Jews of Ukraine & Former USSR Rally for Pollard

Source: The 7th Channel, Russian Language News - February 1, 2007
Translated to English by Eleonora Shiffrin, 7th Channel News Editor

MIDRASHA ZIONIT a Jewish educational centre in Kiev, Ukraine, originally founded by the Jewish Agency - has declared the month of Shevat a month of struggle for the release of Jonathan Pollard, by the Jews of the former USSR.

Jews in the Ukraine and other former Soviet republics are collecting signatures for a petition to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the government of Israel, demanding immediate, urgent steps be taken to secure the release of Jonathan Pollard, an Israeli agent and a hero of the Jewish people, who has spent over 21 years in American prisons.

Within the framework of Pollard Month, on the 23rd of Shevat (February 11th), Soviet Jews and Jews of the Ukraine will be holding a one-day hunger strike, from dawn till dusk, in Kiev, Odessa, Minsk, Moscow and other cities participating in this demonstration.

Organizers invite everyone to join the one day hunger-strike even if there is no group in your city, and even if you don't live in the USSR.

On the same day, the 23rd of Shevat, there will also be a video-conference on the issue of Jonathan Pollard. Participants from all of the cities will come together electronically to learn more and to discuss the Pollard case. Everybody who is able to link up electronically, is invited to take part in the conference.

The Website of Midrasha Zionit has posted a selection of articles on the subject of Jonathan Pollard [in Russian]: http://midrasha.net/lessons.php?art=1§ion=43&mode=103. The postings include materials from the official Pollard site in Russian as well as articles on the subject written by various Russian-speaking activists, journalists and public figures.

The same site is collecting signatures for the Pollard petition. It offers a printer-friendly version so that every visitor to the web can print it out and collect signatures as well.

The site also invites readers to send their own materials and articles on Pollard and provides a link to the Russian-language site for Jonathan Pollard:

http://maof.rjews.net/authorg.php3?id=21&type=o