CENTRAL RABBINICAL CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

134 Broadway •  Brooklyn 11, N.Y.

September 7, 1972

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Two young men, Israel Bernat, Haifa and Samuel Weisenstern, Jerusalem, students at the Hebron Yeshiva, Jerusalem, have been imprisoned since May 31, 1972 on the charges of allegedly participating in the demolition of a Sex and Pornography Shop in Tel-Aviv without being released on bail. Although their trial has been completed since September 3, no verdict has yet been announced and the young students continue to be detained. All efforts to release them on bail have been denied. Every amount of collateral has been offered. Every Rabbinical plea to obtain their release at least for the Holiday period has fallen on deaf ears. We were under the impression up to this very evening that we have obtained our objective, but according to the latest developments we find this to be untrue.

We therefore beseech and appeal to the government of Israel through the news media, in the name of world Jewry, to have compassion on these young men and their families who have not seen them throughout this whole period to reunite them at least for the Holiday season.

It is unheard of in our free democratic society that two young men with no previous police record should be kept imprisoned for such a long period and not be given the basic privilege of being considered innocent until proven guilty.

We appeal to every influential world leader to use his good office and influence with the Israeli Government to obtain the immediate release of these two young men. In the spirit of these most Holiest Days, we hope that our please will not remain unanswered.

Rabbi M. Berkowits
Executive Directory