Last night, at a reception in my suite for Natan Shcharansky before he began his series of four lectures at Yeshiva, I was asked to greet him before a distinguished gathering of faculty, administration, Board members, and guests. I did so with an appropriate devar Torah. In his response, Shcharansky said that several months ago he came to the United States to help organize the great march on Washington for Soviet Jewry during the visit of USSR Gorbachev — a most successful demonstration. In preparing for it, he spoke in congregations throughout the country. It is remarkable, he said, that every time he was introduced, the rabbi presenting him would comment on how appropriate his visit was at that time because the Torah, in the weekly pareshat ha-Shavua, makes the following statement which can be applied to Soviet Jewry and Shcharansky... "I thought to myself," said Shcharansky, "How funny it is that every week a rabbi should discover that the Torah's words apply to me and my situation. On second thought," he ruminated, "that is a wonderful tribute to Torah and its expositors, that it indeed is relevant to every situation and such relevance can be demonstrated by one who is a true student of Torah."

Dear ____________: I hope this letter finds you and your family in the very best of health. I suppose that the weather in your part of the world during this season is quite uncomfortable, and so I am sorry to have to burden you with this request. However, I am confident you will appreciate the gravity of the issue which causes me to approach you at this time.I am sure you are acquainted with the dreadful condition of our fellow Jews behind the Iron Curtain. Russian Jewry, which numbers in the millions, is sustaining a wave of virulent anti-Semitism which is all the more pernicious _ _ Kw«vJbecause it is hypocritically denied by Soviet officials. I -am—sure that as a responsible leader of your own Jewish community, you sense, as I do, theobligation to do whatever is possible to help our co-religionistsI have thought of this for a long time, as I am sure many others have, and Iknew that there are no quick and easy solutions. Yet I feel strongly that we at least something could be done towards alleviating the conditions of RussianJewry if public opinion were aroused throughout the worldI kiiw that J one who is close to the highest levels of government in India, wt your voice will be heard and given careful consideration.I believe that you are in a position to do more than most ordinary Jews can.None of us dare be silent at such crucial times in our history when the lives and liberty of so many Jews are at stake. I implore you to make representations to the government to communicate directly to the Soviets their distress at whatis happeningFurther, I most urgently recommend that the outstanding dignitaries of Indian cultural life be alerted to the problem. Poets, philosophers, humanitarians, writers and journalists should make their voices heardpublicly. You are He doubt- aware of the fact that Indian public opinion countsvery much throughout the worldI know that the task will not be easy; but neither will it be easy to avoid the adverse judgment of history if we fail …