An appeal to Soviet authorities to allow Russian Jews to exercise self-determination as Jews emerged from a meeting here today of 120 leading Israeli scientists, writers and artists.
They approved a petition asking the Soviet Union to allow Russian Jewry to develop their national culture, fulfill religious duties, establish contacts with co-religionists in other countries and organize nationally. The petition urged Soviet officials to permit emigration of Russian Jews particularly where World War II had separated families.
(A 24-hour “Day of Prayer” will be observed in synagogues throughout the New York metropolitan area Saturday as a period of meditation before the “Rally for Soviet Jewry” to be held June 3 in Madison Square Garden, it was announced today. The call for meditation was issued by the 900-member New York Board of Rabbis, representing all branches of Judaism, which is a member of the New York Conference on Soviet Jewry, sponsors of the rally.)
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