A letter from the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington was given to the Mayor of Moscow, Vladimir F. Promyslov, before he left here for San Francisco today in a continuation of his nine-day tour of four American cities. The letter was delivered by Mayor Walter Washington. Ben Gilbert. an aide to Mayor Washington, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that there was “a discussion” between them about Soviet Jews but he declined to report it saying the conversation was “privileged.”
Dr. Isaac Franck, executive vice-president of the JCC said the letter asked Promyslov to intercede on behalf of Jewish prisoners in the Soviet Union and help persuade Soviet leaders to grant Jews amnesty, to permit them to emigrate to Israel, and to rescind the emigration tax. Dr. Franck and the Council’s president, Dr. Harvey Ammerman, signed the letter.
Mayor and Mrs. Promyslov came here to repay a visit by Mayor and Mrs. Washington to the Soviet Union two years ago. Ben Eastman, an aide to the Black Mayor, said the trip is sponsored by the State Department and the mayors of the four American cities are serving as the hosts. During President Nixon’s visit to Moscow last May for the summit meeting, Promyslov declared at a news conference for foreign correspondents, including the Americans, that Soviet Jews were well treated.
Immanuel Galbar, the former Israeli Ambassador to Cambodia, was named yesterday as Israel’s first Consul General to Hong Kong. He is 55 years old and a former Army officer. The primary purpose of opening a Consulate General in Hong Kong is to boost trade between Israel and the bustling British Colony.
Dr. Nahum Goldmann, who played a major role in the negotiations that led to West Germany’s payment of reparations to Israel and compensation to other Jewish victims of Nazism, may soon try to get the East German regime to meet its reparations obligations. The president of the World Jewish Congress said during a radio interview several days ago in Jerusalem that he will visit West Germany shortly in order to determine East Germany’s Intentions. But Dr. Goldmann said he was not optimistic over reaching an accord with the East German regime.
Bernt Engelmann, vice-president of the PEN club in Bonn said that the club has evidence that neo-Nazism is tolerated and, to a degree, even encouraged in West Germany. Engelmann is the author of “Germany Without Jews.” Meanwhile, the Nazi crimes investigation center in Ludwigsburg reported that it had brought about 10,000 Nazi war criminals to justice-since it was set up 15 years ago and investigated many thousands more cases. A spokesman for the center said that evidence is still being collected in about 400 Nazi war crimes cases.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
