Remembering the Soviet Jewry Struggle and Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Washington, D.C. Vigil

Would you believe that 40 years have passed since the alleged Leningrad plane hijacking and the birth of the Soviet Jewry movement? On December 10, 1970 a small group of activists gathered on the International Union of Electrical Worker’s plaza to protest the verdicts of treason and death for 11 Soviet citizens, 9 of them Jewish.

From that small protest, history was made. We gathered our strength from people of every religious and ethnic background. We stood in solidarity for those being persecuted and denied basic human rights as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For seven days a week, for 12 months a year, for 21 years the VIGIL symbolized our total commitment to human rights and dignity.

On Human Rights Day, Friday, December 10, 2010, we will celebrate the triumph of the human spirit. At 12:30 P.M. on the plaza of the National Council of La Raza, 1126 16th Street, N.W., Washington, DC where we met for so many years, another VIGIL will take place. Human rights activists, political representatives and émigrés will share their stories and observations.

Please pass this invitation on to your friends, join us as we celebrate the success of our campaign and recommit to ensuring that no one is denied basic human rights anywhere in the world.

Soviet Jewry Movement Project

(202) 789-0900 - info@jhsgw.org   www.jhsgw.org