Braving the cold weather, more than 20 political and Jewish and Christian religious leaders demonstrated at noon today across from the Soviet Mission to the United Nations on behalf of Soviet Jewry.
Carrying signs calling for “Freedom For Soviet Jews” and wearing a tag stating “I am fasting on behalf of Soviet Jewry,” the demonstrators came to protest the arrests in recent months of five Soviet Jewish Hebrew teachers and cultural leaders as well as the increased anti-Semitism and continued oppression of Jews in the Soviet Union.
The demonstration was part of a dawn-to-dusk community fast organized by the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry to express solidarity with scores of Soviet Jewish activists who are currently on a hunger strike in support of other Jews who are awaiting trial.
Herbert Kronish, chairman of the GNYCSJ said: “This is a critical time. We want the Jews of the Soviet Union to know that we heard their pleas. We are here now by the Soviet Mission, Jews and Christians standing united, to let the Kremlin know that the current situation will not be tolerated. Our voices will not be silent. Soviet Jews must be freed.”
HEBREW TEACHERS ARRESTED
Sister Rose Thering of Seton Hall University in New Jersey, declared: “The Christian community is deeply concerned about the renewed and intense wave of persecution of Jews in the Soviet Union, which began with the Andropov years and now continues under the leadership of Konstantin Chernenko. As one of their Board members, I tell you that the National Coalition of American Nuns stands with you in a show of solidarity and support with the Jews of the Soviet Union.”
Congressman Bill Green (R. NY) also expressed support for a continued struggle on behalf of Soviet Jews. He charged that the Soviet authorities are responsible for the increased anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union.
The current crisis confronting Soviet Jews was touched off by the arrest of Aleksandr Kholmiansky, an important Moscow Hebrew teacher, this past summer. According to the Conference, Kholmiansky began a hunger strike on September 13 to protest falsified evidence gathered against him. Since his arrest, four other activists-Yuli Edelshtein of Moscow and Yakov Levin, Yakov Mesh, and Mark Nepomniashchy of Odessa — have also been arrested. All five are now awaiting trial, and are likely to receive lengthy prison sentences on trumped-up charges stemming from their Jewish religious and cultural activities.
In addition, Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union has virtually ceased, with only 29 Soviet Jews receiving exit visas last month. In 1984, fewer than 900 Soviet Jews are expected to emigrate, a drop of over 98 percent since 1979 when over 51,000 Jews were permitted to leave the Soviet Union.
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.
