Speaker. I rise today to recognize the 40th anniversary of the Mass Movement for Soviet Jewish Freedom and the 20th anniversary of the Freedom Sunday Rally for Soviet Jewry on the Mall here in Washington. This mass advocacy movement formed following the antiZionist campaign launched by the Soviet government in 1967 and worked tirelessly for over two decades to gain Soviet Jews the freedom to emigrate from the Soviet Union. where they had been held as virtual prisoners since World War II. In 1987. on the eve of the ReaganGorbachev summit. more than 250.000 people gathered in Washington to rally for the plight of Soviet Jews. This event was a major turning point in compelling the soviet government to open its doors for millions of Soviet Jewish emigr6s who were being held prisoner in their own country. Finally in 1991. the Supreme Soviet passed a law codifying the right of every Soviet citizen to emigrate. leading to a massive emigration by Jews from the Soviet Union. mostly to Israel and the United States. As a sponsor of House Resolution 759. I want to recognize these two anniversaries and praise the efforts of all the organizations involved in this important movement. including the American Jewish Conference on Soviet Jewry. the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry. and the Congressional Coalition for Soviet Jews.
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emigration emigrate