Leading Anglo-jewish Writers in England Appeal to Moscow on Jews

Ten leading Anglo-Jewish writers released today the text of a letter sent to the Soviet Writers Union asking equal cultural and religious rights for Soviet Jews. The letter was sent on July 28 and withheld from publication in the hope of eliciting a reply. In the continued absence of any response, the text of the letter was made public.

Citing the abolition in the USSR of Jewish national organizations, schools, publishing houses, newspapers, magazines, theaters and libraries during the Stalin regime, the letter stressed that Russia had been the home of an important part of Jewish literature and added: “We are disturbed that no serious effort has been made since to re-establish Jewish cultural institutions. “

“We are also disturbed by the often extreme anti-Jewish stereotypes used in articles or feuilletons attacking Judaism in the Soviet press, particularly in the provincial papers circulating in the Ukraine, White Russia, Moldavia and the Baltic countries, “the writers declared. It also cited the forced separation of Soviet Jews from relatives living in other countries. “It would be a resounding act of humanity if the Soviet authorities would enable those who wish to do so to at last rejoin their relatives abroad, ” the letter said.

The ten signatories were Wolf Mankowitz, one of England’s leading young intellectuals; Bernard Kops, one of the “new was” dramatists; Jon Silkin, young British poet; Peter Shaffer, author of the London and Broadway success; “Five Finger Exercise”; Brian Glanville, leading British novelist and Sunday Times writer; Dan Jacobson, former South African novelist and critic; Dannie Abse, poet and playwright; Novelist Frederick Raphael; Garda Charles, a leading woman novelist and critic; and Emanuel Litvinoff, poet, essayist and novelist.