The Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union (UCSJ) is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to defending human rights, strengthening Jewish communities, and combating antisemitism across the countries of the former Soviet Union.

For more than 50 years, UCSJ has worked with local partners, civil society organizations, scholars, and community leaders to promote democratic values, protect minority rights, and support vibrant Jewish communal life. Our work focuses on monitoring and responding to antisemitism and xenophobia, supporting grassroots human rights defenders, preserving Jewish historical and cultural heritage, and providing research and policy analysis that informs international advocacy.

Today, UCSJ collaborates with partners across Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia to document incidents of antisemitism, strengthen community resilience, and ensure that Jewish communities can live openly, safely, and with dignity. Through research publications, international dialogue, and strategic partnerships with organizations in the United States and abroad, we help bring local voices to the global conversation on human rights and democratic development.

By supporting UCSJ, donors contribute to a longstanding effort to uphold human dignity, defend freedom, and ensure that Jewish life and civil society continue to thrive in a region where these values remain under pressure.