Operation Exodus
International campaign to help Soviet Jews emigrate (late 1980s–1990s)
| Operation Exodus | |
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| Type | Advocacy and resettlement campaign |
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| Headquarters | United States / Israel |
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Operation Exodus was the umbrella name for an international Jewish advocacy and resettlement campaign in the late 1980s and 1990s.[1] It aimed to facilitate the mass emigration of Soviet Jews, their transit through Europe, and resettlement primarily in Israel and the United States.
Background
The campaign emerged amid the final years of the Soviet Union, building on earlier efforts to allow Jewish emigration. It responded to the easing of restrictions under Gorbachev's policies and growing anti-Semitism in the USSR.[1]
Involvement of Chabad and Nativ
Chabad-Lubavitch played a significant grassroots role, with emissaries providing religious and communal support to Soviet Jews both before and after emigration. Nativ, the Israeli liaison office for Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union, coordinated clandestine activities, education and facilitation of aliyah.[2]
Key figures
Prominent individuals involved included major philanthropists and community leaders such as Lev Leviev, who supported resettlement efforts. Advocacy was led by organisations including the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Agency.[1]
Activities
Operation Exodus involved massive worldwide fundraising, political lobbying in the US and elsewhere, and logistical support for transit and resettlement. It helped hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews leave the USSR.[1]
Legacy
The operation contributed to the largest wave of Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union/Russia in modern history, significantly impacting Israeli demographics and Jewish communities worldwide.[1]