Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress, expressed hope today that the Khrushchev-Bertrand Russell exchange of letters on the subject of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union “may mark the beginning of a new and positive approach to the consideration of Jewish questions” in that country.
Dr. Goldmann described Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev’s letter as a “strong repudiation of anti-Semitism” which, he said, would be widely welcomed. He pointed out, however, that “the fundamental problems remain unchanged. Religions other than Judaism are granted the facilities to maintain national federations of congregations with common institutions to serve common purposes, and to associate with and participate in international organizations.”
“Similarly,” Dr Goldmann continued, “nationalities however small, other than the Jewish are encouraged to develop their own distinctive culture and receive massive support from the authorities for this purpose. This difference of treatment has been a cause of anxiety to Jewish communities throughout the world as well as to large bodies of international public opinion deeply committed to the promotion of closer international understanding.
“We address an earnest appeal to the Soviet authorities, in accordance with their own declared principle of equal treatment of all nationalities, to develop a policy in relation to Soviet Jewry which will assure for them full equality of treatment with all other religions and nationality groups.”
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