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Agreement Between the Jewish
Community Federation of Cleveland (JCFC) and the
Cleveland Council on
Soviet Anti-Semitism (CCSA)
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Thanks to our projects, publications and national involvement, by
1966, we had established
the CCSA as a significant presence in the community. As a result, we
were not at all surprised
when, in May, Sid Vincent, executive director of JCFC, suggested
that we discuss our discrete roles in the community.
Shortly after, Abe Silverstein and I met with Sid and a few of his
staff. Out of that meeting came a draft of a three-point agreement, which
we concluded in July. |
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Sid
Vincent |
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agreement: |
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1. The JCF recognizes
both the urgency of the problems of Soviet Jewry and the
value of helping the work of the CCSA.
2. CCSA is concerned
with a single problem and its work is of both local and
national scope. The JCF through its Community Relations
Committee, has had, and will continue to have, programs
in this area. Techniques appropriate to the CCSA are not
necessarily so for the JCF. Our aim should be to
preserve autonomy and full freedom of responsible action
for both organizations, while achieving maximum
cooperation.
3. It is suggested
that the JCF undertake to support specific projects of
the CCSA. |
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Both organizations were well served in this accord, which was the
first of its kind anywhere in the U.S.
And, over the following years, cooperation in projects and events
was the rule rather than the exception.
I might add it was also an explicit acknowledgement of the national
scope and reach of our efforts, by an
establishment organization.
As for funding from the Federation, they were open to our requests,
with the proviso that any
funds granted be for specific projects and not for operating
purposes. This suited us. We had a number
of projects in mind but lacked the money. From 1966 through 1971, we
submitted to the Federation, annually, a list of projects and associated budgets. Over that
period we received an average of about
$3,000 dollars a year for approved projects. It gave a substantial
boost to our efforts. And, because we
operated with volunteer help, we were able to leverage the
Federation’s contribution.
Regarding Volunteers
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Happily, there were loads of excellent
people throughout the Cleveland community who offered
their time and talents to keep things humming. Topping
the list was Lenore Singer, our indispensable office
manager. Without her I would have been lost. As it was,
I was up to my neck with correspondence, making and
enlarging contacts, preparing articles, drafting new
projects — to say nothing of my full-time job at NASA.
Lenore assumed full responsibility for running our
office.
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From 1965 through 1978, she worked with
intelligence and dedication — five days a week, 9 to 5,
and, in a crunch, weekends as well. She daily brought
order out of chaos: directed hordes of workers to get
out our mailings, answered the telephones, arranged
meetings, typed, mimeographed, filed, billed, and even
corrected my spelling. Lenore Singer was the
quintessential Ashet Chayil — Woman of Strength
and Character. She passed away October 3, 1999. |
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Lenore Singer |
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CCSA Projects
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