The opening phase of the Soviet Jewry “hot line,” operated by the American Jewish Congress, went into effect successfully this weekend. Callers dialing (212) Trafalgar 9-4553–a special phone set up in the Stephen Wise Congress House here–heard a message recorded by Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld, President of the AJCongress, discussing latest developments affecting the three million Jews in the Soviet Union. This first message discussed a letter sent to Will Maslow, AJCongress Executive Director, by seven Moscow Jews. The letter, the first sent directly to an American Jewish organization, begged for help in their struggle to leave the Soviet Union and emigrate to Israel.
“We are demanding the right to emigrate to Israel and we are being detained by force in the USSR by Soviet authorities…Despite attempts to deprive us of our Jewishness, we will retain our right to live in what we consider the Holy Land–Israel,” declared the seven Moscow Jews who signed their full names and addresses in what Rabbi Lelyveld terms “splendid defiance.” Rabbi Lelyveld commented that this letter demonstrates that actions on behalf of Soviet Jewry by American Jews “gives them great confidence, courage and hope.” Due to a typographical error which appeared in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Daily News Bulletin on October 30, the phone number given was Trafalgar 9-4554. The correct number is Trafalgar 9-4553. Other recorded messages are in preparation and will be up-dated each week.
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