American ISRAEL GOLDSTEIN President V ice-Presidents: HENRY C. BERLIN Boston SHAD POLIER Chairman MORTON M. BERMAN Chicago PHILIP S. BERNSTEIN Executive Committee Rochester HAROLD B. COHEN New York NATHAN L. EDELSTEIN Philadelphia MAX A. KOPSTEIN Chairman HORACE M. KALLEN Administrative Committee New York Jewish JUSTINE WISE POLIER New York I. H. PRINZMETAL Los Angeles THELMA RICHMAN Secretary JAMES N. ROSENBERG New York SIMON E. SOBELOFF Baltimore BENJAMIN S. KALNICK Treasurer ISIDOR TEITELBAUM New York DAVID W. PETEGORSKY, Executive Director Congress ISAAC TOUBIN, Associate Director

STEPHEN WISE CONGRESS HOUSE, 15 EAST 84th STREET • NEW YORK 28, N. Y. • TRAFALGAR 9-4500 June 2, 195U

Hon. Herbert H. Lehman Senate Office Building Washington, D. C. \9W.

Dear Senator:

Reports which have been reaching us for months concerning the imprisonment of Jewish leaders in Rumania have unfortunately now been fully confirmed. Hundreds of Jewish leaders have been imprisoned and held incommunicado for several years. Sham trials have been conducted and savage sentences im- posed up to life imprisonment. The defendants >Tere accused of conduct which, at the time, was unchallengeably legal and permissible, such as engaging in Zionist activity, encouraging Jews to emigrate to Israel and maintaining con- tact with Jews in other lands through the World Jewish Congress.

As a result of these mass arrests and brutal punishments, the Jews of Rumania are living under a reign of terror which grows more frightening every day. Their hope is that public opinion in the civilized world will express itself so vigorously on the injustices committed against a defenceless minority as to give the Rumanian authorities some pause in their current campaign.

On Wednesday, June 9, a demonstration of protest is being held in New York City under the auspices of the American Jewish Congress. I earnestly hope that you will find it possible to send a message to this meeting expressing your condemnation of the action of the Rumanian government. Such a message will help to demonstrate to the world how America feels about these perse- cutions. It may give to the Jews in Rumania some ray of hope. I shall be very grateful indeed if you could address such a message to me in advance of the meeting.

I enclose a copy of a report which was issued a few days ago on the situation in Rumania.

With kind greetings, I am

Sincerely yours,

IG;gg Israel Goldstein Enc. President „

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