My Wife Will Have Something to Say About This

"This" being an article on Stern College and SSSJ's campaign for Soviet Jewry.

Here's an excerpt from an article, "1960s Youth Protest: Jewish Activism at SCW" by Sophie Marmor -

When most people think of American college campuses during the 1960s, they think of tie-dye, The Beatles, and massive demonstrations. But when people think of how Stern College for Women fit into that context, they are clueless as to what to imagine. Did the counter-culture movement somehow find a way to seep into the halls of Brookdale? Did the religious authorities recoil in horror as they watched millions of young people challenge "the establishment?"

History indicates that the women of the college also left their mark during that decade of protest, advocating for the release of Soviet Jews trapped behind the Iron Curtain.

Founded by Jacob Birnbaum with the help of students from Stern and Yeshiva College in 1964, the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (SSSJ) was the only national organization dedicated solely to the cause. Comprised of campus chapters from across the United States, the SSSJ organized hundreds of demonstrations on behalf of oppressed Eastern European Jews, most notably the Passover Vigil of 1967 and the Chanukah March of 1966. These rallies were as lively as the protests of other movements during the 1960s, and featured large banners and songs composed by none other than Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. His "Am Yisrael Chai" melody was a staple of SSSJ events, much the same way in which "We Shall Overcome" became the official anthem of the Civil Rights Movement.

Given the prominent place that Yeshiva held within the SSSJ, the women of SCW were often asked to take leadership positions at rallies. It is somewhat hard to imagine a Stern student today shouting into a bullhorn in front of a massive crowd, but such was the norm in the 1960s. Although the SSSJ was a conglomerate of many university chapters, the YU community always comprised 25 percent of the organization's membership. Given the relatively small size of the college, this is a truly spectacular statistic.

However, the greatest testament to the university's role in the SSSJ is not a mere number. In December of 1969, the SSSJ held its largest national conference at YU. The SSSJ invited other organizations to participate in the famous meeting as well, including the American Jewish Congress, United Synagogue of America, and the National Council of Young Israel. Not only did the conference help to mobilize support for the SSSJ, but it also bolstered YU's prominence in the American Jewish community.

You see, my wife was indeed one of those leaders between 1967-1969.

I wonder if Sophie found reference to her in her research.