The ability to save millions from extermination does not come often to small groups of men. History will record the conduct of this Congress, this government, this country, at this time. Let it be said that the land made up of the oppressed and driven of the world has not forgotten how it feels to be oppressed. Mr. ROSENTHAL. Our next witness is Congressman Joseph Minish from New Jersey, accompanied by Rabbi Zev Segal, chairman of the Essex County Conference on Soviet Jewry. Congressman Minish? Mr. MINISH. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, it is my pleasure today to introduce Rabbi Zev Segal, who is chairman of the Essex County Conference on Soviet Jewry, before your committee. I want to thank the committee for the opportunity of listening to Rabbi Segal's testimony, a man who is deeply concerned with the problem with which this committee is concerning itself today. Thank you. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Before the rabbi begins, Mr. Chairman, I would like to say as a fellow New Jersey man, it is a particular pleasure for me to welcome you today. STATEMENT OF RABBI ZEV SEGAL, CHAIRMAN OF THE ESSEX COUNTY CONFERENCE ON SOVIET JEWRY Rabbi SEGAL. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the House Subcommittee on Europe. My name is Rabbi Zev Segal and the testimony which I am privileged to present is on behalf of the Essex County Conference on Soviet Jewry. This organization, which I have served as chairman for the past 3 years, comprises some 26 local religious and secular organizations which embrace all of Essex County's Jewish population, totalling some 100,000 persons. I am also privileged to represent, as its immediate past president and honorary president, the Rabbinical Council of America, and as a member of their boards of directors, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and the National Council of Young Israel. I am also the rabbi of Young Israel of Essex County. Mr. Chairman, Congressman Frelinghuysen, it would be gratuitous on my part to recount for you the tragic nature of what it means to try to live as a Jew in the Soviet Union today. The grim features of the religious, cultural, and physical persecution perpetrated by the Soviet Union upon its Jewish citizens have been thoroughly researched and carefully documented by scores of objective observers as well as by those Jews who have managed to flee to Israel and other parts of the Western World. A RALLY OF CONCERN One of the purposes of my being here today is to emphasize to you the concern not only of the Jewish community, but the other parts of the American community as well. Just a few weeks ago, the Essex County Conference held a rally of concern for Soviet Jewry in South Orange, N.J. For this occasion, Seton Hall University, a distinguished Catholic center of higher education, offered its facilities. The large audience heard messages of concern from the university president, Msgr. Thomas G. Fahy, the 70-614-72- -6 Reverend Paul Stagg, general secretary of the New Jersey Council of Churches, our own distinguished Congressman from New Jersey, Joseph Minish, and Mr. Gustav Heningburg, president of the Greater Newark Urban Coalition. I call your attention to copies of news stories reporting this remarkable demonstration of religious and racial solidarity with Soviet Jewry. I cite this event because to me it is a most heartening and significant evidence that the plight of our fellow Jews is of real concern to all men of good will. Let me quote a few excerpts from Mr. Heningburg's remarks which interpret my feeling in a most eloquent manner. He said: I am a black American, preoccupied since birth with survival in a nation which has not yet, even in 1971, abandoned its efforts to destroy or inhibit my freedom, history and cultural heritage. Given that reality, it may be reasonable for some to wonder why I am here tonight, joining with you in an expression of concern about Jews halfway around the world. The answer is so obvious as perhaps not to be obvious. They are the same as those which brought so many to march on Washington on behalf of American Blacks. It would be the height of hypocrisy for me to demand freedom from all forms of oppression for myself, my brothers and my children, while being unconcerned about the freedom of others. . . What a charade it would be for me to challenge and attack racism in America and sit complacently by while three and a half million Jews face physical, spiritual and religious persecution in Moscow and Leningrad and Kiev and Vilna, and Minsk and Odessa. At the same rally, Dr. Mikhail Zand, the internationally known Soviet Jewish scholar, was our guest speaker. Dr. Zand who for years has been an active spokesman for those Russian Jews wishing to depart for Israel, said this, "We no longer are the Jews of silence," referring to his brothers and sisters in the Soviet Union. "But many people who have to help us are now silent.” UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF RIGHTS And this brings me to the heart of what I wish to discuss with you. Soviet Jews have seized the initiative in demanding their right to either live fully Jewish lives in the Soviet Union-or, failing this, their right under Soviet law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to depart for Jerusalem. Those of us who remember the tragedy of the Warsaw ghetto uprising and the thousands of Jewish lives that were lost in that heroic encounter with the Nazis are fearful that history may repeat itself. God forbid. I think it is fair to say that the new, vigorous, outspokenness of Russian Jewry has been, at least in part, fanned and encouraged by demonstrations of support and concern voiced by a myriad of groups and individuals, large and small, throughout the civilized world. It would be a disaster, ladies and gentlemen, if the worldwide outcries in which we have been participating were to diminish or regress. Its inevitable result would be to isolate and make most vulnerable those Russian Jews who are now demanding their human rights. We are deeply grateful for recent statements in behalf of Soviet Jewry by Mrs. Rita Hauser, U.S. Representative to the U.N. Human Rights Commission and Mr. George Bush, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. We are equally appreciative of the concern voiced recently by Mr. Fletcher, the U.S. Representative on the Third Commission on "Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination." Similarly, I must applaud the recent statement by Attorney General John Mitchell concerning our Government's new parole policy in regard to those Jews able to obtain exit visas to the United States. These actions by our Government's ranking officials make it clear that the U.S. Government fully accepts its responsibility, not only to focus world attention on the Soviet Jewish issue, but to take concrete steps to persuade the Soviet authorities to release those Jews who wish to emigrate. Finally, I would respectfully suggest some specific actions which I hope will receive your thoughtful consideration: 1. In order to sustain the morale of Soviet Jewry, I urge that America's broadcast facilities, particularly the Voice of America, increase substantially the number of Jewish cultural programs beamed to the Soviet Union and other Iron Curtain countries. USING THE UNITED NATIONS 2. America's concern with Soviet Jewry can and should be more forcibly voiced in the United Nations. I am not referring to the U.N.'s special subcommittees, but rather its highest councils. For too long the pleas and messages from responsible organizations urging full rights for Soviet Jewry have been pigeonholed and are gathering dust in committee folders in the U.N. basement. Several months ago, thanks to Congressman Minish's good offices, thousands of petitions addressed to President Nixon and pleading for his intercession in behalf of Soviet Jewry, were delivered to the State Department. We have yet to learn whether President Nixon or any of his staff have received these documents. I would hope that Secretary of State Rogers, in his consultations with the President, would suggest to him that it is vital to negotiate in behalf of Soviet Jewry on all levels of intercourse with the diplomatic arms of the Soviet Union. In closing, let me again express my deep appreciation for the honor and privilege of bringing these heartfelt feelings and concern to your attention. I can assure you that America and the free world are counting on your moral leadership in this valiant struggle for human freedom. Thank you. Mr. ROSENTHAL. Thank you very, very much, Rabbi. Congressman Frelinghuysen. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Thank you, Rabbi Segal. I want to congratulate you on your very thoughtful testimony. I think what you say is good advice. I think Jews and non-Jews need to recognize their continuing responsibility to define a goal, to see if we can get some further progress with respect to the Soviet Union and the relationship of the Jews in the Soviet Union. SHOULD ALL EMIGRATE? I have some misgivings about the wisdom of automatic immigration for any Jew that wants to leave the Soviet Union. I say that because it does seem to me that the Jews do constitute a kind of yeast which leavens the loaf. I would guess in the maturing process which we hope will eventually develop in the Soviet Union that there will be a place for people like the Jews. I hope the only solution will not be simply for Jews to move to a more congenial climate. These people are going to have to leave their homes and in many cases as has been said here, move to less desirable jobs perhaps. This is a solution but not an altogether desirable one. It pains me that conditions are such in the Soviet Union that this seems to be the only solution. Certainly Jews are not allowed to lead a full Jewish life. in the Soviet Union so this is perhaps the only alternative there is. Rabbi SEGAL. I believe that the Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution of the Soviet Union provided free immigration to everyone who wants it. In this, the intent of the declaration of the Constitution was not to limit a certain group. It was for every individual to decide for himself if he wants to be there or not. If by sheer luck he happens to be valuable to the society that he is in, it doesn't mean that he must be in prison because he has a certain profession or because he has something to contribute. These things were taken into consideration. A law is made for everyone, it is not for a distinct group. Therefore, we say that every Jew who wants to leave the Soviet Union must have the right to leave. This is his inalienable right. It is a very elementary right he must be able to exercise. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I am not arguing against its advisability. I would say the better choice, if we could arrange it, would be for the Soviet Union to mend its ways and try to recognize that diversity of peoples, and the religious faiths. Such people are actually an asset, as we know, in our own country. It is wishful thinking, perhaps. Rabbi SEGAL. There is no question that I think Jews are an asset. I was trained to believe they are an asset. At the same time being an asset does not mean that he has to suffer as a result of it. All we are asking is that whoever wants to leave the Soviet Union should be given permission to leave. We know it for a fact that there are hundreds and thousands who want to go and there are many more who are not saying that they want to go but they do want to leave the country. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. You talk about the value of demonstrations to show concern for the Jews in the Soviet Union. I think you also heard my previous discussion with Mr. Zweibon of the Jewish Defense League. How do you feel about some of the violent demonstrations for support? Rabbi SEGAL. Congressman, may I tell you a little story? I will make it very brief. A PARABLE There was a man who stole $10. The informant who informed on him said he stole $11. So everyone picked on that man, that he is a liar and everyone forgot that the other one is a thief. You see, I do not want to involve myself in a discussion whether this is good or bad. I would rather concentrate on the plight of the Soviet Jews. I am afraid that we are diverting ourselves from the real issue. Rabbi SEGAL. I am not suggesting any legislation for it. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I think it is difficult to avoid one subject because you are interested in another. Rabbi SEGAL. I am not avoiding it except that I feel that we have business at hand and I like to concentrate on this. I don't see that I have to come before a congressional committee and testify on this problem. I think there are enough laws and law enforcement agencies in this country which can handle anyone who transgresses the law. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I thank you for that guarded response. Mr. ROSENTHAL. Congressman Gallagher? Mr. GALLAGHER. Mr. Chairman, I want to welcome Rabbi Segal, who is accompanied by a very distinguished and a very concerned colleague, Congressman Minish. I don't know what the chairman is doing here with everybody from New Jersey. But, on behalf of my colleague and myself, I want to tell you how delightful we are for your presence today. I have had an opportunity of reviewing your statement. It certainly gets right to the point. I want to thank you for the contribution that you have made. Chairman Rosenthal has done an outstanding job in putting these hearings together and the caliber of the witnesses he has brought forth will allow the Congress to have a far better understanding of the problem than we now have. A UNION OF FAITHS A very significant factor has developed in these hearings, Mr. Chairman, and that is many other religious groups are joining their Jewish brethren and other racial groups who have felt the sting of discrimination and are making common cause as well. The unification of these concerned with man's treatment of his fellow man knows no boundary of race, creed, or religion. In this case I feel that the evidence that you are gathering, Mr. Chairman, will present a solemn, effective case before those who are keeping Jews in the Soviet Union from exercising their religious freedom. Rabbi Segal, I want to commend you for making this trip today. I am sure that my fellow members of the Subcommittee on Europe have heard a profound statement. I want to thank Congressman Minish for all that he has done in making this problem one that this committee has developed into a major concern for the first time. I have no questions. Rabbi SEGAL. If I may, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, Congressman, for your help and assistance in all our causes. You are absolutely right, particularly in Essex County we enjoy a unanimity which I don't remember seeing for a long time, from all groups and all races, and all the religious groups. I think we are an example in this respect for the rest of the country. I want to say that I am very proud of our New Jersey Congressmen. I want to thank you and thank Congressman Minish. Mr. ROSENTHAL. Thank you, Rabbi. I, too, want to thank you for a very precise and lucid statement. I do want to tell you that we are enormously proud of your New Jersey delegation. We are very pleased that Congressman Minish introduced you. He and his colleague from New Jersey have been very deeply concerned about what the United States can do in fulfilling its commitment to preserving liberty |