Theodore Bikel FBI File

This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://www.foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/submissionDetails?trackingNumber=NARA-NGC-2021-000913&type=request)

* Tracking Number: NARA-NGC-2021-000913
* Requester Name: Russel Neiss
* Date Submitted: 05/12/2021
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description:
To Whom It May Concern:

A recent FOIA request to the FBI indicates that they transferred a number of files to NARA on Theodore Bikel AKA Theodore Meir Bikel whose 2015 death was widely reported. (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/theater/theodore-bikel-master-of-versatility-in-songs-roles-and-activism-dies-at-91.html)

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

Any FBI Files that were given to NARA on Theodore Bikel AKA Theodore Meir Bikel. Specifically files: 100-HQ-340922, 100-HQ-356640, 100-HQ-454565, and 100-NY-148674

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.

I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Russel Neiss

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://www.muckrock.com/

Dear Mr. Neiss:

Thank you for submitting your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) via the
*FOIAOnline* website.
We received your request on May 12, 2021. Your request concerns FBI files
on Theodore Bikel.

Our office uses the *FOIAonline* portal for FOIA and Privacy Act requests
for the National Archives and Records Administration's *operational* records
(records created by this agency). Your *FOIAOnline *request is for records
that may be *archival* records (records created by or originated in a
different agency but that may have been transferred to the legal custody of
NARA), to which access is restricted. Therefore, we have forwarded it to
our *Office of Research Services, Special Access and FOIA* (RF) staff who
handle FOIA requests for such archival records.

Since *Research Services* does not process FOIA requests through
*FOIAOnline*, we removed your request from the *FOIAOnline* website. *Special
Access *staff will assign you a new tracking number, and respond directly
to you. In the future, if you need to follow up with that office directly,
please contact them at the address below, or electronically via email
(email is preferred).

The National Archives and Records Administration
Special Access and FOIA Staff (RF)
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500
College Park, MD 20740

By phone: 301-837-3190
By fax: 301-837-1864
By email: specialaccess_foia@nara.gov

For your reference, a copy of your request is below. In the future, you
may submit any new requests for FBI files directly to Special Access and
FOIA at their email address above.

Please visit our website at www.archives.gov/foia for further information
about submitting a FOIA request to NARA. On our main website,
www.archives.gov, you can learn more about the resources we offer to the
public, and you can access our online catalog.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and pursuant to guidance received from the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal
operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work
while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of
our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may
experience a delay in receiving a substantive response to your FOIA
request. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your
understanding and patience.

Sincerely,
Susan Gillett
Government Information Specialist
Office of General Counsel
National Archives and Records Administration
College Park, MD 20740-6001
susan.gillett@nara.gov

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <admin@foiaonline.gov>
Date: Thu, May 13, 2021 at 7:15 AM
Subject: FOIA Request Deletion: NARA-NGC-2021-000913
To: <susan.gillett@nara.gov>

Below is an export of the submitted request information for the FOIA
request NARA-NGC-2021-000913.

- *Name and Address*
- First Name: Russel
- Middle Initial:
- Last Name: Neiss
- Organization:
- Mailing Address Location: United States/U.S. Territories
- Address Line 1: MuckRock News DEPT MR 112447
- Address Line 2: 411A Highland Ave
- City: Somerville
- State/Province: MA
- Zip/Postal Code: 02144
- *Contact Information*
- E-mail Address: requests@muckrock.com
- Phone Number:
- Fax Number:
- *Agency and Fee Information*
- Assigned Agency: NGC - Office of General Counsel
- Will Pay Up To: $0.00
- *Description*
- To Whom It May Concern:

A recent FOIA request to the FBI indicates that they transferred a
number of files to NARA on Theodore Bikel AKA Theodore Meir Bikel whose
2015 death was widely reported. (
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/theater/theodore-bikel-master-of-versatility-in-songs-roles-and-activism-dies-at-91.html
)

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the
following records:

Any FBI Files that were given to NARA on Theodore Bikel AKA Theodore
Meir Bikel. Specifically files: 100-HQ-340922, 100-HQ-356640,
100-HQ-454565, and 100-NY-148674

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would
inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my
request. I would
prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment
if available
or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.

I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20
business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Russel Neiss

Upload documents directly: https://https://www.muckrock.comhttps://
accounts.muckrock.com/accounts/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.muckrock.com%2Faccounts%2Flogin%2F%3Fnext%3D%252Faccounts%252Fagency_login%252Fnational-archives-and-records-administration-archival-or-special-access-15767%252Ftheodore-bikel-fbi-file-112447%252F%253Femail%253Dspecialaccess_foia%252540nara.gov&url_auth_token=AABJS2ncl51DRiDdn_9cXIvtgHo%3A1lh1gu%3AXX8WuVRKHuZJVap_Y2sofeoExjk
- *Fee Waiver*
- Fee Waiver Requested: No
- Fee Waiver Reason:
- *Expedited Processing*
- Expedited Processing Requested: No
- Expedited Processing Reason:

Dear Russel Neiss,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information Act request for records in the
custody of the National Archives and Records Administration. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, we are not able to process FOIA requests according to
our normal procedures. We have assigned your request the temporary tracking
number RF-749. When we resume normal operations, we will log requests into
our system in the order they were received. At that time, we will provide
you with a new FOIA tracking number and a more substantive response. We
apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and
patience.

Jermaine Scott
Archives Specialist
Special Access and FOIA Program

Dear Russel Neiss <requests@muckrock.com>,
Your password has been updated per your request. You can change your password in the future from your
profile page.
If you believe you received this email in error or need additional assistance, please contact the FOIAonline Help Desk. (mailto:foia.help@epa.gov)
Thank you!
FOIAonline Team (mailto:foia.help@epa.gov)

This is an automated reply to inform you that the National Archives and Records Administration received your email.

We have received your request and will respond within 20 working days. Please note that submitting duplicate requests will increase wait times.

If you have any questions, you can call our office at 301-837-3190. You can also visit our web page at www.archives.gov/research/foia.

Notice to NARA Researchers and FOIA Requesters

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference or FOIA request or appeal. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

Thank you.

Dear Russel Neiss,

I am writing in response to your request for an updated status on the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request received by this office for
records in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not able to provide status updates for
FOIA requests. Once normal operating procedures resume, we will provide you
with a response to your status update request. We apologize for this
inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

Sincerely,
Ashney Randle
Special Access & FOIA Program

This is an automated reply to inform you that the National Archives and Records Administration received your email.

We have received your request and will respond within 20 working days. Please note that submitting duplicate requests will increase wait times.

If you have any questions, you can call our office at 301-837-3190. You can also visit our web page at www.archives.gov/research/foia.

Notice to NARA Researchers and FOIA Requesters

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference or FOIA request or appeal. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

Thank you.

This is an automated reply to inform you that the National Archives and Records Administration received your email.

We have received your request and will respond within 20 working days. Please note that submitting duplicate requests will increase wait times.

If you have any questions, you can call our office at 301-837-3190. You can also visit our web page at www.archives.gov/research/foia.

Notice to NARA Researchers and FOIA Requesters

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference or FOIA request or appeal. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

Thank you.

Dear Russel Neiss,

I am writing in response to your request for an updated status on the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request received by this office for
records in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration.
At this time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not able to provide
status updates for FOIA requests. However, we can assure you that your
request *RF-749 *is still open and in our queue for processing. Once normal
operating procedures resume, we will provide you with a response to your
status update request. Please note, we will not respond to requests for
status updates more than once every six months. We apologize for this
inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

If you would like to keep up to date on the latest operating status of any
NARA facility or office, you can monitor our webpage *https://www.archives.gov/coronavirus
<https://www.archives.gov/coronavirus>*.

Sincerely,
Jason Mincey
Special Access and FOIA Program

This is an automated reply to inform you that the National Archives and Records Administration received your email.

We have received your request and will respond within 20 working days. Please note that submitting duplicate requests will increase wait times.

If you have any questions, you can call our office at 301-837-3190. You can also visit our web page at www.archives.gov/research/foia.

Notice to NARA Researchers and FOIA Requesters

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference or FOIA request or appeal. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

Thank you.

This is an automated reply to inform you that the National Archives and Records Administration received your email.

We have received your request and will respond within 20 working days. Please note that submitting duplicate requests will increase wait times.

If you have any questions, you can call our office at 301-837-3190. You can also visit our web page at www.archives.gov/research/foia.

Notice to NARA Researchers and FOIA Requesters

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference or FOIA request or appeal. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

Thank you.

Dear Russel Neiss,

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
of May 12, 2021 for records in the custody of the National Archives and
Records Administration. Your request was received in this office on May 13,
2021 and assigned FOIA tracking number 65703, interim tracking number
RF-749.

You requested access to four FBI files on Theodore Bikel, AKA Theodore Meir
Bikel. Based on my initial assessment only one of them is responsive to
your request:

FBI File 100-NY-148674

Theodore Bikel is the subject of file 100-NY-148674, compiled as part of a
Domestic Security investigation created between May 1962 and September
1966, and consisting of 22 pages.

I completed a line-by-line review of the records you requested and released
information to the greatest extent possible. Below is a summary of my
review:

Records Requested

Total Pages

Pages Released in Full

Pages Released in Part

Pages Withheld in Full

100-NY-148674

22

18

4

0

I withheld information protected under section (b) of the FOIA (5 U.S.C.
552). The specific reasons for the denials are:

TYPE OF INFORMATION WITHHELD

FOIA EXEMPTION

identities of confidential sources

(b)(7)(D)

information exempted from disclosure by statute

the statute in support of this (b)(3) withholding is 50 USC 3024 (i)(1),
which protects sensitive intelligence sources and methods

(b)(3)

You or your designated representative may view the redacted file(s) at the
National Archives at College Park, Maryland. Research visits are by
appointment only and are scheduled no further than one month in advance as
we are closely monitoring local public health metrics due to the COVID-19
pandemic. Research room hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Please
contact visit_archives2@nara.gov to request a research appointment.
Requests will be processed in the order they are received. Please keep in
mind that it may take our office up to three days to prepare your request.

Your request should include the following information:

-

In the subject line of your email include: Scheduling appointment for
FOIA tracking number 65703
-

State that you have already been in touch with the National Archives and
Records Administration’s Special Access and FOIA office
-

Note that you are coming to view/make copies of records on a CD

Requests for appointments will be processed in the order they are received
and you will receive a direct response from the Visit_Archives2@nara.gov
email address.

Please monitor our web page https://www.archives.gov/college-park for
details and updates, as the situation can change quickly. Thank you for
your patience and understanding during this time.

If you cannot visit our College Park facility, you may order a reproduction
copy of the file(s) at the cost of 80 cents per page. To place a
reproduction order, please contact our office at specialaccess_foia@nara.gov or
301-837-3190. A mailing/billing address is required to generate a price
quote, so please include that information with your reproduction request.

FBI Files: 100-HQ-340922, 100-HQ-356640, 100-HQ-454565

You also requested access to three additional case files identified by the
FBI as potentially responsive to your request for records relating to
Theodor Bikel.

File 100-HQ-340922 is on the “Communist Infiltration of the Radio,
Television, and Entertainment Industries,” created between February 1945
and April 1973.

File 100-HQ-356640 is on Louis Zemel, created between July 1948 and
November 1975.

File 100-HQ-454565 is on the “Vietnam Moratorium Committee,” created
between July 1969 and February 1973.

Based on my initial assessment, these files are deemed unresponsive to your
request because Theodore Bikel is not the subject of the files. If we do
not receive a response from you within ninety (90) calendar days from the
date of this letter to indicate you believe the records are responsive, we
will administratively close this portion of your case.

If you are not satisfied with my action on this request, you have the right
to file an administrative appeal within ninety (90) calendar days from the
date of this letter. Appeals must be in writing and may be delivered by
regular U.S. mail or by email. By filing an appeal, you preserve your
rights under the Freedom of Information Act and present the deciding agency
with an opportunity to review your request and reconsider its decision. If
you submit your appeal by regular mail, it should be addressed to the
Deputy Archivist of the United States (ND), National Archives and Records
Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 4200, College Park, Maryland
20740-6001. Both the letter and envelope should be clearly marked “FOIA
Appeal.” If you submit your appeal by email, please send it to foia@nara.gov,
addressed to the Deputy Archivist, with the words “FOIA Appeal” in the
subject line. If you exercise your right to appeal, please explain why you
believe this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of
Information Act. All communications concerning this request should
reference your FOIA tracking number.

If you would like the opportunity to discuss my response and attempt to
resolve your dispute without initiating the appeals process, you may
contact our FOIA Public Liaison for assistance:

Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area

FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190

FOIA Public Liaison: Rebecca Calcagno

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

301-837-3190

You may also contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS),
the Federal FOIA Ombudsman’s office, for assistance. OGIS offers mediation
services to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal
agencies. The contact information for OGIS is:

Office of Government Information Services

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road–OGIS

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Email: ogis@nara.gov

https://www.archives.gov/ogis

Phone: 202-741-5770 or 1-877-684-6448

This concludes the processing of your request. If you have questions
concerning my review, please contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Daniel Dancis, Archivist

Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740

(301) 837-0588

daniel.dancis@nara.gov

https://www.archives.gov/research/foia

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