Newspaper Page Text
— I
"Wo are young poopin'
Soviet UN Mission accepts appeal
from wife of imprisoned activist
■j.\
NEW YORK - In an un
precedented action, the Soviet
Mission to the United Nations in
New York, accepted a petition
written by Natalya Sharansky,
on behalf of her husband, Soviet-
Natalya Sharansky will par
ticipate in Holocaust memorial
ceremonies Sunday moraine at
Greenwood Cemetery.
Jewish activist Anatoly
Sharansky, who is presently be
ing held in Moscow’s Lefortovo
Prison, pending a criminal in
vestigation on charges of
“espionage and treason”.
“I appeal to you for help,”
began the letter to the USSR’s
Secretary-General Leonid
Brezhnev. “I believe that you
will understand me, a simple
woman who was separated from
my husband immediately after
our wedding. All we want to do
is to be together in Israel. We do
not request anything from your
to me, and since March 16, 1977
has been imprisoned on false ac
cusations. Sharansky’s ac
cusations stem from a March 5
article in the Soviet newspaper
Izvestia which accused him of
working for the CIA.
Presently touring the United
States with her brother Mikhail
Shteiglitz, Mrs. Sharansky was
accompanied to the mission by
National Conference on Soviet
Jewry (NCSJ), Chairman
Eugene Gold, her brother and
Theodore Mann, Chairman of
the National Jewish Community
Relations Advisory Council
(NJCRAC).
Anatoly Sharansky
government, but my husband
Anatoly Sharansky who has been
held in the Soviet Union alrea
dy three years, and cannot come
“Mr. Brezhnev,” the letter con
tinued, “I do not believe that you
have ever been separated from
your wife during your lifetime
and I hope that in the future you
will not know the pain of being
separated three years, never
knowing when you might be re
united. Despite this, I am asking
Singapore Jews unique
you to understand our dilemma.
There are five hundred Jews
living in Singapore, most of
them having gone there from
Iraq and India, a few coming
from Britain and other Euro
pean countries.
Writing in HaAretz, Daniel
Degan reports that the
.Singapore Jewish Center is
housed in a pleasant building op
posite the elegant synagogue
built in 1905. A smaller syn
agogue, also still in use, was
erected five years earlier.
The Jews of Singapore speak
English among themselves, and
follow Sephardi traditions in the
synagogue. The young Rabbi of
the community, Isaac Ben-
Zakin, 26, told the reporter that
there are minyanim every mor
ning and evening.
On Shabbat, and holidays,
more worshippers come to ser
vices. The community also has a
ritual bath (mikva), a Sunday
school and an afternoon
religious school.
Born in Spanish Morocco,
Rabbi Ben-Zakin was ordained
as a Rabbi, and as a ritual
slaughterer (shohat), in Britain.
Most of Singapore’s Jews are
merchants, particularly in tex
tiles, jewelry and footwear.
Generally, they are well off in-
financially. The few Jews in
need are helped through special
funds established by wealthy
members of the community.
Rabbi Ben-Zakin reported
that Jews have lived in
Singapore for 150 years and they
have created a fine pattern of
communal life. There is a lot of
hope invested in the young
generation which shows a great
interest in tradition and in
Jewish learning. He sees the
number of families who observe
Jewish dietary laws (kashrut)
increasing, as is the number of
worshippers coming to syn
agogue.
Singapore’s citizens, 80% of
whom are Chinese, know prac
tically nothing about Judaism.
However, they treat all religions
with honor and respect.
“We are young people who
want to be together, to build our
lives together,” the plea con
tinued.
SERVICE
E.G. CRAIG - OWNER
OVER 30 YEARS
EXPERIENCE
COMPLETE TREE SERVICE
• FEEDING • PRUNING • REMOVAL
• SURGICAL WORK • FIREWOOO • SERA VINO
. STUMP REMOVAL • TREES TRANSPLANTED
• RIGHT OF WAV CLEARANCE
ESTIMATES WITHOUT OBLIGATION"
SERWN8 AU ATLANTA A METRO AREAS
436-1375
iwQtMcm cau. covmwroN. a* - mwu
Mrs. Sharansky whose United
States tour is being sponsored by
the NCSJ with the co-operation
of the NJCRAC finished by
writing, “Only you can help us
and I will be forever grateful if
my husband and I could be
together in the immediate
future.”
Fretlacha Simchas
Weddings • Bar Mitavahs
■fi.ee ma n
A* '■'ORCHESTRAS
Ml "It Wl>
I \ ! i H I UNMKVI
448 8031 • 448-0390