WASHINGTON (JTA) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton asked Jewish groups to press the case of Alan Gross, an American Jew imprisoned in Cuba.
Gross, 60, has been held since his Dec. 3 arrest for assisting the Cuban Jewish community to connect to the Internet. He was contracted to the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Clinton addressed a reception Tuesday at the State Department honoring Hannah Rosenthal, the State Department’s envoy and monitor on anti-Semitism.
"Our government works every single day through every channel for his release and safe return home," Clinton said. "But I am really making an appeal to the active Jewish community here in our country to join this cause."
She urged organizational leaders to meet with Gross’ family, who were invited to the event.
Jewish leaders said they would reach out through third parties who deal with Cuba.
