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Alexander Smukler

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Alexander Smukler (born 1960) is a Soviet-born American businessman, who is the chairman of the board of Agroterminal LTD and the chairman of the board of Century 21: Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.[1][2][3] He is a former managing partner of Ariel Investment Group, which develops commercial enterprises and civil engineering projects in Russia.[4]

Alexander Smukler
Alexander Smukler
Born1960 (age 63–64)
Moscow, Soviet Union
NationalityAmerican
Known forNational Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry

Smukler is a former refusenik who advocated for the rights of Jews in the former Soviet Union.[5] He left the Soviet Union in 1991 and moved to the United States, where he became a prominent member of the American Jewish community and continued his activism on behalf of Jews from the former Soviet Union.[2]

Smukler was elected president of National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry in 2008.[2]

Early life

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The Smukler family's ancestry can be traced back for many generations in Russia.[6] The family history is the subject of a book called The Tsar’s Drummer: A Story of Courage and Resilience, published in 2019.[6] Smukler's mother was a doctor who worked in a space-related research program.[7]

Smukler began studying Hebrew in the late 1970s.[8] He completed undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Moscow University of Technology in civil construction.[9]

Activism in the Soviet Union

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Alexander Smukler (left) presents a samizdat copy of Exodus in Russian to author Leon Uris. Moscow, November 1989.

In the 1980s, Smukler participated in underground samizdat networks, expanding the variety of reading material available to Soviet Jews.[10] He applied for an exit visa in 1985.[8] He was refused permission to emigrate and forced to live on odd jobs.[11] Smukler supported his family by giving chess lessons.[6] He was a Hebrew student of Yuli Edelstein, a refusenik who later became speaker of the Israeli Knesset.[7]

In 1987, Smukler became the editor of The Information Bulletin on Issues of Repatriation and Jewish Culture and joined the organizational committee Mashka.[8][10] Mashka was a secret group of eight people who coordinated efforts to take care of prisoners of Zion, support the families of the prisoners, and teach Hebrew.[12]

In 1987, Smukler told The New York Times that the policies of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev gave some hope that the Soviet Union would become more democratic.[11]

In 1989, author Leon Uris visited Russia. Smukler presented Uris with an underground handmade copy of Uris' novel Exodus in Russian.[10] One witness at the meeting said that Smukler's gift brought Uris close to tears.[13]

 
Mashka meeting in Moscow in 1989. Alexander Smukler is seated in the center.

Smukler was the founder of Vaad, the first independent Jewish movement in the Soviet Union.[14] Vaad was an umbrella organization of Jewish cultural groups.[15]

Smukler was the executive director of B’nai B’rith of the USSR and the Jewish Information Center of Moscow.[2][16]

He left the Soviet Union in 1991.[2] He told The Jewish Chronicle that year that there was no decrease in antisemitism in the Soviet Union and there were almost daily antisemitic demonstrations.[15]

Activism in the United States

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In 2004, Smukler was elected vice president of the National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry (NCSEJ).[9] In 2008, he was elected president of the organization.[2]

As the head of NCSEJ, Smukler represented Russian-speaking Jews at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.[17] In 2020, Smukler said he was surprised that the Conference of Presidents elected Dianne Lob as incoming chair. Smukler said that Lob had "a clear record of partnering with anti-Israel organizations like J Street, IfNotNow, CAIR and others."[18]

Smukler is the president and founder of the American Foundation for Orphans Abroad.[2]

Personal life

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Smukler lives in Montclair, New Jersey.[6] He is married and has three sons.[19]

Smukler is an art collector with a substantial collection of Russian–Jewish art.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Overseas Private Investment Corporation Annual Report" (PDF). U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Former Refusenik to Head Ncsj". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. December 15, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  3. ^ Steele, Jonathan (1994). Eternal Russia: Yeltsin, Gorbachev, and the Mirage of Democracy. Harvard University Press. p. 392. ISBN 978-0-674-26837-1.
  4. ^ "The 11th Annual Herzliya Conference" (PDF). Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. 2011.
  5. ^ Taubman, Philip (October 9, 1987). "Soviet Settlement For Jews Far Removed From Ethnic Life". South Florida Sun Sentinel. New York Times News Service. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e Zighelboim, Selah Maya (May 10, 2019). "'The Tsar's Drummer' Traces Anti-Semitism Across Generations Through Smukler Family History". Jewish Exponent. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Annual Report" (PDF). NCSJ. 2009.
  8. ^ a b c Kosharovsky, Yuli (2017). Komaromi, Ann (ed.). We Are Jews Again: Jewish Activism in the Soviet Union. Translated by Hoffman, Stefani (First ed.). Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press. p. 368. ISBN 978-0-8156-5400-1. OCLC 980302662.
  9. ^ a b "NCSEJ". ncsej.org. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c Komaromi, Ann (June 22, 2017). "Exodus". Jewish Book Council. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Barringer, Felicity; Times, Special To the New York (December 6, 1987). "THE SUMMIT; For Soviet Jews, Emigration Poses a Divisive Issue". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  12. ^ "Jewish Movement in the USSR (Part 3)". Voice of America. March 23, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  13. ^ Brodsky, Frank (April 5, 2016). "Letters to the Editor". B'nai B'rith International. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  14. ^ Schmemann, Serge (December 16, 1993). "THE RUSSIAN VOTE; In Moscow, Zhirinovsky Is Remembered as Jewish Advocate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  15. ^ a b "The Indiana Jewish Chronicle". Hoosier State Chronicles. April 3, 1991. p. 10. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  16. ^ Schmemann, Serge (May 5, 1991). "Jews in Moscow Expect Flow of Emigrants to Israel to Pick Up Again". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  17. ^ "Member Organizations". Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
  18. ^ Traiman, Alex. "Nomination for new Conference of Presidents chair roils longtime members and donors". JNS.org. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  19. ^ Wiener, Robert. "Partners plan outreach to Russian immigrants". njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
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