Soviet Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee: Propaganda, Advocacy, and a Call for Unity, 1941-1948

The Blavatnik Archive and the Center for Jewish History are excited to announce an exhibit on the complex and tragic story of the Soviet Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee and its chairman, the acclaimed Yiddish theater actor Solomon Mikhoels. The exhibit opened on October 15, 2023, in the Valentin Blavatnik Gallery, in conjunction with the symposium “Fighting Fascism: Jewish Responses from the Interwar Period to the Present.”

The Soviet Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee was created as a tool of World War II propaganda, but despite its limited mandate, its members—prominent writers, artists, journalists, and actors—increasingly felt their responsibility as Jewish representatives. As they published materials and organized rallies to raise support for the Soviet war effort and the USSR more broadly, they also attempted to advocate for Soviet Jews on a number of domestic issues, from the rising antisemitism to the need for a nationwide Yiddish newspaper.

Through photographs and other historical artifacts, the exhibit highlights notable moments in the committee’s history, from its founding to its 1943 American mission to the eventual persecution of its members.

Exhibit Closed

This exhibit closed on
Monday, June 3, 2024