ssia
tong . (Continued from Page 1)
Zivs contended that the majority
of Soviet Jews "are satisfied with
the existence they lead." He said
3,000 Jews emigrated in 1969 and
1970 but added that of the 3,000,000
Jews in Russia, only "a few thou-
sand" want to leave. He said the
procedure for issuing exit permits
was complicated by the fact that
there are no diplomatic relations
between Israel and the Soviet
Union.
At the same time, the Brussels
world conference office here re-
ceived cables from Soviet Jews in
Moscow and Oriel wishing it suc-
cess and "fruitful results."
°wile secretariat preparing for
the conference announced that it
had received a cable of good
wishes signed by six Moscow
Jews: Meir Selland, Alexander
Balabanov, Lev Freidin, Jacob
Roninson, Joseph Kerley and
Karl Malkin.
A second cable wishing the con.
ference "success and unity" came
from Karl and Raya Frusin of
Oriel, the conference reported.
A conference spokesman said
that Tass erred when it described
the forthcoming gathering as an
"anti-Soviet provocation." He said
it was not directed against the
Soviet Union but would demon-
strate the solidarity of the Jewish
people with the 3,000,000 Jews in
Russia.
In Geneva, Dr. Nahum Gold-
mann said Tuesday that he wel-
comed and lent his "fullest sup-
port" to the world conference on
Soviet Jewry. The president of the
World Jewish Congress issued a
statement clarifying his views on
the problem of Soviet Jewry after
he was criticized by spokesmen
for the Brussels conference Mon-
day for alleged remarks attribute-
ed to him in press reports of a
speech he made recently in Zurich.
Dr. Goldmann said the reports
were "erroneous." They had quot-
ezlhim as saying that the problem
of Soviet Jewry was being "over-
dramatized." In his statement is-
sued here Tuesday, the Jewish
leader said, "Next to the survival
and well being of the state of Is.
reel, I have always regarded the
fate of Soviet Jewry as the chief
priority of world Jewish concern.
I do not believe that the plight of
3,500,000 Soviet Jews can be exag-
gerated or 'overdramatized' as I
have been misrepresented as say-
ing."
Dr. Goldmann went on to ob-
serve that Soviet Jews were not
in danger of physical persecution
"but of enforced assimilation
which threatens the spiritual. re-
kgious and cultural survival of the
second largest Jewish community
in the world."
Aerologists to - Brussels
der Solzhenitsyn, is scheduled to
tour America in December.
The Soviet Union said Rostropo-
vich's original schedule was can-
celed because he was too busy in
Russia with concerts. Detroit was
on his itinerary.
The Jewish Labor Committee
wrote to U Thant, secretary-gen-
eral of the United Nations, sharply
calling his attention to the Soviet
the UN's Universal Declaration of
Union's violation of Article 13 of
Human Rights which states,
"Everyone has the right to leave
any country, including his own,
and return to his country."
Charles S. Zimmerman, president
of the Jewish Labor Committee,
stated that the Soviet Union has
denied its Jewish citizens the right
to emigrate from that country.
Zimmerma'n's letter further said,
"I am puzzled that as the secre-
tary-general of the United Nations.
and a highly vocal and eloquent
one on many occasions, you have
never thought it appropriate to call
attention to the violations of the
UN's Declaration of Human Rights
by the Soviet Union. I am puzzled
that you have never thought it ap-
propriate to call attention to the
ugly anti-Semitic propaganda dis-
seminated in the Soviet Union and
elsewhere by the Soviet authorities.
Are the human rights of Jews of
less concern to you, I wonder, than
the human rights of others?"
Some 3,000 Persons in N.Y.
Stage Rally to Dramatize
Plight of Soviet Jews
LONG ISLAND (JTA) — About
3,000 Long Island resdidents of all
faiths participated Sunday in a
unique "Prison Camp Supper" to
dramatically protest Soviet oppres-
sion of Jews.
Document Testifies Jews Played
Big Role in Lithuanian Underground
JERUSALEM (JTA) — A docu-
ment attesting to the significant
Dart played by Jewish partisans
has been published here in a doc-
toral dissertation on "Jewish
Participation in Lithuania in the
Struggle Against the Germans
During the Second World War."
delivered at the Hebrew Univer-
sity by Dov Levin.
The document, written in Rus-
sian, gives personal details on
each of the 76 men and women
partisans in the "Struggle" Bri-
gade.
Cited are details not only on the
military activities of the brigade's
members, but also on their nation.
ality, their civilian occupations,
their education.
Dated Aug. 7, 1944, it is signed
by the brigade's commanding of-
ficer, a Ukrainian Jewish captain,
whose Jewish origins were known
only to some of those who served
under him, and by the assistant
to the chief of staff of the Lithu-
anian partisan movement.
Dr. Levin-received the docu-
ment some years ago from a
former partisan, today an Is-
'raeli citizen who wishes to re-
main anonymous, who brought
it with him from Russia.
In analyzing this information,
Dr. Levin=timself a former parti-
san—found that 80 Der cent of the
brigade was Jewish, with almost
all the other members being Rus-
sian.
The proportion of Jewish women
involved was eight times larger
than that of the non-Jewish warn-
en, while Jews had also served
the longest within the brigade's
ranks.
However, only three of its 11
officers were Jewish. since the
Jewish members had little experi-
MOSCOW — Another appeal to ence in military training as coon.
Soviet authorities by 200 Jews seek- paredwith their non-Jewish col-
ing the right to emigrate to Israel leagues.
*
was made known here, its signa-
tories hailing from Moscow, Lenin- Hebrew U. Helps Burma
grad, Vilna and other cities.
The typewritten document ap- Develop Anti-Snake Drug
JERUSALEM — Two Burmese
parently was drafted several weeks
ago, since some of the signers have venom experts recently have taken
already received permission in the up specialized studies at the He-
last two weeks to leave for Israel. brew University to develop a more
Many of the 200 have put their potent anti-snake serum than those
names on other petitions.
now available.
This document said: "We express
According to U Han Sein, assist-
the hope that the 24th party of the ant manager of the biological lab-
oopntry, will oblige the state or- oratory in the Burma Pharma-
gans of the USSR in the shortest ceutical Industry, Rangoon, and
period of time to put an end to the U Thein Han, deputy manager of
atmosphere in which Jews, despair- the BPI veterinary department,
ing of obtaining the realization of their country has one of the
their natural right to emigrate to world's highest snake bite mor-
Israel, may turn to extreme meas- tality rates.
ures, not always in accord with the
The two Burmese, who have
law."
joined the staff of the university's
The latter statement recalls the department of entomology and
Leningrad Trials, in which Jews venomous animals for a four-
Were accused of plotting to hijack month period, estimate that every
a plane in their search for a way year some 2,000 of their country-
to Israel
men reportedly are bitten by
Soviet. Jewish.' alibi Mattalay snakes.
Itostreporich, WNW concert tour
Before serum was introduced in
et the United
_was post- Burma, approximately 50 per . cent
poned Mier be midst est on be- of the victims died, and the- num-
half et Mission neVellat Alexan- ber of persons succumbing - , to
snake venom is still relatively
high.
For several years, Burma re-
- ceived anti-serum from the
Haffkine Institute in Bombay,
but since 1961, the country has
Its own production, which, how-
ever, meets only 40 per cent of
the demand.
The event, staged at Mitchell
Field in Garden City, sponsored
by the Long Island Committee for
Soviet Jewry, attempted to focus
attention on the entire Soviet Jew-
ry problem and the intolerable
conditions under which Soviet pris-
oners live.
According to Inez Weissman, co-
ordinator of the "Prison Supper,"
all participants "assumed the sta-
tus of Soviet prison camp inmates,
in order to create a spirit of shay_
ing the suffering of Soviet Jewry."
Entire families, under the eyes of
"camp guards," ate a 300-calorie
meal, consisting of beet soup and
black bread. Every man, woman
and child received facsimile identi-
fication cards which all Russian
Jews must carry and will keep
these cards as a symbolic link
with all Soviet Jews.
In an interview by George Fried-
man, JTA staff reporter, 30-year-
old Leonid Rigerman described
'what it is like to come "home"
to America'. The Soviet Jew,
whose efforts to break the Krem-
lin's emigration barriers had
brought him widespread attention
and encouragement in the West,
alighted with his mother. Mrs.
Esther Rigerman, from a Pan
American jet at Kennedy Interna-
tional Airport midnight last Satur-
day.
He had been expected to arrive
at 10.p.m., but the flight was de-
layed because of what a Pan Am
spokesman said had been "me-
chanical troubles in Moscow."
Friedman said the emigre, born
to a Brooklynite mother whose so.
cialist husband had insisted before
Leonid's birth that his wife live
with him in the "Soviet Paradise,"
became so aware of his Jewish
heritage that he began to agitate
for his freedom from what he
deemed official Soviet anti-Semit-
ism.
Several months ago, he tried to
enter the ITS. Embassy in Moscow
to assert AMerican citizenship on
the grounds that his mother was
Samples of Burmese snakes are
to be sent fo the university in
order to milk their venom here
and also use fresh venom for study
and immunization. As a precau-
tionary measure for protecting the
visiting scientists during the milk-
ing process, experimental anti-
serum will be used—a gift to the
department from the Pasteur In-
stitute in Paris.
The Burmese plan to take home
some 1,500 sample ampules, pro-
duced in Jerusalem. especially
geared to the needs of their coun-
try.
They are studying in Israel on
World Health Organization schol- American-born.
arships, coupled with a grant from
The Soviet government had the
the international cooperation divi-
sion of the Israel Foreign Minis- authorities block him physically.
But
due to the efforts of the
try.
U.S. State Department—goaded by
legislators, Jewish leaders, public
$52 Million Credit Pact opinion and Rigerman's lawyer,
New York City official Daniel
for Surplus Food
Greer—the Soviet Jew was grant-
Concluded with U. S.
ed U.S. citizenship last Dec; 19.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Deputy
Rigerman told the JTA he had
Finance Minister Zevi Dinstein told not yet made arrangements for
the Knesset that Israel's foreign permanent living quarters or em-
trade deficit would total $1,450,- ployment. He. said he had already
000,000 by the end of this year and met his 57-year-old uncle, Louis
that the country's foreign debt Michael of the Bronx, but not his
would reach the unprecedented ill. 87-year-old grandfather, Jacob
amount of $1,125 per capita.
Michael, also of the Bronx. He
He said that due mainly to recent had been greeted by numerous
American loans Israel was able to other relatives here; he said, and
maintain its foreign currency re- on the way to the interview had
serves.
strolled along some of the city's
streets with Greer.
Dinstein disclosed that in the
last few days Israel has con-
cluded a $52,000,000 credit
agreement with the U.S. for the
purchase of surplus food and
was expecting approval of a new
$35,000,000 loan from the Ameri-
can Export-Import Bank.
These monies are apart from
the $500,000,000 credit extended
to Israel by the U.S. last year
for military purchases.
Dinstein said treasury experts
forecast a slowdown in the growth
of Israel's imports this year be-
cause of reduced defense needs.
Imports increased by $340,000,000
last year but are expected to rise
by only $30,000,000 this year.
He said the government might
consider raising the price of fuel
20 per cent in order to reduce con-
sumption and further reduce im-
ports. He said more than $20,000,-
000 was saved by concluding long-
range contracts for the transporta-
tion of oil by sea.
Dinstein said the Eilat-Ashkelon
oil pipeline was already yielding
considerable income in foreign cur-
rency and was turning Israel into
a "not insignificant factor" in the
world's oil business.
THE DETROIT . JEWISH NEWS
42—Friday, February 26, 1971
Sydney G. Gumpertz;
Won Medal of Honor
NEW YORK — Sydney G. Gum-
pertz, a World War I winner of the
Medal of Honor and a retired ad-
vertising man, died Jan. 16, at age
91.
Mr. Gumpertz was awarded the -
medal when he and two compan-
ions captured a series of German
machine gun positions and took 80
prisoners.
In 1921, Mr. Gumpertz headed the
Jewish Valor Legion, formed to
discredit doubts of Jewish patrio-
tism circulated by the late Henry
Ford. Mr. Gumpertz authored the
book, "The Jewish Legion of
Valor" telling of courageous Jews
who have fought in the U .S.
armed forces.
Nathan Miller,
Motel Owner, 73
Nathan Miller, retired owner of
the Bon Lynn Motel, 4100 Wood-
ward, died Wednesday at age 73.
Mr. Miller, 27369 Pierce, South-
field, was born in Russia and lived
in the Detroit area 57 years. He
was a member of Adas Shalom
and Downtown synagogues and the
United Hebrew Schools:
Surviving are his wife, Sarah;
two sons, Erwin and Martin; a
daughter, Mrs. Harold .(Harriet)
Cohen of University 'Heights, 0.;
a brother, Abe of Beverly Hills,
Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. Sam
(Vivian) Shulman and Mrs. Jack
(Lillian) Silver; and seven grand-
children.
Italian Links Red Policy
on Soviet Jewry, M.E.
'ROME (JTA)—A leader of the
Italian Republican Party chided
Italy's powerful Communist Party
for refusing to acknowledge the
connection between Moscow's Mid-
dle East policy and anti-Semi-
tism in the Soviet Union.
On one hand the Italian Com-
munists praise Soviet anti-Israel
penetration into the' 'fiddle East,
and on the otherl hind -they pro-
test against -the Leningrad trial
and sentences, Ugo Lamalfa. sec-
retary of the Republican Party,
said in an. interview published in
the Bulletin of the Rome Jewish
Community. '
"There is not much sense in de-
nouncing the Leningrad trial with-
out asking why anti-Semitism is a
recurrent phentnnen in the USSR
and thus a structural oart of the
Soviet regime," Lamalfa said.
"There is doubtless a connec-
tion between the anti-Israel poli-
cy of Moscow and the internal
anti- Semitism. The battle to en-
circle Israel and defeat its poll-
' tically stirs Russian Jews to
solidarity with Israel and this
is then used as a pretext for
further repression by the re-
gime," Lamalfa said.
'He conceded that his party rep-
resents only abotit three per cent
of the Italian electorate but said
that its friendship toward Israel
was - shared by the Italian govern-
ment. -
According to Lamalga. Italy
views efforts to destroy Israel as
not - morally reprehensible but an
' tit to alter the balance of
adOin
Point' in the Mediterranean.
Rigerman offered thanks to the
State Denartment for its aid. But
he scored the United Nations as a
do-nothing organization that has
been - particularly ineffective in
ameliorating the plight of Soviet
Jews.
He said that probably around
400.000 of the estimated 3,500,000
Soviet Jests were anxious to leave
their country Immediately, but
were being rebuffed by. Red tape.
Asked whether that meant that
the great majority of Soviet Jews
want to stay where they are, Ri- Report Russia Sending
german demurred. They are, be
said, "just Waiting for us to break Syria SAM-2i, -3s
the way out," . and - assert
TEL AVIV. (JTA)—Reports pub-
themselves "as soon as they know lished in Lebanese papers indi-
that nothing is going to happen to- rate that Russia has begun sup-
them."
•
plying Syria with Russian-made
Rigerman discounted claims by SAM-2 missiles batteries. Israeli
the Jewish Defense League that political observers have suggested
all Soviet Jews endorse the tactics that this new arrangement may
of that militant organization. Jew- have resulted from Syrian leader
ry, he noted, is not monolithic. General Hafez Assad's recent trip
Asked how Americans can help- to Moscow, - -
the cause of Soviet Jews, he urged
According to the .reports, Russia
them to "speak out" and create a also has supplied the Syrians with
wave of verbal and diplomatic SAM-34, but - Israeli political
pressure that the image-conscious circles expressed doubts as to the
Kremlin cannot ignore.
truth of this statement.
-