Leaders of the American Jewish community in a “historic” meeting lasting seventy minutes with President Nixon at the White House today “reaffirmed” their commitment to Soviet Jews and “our determination to continue maximum effort in their behalf.” President Nixon “reaffirmed his concern for the plight of Soviet Jews and pledged his continuing personal efforts on their behalf,” the Jewish leaders said after the meeting which was called by the President.
The meeting followed by one day the President’s presentation to key Senators of communications from the Soviet authorities that they had suspended the exit tax on emigrants. Dr. Henry Kissinger, the President’s internal security advisor, was the only other government official present. He read “documents received from the Soviet leadership,” the Jewish leaders said in a statement. (Full statement P.2.)
These documents, they said, indicated that the “recent Soviet policy of waiving payment of the education tax on academics desiring to emigrate would be continued without any time limit.” The Jewish leaders declined to expand on the substance of the meeting beyond the short statement they issued.
Those present were: Max Fisher, Jacob Stein, Mrs. Charlotte Jacobson, Melvin Dubinsky, Paul Zuckerman, Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, Rabbi Israel Miller, Yehuda Hellman, Albert Arent, David Blumberg, Herman Weisman, Philip Hoffman, Albert Spiegel, Dr William A. Wexler and Jerry Goodman.
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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.
