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National Jewish Community
Relations Advisory Council Guide to Program Planning Of the Constituent Organizations |
| World Jewry and International Human Rights |
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The American Jewish community, with its profound sense of Klal Yisrael, always has been concerned deeply with the fate of fellow Jews throughout the world. This commitment to the entire Jewish family is linked to a sense of responsibility by American Jewry’s unique and fortunate position, which allows it to respond to the needs of other Jewish communities that are in difficulty or danger. In responding, the American Jewish community must be sensitive to the concerns of the Jewish community it seeks to help. American Jews also share a deep concern for the protection of rights of individuals throughout the world and, therefore, support the vigorous application of human rights principles in the pursuit of American foreign policy objectives.
Jews in the Former Soviet Union (This section was developed in consultation with the National Conference on Soviet Jewry) Changing Conditions For the foreseeable future, conditions in the independent states of the former Soviet Union (FSU) will be characterized by political instability and economic distress. These conditions will heighten the awareness of the Jewish minority regarding the possibility of aliyah and emigration elsewhere even as they will make more difficult the efforts to build a viable Jewish communal life within the FSU. Emigration to Israel and elsewhere is expected to continue at approximately 100,000 people annually. Consolidation and expansion of Jewish communal life will proceed even as the Jewish population diminishes in some parts of the FSU. Background The anti-reformist parliamentary rebellion against Russian President Boris Yeltsin in October 1993, and the election of a large number of ultra-nationalists led by Vladimir Zhirinovsky and former communists in December 1993, underscored the long road ahead in bringing political stability and democracy to Russia. Among the supporters of the attempted coup were hardcore anti-Semites, all of whom have been granted amnesty and released from prison by the new Parliament. Indeed, subsequent to putting down the revolt, President Yeltsin outlawed Pamyat, one of the most virulent and visible of the anti-Semitic organizations in the FSU. However, in the aftermath of the siege, Yeltsin was advised that banning such groups was illegal. They are all functioning again. The ongoing ethnic strife, even civil war, in other parts of the FSU reveals the arduous nature of building stability in a part of the world that only has known authoritarian rule in the past with no democratic tradition upon which to call for assistance in governance. Even in those areas where political unrest is not common, the efforts to restructure society along democratic and market economic lines is proceeding slowly at best. President Clinton has made it clear that his Administration will support the efforts of President Yeltsin while at the same time increasing U.S. assistance to other former Republics. Secretary of State Warren Christopher has reported to the Congress that improving the opportunity for democracy and free markets to flourish in Russia, Ukraine and other states is among the highest priorities of the United States. It can be expected that the President will continue to support Yeltsin's efforts during the next year. Analyses circulated by the National Conference on Soviet Jewry state that Jews have been targets of anti-Semitic actions and violence and remain threatened in the current atmosphere of unrest and turbulence. The absence within the FSU of any tradition of assuring the rights of minorities provide no confidence that the security of the Jewish community can be assumed in the future. Indeed, the ethnic character of much of the violence in the FSU especially in Tajikistan, Georgia and Armenia, points to a future of growing difficulty for minority groups, not less At the same time, economic and environmental difficulties in Ukraine, which have already spurred a growing ultra-nationalist movement, suggest that the Jewish community may be more likely to choose to emigrate in the coming months. While Jewish emigration continues at a strong pace, many continue to face difficulties at OVIR offices. In addition, about 200 outstanding refusenik and "poor relations" cases still need to be resolved. A commission was established by the Russian government to review long-term cases and it has met regularly and resolved several cases. The ongoing efforts of the organized Jewish community in the U.S. to see that the issue remains high on the bilateral agenda are important factors in the attempt to bring a successful resolution to these painful situations. The world Jewish community, together with indigenous organizations, is heavily engaged in efforts to build institutions to meet the direct service needs of Jewish individuals and to provide a meaningful level of Jewish education. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish Agency for Israel, together with the Lishkat Hakesher (the Liaison Bureau on Soviet Jewry of the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel), Chabad, the Va'ad and many other local and foreign organizations have developed a series of schools, summer camps, Hebrew language programs, yeshivot, and direct service systems to meet the present and future needs of indigenous Jewish communities. In addition, the Jewish Agency, as well as Lishkat Hakesher, has embarked upon a number of unique programs to encourage aliyah and to increase chances of success.
At the same time, approximately 40,000 Soviet Jews enter the United States annually as refugees. In 1994, the Lautenberg Amendment, which assures a standard for refugee status applicable to Jews from the FSU, was renewed. The organized Jewish community is strongly supportive of the amendment. (See section on Immigration and Refugees.)
The Jewish community relations field should
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