American Jewish Congress Sends Message of Encouragement to Soviet Jews

A message of encouragement to the Jews of Soviet Russia was addressed today by the American Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Congress and transmitted through the Soviet Embassy in Washington. The message bids the Jews of the Soviet Union to take their part with all other Russians in defending Russia from Nazi aggression in the confident belief that behind them stand millions of fellow Jews in all parts of the world and the determination of all peoples fighting Nazism not to yield to Nazi subjugation.

The message says: “Fellow Jews in the Soviet Union, let us dedicate all our strength and all our resources to the task of utterly uprooting the Hitler regime and achieving victory for the forces of freedom. Let us march together with all those, of whatever faith or nationality, who are united in the determination to destroy the menace which threatens the whole world. Even as this war has proved to be indivisible and the fate of every people has proved to be bound up with the fate of all others, so will the peace of tomorrow be indivisible and the deliverance of every people will prove to be bound up with the deliverance of mankind. Let us together hasten the day of victory and peace through justice.”

Pointing out that the free peoples of the world have found a new unity in the high destiny which summons them to the new task of delivering humanity from tyranny and laying the foundations for a better world the message declares: “At this moment of grave crisis in the history of your country, when its citizens have manned the ramparts of their capital city to defend the soil of Russia and the freedom of the world against the assault of a ruthless foe, we feel impelled to address to you a world of hope and courage on behalf of millions of your fellow Jews in all parts of the world. We salute through you the gallant soldiers, workers and peasants of the U.S.S.R. whose heroism in face of the attack of the mechanized hordes of the Nazi tyranny has stirred the whole world and given a new courage and hope to the millions who live in the darkness of Nazi oppression. We reaffirm our faith that the peoples of the Soviet Union, like all the peoples fighting the common enemy, will never yield to the Nazi oppressor. The enemy has overrun territories and destroyed cities but the nations he has sought to subjugate remain unconquered. Whatever the advances of the enemy, the struggle must and will go on until the Nazi system is destroyed.

“It is nine years since Hitler declared war on the Jewish people and proclaimed his intention to make life impossible for the Jewish masses not only in Germany but throughout the world. During this period, the Jewish people has known a suffering without parallel even in its own long history. But never once has it weakened in its resolve to carry the struggle forward till victory is achieved. The same invincible hope which has sustained us in the darkest hour of reverse and retreat will sustain you now. The free peoples of the world, irrespective of race and belief, have found a new unity in the high and perilous destiny which summons them all to the common task of delivering humanity from tyranny and laying the foundations of a better world.”