Thousands of Jewish Students Around the World Protest Soviet, Polish Repression

Thousands of Jewish students marched on Soviet embassies here and abroad today in a series of coordinated demonstrations protesting the repression of Jewish religious and cultural life in Russia and demanding, in the name of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights promulgated 20 years ago, that Soviet Jewry be accorded the same rights and freedoms as other citizens of the USSR. The demonstrations were organized by the World Union of Jewish Students which has branches on campuses in 30 countries around the world.

Students here picketed the Soviet Embassy for five hours this afternoon and passed out handbills describing the situation of Soviet Jews. The demonstration went off without incident but attracted large crowds and numerous television and press photographers. A telegram was sent to the Soviet Embassy by the Inter-University Jewish Federation and the University Committee for Soviet Jewry which cosponsored the demonstrations. Malcolm Lewis, coordinating chairman of the organizing groups, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that messages of solidarity were received from Jewish and non-Jewish students in every British university. Some of the messages came from Communist student groups, he said.

In Glasgow today, Jewish students combined the protest to the Soviets with a similar demonstration in front of the Polish Consulate demanding an end to the Warsaw regime’s anti-Jewish campaign. A delegation of students was received by the Polish vice consul. He refused to accept their petition on the grounds that its contents pertaining to anti-Semitism in Poland were untrue.

In Haifa, thousands of Technion students assembled today on the Mount Carmel campus for protest rallies against anti-Semitic manifestations in Russia and Poland. They were addressed by Dr. Joseph Burg, Minister for Social Affairs, who declared that neither the Israel Government nor any Jew in the free world would stand by while their brethren are persecuted in violation of all international conventions and of their legitimate and fundamental human rights. The Technion students sent cables to United Nations Secretary-General U Thant, to the International Committee for Human Rights, and other institutions.