of the summit campaign to outline the planned activities of the next couple of months and the Jewish community's goals, both locally and nationally. Such a brieng should be viewed as a separate event from a press conference announcing the summit campaign, which is a means of educating the general public, rather than the media leadership. * At any event linked to the summit, a brieng kit should be available for reporters. Include emigration statistics, a recent survey of the status of Soviet Jewry and information on the community's Task Force. NCSJ and NJCRAC will be distributing relevant materials. * Some media outlets may want to send a reporter with members of the com munity who are attending the Washington mobilization. Try to make arrangements to have one such reporter join the group, or possibly encourage a newspaper to designate someone who is attending to act as a "stringer" who will call in a s t o r y. * Brief those reporters who are covering the summit in Washington. Make sure they understand the interest "back home" in Soviet Jewry, and they will be more likely to pay attention to the issue's links to the summit in their reporting. They will also be thankful for the background when Soviet Jewry is given play by the national media. * The local Jewish media should receive attention. The editor could be brought onto the Summit II Task Force and should certainly be pressed for regular

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coverage of the community effort, perhaps through a page or section of a page headed by the community's campaign logo. A regular column for a weekly newspaper could be put together with contributions by local academics, clergy and former travellers to the Soviet Union. NJCRAC and NCSJ will make available analyses and proles of Refuseniks which can be printed under the name of the Task Force chair and other ofcials. * Ask radio and television stations for Public Service Announcements for the Washington Mobilization. Radio and television programs sponsored by the Federation or by other Jewish groups should be used to explore the issues of the summit and Soviet Jewry through original programming, such as an interview with the Chair of the Community Task Force, or a call-in show with an authority on S o v i e t J e w r y. * A television station could be approached to run programming on Soviet J e w r y, e i t h e r p r o d u c e d t h r o u g h i t s o w n r e s o u r c e s o r a s a p u b l i c s e r v i c e c o n t r i bution to the CRC or Federation (with the Federation retaining control). Recent documentary material that can be used in such a program includes:

"Hirelings and Accomplices," the Soviet propaganda television show which accuses Refuseniks of working for Israeli and American imperialism; "The Jews of Moscow," aired by PBS last year, an independently produced lm which allows both Refuseniks and establishment Soviet Jewry community leaders to speak; "Shcharansky: The Struggle Continues," produced by the UJA, which celebrates Anatoly Shcharansky's release and recalls the many Refuseniks who remain behind. Each of these lms could be followed by a discussion by knowledgeable local gures including leaders of the community Task Force.

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Paid advertising will be useful during those times when it is desirable to get a message across clearly and without the ltering presence of a reporter and editors. * An advertising campaign devoted to the Washington mobilization should be pitched at those who might consider going but need to be told their presence is important. Appeals by recognizable local gures who would say they are planning t o a t t e n d w o u l d b e o f v a l u e . S i m i l a r l y, l o c a l p e e r g r o u p c o n n e c t i o n s c a n b e u s e d , as in an ad featuring a local Hebrew teacher who could mention the name of a j a i l e d S o v i e t J e w i s h H e b r e w t e a c h e r. A n e x a m p l e : " I ' m , I t e a c h H e b r e w a t t h e S c h o o l . F o r t h a t a c t i v i t y i n t h e S o v i e t U n i o n , Yu l i E d e l s h t e i n i s i n a S i b e r i a n l a b o r c a m p . I ' m g o i n g t o p r o t e s t i n Wa s h i n g t o n . W i l l y o u ? * Reprints of national ads should be used. Some ads can be localized, such a s b y r u n n i n g t h e n a m e s o f l o c a l c l e r g y w h o p a r t i c i p a t e d i n a l a r g e r, n a t i o n w i d e a d b y c l e r g y. * B i l l b o a r d s c a n e ff e c t i v e l y d e l i v e r m e s s a g e s a b o u t S o v i e t J e w i s h e m i g r a t i o n and the Washington event. Some communities have found that billboard ad agencies will make available unused billboard space as a public service. * Flyers should be made available to Jewish retailers, such as delis, butcher shops, restaurants, bookstores, gift shops, and the like. It may also be possible to have some businesses donate services to the campaign, such as a store which would permit information about Soviet Jewry and the Washington mobilization to be printed on its shopping bags. All of these approaches are designed to create a saturation campaign between now and the summit, so that wherever people go, they are confronted with the issue o f S o v i e t J e w r y.

-22CONCLUSION; TO SUMMIT II AND BEYOND If Summit II is a rare opportunity to publicize the issue of Soviet Jewry, it is also a challenge to our abilities to organize effectively. The programs in this guide are intended to serve as an illustration of how a community might wage its campaign and bring a large number of people to Washington. The immediate goals of this campaign are: to stimulate interest in the community about Soviet Jewry, provide necessary information, demonstrate that the summit can have an effect on their plight, and, nally, make people feel they should go to Washington. Summit II will not solve the problems of Soviet Jewry. At best we can hope that Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev will return home convinced he must accommodate the American demand for some improvements in their condition. But even the renewal of large-scale emigration will mean many more years of struggle as all Soviet Jews who wish to leave are given the opportunity to do so. Whether or not Summit II is held in the year ahead, the Summit II campaign will have many long-term benecial effects for the issue of Soviet Jewry in the community. Many of those who have become active during this period can be expected to remain interested. The rise in general awareness of the issue will provide attendance for events in the future, and even a few new activists who might otherwise never have been stimulated. Above all, the Summit II campaign will have stimulated a national expression of concern at a very low point in the conditions of Soviet Jewry. So, held or not, the campaign will have served a purpose.

-23APPENDIX

THE GENEVA SUMMIT: PROGRAM IDEAS FROM THE COMMUNITIES' RESPONSE When it was announced that President Reagan was going to Geneva to meet with Soviet leader Gorbachev in November, the response of American Jews was clear: the Summit would be a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the plight of Soviet Jewry and to make the point that an improvement in relations between the superpowers had to include a measure of change for this oppressed minority. So, as President Reagan prepared for his historic meeting, American Jewish com munities made their plans to keep the issue of Soviet Jewry in the public eye. MESSAGES TO MOSCOW They did it rst by organizing mass campaigns of messages to the President and the Soviets. Through telegrams, postcards, cables and petitions, the message was loud and clear: "Free Soviet Jews!" Residents in the Detroit area sent out 7,000 postcards... In San Diego, 1,500 postcards and letters were mailed out, many of them signed on one day at a community fair... In Los Angeles, delivery of some 5,000 letters was assured by students who brought them directly to the Soviet Consulate in San Francisco... Petition campaigns were organized in New York and in Dallas... Members of the National Executive Committee of the Jewish War Veterans signed on the dotted line on their own petition to President Reagan. In Clifton, New Jersey, a new telegram bank was given its debut with the "summit. San Antonians made sure their voice was heard by sending cablegrams to President Reagan and Gorbachev in Geneva... DEMONSTRA TIONS The President had already left for Geneva when residents of Washington gathered for a demonstration at Lafayette Park across from the White House. But they sent a message anyway, with a procession by the White House and around the Soviet Embassy. At that latter institution, about 40 teachers from Jewish schools had themselves arrested as part of a series of civil disobedience actions staged there in recent months (Nov. 17)... Two days later, 700 members of the National Council of Jewish Women staged -a silent vigil outside the Soviet Embassy (Nov. 19)... Vigils were the formats of events in a wide range of cities. Some examples: Bridgeport, Connecticut, at Sacred Heart University (Nov. 19)... Philadelphia, where Congressman Lawrence Coughlin showed videotapes of meetings with Refuseniks from a recent trip to the Soviet Union... Also: Miami (Nov. 18), Tucson (Nov. 19), and Dallas (Nov. 19)... The Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta was another seat of government that drew a rally. Political, religious and civic leaders gathered to proclaim "Freedom and Justice for Soviet Jews" (Nov. 19)... What better site to make a

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call for justice than from the steps of a courthouse? That was the idea in Sarasota, Florida (Nov. 18). There were many other rallies, not always in such dramatic places, of course, but the message was the same: In Los Angeles, Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin drew a big crowd (Nov. 18)... In Providence, school children made a big noise (Nov. 19)... A local rabbi who'd visited the Soviet Union told about his meetings with Refuseniks, in Binghamton, New York (Nov. 17). Not far away, Albany residents braved the cold (Nov. 19)... Among the other rallies: Orlando, Florida (Nov. 18); Fair Lawn, New Jersey (Nov. 18); Salt Lake City (Nov. 19)... SMALL CROWD DRAWS BIG PUNCH A lot of attention can be gained from just a small crowd, especially when it's in motion. That was the idea in Chicago, where rabbis, dressed in full devotional regalia, held a prayer service and then walked a mile through the downtown area (Nov. 18). A day later, the crowds turned out for a full-scale rally (Nov. 19)... The idea of calling on the aid of religious symbols and gures wasn't overlooked elsewhere. An ecumenical service in Wilmington, Delaware, pointed out that Soviet Jews must be a part of the discussion when world leaders meet to discuss the easing of tensions (Nov. 19)... Members of the Mormon- Church and the Catholic Diocese turned out for a candle lighting service and rally at the Jewish Community Center in Salt Lake City (Nov. 19)... Jacksonville, Florida, held an Interfaith service (Nov. 19)... Clergy were among the 150 attendees at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa (Nov. 17). Sometimes just a few selected leaders can make a big impression. That was - the case in Baltimore where members of Congress, the City Council, and the Maryland Legislature gathered at a press conference to wish President Reagan well in Geneva and "offer encouragement" to his raising the problems of Soviet Jews (Nov. 18)... A similar idea in Cleveland, where a press conference included Ohio Secretary of State Sherrod Brown, recently returned from the Soviet Union (Nov. 18)... In Portland, Oregon, legislators held a press conference to release copies of their letters to the President. The Oregon House Majority Leader, Shirley Gold, had recently visited the Soviet Union and she described her meetings with Refuseniks. The event galvanized several more legislators to "adopt" Refuseniks (Nov. 19)... Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis inaugurated a petition to the President by signing his name in a ceremony at his Boston ofce with members of the state legislature and the Boston Jewish com munity in attendance (Nov. 18)... A sample prayer was distributed in New York City for use by rabbis and other clergy. Members of all faiths also gathered for an interfaith Chanukah candlelighng ceremony at the Isaiah Wall opposite the United Nations (Noy. 18). And as in Washington, a peaceful mass arrest helped drive home the point in front of a Sovietfacilit?. This time it was the Soviet Embassy to the United Nations, where some 25 rabbis violated the rules about how close you can get during a demonstration. It was part of a larger city-wide rally (Nov. 19)... KID POWER FOR SOVIET JEWRY Kid power was the theme of events in several places. In Kansas City, they gathered for a Youth Plea (Nov. 19)... In New Brunswick, New Jersey, students

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from two day schools staged a vigil at the City Hall with prayers, songs and dramatic readings. Afterwards, they went next door to the Post Ofce where they mailed letters to their counterparts in the Soviet Union, the children of Refuseniks (Nov. 19)... In Washington, 500 sixth-grade students unanimously found the Soviet Union guilty of denying the rights of Soviet Jewry. Students from 19 area religious schools presented evidence at a mock trial (Nov. 3)... And in San Francisco, 80 chairs were left empty for Refusenik youngsters who couldn't join the rally by area students outside the Soviet Consulate. The stu dents had gathered some 2,000 letters protesting the mistreatment of Soviet Jews and slipped them under the locked doors of the Soviet facility. In another part of town, 13-year-olds who had recently been "twinned" with youngsters in the Soviet Union released balloons bearing the names of their wished-for-friends ( N o v. 1 9 ) . . . PROCLAMATIONS A host of civic leaders issued proclamations, and city councils and state legislatures passed resolutions, all calling on the President to remember Soviet Jews in Geneva. Among them: the mayors of Portland (Maine), St. Louis, Louisville, and Buffalo... the City Councils of Pittsburgh, Canton (Ohio) and Madison (Wisconsin)... the Governors of Virginia, Oklahoma, West Virginia, South Dakota, Arkansas, Georgia and Missouri... state legislatures in Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Ohio and Michigan. AIRING OF SOVIET TV PROPAGANDA VIDEO, ADS, ETC. News can be made with the helping hand of the media. That was the idea in Cincinnati where local reporters were invited to a discussion of Soviet antiSemitism, illustrated with a screening of "Hirelings and Accomplices," an anti-Zionist (and anti-Refusenik) lm aired recently on Soviet television (Nov. 8)... In Hartford, an editorial was solicited on the subject of Soviet Jewry and the summit... The participation of Tampa community members in a Soviet Jewry protest during the Council of Jewish Federations' General Assembly got coverage from a Tampa newspaper... Of course, buying an ad guarantees space in the papers. The New York Coalition to Free Soviet Jews drew up an adver tising campaign... Local leaders signed an advertisement that appeared in San Francisco's two big daily newspapers... St. Louis ran an ad in its papers... And many cities reprinted the ad NJCRAC ran in the Washington Post (with the help of the CRCs and Federations) of the letter to the President signed by 101 mayors, and the NCSJ ad of all 100 Senators' signatures.

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Materials You Can Expect in the Future from NJCRAC and/or NCSJ

List of Speakers Petition Text

Readings of letters and statements by Refuseniks Sample op-ed and letters-to-the-editor Sample manifesto to be signed by leaders at the Kick-Off Updated Prisoner of Conscience list

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