An appeal was made to Dr. Armand Hammer, board chairman and chief executive officer of the Occidental Petroleum Company, to remember the Soviet Jews in his future negotiations with Soviet authorities. A letter from the Washington Committee for Soviet Jewry was handed to Robert McSweeney, an executive of the company, at a news conference at the National Gallery several days ago, and McSweeney promised Hammer would receive it.
The news conference was held in connection with the exhibition to be held at the National Gallery and also in New York of 41 post-impressionist works of art owned by the Soviet government. Hammer was instrumental in arranging the loans of the paintings.
The letter was signed by Moshe Brodetzky, the committee’s president, and handed to McSweeney by Lenore Siegelman, a leading committee member. In it, Hammer was asked to express his concern to Soviet officials about the approximately 40 Soviet Jews who are imprisoned for wishing to leave the Soviet Union for Israel. Among the prisoners is Boris Penson, the Soviet Jewish artist. The letter to Hammer noted that an exhibit of Penson’s works is currently being held at the B’nai B’rith building here.
“While we join all Americans in applauding the efforts at cultural exchange such as the Soviet art show,” the letter said, “we ask that you inform the Soviet government of your concern for Boris Penson and his imprisoned compatriots.” The letter added that “real detente” with the Soviet Union is “impossible” while Soviet citizens are imprisoned for desiring to emigrate.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
