Long Island Board of Rabbis Calls on Clinton to Reconsider and Release Pollard


LONG ISLAND BOARD OF RABBIS

President:


Rabbi Maurice D. Simckes
Temple Israel of South Merrick
2655 Clubhouse Road
Merrick, New York 11566
(516) 378-1963

June 14, 1994

President Bill Clinton
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Clinton,

The Long Island Board of Rabbis, which represents the collective rabbinate of one hundred-fifty Jewish Congregations and with over two hundred-fifty-thousand congregants, wishes to express its great disappointment in the manner in which you summarily denied the motion for commutation of the lifetime sentence imposed upon Jonathan Pollard.

We in no way condone any violation of our country's laws, but consider s as unduly harsh, and, thus far, to a great degree having been served under inhumane conditions and unwarranted solitary confinement. In our estimation, the punishment that he has received is unprecedented in our history.

We wish to add our voices to the growing wave of support for Pollard's release and urge you, Mr. President, to reconsider the denial of clemency for Jonathan Pollard and to reduce his sentence to time served.

Respectfully,

(signed)

Rabbi Maurice D. Simckes, D.D.
President

OFFICERS

: Vice Presidents: Rabbi Leonard Aronson, Rabbi Bruce Ginsburg, Rabbi Stuart Geller Treasurer: Rabbi Morton Green Secretary: Rabbi Paul Kaplan

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

: Rabbis Ronald Androphy, Ezra Finkelstein, Daniel Fogel, Robert Colub, Chaim Halprn, Steven Moss, Israel Nobel, Arthur Schwartz, Gerald Solomon, Leon Spielman,Nonch Valley, Maurice Weisenberg.

PAST PRESIDENTS

: Rabbis *Arlo S. Hyams, Melvin Kieffer, Bernard Kligfield, Phillip Krohn, Julius Goldberg, Norman Kahan, Samuel A. Glaser, Louis Stein, *Simon Resnikoff, Morton L. Gordon, Tobias Rothenberg, Gabriel Maza, Esor Ben Sorek, Paul Kushner, Gary S. Credito