One thousand Jewish families in the Soviet Union will be “adopted” by metropolitan area residents belonging to B’nai B’rith, in a project under the direction of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation League Citywide Coordinating Committee. In making the announcement, Nathan Nagler, a member of ADL’s New York board and chairman of the coordinating committee, said that Soviet Jews who want to emigrate are grateful for the personal support extended to them by concerned persons in the Western world. Letters, packages and phone calls are an invaluable aid and indicate to Soviet Jews that they have not been forgotten, he said.
“Harassment and loss of employment are often the prices paid by Soviet Jews who seek to emigrate,” Nagler said. “We are undertaking this large scale project to demonstrate our concern for Soviet Jews and to show our solidarity with them. In addition, this will be a form of insurance for them against actions by the Soviet Secret Police.” Nagler added that by adopting a Jewish family in the Soviet Union, “we show that someone cares:” Judith Shapiro is co-chairman of the project.
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