Morey Schapira

Morey Schapira (born 1949) is a Silicon Valley High Tech executive and Soviet Jewry activist leader.[1]

Morey Schapira
Born
Morey Rael Schapira

1949 (age 71–72)
Chicago, Illinois U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationHigh Tech Executive
Known forSoviet Jewry activism

Early life

Schapira was born in Chicago, Illinois. He resides in Sunnyvale, California.[2]

In 1970, Schapira graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a Bachelor of Science in Physics cum laude. In 1977, he received an MBA from Harvard Business School.[3]

Career

Schapira began his career as a research scientist at Raytheon Corporation in Waltham, Massachusetts. He was at Raytheon from 1970 to 1975. In 1976, Schapira worked as a scientist at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts.[2]

In 1977, Schapira moved back to the west coast. He worked at the Hewlett Packard Company, where he was involved in various product marketing engineering positions in microwave semiconductor and optoelectronics from 1977 to 1985. Schapira spent two years at Micro Power Systems, then from 1987 to 1993 was in sales at Network General. In 1993 he worked at Digital Link Corp., from 1994 to 1997 at SmartDB Corp., from 1997 to 1999 at NetCom Systems, from 1999 to 2000 to BlueSteel Networks, Inc., and from 2000 to 2002 at Broadcom.[2] Schapira later founded the company, REDmedic, which was purchased by BlueCross BlueShield.

Soviet Jewry activism
Russia is Not Healthy for Jews and other Living Things bumper sticker (from Schapira's papers)

In the late 1960s, Schapira became active in the movement to free Soviet Jews and quickly became a leader. In 1971 he became president of the New England Student Struggle for Soviet Jews, and became a national vice president of the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry in 1974. While in Boston he also co-founded Action for Soviet Jewry of Boston and Medical Mobilization for Soviet Jews.

In 1973-1974 Schapira was the editor and publisher of "The Guide to Jewish Boston," one of the first Jewish City Guides in the United States.[4]

From 1979 to 1984, Schapira was president of the Bay Area Council for Soviet Jews[5] and from 1984 to 1986, was national president of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews.[6][7][8]

He regularly testified before the United States Congress; in 1986, for example, he testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East.[6]

In a lecture at Stanford University in 2004 Natan Sharansky referred to Schapira as a "Five-Star General in the Army of Students and Housewives."[9]

Personal life

Schapira is married to his wife Barbara. He has three children.[10]

References
  1. Guthmann, Edward (9 April 2008). "How local heroes helped Soviet Jews". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  2. Morey Rael Schapira. Marquis Who's Who. New Providence, NJ. 1985. OCLC 4779288916.
  3. "Community Memories: Morey Schapira Story". Harvard Business School. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  4. D., Sarna, Jonathan; 1951-, Smith, Ellen; Scott-Martin., Kosofsky; Boston., Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater (2005). The jews of Boston. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300107870. OCLC 58555748.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. Pine, Dan (13 December 2012). "Refuseniks, activists mark 1987 march for Soviet Jewry". Jweekly. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  6. Galchinsky, Michael (2008). Jews and Human Rights: Dancing at Three Weddings. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-742-55266-1. OCLC 907616674.
  7. Altshuler, Stuart (2005). From Exodus to Freedom: A History of the Soviet Jewry Movement. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 64, 67–68, 148. ISBN 978-0-742-54936-4. OCLC 718366765.
  8. Golden, Peter (2012). O Powerful Western Star!: American Jews, Russian Jews, and the Final Battle of the Cold War. Springfield, NJ, Jerusalem: Gefen Pub. House. pp. 336–337. ISBN 978-9-652-29543-9. OCLC 760973778.
  9. Philip., Spiegel (2008-01-01). Triumph over tyranny : the heroic campaigns that saved 2,000,000 Soviet Jews. Devora Publishing. ISBN 9781934440131. OCLC 262427653.
  10. Eppstein, Lori (1 August 1997). "Families found roots of Jewish connections in 20-year chavurah". Jweekly. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
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