THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
16 Friday, July 27, 1979
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NEW YORK — Morton
Silberman of Miami has
been appointed chairman of
the Florida Regional
Cabinet of United Jewish
Appeal.
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NEW YORK (JTA) —
"The only thing we want is
the truth ,— what has hap-
pened to my brother? If he is
alive then we want him
back with us."
This was the plea made
Tuesday by Mrs. Nina
Lagergren, the half-sister of
Raoul Wallenberg, the
Swedish diplomat believed
held in a Soviet prison since
the end of World War II.
Wallenberg, a Christian,
helped rescue between
10,000 and 50,000 Hunga-
rian Jews from the Nazis
during the war and was be-
lieved arrested by the'
Soviets when the Red Army
captured Budapest in
January 1945.
Wallenberg was .a
graduate of the University
of Michigan.
Mrs. Lagergren made her
plea at a press conference at
the offices of the American
Jewish Committee at which
she announced the forma-
tion of a Free Raoul Wal-
lenberg Committee in the
U.S. by four U.S. Senators.
She went to New York from
Washington where she had
spent several days in behalf
of her brother, who, if alive
would be 66 years old.
The creation of the
committee was an-
nounced in Washington
on Monday by the Sena-
tors, Frank Church (D-
Idaho), Chairman of the
Senate Foreign Relations
Committee; Claiborne
Pell (D-R.I.), Daniel
Moynihan (D-N.Y.) and
Rudy Boschwitz (R-
Minn.).
"Wallenberg's tremen-
dous courage and selfless-
ness is one of the great mod-
ern examples of the Good
Samaritan," the four sena-
tors said. 'Wallenberg op-
erated a modern-day equiv-
alent of the underground
railroad. If he is still alive,
we must do everything
possible to secure his free-
dom."
The senators said, "There
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is too much evidence to ac- been held since 1945. No parliamentary commit-
cept the past Soviet state- other Swedish prisoner is tee has been formed by
ment that he died in 1947." known to have been impris- MPs Winston Churchill
They said the Soviets "do oned so long. and Greville Janner,
Fighting back tears, Mrs. president of the Board of
not want to be forced to ex-
plain why they imprisoned Lagergren said her mother Deputies of British Jews.
someone whose only crime had carried out efforts for Mrs. Lagergren noted
Wallenberg and she took that her family in Sweden
was saving lives."
At the press conference in over when her mother died was "alOne" because few
New York, Richard Maas, in February. She said her families there had suffered
president of the AJCommit- mother was encouraged to first-hand personal losses in
tee, said his organization make an international World War II since Sweden
would "fail in its duty" as a campaign by Aleksandr was neutral. She said they
human rights agency if it Solzhenitsyn when he came were advised to be quiet and
did not join in the efforts to to Stockholm to accept his did not realize such an atti-
secure Wallenberg's re- Nobel Prize after he was ex- tude would convince the
lease. He noted the special pelled from the USSR. She Soviets that no one cared
American responsibility in said Solzhenitsyn and other about Wallenberg's fate.
that Wallenberg agreed to former inmates of Soviet She also pointed to th
take up his efforts on behalf prisons assured the family special American responsi-
of Hungarian Jews after that someone could survive bility since Wallenberg had
President Roosevelt asked after more than 30 years de- acted at the request of the
the neutral Swedish gov- spite the harsh conditions. U.S. government.
She noted that he had
ernment to help the Jews.
Mrs. Lagergren said her
Also participating in mother wrote to then Secre- stayed in Budapest as the
the press conference tary of State Henry Kis- Soviets neared the Hunga-
were members of the U.S. singer in 1973 urging the rian capital because he
Committee for Wallen- U.S. to ask the Soviet Union feared the Nazis would try
berg: Mrs. Annette Lan- about Wallenberg but never to kill all the remaining
tos, of Hillsborough, received an answer. She Jews before surrendering
Calif., a former Hunga- said that she has since the city and because he be-
rian Jew who is co- learned that the State De- lieved that he could con-
secretary of the commit- partment had prepared a vince the Soviets to help the
tee along with Elizabeth letter to send to Moscow but Jews.
Moynihan, wife of the Kissinger did not approve
In Washington, the four
Senator; John Berenyi, a it. She said during her visit senators said the commit-
New York investment to Washington she did meet tee will gather all infor-
banker whose mother with State Department offi- mation on Wallenberg's
was rescued by Wallen- cials and they expressed whereabouts, "Press the
berg; and Mrs. Dolly Cole interest in the case.
government of the Soviet
Simon Wiesenthal, the Union to reveal all it
of Detroit, an editor and
widow of Thomas Cole, Vienna-based Nazi- knows about Wallenberg
former president of Gen- hunter, has taken an and, if he is still alive, to
eral Motors, who, is a interest in the Wallen- free him" and to rally the
friend of the Wallenberg berg case and has helped government, private
publicize it, Mrs. Lager- groups and individuals
family.
Mrs. Lantos said that she gren said. She visited Is- throughout the world on
and other Hungarian rael last month where behalf of Wallenberg.
Jewish survivors owe Wal- Premier Menahem Begin,
Pell stressed that "as co-
lenberg not only their lives asked the U.S. to help.'
"but more important, our This resulted in Wallen- chairman of the Commis-
faith and hope." In the face berg's name being pre- sion on Security and Co-
of "man's depravity" and sented along with other operation in Europe, I am
"cruelty," Mrs. Lantos said, Soviet prisoners by the determined to find out
Wallenberg demonstrated U.S. to the Soviets at the whether Wallenberg is still
that a few men could rise to Vienna meeting between alive and, if so, why he is
brotherhood and courage. President Carter and being held as a political
She said those who were Soviet President Leonid prisoner in contravention of
helped by Wallenberg want Brezhnev in June. In the 1975 Helsinki Accord on
to bring his heroism before England, an all-party Human Rights."
the public and help secure
his release.
Berenyi, who was born
TEL AVIV (JTA) — ridge of the Carmel where
after World War II, noted
that his mother, Haifa, "the forgotten jewel Israeli and foreign vac-
grandmother, aunts and of Israel" as its Mayor Arieh ationers throng'in summer
cousins -were saved through Gurel describes it, is spruc- to enjoy the cooler tempera-
Wallenberg's efforts. He ing up for President Anwar tures.
Sadat will be coming at
said neither they nor he Sadat's visit next month
would be here today without aboard his yacht. The visit the peak of the season
has brought to life a project and the Mt. Carmel
Wallenberg.
'Mrs. Cole said the Soviet begun 25 years ago — the hotels, already heavily
government should realize construction of a modern booked, will have to find
that Americans do not con- passenger terminal in the rooms for representa-
sider it the same as the re- port-area — which obser- tives of the world news
gime that ruled the USSR at vers say would have taken media as well as hun-
the time Wallenberg was another 25 years to com- dreds of local journalists.
imprisoned and so it should plete were it not for the im- Gurel believes that re-
be prepared to "right this pending arrival of the Egyp- gardless of these prob-
lems, Sadat's visit wit"
tian leader.
wrong."
Now, workers are swarm- put Haifa once again "c
Mrs. Lagergren said
that at first the Soviets ing over the partly built the map."
The port itself, where
did not admit that they structure in a crash effort to
have her half-brother but get it ready in time for congestion has been the
from 1947 on they Sadat. Haifa, which many norm for years, will be espe-
claimed he had died in people consider the sceni- cially hectic next month. It
prison. However, she cally most beautiful city . in plays host to two units of the
noted that since then Israel — it has been com- American Sixth Fleet — the
there have been various pared to Naples and Rio-- giant carrier Independence
reliable reports from re- is Israel's largest seaport. and her escort destroyer
leased prisoners that But as travel by sea de- Patterson — with a com-
clined and most tourists ar- bined complement of
Wallenberg was alive.
The latest was from a rive and depart from Ben- thousands- of men on a
Moscow Jew, Jan Kaplan, Gurion Airport, the city on three-day visit.
In addition, about 40
who was re-arrested last the slopes of Mt. Carmel,
December after he tele- overlooking a crescent- passenger-carrying ships
phoned his sister in Tel shaped bay, tended to be will call at Haifa next
month, 28 of them cruise
Aviv and said he met in the bypassed by visitors.
There are relatively few ships landing thousands of
Butyrka Prison in 1975 a
Swedish prisoner who has hotels, except on the high tourists.
Haifa Bustles for Sadat Visit