International Religious Freedom

60th General Assembly
November 1989
New Orleans, Louisiana

BACKGROUND

Our Reform Movement has been at the forefront of the North American Jewish community in mobilizing efforts for Ethiopian Jewish relief both through "Project REAP" and "Operation Moses." During the past year, we have joyously witnessed the return to Israel of a large portion of the Ethiopian Jewish community through "Operation Moses," and we applaud the continuing efforts to absorb them into the mainstream of Israeli life.

Background

One of the basic teachings of our tradition is "All Israel is responsible for one another" (Talmud, Shevuot 39a). This principle is described in God's command, "If there is a needy person among you do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient..." (Deuteronomy 15:7-8). As we strive to fulfill this responsibility to our fellow Jews, we recognize that we have not completed our task for our Argentinean brothers and sisters in Argentina. Need our help now.

We are appalled at the tragedy now befalling the remnant of Polish Jewry. This fragment of a once great community now finds itself the victim of an organized, government-initiated and sponsored anti-Semitic campaign thinly veiled as opposition to "international Zionism". Experience teaches us that this is a distinction without a difference.

Background

The former Soviet Union is the home of millions of Jews, only a small number of whom are involved in any form of Jewish religious or communal life. For the time being, it appears that the vast majority of them will remain in the former Soviet Union. It is critical for the health and well-being of world Jewry that the Jews who remain in the former Soviet Union - the second largest Jewish community in the Diaspora - be reintegrated into the world Jewish community.

American Jewry can no longer ignore the impending spiritual extermination of the Jewish community in the USSR.

Preamble:

"By the waters of Babylon, there we sat and wept...." Those waters of ancient Babylon are the rivers of Iraq today. Today by these same rivers in Iraq and neighboring Syria, our Jewish brethren still sit and weep.

WHEREAS we are deeply concerned about the plight of our brethren in Arab lands; and

WHEREAS we are aware that Jews are forbidden to leave Syria and Iraq and thus become prisoners in their native countries; and

Background

The 46th General Assembly of the UAHC is profoundly troubled by the steadily mounting harassment of Jewish leaders in the USSR. The recent arrests, secret trials and convictions of these leaders in Leningrad and Moscow on the ground of "contact with foreign powers" clearly indicates the avowed intention of Soviet authorities to seal off its Jewish community from any relationship with their co-religionists throughout the world and to liquidate their spiritual and cultural resources.