House salutes Soviet Jewry activist

The U.S. House of Representatives honored Soviet Jewry activist Jacob Birnbaum.The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), honors a man considered by many to be the father of the Soviet Jewry movement. It was adopted by voice vote, according to a statement from Nadler’s office. “Jacob Birnbaum is a true hero, and I am proud to call him a fellow New Yorker,” Nadler said of the 80-year-old activist. “Born in Germany, Mr. Birnbaum’s family fled the Nazis. In 1946 after World War II, he devoted several years providing relief for younger survivors of the Nazi and Soviet totalitarian systems. Based on his experience with these survivors, when he settled in America years later he founded the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry.”