Background on Leon Shapiro
Leon Shapiro (1905-1984) was a historian and Professor of Russian and Soviet Jewish History at Rutgers University; author of The History of ORT: A Jewish Movement for Social Change ; a 35-year contributor of articles to "The American Jewish Yearbook"; fluent speaker of Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, German, French, and Ukrainian; helped arrange the escape of Jews from Europe during World War II; and an active member in several organizations concerned with the emigration of Soviet and Eastern European Jews to Palestine and other issues related to Judaism.
1905
Born July 14, in Hersun (Korsun, Korsoun,
Hersein), Kiev, Russia, to Mark and Freida Scheinblum
Shapiro.
1923
Candidate for degree in Social Sciences and Law,
University of Kiev.
Imprisoned for anti-Bolshevik
activities.
1925
Exiled to Palestine.
1928
Diplome de Licencie en Droit, Social Sciences and
Law, University of Toulouse.
1935
Married in Paris to Leorfore Rita Willdorff;
divorced in 1940.
1940
Secretary General, Federation des Societes Juives
de France, Paris
1941-1949
Research Associate, American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee, New York.
1941
Immigrated to U.S.
1946
Married Luba.
1954-1956
Assistant Director, Cultural Department,
Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against
Germany
1964-1967
Research Associate, Columbia University Seminar in
International Research Methods.
1964-1972
Assistant Executive Director, Memorial Foundation
for Jewish Culture.
1968-1978
Professor, Russian and Soviet Jewish History,
Department of Hebraic Studies and Soviet/Eastern European
Studies Program, Rutgers University.
1972-1973
Adjunct Professor, Queens College, School of
General Studies, City College of New York.
1973
Adjunct Associate Professor, Judaic Studies,
Brooklyn College, City College of New York.
1974-1975
Adjunct Associate Professor, Academy Without
Walls, Haifa University.
1978-1979
Professor, Empire State College.
1984
Died, December 25, New York City.
