North Carolina – The leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements in the United States vowed to intensify their efforts to bring about the release of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard after visiting him at Butner Federal Penitentiary in North Carolina last week.
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Pollard has not been in well enough health to receive visitors for several months. But he made an exception for the Reform and Conservative leaders in a visit organized by Young Israel executive director emeritus Rabbi Pesach Lerner, who has led efforts to bring about Pollard’s release.
Union for Reform Judaism president Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center director Rabbi David Saperstein, Rabbinical Assembly executive vice president Rabbi Julie Schonfeld and Rabbinical Assembly former president Rabbi Alvin Berkun met Pollard for two hours and heard about his plight.
The rabbis said they found Pollard in frail health due to his long incarceration and the range of physical ailments from which he suffers. They reasserted, more strongly than ever, that his release is overdue. They said that hearing the painful narrative of his long years in prison renewed their determination to help secure his release.
Together, as representatives of the largest streams in the American Jewish religious community, the RA, RAC and URJ renewed their call for US President Barack Obama to immediately commute Pollard’s sentence and release him from prison. Pollard has served 28 years – the longest sentence for any individual convicted of similar offenses in the United States.
The leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements have been engaged in vigorous advocacy for years, passing resolutions, issuing public statements, advocating for Pollard’s clemency to four presidential administrations and to Congress, and working with their large number of member rabbis across the nation who have regularly preached and written on the unfairness and inequity of Pollard’s sentence.
Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
Pollard is a Zionist. Why would the Haredim care?
This decision by a leading orthodox organization like Young Israel to work closely with their conservative and reform colleagues on matters of common interest is encouraging. While they may disagree on some matters of halacha, the mindless opposition by some frum rabbonim and askanim to any cooperation with the conservative and reform organizations is one reason why Pollard is still rotting in jail and convicted felons like Rubashkin and Dwek are not getting the universal support of yidden.
Have the reform and conservative leaders led Tehillim for Pollard?
It’s time to let him go!
It hit me during the whole snowden NSA thing that Obama and Biden are the same spies who spy on allies as pollard. As Biden said ‘
Interesting how far they will go for someone that betrayed his country Spied against Israel’s only friend for his personal gain.
But when it comes to a frum yid they will be first to scream let him rot in jail forever like they have done withSMR and others.
Where is Dina Dmalchisa Dina?
Where is Hakuras Hatov to your free country?
What about chilul hashem?
Do I see. a double standard here?
Sorry- Bad, Bad timing—Obama, Holder furious with George Zimmerman, while George is “OUT”, Pollard will remain “IN”..Obviously the 2 cases are not really related or similar, but I live in the real world, wake up and smell the coffee….you all know I am right.
Obama has nothing to gain by freeing Pollard. I’m afraid he’s not going to make it out.
Hope I’m wrong.
Crime does not pay.
Let him rot in jail for his transgression of dina d’malchutcha and his terrible shande fur de goyim. He betrayed fellow Americans and fellow Jews. He had a choice and he chose wrongly.
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You’re comparing Rubashkin who was pardoned on all counts and was ultimately convicted on a technicality by a judge with conflicted interests to Dwek who will rot in hell for eternity for entrapping dozens of good people and sinking his father who was one of the most productive rabbis in the Syrian community?
Look, he is never getting out. Besides, he has been in solitary so long that he is probably as crazy as a jailhouse rat.
It’s nice to see the two deviant movemnmts doing something for a fellow Yid instead of doing their tikkun olam in Africa and Asia.
As a Chassidic Jew, I commend the Reform and Conservative leader’s efforts. Do all you can do! It’s a great mitzvah.