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Collection: Green, Max: Files Folder Title: Soviet Jewry (11) Box: 24
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National Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/ •*• AMERICAll ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS CO•ITTEE 500 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, 11.W., SUITE 300 WASHINGTON, D.C. 2m1 Telephone (202) 638-2256 Y14Y! f;y-Ylh~ ~ ~ 1~ 1 -11~ ~~~ f-o
With the compliments of DAN COHEN Legislative Liaison ,,,~l1 '\UU ni:iw 11'7N 02-u 11 u :"7u '7J1f77Jtl -rJJlil Alon Shvut, Israel
Mr. Ronald Reagap. The President of! the United States The White House ) Washington, D.C. U.S.A. 20500 January 9, 1987
Dear Mr. President,
In the light of your ongoing concern for Soviet Jewry, we wish to call to your attention the plight of Prisoner of Zion Yuli Edelshtein, who has been an adopted member of our community since 1984. A few of us who, as Americans (approximately 10% of our community are American citizens), were able to visit the Soviet Union were priveleged to meet Yuli prior to his imprisonment two and-a-half years ago, and we were aware then as we are now that he exemplifies the kind of courageous human being that the Soviet Union is trying to suppress and subdue. His process of self-discovery through the Hebrew language and Jewish culture and religion, his assumption of a leadership role in the renascent Jewish movement in which he served as a Hebrew teachEIT, and his application to return to this homeland in Israel resulted in sustained KGB harassment and, in the end, imprisonment on false charges of drug possession. The transcript of his "trial" smuggled out to the West dramatically documents the process of perversion of justice in a police state. After many months of maltreatment in the inhuman conditions of a remote labor camp to which he was sentenced, the inevitable happened. In what authorities described as a work accident, Yuli suffered multiple fractures and serious internal injuries. At first medical treatment was cruelly denied and then, subsequent to Western outcry, it was provided, albeit inadequately, in a Siberian prison hospital. Now the struggle for his welfare continues and remains in a critical stage. In a recent telephone conversation with his wife., we learned that despite humanitarian pleas from the West, the Soviet authorities have chosen to ignore his poor condition (see enclosed medical re~~;. J."and pave returned him to a labor camp. (Better ~i~~tment i'• ~\J~ hip only if he would sign a "confession" of ~:~~e~~ilo · ~is}rtl:flt•fould aesist from maintaining contact w'i \li~---- thel"i~...... ~ ••;-1.:- , .. ~~...... • ail.,. ~•"'"~~~· c: •.t.~ ...... 4 •i•::• •• ~. ..../ *' u. ~""'". _, ~'\ ...... ~.,.:t~· ~·· 4 0 .., ,,. ~.a..t.W}lt~··· • ~.·.... ·~ ..,..__..Y .. -.•.. 11>. 0 0 ....'j • ...... ,...... • D • • tt ···.....~.. ·· ,,,,...... ~ . ~~--= . D'71:J..l'7 D,l;i l:J.'VJ1 - 2 - 11·~37 VJU n1:iw 11'7N oz-94 21 u :'7\1 'T.J1f7T.J;'1 "'Tl11i'l
Therefore, as concern for his health and his very life mounts, we turn to you, Mr. President, and to the United States government to continue and to intensify your efforts to alleviate his terrible suffering and bring him to freedom. Natan Sharansky's contention that Anatoly Marchenko was allowed to die in prison because "the Soviet authorities were convinced that no serious western response would be forthcoming ~' (New York Times, Jan. 4, 1987) burns in our ears and we know that we must do everything possible for Yuli and other heroic prisoners of conscience. Like Sharansky, Yuli Edelshtein has bravely refused to abandon the principles of numan freedom and conscience that Judaism ana democracy hold so precious. His battle, of course, is not that of a single dissident but 01· all. OI us who maintain that adnerance to interna~ional agreements of human rights is a pre-condition for meaningful interaction, cooperation and trust among modern nations. His life and our jus~ cause depend on our continued unrelen~ing efforts.
May ~hese determined erforts and God's help enable us one day soon tv greet Yuli Edelshtein and his fellow Pri~oners of Zion, as we greeted Natan Sharansky, in health and in the freedom we hold so dear.
In conclusion, Mr. President, we appe~l to you to do all that is in your power to promote the immediate release of Prisoner of Zion YuJ.i Edelshtein from his unjust imprisonment and help him to fulfill his dream of settling with his family in his national homeland.
Gratefully,
~~~~~iv ?'~~esidents of Alon Shvut Israel
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'\U, 11'.:Xll '\LIU n1.:iw 11~1< 02-74 2188 ~~ '7.llJ77.JO"i "Tl11il - -----·--·-- ·--- /C \ ft 7 l:J.'\Ul ,,,~.l1 '\Ul.l nl:J.'\l/ 11'7N 02-742188 ;."7\7 , T.J , T7 T.l ;i 'T l11 fl • D'71.:J..l'7 11'~.l7 '\L/1.:l n1:1:w 117r< 02-742188 :'7\:7 '7J1f71'J';"1 '"Tl11i1 FRJ DAY, JANUARY 2, 1987 LAW ON EMIGRATION IN EFFECT IN SOVIET Other political prisoners have been The Jaw contains a section barring freed. The Soviet press has been given discrimination on racial, ethnic, reli· increased latitude to debate public gious or other grounds. This has been issuel>, and there has been some loosen interpreted abroad as ending the U.S. Sees Tightened Rules - ing of restrictions on film and theater, preference given to Jews in the past. including some frank productions Now, Mr. Schifter said, the 30,000 to Earlier Preference for Jews about the Stalin era. 40,000 people estimated to have close New Chapter In De-Stallnlr.atlon relatives abroad Include Jews, Arme Now Apparently at End Stephen F. Cohen, a professor of nians, ethnic Germans, Lithuanians, Soviet politics at Princeton, sees this as Latvians, Estonians and Ukrainians. lt a second chapter in de-Stalinization, is not known how many of them would By DAVID K. SHIPLER the first of which was written by Nikita want to emigrate. Special to The New York Times S. Khrushchev in 1956 when he de Fewer Jews Are Being Held WASHINGTON. Jan. I - .American nounced Stalin's repressive policies. In the midst of Mr. Gorbachev's officials remain concerned that recent "Gorbachev is trying to rally the in liberalization, Jewish campaigners in steps by Mikhail S. Gorbachev to liber· telligentsia that share his values and the emigration movement have had alize some elements of Soviet society his views to his side," Professor Cohen mixed experiences, according to Jerry may not touch restrictions on emigra said. "I saw· with my own eyes people Goodman, executive director of the Na· tion, a major obstacle in relations be in Moscow. Established ·reform intelli tional Conference. No Jewish acuv1st tween the two countries. gentsia were just elated." lias been· arresfe Reproduced and Distributed by: National Conference on Soviet Jewry 10 East 40th Street • Suite 907 • New York. NY 10016 ·TUESDAY, DECEMBER30, 1986 • SECOND FRONT PAGE The high price of freedom • Soviets who left USA found it a· 'totigh' burden to shoulder By Pat O'Driscoll most of the 100,000 Soviets ruled. They want somebody to rode on the subway every day, USA TODAY wbo've immigrated to the USA think for them." wbo saw the underside of U.S. since 1970 adjust, some can't Fear of violent urban crime, life," says Vladimir Kozo Ufe In the USA · 1s ''tough cope with freedom's beavy re culture sbock, menial jobs, lan lovsky, a reporter for Novoye freedom," one of 55 Soviet emt spomlbillty. guage l:iarr:lers and bomeslck· Russkoye Slovo, New York's gres said Monday nJgbt after In R~ "they care for ness are among other reasons Rusaian-languqe dally paper. arrtvtng back In the U .S.S.R. them from cradle to grave," cited by Soviets going borne. Emlgres wbo've stayed be "You have to worry about says CBthy Fltzpatrlck of Hel· Most returnees left the New bind say hints of new openness your life and your apartment, slnld Watcb, a buman rlgbts York area, wbere they lived In In Soviet leader Mikball Gorba· your bills every month, every group that belps emlgres relo Russlan-Jewlsb enclaves In cbev's Kremlin may have con· Reuters thing," artist Valery Klever cate. "These people come bere Brooklyn's Brlgbton Beacb, trlbuted, too. BACK HOME: A tearful Rebec· said after an Aeronot jet not really understanding waJa,~Manbattan's Wasblngton ''Tbere Is new bope with ca Katsap arrives in.Mosoow broUgbt blrn, bis wife and son they're getting Into." Helgbts and Jersey aty, N.J. new people like Gorbachev," back to Moscow. Ten-year emlgre Larissa And most are working-class, · said actor Oleg Vldov, the "So Jewry disagrees: "It's still a · Tbe returnees are the )8J&L Sbenker of New York adds that not dissident Intellectuals or. viet Robert Redford" wbo de Qne-way street There are still est of three Soviet groups In as some In the Soviet Union ac profelllionals. . fected to Hollywood In 1985. sw:nin the Soviet Union, many months to leave the USA custom themselves to a "slave ."We're talking about people Jerry Goodman of the Ntt ds of people. espec@ly tor their motherland. Although psychology 1 Tbey want to be wbo drove cabs, ftxed cars, UoiUUCODference on soVi Jews, who wish to leave." Reproduced and Distributed by: National Conference on Soviet Jewry 10 East 40th Street • Suite 907 • New York, NY 10016 Reagan Presidential Library Digital Records Marker This is not a presidential record. This marker is used as an administrative marker by the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library Staff. 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