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Soviet Emigrants Celebrate Purim

March 20, 1973
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Fifteen American couples representing the Young Leadership Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal met today with 100 newly arrived Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union at the Schonau Castle transit center here. The Americans are enroute to Warsaw to observe the 30th anniversary of the Ghetto uprising there. The Jews are on their way to Israel.

The Soviet Jewish emigrants were celebrating their first Purim outside the USSR. As the Americans greeted the refugees with platters of hamantaschen, one elderly Jew from the Soviet Georgian Republic remarked. “This Purim is a true victory over a modern day Haman. “The Russians, young and old, sang Purim songs and danced. All of those present wept as the Russians stood to sing Hatikva, the Israeli national anthem. One emigre told the Americans,”You need us as much as we need you.”

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