Washington – Alan Gross has been about communications all his life: The call-mom-everyday son, the family newsbreaker, the message guy for Jewish groups, the get-out-the-vote enthusiast for candidate Barack Obama, the technology contractor who helped the U.S. government bring the world’s remotest populations into the 21st century.
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Now, however, Gross, 60, of Potomac, Md., has been languishing for three months in a Cuban high-security prison and his rare conversations are monitored by Cuban officials.
“He spoke with my sister-in-law on a few occasions with someone standing by him,” Bonnie Rubinstein, his sister, told JTA in an interview Monday. “He was guarded, he tried to impart that he was OK.”
In fact, not so OK, Rubinstein said, correcting herself: Gross’ call last week to his wife, Judy, was to ask for the medication he needs for his gout and that is unavailable in Cuba.
“We’re hoping he got the medication,” said Rubinstein, a director of early childhood education at Temple Shalom in Dallas. “He lost 52 pounds. We’re very worried about him.”
Rubinstein was arrested Dec. 3 as he prepared to return from Cuba, where he was completing work on behalf of the U.S. government. He has not been charged, but leading Cuban figures — including President Raul Castro — have accused him of being part of a plot to undermine the government.
Read the full story at The JTA
Judy Gross issued a video appeal for the release of her husband of 40 years. The Grosses have two adult daughters.
More details about a campaign to urge U.S. law makers to help secure Mr Gross release.
Obama, huh? Is he helping you in return or does the Community need to do that?
If we can shout for Rubashkin and martin grossman, we should definitely be able to speak out for this man!
(I believe that what the Jewish Community did right with advocqting for gressman and rubashkin)
Something doesn’t smell right here. The US Government sent him there and now is letting him rot in a Cuban prison? There must be more to the story.
If he went on behalf of the US government, why is the government not getting him out? Even without diplomatic relations, they must have plenty of strings to pull to get him out. Who can we contact to make sure the US government doesn’t forget about him?
It seems like we have a serious pidyon shevuim case on our hands
If in fact he was working for the US government than why is’nt their any mention of a US government worker being detained by Cuba in a high security jail, nonetheless, from Washington. Something’s not kosher about this whole story.
Why can’t the U.S. government get him free if he was there on their behalf? And socialized medicine doesn’t have the medication he needs? What is his Hebrew name so we can daven for his release?
How can we call Raul’s office?? How can we get his Email?? After all this guy did not kill a cop and Im sure that feels bad that he voted for Obama.
Is that last picture on the video of him in a mosque?? He has done so much for the Jewish people?? Like what getting Obama elected and siting and laughing with the enemy’s of Klal Yisrael?
Where are our senators and other representatives urging us to write letters to help this person?
Where is Dov HIkind?
We must try to help this person
It falls into the category of pidyon shevuim.
He did not do anything illegal!
Was he set up by his so called own government?
Please get us an email address and or phone number to bombard!
A Jew is a Jew!
what does anyone doe in cuba?
in the video she said ” he also loves other cultures …alan also loves the jewish comunety ???? also???
for sure if he is a jew we as jews are bound to help him by devine decree but what does anyone look over there or could he be a safek jehudi ??
there is something that doesn`t taste to well