Beyond the Pale - American Jewish Historical Society

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H events “ american Jewish committee executive director DaviD Harris prepared opening remarks for the event and praised secretary shultz for his role; here is an excerpt: For our country, the plight of Soviet Jews became a central item on our bilateral agenda and for the Congress. israel, despite the absence of direct links with the USSR, found many ways to give hope and support to Jews in the Soviet Union. The Helsinki Final Act, signed in 1975 by 35 nations, including the USSR and all of Europe, gave the Soviet Jewry movement an additional lever by calling for the protection of human rights. And countless non-Jews responded. From Martin Luther King Jr. to Bayard Rustin, from Sister Ann Gillen to Father Robert Drinan, they represented many races, religions, and creeds. They stood up, their voices were heard, and their message was clear—Let them live freely as Jews in the Soviet Union, or let them go. “ The American Jewish Historical Society created history on March 26th… At a time when the world seems down on one knee, the reminder of what can be, through the efforts of leaders of vision and courage determined to be authors of history, becomes all the more important.” David Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee 6 HERITAGE Spring 2009 try as the Soviet Union might, it could not quell the growing storm of protest. if the Kremlin relaxed its stance on emigration, as it did in 1973 and 1979, more Jews rushed to seek permission to leave. if it tightened its stance, as it did after the Moscow Olympics in 1980, then the global outcry intensified. And so we come at last to the Reagan-Gorbachev era. Few could have predicted its auspicious outcome. Certainly, when we were asked to organize a mass rally in Washington, on the eve of President Gorbachev’s first visit in 1987, little could we have foreseen the extraordinary events of the next four years… Not too long afterward, President Gorbachev opened the gates, and the Jews came streaming out. Of course, only President Gorbachev knows the degree to which this and other rallies and protests affected the decision-making of the Kremlin. i do know that, for the mood and morale of Soviet Jews, they were vitally important. The knowledge that the United States stood with them in their struggle was extraordinarily powerful. And there are few American officials who embody that support more than George Shultz. No words are sufficient to describe the central role he played, or the message he sent, when, as secretary of state, he hosted a Passover Seder for Soviet Jewish activists at the American Embassy in Moscow in 1987... it’s a perfect reminder of the power of individuals to dream dreams and fulfill them, as Soviet Jews did. And of the capacity of true statesmen to chart a brighter future and achieve it, as our two distinguished guests did so magnificently.” Israeli Consul General asaf shariv and Israeli Ambassador to the UN gabriela shalev David harris mikhail gorbachev, george shultz, and charlie rose
A VIP toast; clockwise from left: Daniel r. kaplan, irina virganskaya, george shultz, mikhail gorbachev and his translator, henry kissinger, ed koch, sid lapidus and David harris aJhs chairman emeritus and emma lazarus statue of liberty award laureate KennetH J. BialKin spoke at the ceremony; here is an excerpt: anne and kenneth j. bialkin UJA Federation Executive Vice President and CEO john ruskay with eugene grant “ Many of you in this room remember the time when Jews could not leave the confines of the Soviet Union, they were virtual prisoners there. Some of you were among the thousands of activists who marched, struggled, and prayed for the freedom of Soviet Jews, or who visited the Soviet Union and clandestinely brought prayer books, matzohs, food, money, and hope to our brothers and sisters while seeking to evade the notice or intimidation of the KGB. Some here do not directly remember the struggle and did not attend the glorious rally on December 7, 1987, in Washington, D.C., where more AJHS trustees george garfunkel and skip karetsky than 250,000 people demonstrated for the freedom of Soviet Jews. They were no longer the Jews of Silence, which Elie Wiesel described in 1966. Second only perhaps to the support for israel which united and continues to unite the Jews of America in fighting for the freedom and safety of the State of israel, the American movement to free Soviet Jews represents an unprecedented achievement of the force of community action to achieve an international political result of remarkable significance.” AJHS trustee and past president justin l. and genevieve wyner www.ajhs.org 7
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Beyond the Pale - American Jewish Historical Society

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