Federations rally for Putin to release Jewish reporter

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

The Jewish Federations of North America hosted a virtual rally on May 8 for the release of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal correspondent imprisoned by Russia in March on charges of espionage.

In conjunction with this rally featuring U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and others, the parent organization of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him “to take very step in your power to bring Evan home.”

“For us, this is personal,” the letter reads. “Evan and his family are members of our American Jewish community.

We are very concerned about Evan’s well-being, particularly given the record of Russian detention of Americans in various cases for months and years.”

Paul Beckett, chief of the journal’s Washington bureau, said that while Russia has detained Americans, it hasn’t imprisoned a journalist since 1986, during the Cold War. “That should tell you something about how significant this is,” he said. “And it’s a reflection of a trend that we have seen in Russia in the stifling of independent reporting. These kinds of arrests are designed to have a chilling effect on the broader community.”

“The charges that he is in on are bogus,” he said, “but we don’t expect anything to change, so we expect its continued detainment that will lead to a trial that we expect will lead to a conviction.” On May 23 the court extended the date for that trial to August 30.

Russia is holding Gershkovich in the notorious prison Lefortovo. “It’s extremely isolating, and it’s isolating by design,” said Jodie Ginsberg, president of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Bail has been denied, as is typical in these situations. Beckett said it’s been hard to get updates about Gershkovich, but journal lawyers visit him periodically.

Letters are being delivered, too. “We know that Evan is receiving communications,” said Ginsberg, “and we know that that is an incredible morale boost. I know from the very many people we’ve spoken to who’ve been in prison for any length of time.”

An overarching message of the rally was that it’s important to keep up all the efforts supporting Gershkovich over the long haul. “Unfortunately, these cases can go on for some time,” said Ginsberg. “And if convicted, he could face up to 20 years in jail.”

Beckett said American Jews should be a big part of these efforts. “One of the things that we have heard is that the Russian government and (President Vladimir) Putin do pay attention to the reaction and voices of the global Jewish community and the American Jewish community,” he said. “So that really does make a difference.”

Gershkovich’s parents know Russia intimately. They are natives who escaped four decades ago, during the years when it was the Soviet Union. “The story is one that I think all American Jews can relate to our families,” said Jen Weiss, CEO of the Jewish Federation of New Jersey. “All came to this country from somewhere.”

The Gershkoviches didn’t know each other when they left Russia separately in 1979. But both landed in New York City, where they met at work. Soon they were married and settled in New Jersey with two kids, whom they raised with the Russian language and traditions. The family visited Russia together in 1999 for the parents to share their roots with their children.

Seventeen years after that trip, Evan started reporting for the New York Times. In 2017 he moved to the Moscow Times and in 2020 to Agence France-Presse. At the beginning of 2022, he joined the Wall Street Journal, working out of its Moscow bureau and covering the war in Urkaine.

Recipe: Japanese Potato Salad & Rice Krispies Treats

By Sandi Teplitz

I recently traveled to Japan and decided to do a recipe inspired by my visit. With summer right around the corner, this Japanese potato salad will have you prepared. Accompany it with salmon sushi and a chilled glass of Riesling. Make the finale a scoop of Häagen-Dazs green matcha ice cream and my version of Rice Krispies Treats. Then say sayonara to the cool weather.

POTATO SALAD INGREDIENTS:

4 large red potatoes

4 extra-large eggs

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup celery, diced

Grated carrots

TECHNIQUE:

Boil the potatoes and peel and cut into small cubes. Hard-boil the eggs, mash while warm and add to the warm potatoes. In a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise, wasabi powder, celery and salt. Add to the potato-and-egg mixture. Place in a 9-inch springform pan and chill slightly. Remove sides and pat grated car- rots around the side. Chill for an hour.

DESSERT INGREDIENTS:

5 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

10-ounce bag Dandee vegan marshmallows

1/4 teaspoon matcha powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Häagen-Dazs green matcha ice cream

TECHNIQUE:

Melt the butter with the marshmallows and matcha powder. Add the vanilla and mix in the Rice Krispies. Place in a buttered 13-by-9-inch pan. Cut into squares and chill until served along with the ice cream.

“Evan traveled across Russia to shed light on one of the biggest news events in a generation, talking to citizens who rallied behind the military effort and those who opposed the invasion,” said Evan’s mom. “In December [2022] he published a detailed piece about the mindset of President Putin and his inner circle. I think when the article came out, it got me worried a lot.”

Senator Menendez was asked what it will take to get Gershkovich released. “What we have learned so far from engaging with Russia under Putin is that it ultimately is transactional,” he said. “It’ll be ‘can’t do’ until we have individuals or other items sufficiently of interest to

Putin that he will make an exchange for Evan.”

The Jewish Federations letter to Secretary Blinken moved toward its conclusion with a reminder that Gershkovich’s parents fled the Soviet Union “seeking freedom and opportunity in the United States.”

“Like many in our community, Evan was raised with a deep appreciation for the promise of the American dream,” it continued. “His story is one that all American Jews can relate to and has galvanized our community to act to ensure his safe return.”