Alexander Smukler

Alexander Smukler
Born1960 (age 64–65)
Moscow, Soviet Union
NationalityAmerican
Known forNational Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry

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]

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

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

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]

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

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

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

  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. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. 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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