Si Frumkin (born Simas Frumkinas) (November 5, 1930 – May 15, 2009) was a

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

n-born

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

who survived imprisonment at the

Dachau Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...

Nazi concentration camp From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

, and emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, where he became a prominent textile manufacturer and

activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...

involved in issues relating to Soviet Jewry.

Biography

Si Frumkin was born on November 5, 1930, in

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

, to Mykolas and Zila (née Waisapel) Frumkinas. When the German Army invaded Lithuania in 1941, Frumkin was sent to the city's Jewish

ghetto A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...

with his parents. At the time of the ghetto's liquidation in 1944, Si Frumkin and his father were sent to

concentration camp. His father died 20 days before the camp's liberation in 1945."A Tribute to Si Frumkin"
Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 81 (Tuesday, June 2, 2009). Website accessed November 22, 2015. After the war, Frumkin studied in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

before briefly immigrating to

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, where he was reunited with his mother, who had been deported to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. Frumkin arrived in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

in 1949 and graduated from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

with a bachelor's degree in 1953. Shortly after graduation, he moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and took over Universal Drapery Fabrics, a downtown textile company. At night, he earned a master's degree in history at

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...

, which he completed in 1964. When Frumkin became aware of the plight of Soviet Jews in the late 1960s, he at first tried, without success, to mobilize the local Jewish Federation Council to take action on the issue. Subsequently, he devoted himself to advocacy on behalf of Soviet Jewry, and founded the Southern California Council for Soviet Jews in 1968. With

Zev Yaroslavsky Zev Yaroslavsky (born December 21, 1948) is a politician from Los Angeles County, California. He was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from District 3, an affluent district which includes the San Fernando Valley, the Westsi ...

, Frumkin protested against Soviet cultural events in

. In 1970, Si Frumkin, Louis Rosenblum, Harold Light, and other local activists formed the

Union of Councils for Soviet Jews Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union (UCSJ) is an American non-governmental organization that reports on the human rights conditions in countries throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia, exposing hate crimes and assisting comm ...

as an umbrella organization for the various grassroots organizations in existence.Feingold, Henry L. (2007). "Silent No More" : Saving the Jews of Russia, The American Jewish Effort, 1967-1989. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. As a founding member of the Association of Soviet Jewish Emigres, Frumkin assisted Soviet Jews who immigrated to

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

settle in their new homes. In his later years, Frumkin also worked to help

Ethiopian Jews Beta Israel, or Ethiopian Jews, is a Jewish group originating from the territory of the Amhara and Tigray regions in northern Ethiopia, where they are spread out across more than 500 small villages over a wide territory, alongside predominant ...

emigrate and was involved with the Israel-Christian Nexus, an organization of Jews and evangelical Christians that support Israel’s right to exist. Si Frumkin died on May 15, 2009, in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

References

External links

Guide to the Si Frumkin (1930-2009) Papers
at the

American Jewish Historical Society The American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) was founded in 1892 with the mission to foster awareness and appreciation of American Jewish history and to serve as a national scholarly resource for research through the collection, preservation an ...

, New York.
Finding Aid for the Si Frumkin Papers
at the

University of California, Los Angeles Library The UCLA Library (University of California, Los Angeles) system is one of the largest academic research libraries in North America, with a collection of over twelve million books and 100,000 serials. The system is spread over 12 libraries, 12 ot ...

Special Collections. {{DEFAULTSORT:Frumkin, Si 1930 births 2009 deaths Jewish American community activists American community activists Dachau concentration camp survivors New York University alumni People from Kaunas Lithuanian emigrants to the United States 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews