A nation-wide Women’s Plea on Behalf of Soviet Jewish Prisoners of Conscience will be observed Dec. 10. Human Rights Day. it was announced by the sponsors, the Leadership Conference of National Jewish Women’s Organizations in cooperation with the National Conference on Soviet Jewry and the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council.
The announcement followed a meeting here several days ago between Silva Zalmanson, eight Congresswomen and representatives of 11 major Jewish women’s organizations. The participants joined Ms. Zalmanson in issuing a declaration of support for the Women’s Plea. Ms. Zalmanson is currently touring the U.S. in an effort to focus attention on the Jewish POCs in the Soviet Union and to mobilize support for the early release of the POCS. including her husband, Eduard Kuznetsov, and her two brothers, Vulf and Israel.
In the statement the participants expressed support of the recent agreement which would ensure Soviet compliance to ease emigration and end harassment of Soviet Jews. While hope was expressed that “the agreement signifies the sincere intention of the Soviet government to permit unhindered emigration of its citizens.” the signatories pointed cut that recent events demonstrated no significant change had occurred in the situation of Soviet Jews. The Congresswomen pledged themselves to help monitor Soviet compliance, and expressed their particular concern for Jewish Prisoners of Conscience in the USSR.
The eight Congresswomen are: Elizabeth Holtzman (D.NY). Margaret Heckler (R.Mass), Bella Abzug (D.NY). Pat Schroeder (D.Colo.), Cardiss Collins (D.III.), Shirley Chisholm (D.NY), Ela Grasso (D.Conn.). and Yvonne Burke (D.Calif.)
The Jewish organizations represented are: Women’s Plea, Jewish Labor Committee. Pioneer Women. American Jewish Congress. Union of Orthodox Congregations – Women’s Auxiliary. National Council of Jewish Women. National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods. Leadership Conference of National Jewish Women’s Organizations. B’nai B’rith. Women’s American ORT. and the NCSJ.
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